President Bush says the Healthy Forests Restoration Act
and Initiative were needed to fight wildfire, but several years
into the new rules, critics question whether the changes they
brought were helpful or even necessary
Magazine
April 17, 2006
Four years after President Bush launched his Healthy Forests Initiative, the Western woods are abuzz. Also in this issue: "Nevada style" wilderness bill comes to Utah and Citizens unite against gas field chaos.
Feature
Sidebar
Loggers say forest-restoration work, which involves the
thinning and cutting of small, skinny trees, doesn’t bring in
much money
The National Fire Plan, the Healthy Forests Initiative and
the Healthy Forests Restoration Act are explained and
compared
Uncommon Westerners
Former California Rep. Pete McCloskey says the need to
defend the environment is behind his decision to run against
Richard Pombo in the Republican primary
Essays
All over the West, white roadside crosses and spontaneous,
humble shrines mark the holy sites where the souls of human beings
have left this world
Book Reviews
In George W. Bush’s Healthy Forests:
Reframing the Environmental Debate, authors Jacqueline
Vaughn and Hanna Cortner demonstrate that under Bush, "there has
been a rollback of environmental standards and
regulations."
In Condor: To the Brink and Back,
science reporter John Nielsen surveys the life and times of "one
giant bird."
Wayne Parrish’s Legend of the
Eagleman is a suspenseful and engaging novel set in the
world of tribal casino gambling
Communities and Forests: Where People Meet the
Land, is a collection of essays, edited by Robert G. Lee
and Donald R Field, examining changing styles of forest
management
Writers on the Range
The upcoming trial of 11 alleged "eco-terrorists" may not
be the Trial of the Century, but it reminds the writer, a longtime
activist, of the Boston Tea Party
Heard Around the West
Driving a little too far off-road in California; HOV Lane
is not for dummies; scrap metal thieves get creative; dream home
turns nightmare; St. George, Utah, gets expensive; military
recruiters get desperate
Dear Friends
Matt Jenkins leaves the HCN office to
become California-Great Basin correspondent; Western Slope
Environmental Resource Conference and North Fork River Improvement
Association hold annual meetings; visitors; "secretary" Bruce
Babbitt
News
A controversial proposed wilderness bill for Utah’s
Washington County includes utility corridors, motorized-vehicle
trails, and public-land sales designed to accommodate urban
growth
Sens. Max Baucus and Ron Wyden want to raise money for
rural schools by closing tax loopholes; Yates Petroleum won’t
drill in Bitter Lake Wildlife Refuge; Montana wants to keep
Wyoming’s coalbed methane from harming rivers’ water
quality
Farmers, environmentalists, fishermen and tribes are
talking with PacifiCorp officials about the possible removal of
four dams on the Klamath River
In western Colorado, the Grand Valley Citizens Alliance is
trying to work with industry to set protections for landowners
before more drilling gets under way
Grand Junction and Palisade, Colo., try unsuccessfully to
bid on oil and gas leases to protect their water supply from
contamination by drilling
As drill rigs get closer to New Mexico’s Valle
Vidal, the coalition seeking to protect the area is attracting more
support
Outgoing Interior Secretary Gale Norton has opened the
door for counties and states to claim control of roads crossing
federal lands
Idaho’s Fish and Game Department wants to boost
dwindling elk numbers by killing wolves in the Lolo management
zone
Letters
Featured stories
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SPORTING COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR To advance our mission, we are seeking a full-time Sporting Communications Coordinator to join our team, preferably in Montana or Colorado. (Due to COVID-19 all...
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THE LAND DESK: A PUBLIC LANDS NEWSLETTER Western lands and communities--in context--delivered to your inbox 3x/week. From award-winning journalist and HCN contributor, Jonathan P. Thompson. $6/month; $60/year.
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CONSERVATIONIST? IRRIGABLE LAND? Stellar seed-saving NGO is available to serious partner. Package must include financial support. Details: http://seeds.ojaidigital.net.
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EXPERT LAND STEWART 
Available for site conservator, property manager. View resume at http://skills.ojadigital.net.
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ANCESTRAL LANDS ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER Starting Salary: Grade C, $19.00 to 24.00 per/hour Location: Albuquerque or Gallup, NM Status: Full-Time, Non-Exempt Benefit Eligible: Full Benefits Eligible per Personnel Policies Program...
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GRAND CANYON DIRECTOR The Grand Canyon director, with the Grand Canyon manager, conservation director, and other staff, envisions, prioritizes, and implements strategies for the Grand Canyon Trust's work...
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ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Great Old Broads for Wilderness seeks a part-time Administrative Assistant to support the organization's general operations. This includes phone and email communications, office correspondence and...
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HISTORIC LODGE AND RESTAURANT - FULLY EQUIPPED Built in 1901, The Crazy Mountain Inn has 11 guest rooms in a town-center building on 7 city lots (.58 acres). The inn and restaurant...
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ONE WILL: THREE WIVES by Edith Tarbescu. "One Will: Three Wives" is packed with a large array of interesting suspects, all of whom could be a murderer ... a...
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PROGRAM DIRECTOR, SALAZAR CENTER FOR NORTH AMERICAN CONSERVATION The Program Director will oversee the programmatic initiatives of The Salazar Center, working closely with the Center's Director and staff to engage the world's leading...
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WILDEARTH GUARDIANS - WILD PLACES PROGRAM DIRECTOR Salary Range: $70,000-$80,000. Location: Denver, CO, Portland, OR, Seattle, WA, Missoula, MT or potentially elsewhere for the right person. Application Review: on a rolling basis....
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RIVER EDUCATOR/GUIDE + TRIP LEADER Position Description: Full-time seasonal positions (mid-March through October) Organizational Background: Colorado Canyons Association (CCA) is a 10 year old nonprofit organization fostering community stewardship of...
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BOOKKEEPER/ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Position Description: Part-time, year-round bookkeeping and administration position (12 - 16 hours/week) $16 - $18/hour DOE Organizational Background: Colorado Canyons Association (CCA) is a 10...
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LAND STEWARD San Isabel Land Protection Trust seeks a full-time Land Steward to manage and oversee its conservation easement monitoring and stewardship program for 42,437 acres in...
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Ventana Wilderness Alliance is seeking an experienced forward-facing public land conservation leader to serve as its Executive Director. The mission of the Ventana Wilderness Alliance...
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COMMUNICATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR The Quivira Coalition (www.quiviracoaltion.org) is a Santa Fe-based nonprofit that builds resilience on arid working lands. We foster ecological, economic, and social health through education,...
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GRANT WRITER "We all love this place we call Montana. We believe that land and water and air are not ours to despoil, but ours to steward...
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DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR The Development Director is responsible for organizing and launching a coherent set of development activities to build support for the Natural History Institute's programs and...
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WILDLIFE PROJECT COORDINATOR Founded in 1936, the National Wildlife Federation (NWF or Federation) is America's largest and most trusted grassroots conservation organization with 53 state/territorial affiliates and more...
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR The Cinnabar Foundation helps protect and conserve water, wildlife and wild lands in Montana and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem by supporting organizations and people who...
