Record-breaking heat and drought are frying the West, and
scientist John Harte of the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in
Gothic, Colo., warns that this summer is only the kick-off for what
global warming is likely to bring.
Magazine
August 19, 2002
The drought of 2002 has left the West blistered and burnt, scientists predict worse to come. Have we learned anything yet? Also in this issue: This year's drought has killed 10,000 cattle and ravaged the range. But corruption and resentment over earlier attempts to control grazing are stifling reform just when it's needed most.
Feature
Drought is having catastrophic impacts on the Navajo
Reservation, but past history and current politics keep grazing
reform from happening.
On the Walla Walla River In southern Washington and
northern Oregon, local farmers and environmentalists have avoided a
drought-sparked water war with collaboration and innovative
irrigation reform.
Mercilessly hot conditions in the drought-stressed West have aggravated infestations of bark beetles that attack several species of trees -- but perhaps the best response to the epidemic is to do nothing at all.
In the drought-stricken West, water cops, singing
governors and giant walking raindrops are just some of the odd
measures spawned by water-conservation campaigns.
Sidebar
In drought-stricken northern New Mexico, ranchers are
pushing to open the Valles Caldera National Preserve to livestock
grazing.
As Nevada's Walker Lake gets smaller and saltier, the
Paiute tribe, local farmers and the BLM wrestle over water rights
and wonder how to keep the threatened Lahontan cutthroat trout
alive without destroying the area's economy.
At Roosevelt Lake in Arizona, endangered southwestern
willow flycatchers are actually thriving as the water level drops
and willow and tamarisk take over.
Essays
At the Burning Man Festival in Nevada's Black Rock Desert, an eccentric city is created and then destroyed, and lives are sometimes changed along the way.
Perspective
Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., is in hot
water over his attempt to appeal-proof a controversial thinning
project in his home state, but the situation is more complicated
than his gleeful Republican opponents admit.
Writers on the Range
Living with drought in cities such as Denver, Colo., has
its challenges.
Heard Around the West
Hotchkiss, Colo.; Santa Fe finds bright spots in drought;
"Aspen - The Sitcom"; speeding and religion in Idaho; benefits of
clear-cuts; organic lunches in California schools; biking to work
in Flagstaff; Julia Child in Aspen.
Dear Friends
Drought story brings rain; here's to our readers;
visitors; HCN bids a fond farewell to staffers Anne Miller and
Marion Conger Stewart.
Conservationist Mardy Murie's 100th birthday will be
celebrated with a special gathering at the Murie Center in Moose,
Wyo.
News
The Forest Service blames environmentalists for this
summer's catastrophic Western wildfires, and although Greens reply
that the agency is actually at fault, the push for more logging is
growing in Congress.
Endangered Rio Grande silvery minnow; Park Service
deliberating about snowmobiles; Thomas Slonake's resignation from
Indian Trust Accounts forced; Organization of American States'
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, Mary and Carrie
Dann.
Tension is rising between Mexico and the U.S. over the
little water left in the drought-stricken Rio Grande.
The planned Joshua Hills development in Southern
California could hurt neighboring Joshua Tree National Park and the
Coacella Valley Preserve, the only remaining home of the endangered
fringe-toed lizard.
Firefighters are worried that a lawsuit filed against the
Forest Service, blaming the agency for the loss of homes near
Connor, Mont., may make it harder to use backfires to fight
wildfires.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs rescinds the official federal
status of the Chinook Indian tribe.
A draft policy released by the National Marine Fisheries
Service in July does little to resolve the controversy over whether
hatchery salmon and steelhead deserve equal protection with wild
fish.
In California, the International Mountain Bicycling
Association is leery of a new proposal to designate two and half
million acres of wilderness in the state.
Letters
Today's Featured Stories
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GRANTS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT Elizabeth Venable, MA, MPA, grant writer, is an ecologist with experience writing for environmental, social justice, and arts organizations. She has raised $850,000 in grants... -
WESTERN LEADERS NETWORK INDIAN COUNTRY ORGANIZER WLN is hiring a full-time organizer to lead our work in Indian Country.
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR-FRIENDS OF GOLD BUTTE Reporting to the Board of Directors (Board), the Executive Director (ED) has overall operational responsibility for FoGB staff, programs, expansion, and execution of the mission....
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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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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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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...
