As methamphetamine moves into the small, isolated towns of
the rural West, the waste left by its manufacture pollutes the
environment while the drug's abuse and the traffic in it strain the
resources of local law enforcement and social services.
Magazine
August 14, 2000
As methamphetamine moves into the small, isolated towns of the rural West, the waste left by its manufacture pollutes the environment while the drug's abuse and the traffic in it strain the resources of local law enforcement and social services.
Feature
Sidebar
In his own words, Erec Hopkins describes how he started
injecting - and selling - methamphetamines.
Mike LaScoula, the Spokane County Health District's
chemical and physical hazards advisor, describes the toxic hazards
created when a house is turned into an illegal methamphetamine
lab.
Uncommon Westerners
With the recent untimely death of Marc Reisner, the West
loses a man of independence and integrity, as well as a writer
whose book "Cadillac Desert" helped to change the nation's view of
Western water and water projects.
Essays
A Telluride, Colo., woman, irked by the way some New Age
whites cannibalize Indian spirituality, has taken on the name of
"White Dork" and the totem animal weasel.
In all the hoopla of magazines touting "adventure travel"
and ecotourism, the writer wonders why folks don't consider just
staying home for a change.
Book Reviews
Mary Taylor Young's book, "On the trail of Colorado
Critters," teaches children about how to watch and understand wild
animals.
An EPA report reveals that some children of Washington
state farm workers show elevated levels of pesticide
exposure.
Robert Michael Pyle's book, "Chasing Monarchs: Migrating
with the Butterflies of Passage," follows the colorful insects from
Canada, down to Mexico, and back up to the California coast on
their amazing yearly migration.
Mike Kahn is riding his bike from California to Maine, and
using his laptop computer along the way to educate children about
the natural world that he sees on his journey.
The journals and paintings of four artists who explores
the West after Lewis and Clark will be featured in Idaho.
Forest activists gather for a rally Sept. 15-17 in
Romayor, Texas.
Land protection is the focus of a conference about the
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah on Sept.
15.
Northwest authors will teach their secrets at the Nature
Writers Retreat in Leavenworth, Wash., Sept. 24-27.
Heard Around the West
Narcisse, Canada: home to 70,000 snakes; man regrets
climbing into outdoor potty; Indian tribe plans bowling alley
instead of casino; unscrupulous photographers use technology to
track wolves and bears; Sequim, WA, elk wear collars to alert
m
Dear Friends
Why HCN is writing about meth; good news from HCN's
Writers On The Range and online archives; two HCN parties coming
up: September board meeting in Boise and 30th anniversary in
Boulder.
News
The ski town of Telluride, Colo., is fighting a
developer's plans to build up the Valley Floor, 857 acres of
pasture and wetlands that are currently open space on the highway
leading into town.
Western wildfires rage; Rosebud Sioux Tribe cuts its
planned giant hog farm by half; Dick French is ousted from job in
charge of cleaning up Hanford Nuclear Reservation; Clinton
withdraws support for a Great Sand Dunes National Park.
At Ted Turner's Montana ranch, biologists are trying to
train wolves to stay away from cattle by using shock collars that
jolt the animals when they get too close to a cow or
calf.
Idaho's Grouse Creek Mine was once hailed as
environmentally friendly, but now the mine is closed, and
environmentalists fear the company's plans for draining a leaking
tailings pond may harm fish in the Salmon River.
Due to lead poisoning, Grand Canyon California condors
have been recaptured until officials can track down the
source.
Local farmers are fighting a proposed gravel mine on 550
acres of fertile farmland near the Willamette River north of
Eugene, Oregon.
Visitors to the Snake River in Wyoming avoid the fee-demo
program by donating to the Snake River Fund; the Forest Service
gets the money only after local river-users approve the agency's
river projects.
Southern California is trying to reduce diesel emissions
by turning to cleaner-burning energy sources for public
vehicles.
Near Virginia City, Mont., and throughout the West, small
mines face minimal regulation and oversight, and private landowners
and the state are often left with huge cleanup costs and polluted
streams.
The federal Fish and Wildlife Service is allowing a
Tucson, Ariz., developer to build in habitat critical for the
endangered cactus ferruginous pygmy-owl.
California has cut its landfill waste by 40 percent, and
some give composting the credit.
On Arizona's Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge,
managers are caught between desert bighorn sheep advocates, who say
the animals need human-made waterholes, and others who say that
hauling water by authorized motorized vehicles harms the
wilderness.
