Department of Interior

  • Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act Reintroduced

    George Wuerthner

    The Beartooth Mountains contain some of the most extensive alpine terrain in the Rockies. Photo by George Wuerthner The Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act (NREPA) is the most comprehensive and ecologically defensible legislation currently before Congress. The Act was first introduced in 1993. NREPA was reintroduced by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and Representative Madeleine Dean, who…

  • Public Lands Are Part Of Our Nation’s Inheritance

    George Wuerthner

    America’s public lands are one of the Nation’s most outstanding achievements. Public lands are part of every citizen’s heritage and an essential part of the national inheritance. It is especially vital to the people living in the western states, where we enjoy an abundance of public land. The public domain is critical to our perception…

  • Cash Cows – Now Available Again

    Jonathan Ratner

    Thanks to the work of Karen Klitz, we have been able to obtain a reprint of Cash Cows – Taxes Support a Wild West holdover that enriches ranchers and degrades the land. This expose was one of the only deep dives into the corruption surrounding public lands livestock grazing and the degradation it creates, and…

  • Why Tribal Co-Management Is A Threat to Our Public Lands

    George Wuerthner

    Given the wrecking ball the Trump administration is taking to our public lands and public values, it might seem trivial to worry about tribal co-management. Our public lands are among the most democratic of American institutions. Every American has a right to voice their opinion about public lands management, but no group should be elevated…

  • Bighorn Sheep vs. Domestic Sheep

    Jonathan Ratner

    As many of you know, domestic sheep are the primary impediment to bighorn sheep recovery because the domestic sheep transmit disease to the bighorn sheep. PBS did a decent video on the issue: What the video fails to mention is that livestock permits on our public lands are a privilege, not a right, and can…

  • USGS Webinar Series on Sagebrush Ecosystem and Rangeland Fire Science

    Jonathan Ratner

    For sagebrush and science geeks, USGS is hosting a series of webinars on sagebrush issues starting at the end of January Dates and Topics: 1/30 – Greater sage-grouse  2/6 – Invasive species, restoration effectiveness, and monitoring 2/20 – Monitoring, pinyon-juniper, and fuels management 2/27 – Fire, fuels management, invasive species  3/6 – Climate, carbon, and more…

  • Last Stand for Headwater Lahontan Cutthroat Trout – Part 2

    Karen Klitz

    Part 2 – Enforcement Why are Lahontan cutthroat trout populations still declining 50 years after being listed as a Threatened Species? Here are some points to consider. Agencies and Organizations Lahontan cutthroat trout (LCT) numbers have been diminishing since the 1800s by over-fishing and by habitat destruction, and they were listed in 1975 as Threatened…

  • Does Juniper Cause Grasses To Disappear?

    George Wuerthner

    One of the common myths perpetuated by the livestock industry is that fire supression has allowed juniper to increase across the West, though under natural conditions juniper has long fire rotations of hundreds of years, so not significantly impacted by fire supression. Some studies suggest juniper expansion may be a natural consequence of climate change.…

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‎”At some point we must draw a line across the ground of our home and our being, drive a spear into the land and say to the bulldozers, earthmovers, government and corporations, “thus far and no further.” If we do not, we shall later feel, instead of pride, the regret of Thoreau, that good but overly-bookish man, who wrote, near the end of his life, “If I repent of anything it is likely to be my good behaviour.”

Edward Abbey

“The continued existence of wildlife and wilderness is important to the quality of life of humans.”

Jim Fowler

“Our forests offer much more than just beautiful landscapes and wildlife. Each one has a different story to tell.”

Raveena Tandon

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