Todd Wilkinson remembers how far we’ve come . . . not all that far-
Looking Back Two Decades On Managing The Greater Yellowstone Ecoystem. By Todd Wilkinson. National Parks Traveler.
I was at that meeting in Jackson in 1983 to form the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. It is such a struggle against the entrenched bureaucracy with their ties to extractive interests!
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Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University with specialties in natural resource politics, public opinion, interest groups, political parties, voting and elections. Aside from academic publications, he is author or co-author of three hiking/backpacking guides, and he is President of the Western Watersheds Project.
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Hey Ralph,
Just wanted to take a second and thank you for all your hard work and dedication. The struggles and bureaucracy will always be around, but I appreciate the fact that you have dedicated part of your life to protecting wildlife and wild places. Even if I don’t always agree with your views, I respect what you are doing.. keep up the good work, it’s worth it.
Thanks, Ronnie!
Yes, thx Ralph.
It was Ralph who really opened my eyes to what “roadless” was back in the 90’s via his Usenet postings. Completely changed how I view the outdoors.
I have to second what Ronnie said: thanks Ralph, for all that you do.
I have had to deal with the BLM since 1980. I have gotten so used to their collective mindsets, that when I have to deal with another agency, I am like a fish out of water. I belong to a community organization that works with governmental agencies. When we got involved with the BLM, and the revision of a RMP, the Forest Service refused to continue their involvment and completely disappeared. Even FWS backed away and there are 2 candidate and 6 or 7 listed species involved. And the term ecosystem came hard, but we “fern feelers” prevailed.
Happy New Year all.
Rick
Thank you Ralph.
Don’t know what I’d do w/o this blog site. It’s brought me great enjoyment, laughs, anger….always informative and entertaining.
Have a happy and healthy New Year.
Ralph….I’ve been following your website since the late 1990’s when I first started teaching Environmental Education in Colorado. My students have frequented it when doing research projects on wolves and bears. The resources you have provided have proven to be invaluable time and time again.
The article from the National Parks Traveler hits on a topic that I routinely discuss with my students; the politics of the environment. When they enter my class, most don’t consider the two as interconnected. But as this article shows, they go hand-in-hand. And the thing is, it’s not just the Greater Yellowstone ECOSYSTEM that this applies to. There are so many areas in Colorado that this idea could be applied to as well.
Thanks for sharing this article! It will be a great resource to share with my students!
Rodney