National forests across the country are cash-strapped and
hard-pressed to get everyday work done because a greater percentage
of the agency's budget is staying in Washington, D.C.
The Jackson Hole Airport near Grand Teton National Park
has decided to allow some helicopter flights, despite fierce local
objections.
The owners of a golf course at the base of Oregon's Mount
Hood are trying to restore endangered salmon to the stream that
runs through it, the Wee Burn.
Letters
Today's Featured Stories
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CALIFORNIA DESERT LANDS PROTECTION FELLOW Friends of the Inyo seeks a California Desert Lands Protection Fellow to assist with an effective campaign to defend lands in the California desert, including...
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WESTERN LEADERS NETWORK WYOMING ORGANIZER Part-time, 6-month contractor to promote the benefits of cutting methane waste and reducing ozone.
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WESTERN LEADERS NETWORK NEW MEXICO ORGANIZER Part-time, 6-month contractor to promote the benefits of cutting methane waste and reducing ozone.
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DO YOU HAVE A COMPLEX CONSERVATION CHALLENGE? Join the Center for Conservation Peacebuilding for a workshop to build your capacity to transform conflicts and create lasting solutions for people and wildlife. April...
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OWN YOUR OWN CANYON - 1400 SF STRAW-BALE ECO-HOME ON 80 ACRES - 3 HOURS FROM L.A. 1400 sf of habitable space in a custom-designed eco-home created and completed by a published L.A. architect in 1997-99. Nestled within its own 80-acre mountain...
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NEW MEXCIO PUBLIC LANDS COORDINATOR/WYSS FELLOW Trout Unlimited in New Mexico is seeking a coordinator to work on campaigns and projects that conserve quality fish and wildlife habitats. This position is...
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CALIFORNIA CONSERVATION MANAGER The American Forest Foundation (AFF) seeks a smart and highly motivated candidate to join their Western conservation team. The California Conservation Manager supports the Director,... -
UPPER COLORADO RIVER BASIN WATER FORUM: BRIDGING SCIENCE, POLICY & PRACTICE Nov 7-8 in Grand Junction, CO Keynote: Brad Udall on Climate Change Other Topics: Threats to Food Energy Water Security From Forecasting to Decision-Making Science...
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - VISIONARY LEADER For more information on RE Sources and a full job description: visit our website:
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RIO GRANDE CAMPAIGNER The Rio Grande is one of the Wests most vital rivers and it is in dire need of a passionate, steadfast, and persistent advocate. We...
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FORGE & FAB SHOP FOR SALE - with home on one acre in Pocatello, ID. For information and photos visit www.blackrockforgeproperty.com.
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BEAUTIFUL HOME ON EAST RIVER, CRESTED BUTTE, CO Skiing, biking, hiking, fishing, 3 bd/2 bth, deck. 1.38 acres, no covenants. Call Reggie Masters, Associate Broker Coldwell Banker Bighorn Realty, 970-596-3568.
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SALMON RIVER IDAHO WILDERNESS RETREAT HOME Here is an opportunity to have a piece of self-sufficient paradise on Idaho's Main Salmon River adjacent to the largest Forest Service wilderness area in...
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DATABASE AND SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR Do you love Grand Teton National Park? Grand Teton National Park Foundation is seeking a Database and Systems Administrator. Applicants must be highly organized, extremely... -
FIELD ORGANIZER Help protect Montanas water quality, family farms and ranches, & unique quality of life. Work hard, meet good people, make the world a better place!...
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HIGH COUNTRY NEWS SEEKS DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANT to assist with fundraising campaigns. HCN is an award-winning, national news magazine. Strong candidates will have experience administering monthly-giving programs, communicating with donors, and working...
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SAN JUAN BASIN ENERGY CAMPAIGN ORGANIZER San Juan Citizens Alliance is seeking a full-time San Juan Energy Campaign Organizer located in Farmington, New Mexico. The San Juan Energy Campaign Organizer focuses...
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40 ACRE ORGANIC FARM potential fruit/hay with house, Hotchkiss, CO, Scott Ellis, 970-420-0472, [email protected] -
DIRECTOR, ENERGY AND LANDSCAPE CONSERVATION The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) seeks a director to lead a nationwide program focused on the protection of U.S. national parks from energy development...
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COMING TO TUCSON? Popular vacation house, furnished, 2 bed/1 bath, yard, dog-friendly. Lee at [email protected] or 520-791-9246.
