Western Indian reservations and former logging towns are
among economically depressed communities seeking to cash in on the
new market for gourmet and medicinal plants, but some worry that
the boom of "wild crafting" plants may not be entirely
benign.
Magazine

February 15, 1999
Western Indian reservations and former logging towns are among economically depressed communities seeking to cash in on the new market for gourmet and medicinal plants, but some worry that the boom of "wild crafting" plants may not be entirely benign.
Feature
Sidebar
Nine sought-after plants with descriptions and what they
are used for.
In his own words, mushroom harvester Bill Knight describes
and defends his trade.
In her own words, Hoopa Valley Tribal member Sherlette
Colegrove describes the Indian approach to harvesting plants and
mushrooms.
Yan Saeteurn, who was born in Laos and now lives in
Redding, Calif., has built a life brokering matsutake mushrooms in
the Oregon woods.
Essays
During the height of the boom in harvesting Pacific yew
trees for the cancer-curing taxol in their bark, a logger wrestles
with ambiguous feelings about the trees he is felling for
money.
An East Coast writer recalls how he first fell utterly in
love with the desert landscape of Tucson, Ariz., and later decided
he loved it so much he would have to protect it by not moving
there.
Book Reviews
The background studies to the report "Water in the West:
Challenge for the Next Century" are worth their considerable weight
in gold to anyone seriously interested in the complex problems
surrounding water in the West.
"The Colorado Railroad and Rail Corridor Guide" will be
useful both to those trying to preserve existing rail lines and
those seeking to turn abandoned rail corridors into
trails.
News
Residents of King County, Wash., are fighting over whether
a 112-acre farm, protected by the county's farmland preservation
program, can be turned into a soccer field.
A 32,000-acre ranch on the border of Utah and Colorado
will remain a ranch rather than a subdivision, thanks to the
efforts of a land trust in each state that helped the landowner
place conservation easements on his land.
A 139-year history of hardrock mining ends in Leadville,
Colo., as the last working mine - Asarco's Black Cloud Mine -
closes down, leaving the town uncertain of its identity and its
economic future.
BLM acknowledges 5.7 million acres in Utah as wilderness;
USFS halts hardrock mining on Mont.'s Rocky Mtn. Front; Canada lynx
released in Colo. forest; Oregon drops appeal of salmon listing as
endangered; Ag Dept. proposes organic label for
meat/poultry.
Eleven reintroduced wolves have been sighted recently near
Jackson Hole, Wyo., as they migrate south from Yellowstone toward
Grand Teton National Park and the National Elk Refuge.
A rash of vandalism at Moab's Sand Flats Recreation Area,
which includes the famous Slickrock bike trail, seems to be
directed at mountain-biking tourists.
A three-story house being built on the rim of Washington's
Columbia River Gorge - in defiance of the National Columbia River
Gorge Scenic Area - has become a battleground between supporters of
the scenic act and property-rights advocates.
Casper, Wyo.'s Amoco oil refinery is one of the state's
most notorious hazardous waste sites, and some fear that EPA's
decision to turn over responsibility to the Wyoming Dept. of
Environmental Quality means that cleanup will not be
complete.
The remains of 42 Oglala Indians, stored for years at the
Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., are at last returned
and buried on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South
Dakota.
The 20 residents of a Montana ghost town called Southern
Cross are fighting eviction notices issued when the mining company
that owned the land under their homes sold it to
developers.
Snowmobilers and locals in Superior, Mont., who are
economically dependent on them, are fuming about the Lolo National
Forest's decision to close 400,000 acres, including the popular
Great Burn Wilderness Area, to motorized vehicles.
An activist group called Buffalo Nations has set up
tripods to block the road leading to a planned bison pen near West
Yellowstone, Mont., where stray bison would be held and tested for
brucellosis.
Environmentalists applaud the Pima County Board of
Supervisors' decision to kill the Canoa Ranch development, planned
on the outskirts of rapidly growing Tucson, Ariz.
Heard Around the West
Oldest male grizzly killed in Mont.; $3.6 million teardown
near Aspen.; wolves vs. sharks in Jackson Hole; Bats in Belfry,
Mont.; dart-pierced duck in Great Falls, MT; PETA vs. McDonalds in
Utah school; anti-Olympics license plates; impotence in
bikers.
