Feature

Hunters close ranks, and minds

The notorious self-censorship the hunting press showed when "Outdoor Life" pulled biologist Tom Beck's article critical of bear baiting leads to speculations by an outdoor writer on why hunters are so thin-skinned about criticism.

Dear Friends

Dear friends

Heaven-o... and Kissy the Cat lives; odds and ends; changes on the HCN board.

News

Wilderness has a new foe: snowmobiles

The popularity of Seeley Lake, Mont., for snowmobilers reveals a growing problem as the snowmobilers trespass with increasing enthusiasm in nearby wilderness areas like the Mission Mountains.

Is there oil under Utah's new monument?

Conoco wants to drill one or two exploratory oil wells in Utah's Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument before its leases expire in November.

Who shot the wolf?

A male gray wolf reintroduced into the Yellowstone area was found shot and dumped into Montana's Madison River.

Nuclear dump could waste the Colorado, foes say

Activists are protesting the state of California's plans to build a low-level nuclear dump in the desert's Ward Valley.

Green groups stick to their guns

A Park Service decision to shoot introduced mountain goats that are endangering plants in the Olympic Mountains receives support from some environmental groups, although many problems remain.

Tepee blockade spurs talks

A Navajo tepee blockade at Mobil Oil Corp. offices near Aneth, Utah, leads to concessions from the company, which activists say has long exploited the reservation without giving anything back to the tribe.

Idaho activists win one

A federal judge in Idaho overturns the 1995 conviction of 12 activists charged with violating a road closure in the Cove-Mallard area.

'Good' rancher goes berserk with an assault rifle

Local rancher Martin L. Thomas, known as a good steward of the land, is charged with opening fire on elk with an assault rifle, killing or crippling at least 10 animals.

Is Hanford back in the bomb business?

The Department of Energy is considering using Hanford's research nuclear reactor to produce tritium for nuclear weapons.

Lawns and pools close in on desert lab

The University of Arizona's Desert Laboratory, a unique desert biological field station, faces the pressure of the city of Tucson's growth and the uncertain future of the land.

'Un-logging' the national forests? It might just happen

Environmental organizations are petitioning the Secretary of Agriculture to allow groups to buy federal timber and leave it standing rather than logging it.

Book Reviews

Outdoor writer aims to change his culture

A review of Ted Williams' "The Insightful Sportsman" reveals a fiercely independent outdoor writer who is not afraid to upset his fellow hunters.

Pictures and politics`

A review of "Stone Canyons of the Colorado Plateau" cites beautiful photographs by Jack Dykinga and intriguing text by Charles Bowden.

No more cheap thrills

A General Accounting Office report shows the Forest Service is losing millions of dollars a year by undercharging the recreationists that use forest lands.

Big sky or big sprawl?

A recent report says that Montana's rapid sprawling growth is causing traffic problems.

Severed at the hip

A Wilderness Society report shows that Western rural communities are not dependent on the extractive use of nearby public lands.

Wanted alive

The Colorado Division of Wildlife is distributing posters to ask the public to keep its eyes open for the fast-disappearing boreal toad.

Caretakers wanted

"The Caretaker Gazette" helps ranchers and homeowners find caretakers and live-in stewards.

Tarnished trophies

PEER's report, "Tarnished Trophies," documents how safari hunters bring exotic and endangered animals into the U.S. as game trophies.

An unabashed green's snapshot of Northwest forest activism

A review of Kathy Durbin's "Tree Huggers: Victory, Defeat, and Renewal in the Northwest Ancient Forest Campaign."

Essays

What happens when two tree-huggers meet a tentful of hunters

A close encounter between a tribal biologist, a self-described "tree-hugger" and a tentful of hard-drinking hunters leads to surprising communication as each side overcomes its stereotypes.

Venison is not an option

A Boulder, Colo., resident humorously describes his attempts to co-exist with the deer that invade his garden.

Heard Around the West

Heard around the West

USFS computers vs. face-to-face communication; "Boyfriend in a Box"; Perfect Match dating service; Colo. elementary school students on love and marriage; "Ranger Barbie"; having a gun but not being rude in Tacoma, Wash.; wacky news in Denver's Westword.

Letters

It was too many Republicans

They're off the team

Let's stop blaming

Condos, in any case

We should be making public lands whole

Let ranches equal water

Related Stories

Tough love for hunters

Former "Outdoor Life" editor Stephen Byers, in his own words, on what went wrong at the magazine.

The WLFA: "Who are these guys?'

The Wildlife Legislative Fund of America packs a lot of clout among hunters and politicians.

The NRA's powder may be getting damp

The National Rifle Association may be losing some of its hunter membership and other moderates as it moves farther to the right.