The wild beauty of the Little Missouri badlands within Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota. Photo George Wuerthner
Theodore Roosevelt National Park (TRNP) has proposed eliminating feral horses and domestic livestock from the Park. Unlike the fiasco at Point Reyes National Seashore, where the NPS appears to support maintaining domestic […]
Continue Reading →UPDATE: Since I wrote this piece, the number of bison killed near Gardiner and elsewhere from all sources has exceeded 1024 animals. You can read the report here.
Yellowstone bison are used to being photographed not shot. Photo […]
Continue Reading →With the cultural appropriation of the horse, Indians became effective predators of the West’s bison herds.
INTRODUCTION
It’s often repeated over and over that commercial hunting by white sharp shooters led to the demise of the large western bison herds.
However, there is plenty of evidence that Indian bison […]
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When Deb Haaland was nominated for the position of Secretary of Interior, I received dozens of emails from nearly every large conservation organization to support her nomination. She was appointed without having any particular experience or background in public lands issues and limited executive experience in running major federal land management agencies […]
Continue Reading →Yellowstone National Park brings out the best in society. Photo George Wuerthner
I spent the past week in Yellowstone National Park. I was grateful to the people who had the courage and foresight to establish Yellowstone in 1872.
It was with gratitude that I watched grizzly bears playing among the meadows. Gratitude […]
Continue Reading →Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. The park was originally created to protect geological phenomena like geysers and canyons. Photo George Wuerthner
The year 2022 is the 150th birthday of the creation of Yellowstone National Park. The establishment of the park in 1872 is something to celebrate globally. It is a shining beacon […]
Continue Reading →Yellowstone bison have been subject to evolutionary influences like harsh winters, predators, and other natural agents. Photo George Wuerthner
The state, federal and tribal groups involved in the Interagency Bison Management recently announced they would slaughter up to 900 Yellowstone bison this winter.
Yellowstone’s wild bison were declared our national mammal in […]
Continue Reading →The cost of a hamburger does not reflect the cost of this cowbombed land in Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. Photo George Wuerthner
Do you know what a Big Mac costs? If you say $4.50 or whatever the current price posted at the McDonald’s restaurant may be, you are vastly under-estimating the […]
Continue Reading →Restoration of wild bison will require large landscapes. Photo George Wuerthner
Bison were critical ecosystem influences on grasslands of North America, particularly in the Great Plains “bison belt.” They provided prey or carrion for wolves, grizzlies, other smaller predators and scavengers, and food for humans. In addition, bison grazing patterns influenced vegetation […]
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Bison herd. Photo George Wuerthner
Many authors today suggest that Indigenous people somehow behaved differently from other humans, particularly western culture that now dominates the globe in their relationship and exploitation of natural lands.
The general theme is that while the human influence pre-European contact was significant, human exploitation was tempered […]
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