Dear Friends
A very good year for HCN; January HCN board meeting in St.
George, Utah.
Letters
Featured stories
-
WYOMING CLIMATE ORGANIZER Job Title: Wyoming Climate Coordinator Reports to: Energy and Climate Policy Director Type of Work: Full-time, hourly, but willing to consider part-time Classification: Non-exempt Start...
-
DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Colorado West Land Trust seeks a Director of Development to lead the organization's fundraising efforts. Western Colorado is home to Colorado's fruit and wine industry,...
-
DIRECTOR - COLORADO WILD PUBLIC LANDS NON-PROFIT DIRECTOR If you are looking for meaningful work, this is the opportunity to join a small and exciting nonprofit organization led by an engaged...
-
EDITORIAL INTERN - INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS DESK High Country News is seeking an intern to serve on its award-winning Indigenous Affairs Desk. The Indigenous Affairs Intern will dive deep into important stories...
-
COMING TO TUCSON? Popular vacation house, everything furnished. Two bedroom, one bath, large enclosed yards. Dog-friendly. Contact Lee at [email protected] or 520-791-9246.
-
ENVIRONMENTAL AND CONSTRUCTION GEOPHYSICS We characterize contaminated sites, identify buried drums, tanks, debris and also locate groundwater.
-
NATURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION MANAGER Central Colorado Conservancy is an accredited land trust and community-based conservation organization based in Salida, CO. Our mission is to protect the land, waters and...
-
ESCAPE THE CROWDS AND EMBRACE NATURE: AFFORDABLE RETREAT, JUST AN HOUR FROM GLACIER NATIONAL PARK AND BOB MARSHALL WILDERNESS! Welcome to your new tranquil oasis in Montana. This beautiful 2-bedroom home FSBO is just an hour's drive to the east entrance of Glacier National...
-
DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Areas of Responsibility: The Development Director collaborates with the Executive Director, other HEAL Utah staff, board, and supporters to continue building one of Utah's most...
-
DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST Position Summary Western Resource Advocates (WRA) is hiring an organized and creative Digital Engagement Specialist to join our Marketing and Communications Team. The Digital Engagement...
-
92 ACRE EASTERN WASHINGTON GEM Welcome to Lost Creek Sanctuary... a true hidden gem in the heart of the Palouse. 1900 square feet, the main house is warm and charming,...
-
WEEKLY NEWSPAPER FOR SALE Vibrant, financially successful 1,100 print run, community-focused subscription newspaper in beautiful Pacific Northwest Washington seeks owner/s. It is time to retire. Now, your Norman Rockwell-like...
-
STAFF ATTORNEY - WILDLANDS AND WILDLIFE PROGRAM Job Opening Announcement: Wildlands and Wildlife Program Staff Attorney Reports to: Wildlands and Wildlife Program Director Location: Pacific Northwest, ideally in Eugene, Oregon, Portland, Oregon,...
-
HEAD OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT The Head of Project Management will oversee our project execution to ensure that we are providing our partners around the world with the field data...
-
LEGAL DIRECTOR Trustees for Alaska is the only nonprofit environmental law firm founded and based in Alaska. We are seeking a Legal Director, full-time based in Anchorage....
-
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR The Fund for People in Parks seeks leader to identify, develop, fund, and facilitate high-impact projects in western National Parks. Remote position with some travel....
-
GRASSROOTS REGIONAL COORDINATOR Great Old Broads for Wilderness is a women-led national grassroots organization that engages and inspires activism to preserve and protect wilderness and wild lands. The...
-
GRASSROOTS ADVOCACY MANAGER Great Old Broads for Wilderness is a women-led national grassroots organization that engages and inspires activism to preserve and protect wilderness and wild lands. Position...
-
GRASSROOTS LEADERSHIP DIRECTOR The Grassroots Leadership (Director) oversees the training, guidance, and support of volunteer Broadband Leaders. (Broadbands are women-led grassroots chapters, with 40+ across the country.) They...
-
FOCUS GROUP PARTICIPANT NEEDED We would like to invite you to participate in a 60-minute focus group to help us enhance the New Mexico Courts website (https://www.inside.nmcourts.gov/). Our aim...