Yesterday the Desert Independent reported that on Election Day, after being asked about the treatment of wild horses and allegations made in a recent ProPublica article about the illegal sale of wild horses to a slaughter facility in Mexico, Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar turned to the reporter and said “If you set me up like this again,…
Deb Fisher, tea party, public land rancher versus Bob Kerry, former Nebraska senator- This was a race Republicans thought they would not have to worry about because the state has become quite red, and the retiring Democratic Senator Ben Nelson, offers Republicans a chance to pick up a seat and win the U.S. Senate. Bob…
Hunter lockout underscores the privatization danger to our public lands- As if to underscore the value of our national public lands, this time for hunters, NE Montana ranchers have locked hunters out of their ranchland to protest and put pressure on Montana FWP because they didn’t get their way on keeping bison strictly restricted to…
Did non-violent protest work here? The news is that Tim de Christopher is getting out of a California federal prison a bit early, after 18 months instead of 2 years. He will serve out the last 6 months in a Salt Lake City halfway house. Presumably there in work release they will try to have…
Badly managed cattle devastate the most remote public lands- “Till the cows come home” . . . that phase usually means a long time. That’s how it is on most of public lands of the Western United States. The cattle are put out before the grass and forbs (perennial flowers) are sturdy and ready for…
I am the Lorax, I speak for the trees. It seems more and more there are fewer conservation organizations who speak for the forest, and more that speak for the timber industry. Witness several recent commentaries in Oregon papers which are by no means unique. I’ve seen similar themes from other conservation groups in the…
Because of litigation by the Biodiversity Conservation Alliance challenging the US Forest Service over its decision to allow domestic sheep grazing in occupied bighorn sheep habitat in Wyoming, state Senator Larry Hicks has proposed a plan to remove or kill bighorn sheep to protect domestic sheep grazing. This shows the stunning depths that woolgrowers are…
With little hope that they will prevail in Idaho District Court people are asking why the Idaho Wool Growers Association, American Sheep Industry Association, Public Lands Council, and sheep ranchers from Wyoming and Colorado have begun litigation now. According to the latest gossip, the woolgrowers hope for a Romney Administration in 2013. The woolgrowers think that,…
Ken Cole is a 5th generation Idahoan, an avid fly fisherman, wildlife enthusiast, and photographer. He is the interim Idaho Director for Western Watersheds Project.
We do not accept unsolicited “guest” authors or advertising.