June 2021
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The Sonoran Desert National Monument was designated in 2001, but livestock grazing persisted until 2015. Now the BLM wants to restock a portion of this national monument. Photo George Wuerthner The Sonoran Desert National Monument is a spectacular representation of the Sonoran Desert landscape managed by the Arizona office of the Bureau of Land Management…
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This is the last of a three-part series on this multi-faceted and important issue. Part one which explored the myths of Stewardship, Perpetuity, and Creation, can be found here. Part two, which explored the myths of Legality, Special Jurisdiction, History, and Economy, can be found here. Myth of Popularity It is a common claim…
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This is part two of a three-part series on this multi-faceted and important issue. Part one, which explored the myths of Stewardship, Perpetuity, and Creation, can be found here. Part three, which will explore the myths of Popularity, Local Authority, and Process, will be posted soon. Myth of Legality Somewhat related to the myth of…
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Rending fact from fiction regarding ranching in our national park Introduction: a critical controversy continues to simmer unnoticed on the West Coast. The question of how to administer one national park, and by extension how to manage public lands, is as-we-speak being answered at Point Reyes National Seashore, just north of San Francisco. So far,…
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The Sonoran Desert National Monument was established in 2001 with very specific terms about how grazing should be managed on these lands. The Proclamation basically said that grazing should be permanently banned from parts of the monument and could only continue on portions of the monument where it was found to be compatible with resource…
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One hears continuously that the Forest Service doesn’t clearcut anymore. Of course, what constitutes a clearcut is subject to interpretation. The following photos are all taken on the Deschutes NF in Oregon. These are “forest thinning” projects designed to reduce wildfires and “improve” forest health. How many trees do you need to leave behind so…
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The North Bridger Range is a proposed wilderness. Photo George Wuerthner In an article in the Bozeman Chronicle about the North Bridger Timber sale, the Forest Service justifies logging the forests based on what it calls “forest health”. The agency claims logging will “restore” resiliency. But few ask what exactly constitutes a healthy forest ecosystem?…
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Wildflowers along the North Fork of the Salmon River near Salmon, Idaho. Photo George Wuerthner High Country News tries to portray itself as a source of environmental news, but reporting on wildfire issues often leaves much to be desired. In its recent June 1, 2021 article Wildfire and A Forest Worth Fighting For, High Country…
