Category: States
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How To Reduce Fire Fighting Costs
A recent paper from the Forest Service predicts higher costs for fire fighting. The title: Economic Risks: Forest Service Estimates Costs of Fighting Wildfires in a Hotter Future. The Climate Financial Risk report published by the White House Office of Management and Budget provides some estimates. A middle-of-the-road estimate is a 42% increase in suppression…
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Another Attempt To List Montana Grayling Under The Endangered Species Act
On August 30, 2024, the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (MDFWP) closed the Big Hole River to fishing due to high water temperatures. When water temperatures rise, cold-water fish like trout are stressed and more susceptible to disease and even being caught due to low water concentrating fish in the remaining holes. One…
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The Nuance in Fire Research Reporting
A recent announcement from UC Davis proclaimed, “Less Severe Forest Fires Can Reduce Intensity of Future Blazes,” and got plenty of play in regional newspapers. But like so many scientific papers, the piece has more nuance than the breathless publication might suggest. The study used remote sensing to review 700 reburns across the West. According…
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What Is A Healthy Forest?
I just received a notice from the Custer Gallatin National Forest CGNF) that they plan to do a Fuels and Forest Health Project in Cooke City, Montana. The Forest Service says the project aims to mitigate wildland fire risks and enhance forest conditions surrounding Cooke City and Silver Gate, Montana. Among the usual claims, the…
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What A Map Can Tell Us
I studied geography in grad school. One of the basic premises of geography is that maps can show graphical concepts and ideas that might not be obvious with other forms of communication. The map of roads in Greater Yellowstone serves as a powerful tool, revealing a reality that many fail to grasp. Despite the protection…
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Cows In A National Park? How Can That Be?
Cattle grazing, a practice that dates back to the creation of Grand Teton National Park and is also observed in a dozen other parks, is a part of the park’s historical legacy. However, that legacy is still creating conflicts between park values and livestock interests. A current controversy is over a $700,000 fence in the…
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Yellowstone Bison Plan Favors Tribal Culture Over Preserving Wild Bison
Yellowstone National Park recently released its Final Bison Management Plan. It arbitrarily limits bison numbers through tribal hunting outside of the park and the transfer of public Yellowstone bison to Indian reservations. The NPS Preferred Alternative 2 is better than the existing bison management but will continue the degradation of wild bison. Alt. 3 is…
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BOSH Project Destroys Tens of Thousands Acres of Juniper
The BOSH project in southern Idaho ultimately plans to destroy tens of thousands of acres of juniper woodlands on BLM lands. BOSH stands for Bruneau-Owyhee Sagebrush Habitat Project. The advocates of the BOSH project use pejorative language to characterize the Juniper clearing from the landscape. Terms like “restoring” the “natural” condition of the land assume…