Rewilding a Mountain

George Wuerthner

How removing cattle led to a massive ecological recovery

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Author
gwuerthner@gmail.com | Website

George Wuerthner is an ecologist and writer who has published 38 books on various topics related to environmental and natural history.

Among his titles are:

Welfare Ranching-The Subsidized Destruction of the American West

Wildfire-A Century of Failed Forest Policy

Energy—Overdevelopment and the Delusion of Endless Growth

Keeping the Wild-Against the Domestication of the Earth

Protecting the Wild—Parks, and Wilderness as the Foundation for Conservation

Nevada Mountain Ranges

Alaska Mountain Ranges

California’s Wilderness Areas—Deserts

California Wilderness Areas—Coast and Mountains,

Montana’s Magnificent Wilderness, Yellowstone—A Visitor’s Companion

Yellowstone and the Fires of Change,

Yosemite—The Grace and the Grandeur,

Mount Rainier—A Visitor’s Companion,

Texas’s Big Bend Country,

The Adirondacks-Forever Wild

Southern Appalachia Country, among others.

He has visited over 400 designated wilderness areas and over 200 national park units.

In the past, he has worked as a cadastral surveyor in Alaska, a river ranger on several wild and scenic rivers in Alaska, a backcountry ranger in the Gates of the Arctic National Park in Alaska, a wilderness guide in Alaska, a natural history guide in Yellowstone National Park, a freelance writer and photographer, a high school science teacher, and more recently ecological projects director for the Foundation for Deep Ecology. He currently is the ED of Public Lands Media

He has been on the board or science advisor of numerous environmental organizations, including RESTORE the North Woods, Gallatin Yellowstone Wilderness Association, Park Country Environmental Coalition, Wildlife Conservation Predator Defense, Gallatin Wildlife Association, Western Watersheds Project, Project Coyote, Rewilding Institute, The Wildlands Project, Patagonia Land Trust, The Ecological Citizen, Montana Wilderness Association, New National Parks Campaign, Montana Wild Bison Restoration Council, Friends of Douglas Fir National Monument, Sage Steppe Wild, and others.

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Comments

4 responses to “Rewilding a Mountain”

  1. Selina Avatar
    Selina

    Thrilling! A best video in my book! Bravo to all the scientist-stewards who breathed new life into a soggy beaten bottom by their activism and their steadfast fidelity to this huge and hugely wonderful project.

    Reply
  2. Jeff Hoffman Avatar
    Jeff Hoffman

    I consider my best victory as an Earth First! campaigner in the 1980s to be the removal of cattle from a state park. The land is now in much better shape, which is a no-brainier. Cattle grazing is one of the great scourges that humans cause, and it’s nothing short of disastrous in arid and semi-arid lands. Cattle need to be removed from the arid west, no two ways about it.

    Reply
  3. ChicoRey Avatar
    ChicoRey

    Many European countries are re-wilding large areas – the US is far far behind them!

    Reply
  4. Fred K Avatar
    Fred K

    This film should be required viewing by western state Fish & Wildlife Commissioners. Most agency department managers insist to the Commissioners that grazing cattle can benefit biodiversity. Another example when volunteer Commissioners often a limited ability have to independently evaluate agency actions.

    Reply

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