Feature

Private rights vs. public lands: Thousands of inholdingscreate conflicts inside federal lands

A ranching family's desire to develop a road to an inholding in Arizona's Arrastra Mounain Wilderness is a microcosm of the huge and unwieldy problem of inholdings on public lands throughout the West.

Dear Friends

Dear Friends

Tucson potluck; 18,500 readers; Malpai Borderlands Group; calling all newsletters; freelancer doings; Big Velvet corrections.

News

The Land and Water Fund waits to be tapped

Although the money in the Land and Water Conservation Trust Fund is usually taken for other purposes, this year Congress has agreed to spend the conservation trust fund for land and water conservation.

Fore! on the Inyo National Forest

The Snow Creek golf course in Mammoth Lakes, Calif., has a permit to turn 95 acres of the Inyo National Forest into an expansion of the golf course.

No, ma'am, this isn't Mississippi

The native Yaqui catfish is being restored to Arizona's San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge.

The Wayward West

Western senators flunk conservation report card; Joshua Tree landfill rejected; Yucca Mtn. ot ready for waste; Hart Mtn., Ore., coyotes safe from guns, but Yellowstone bison are not; BLM looking at Utah's Lockhart Basin.

Wolves go wild in the Southwest

The first endangered Mexican wolves are returned to the wild in southern Arizona and New Mexico's Apache and Gila national forests.

The spotted owl has a new enemy

The barred owl has moved into the territory of the endangered spotted owl, and its tendency to compete with, prey on and occasionally mate with the spotted owl may doom the endangered bird.

Water for people and fish

A conservation effort will protect the water in Colorado's Snowmass Creek, as well as nearby land and a trailer park.

Intel Corp. denied desert water rights

The powerful computer chip manufacturer Intel Corp. loses a bid to buy water rights from farmers near Socorro, N.M.

A scarlet "A' for ASARCO?

ASARCO's plans to mine copper in Arizona's Santa Rita Mountains have been put on hold.

Scat dogs earn their keep

Scientist Sam Wasser has trained dogs to sniff out bear and wolf droppings in the wild, so the scat can be analyzed to find how many animals live in an area and where their prime habitat is.

Book Reviews

Soul in your soles

Richard Frazine's book, "The Barefoot Hiker," gives advice on going barefoot in the woods.

When green becomes red

The Wilderness Society and the Forest Service have published reports that disagree entirely on how much money the agency has lost through commercial timber sales in Washington and Oregon.

Quincy comes up short

University of California Professor Timothy P. Duane compares the Quincy Library Group with another California consensus group on the Yuba River watershed, and finds fault with the Quincy Group.

Working the Watershed

In the Pacific Northwest, the overworked Chinook watershed is the subject of a new restoration effort.

Green Building Resource Center

Design professionals can turn to the "Green Building Resource Center" on the Internet for information.

Western Colorado Pollution Prevention Program

"Western Colorado Pollution Prevention Program" offers information about environmental regulations in a seminar April 22 in Grand Junction, Colo.

Gunnison River Basin/Grand Valley Water Quality Forum

Colorado's High Country Alliance offers a conference, "Gunnison River Basin/Grand Valley Water Quality Forum," Feb. 26 in Montrose.

7th annual Winter Fishtrap Gathering

The 7th annual Winter Fishtrap Gathering is held Feb. 20-22 at Wallowa Lake, Ore.

Mesa County Water Association

Mesa County Water Association holds its fifth annual water course Feb. 17 and 25 and March 3 in Grand Junction, Colo.

BirdSource Great "98 Backyard Bird Count

National Audubon Society and Cornell University are sponsoring the BirdSource Great "98 Backyard Bird Count, Feb. 20-22.

From orchards to Philadelphia

The "Baseline Scenario" study warns that Utahns in the growing Salt Lake City area need to start managing growth now.

7th Annual Land Use Continuing Education Conference

The 7th annual "Land Use Continuing Education Conference" is held March 12-13 in Denver, Colo.

Heard Around the West

Heard around the West

Alluring trees on trial; posh Park City party; pity Arizona; golf in Arizona; polo field in Grand Junction; no affordable housing in Ketchum; no bike lands at DIA; acronyms aplenty at INEEL.

Letters

Welcome to the "Freedom Zone'

Don't blame Audubon for a judge's bad decision

Pay to play privately, too

The "real' right isn't wacky

Ken Toole speaks for the politically correct

Related Stories

On the offensive: developer Tom Chapman

Developer Thomas E. Chapman has earned notoriety - and a lot of money - buying, selling and trading wilderness inholdings in Colorado.

Managing scenery, wildlife and humans

Idaho's Sawtooth National Recreation Area has long seen trouble between the Forest Service and private inholders, and manager Paul Ries is on the hot seat for trying to protect the area.

Counties want to develop public land

In Washington's Skamania County, pressure is building to get public lands in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area back into private hands.