In Arizona, a historic water deal could give the tiny,
impoverished Gila River Indian Community a path back to its farming
roots – and turn it into one of the West’s next big
power brokers
Magazine
March 15, 2004
In Arizona, a historic water deal could give the tiny, impoverished Gila River Indian Community a path back to its farming roots – and turn it into one of the West’s next big power brokers. Also in this issue: Western ranchers rejoice when a federal court jury finds that the nation’s largest meatpacker, Tyson/IBP, has illegally squeezed $1.28 billion from independent cattle producers.
Feature
Sidebar
The Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, which defeated a dam
that would have flooded tribal farmland, uses water from the
Central Arizona Project to grow profitable crops like pecans and
citrus fruits
The state of Arizona and the federal government have long
bickered over who should pay for the Central Arizona Project, but a
recent agreement reduces the state’s share, and puts money
toward funding Indian water projects
Editor's Note
The Gila River Indian Community in Arizona is on the verge
of a huge and historic water rights victory, but even the most
successful Indian crusades for water are always
compromises
Uncommon Westerners
Former rock-n-roll drummer Pete Bell is dedicated to
keeping California’s Mokelumne River as free-flowing as
possible
Essays
A South Dakota native ponders the lure of the Dying
Plains
Book Reviews
With its beautiful photographs and fine writing, Pete
Bengeyfield’s Incredible Vision: The Wildlands of Greater
Yellowstone succeeds in giving readers a new look at an
often-photographed landscape
The upcoming 40th anniversary of the Wilderness Act is
being celebrated with "Wilderness Hero" award nominations,
sponsored by a range of conservation groups
A new report, Making the Most of Science in the American
West: An Experiment, aims at teaching Westerners to work with
scientists to avoid environmental conflicts, according to co-author
Patricia Nelson Limerick
Writers on the Range
A visit to Arizona’s new Agua Fria National Monument
– one of those designated by Clinton at the end of his
presidency – points up the failure of the Bush administration
to protect and preserve the public lands
Heard Around the West
Hot tubs vs. wilderness; Grand Junction, Colo., vs. new
logo; teenager survives spectacular snowmobile smash; Michael
Jackson in Wal-mart; "For Christ’s sake go vegetarian"; and
weakest excuse for speeding
Dear Friends
Adam Jackaway plans film about energy; hcn.org prints
letters for discussion; Beth Wohlberg Casper climbs high for
cancer; condolences to Brian Maffly on the death of his wife, Karen
Sclafani; and corrections
News
Western ranchers rejoice when a federal court jury finds
that the nation’s largest meatpacker, Tyson/IBP, has
illegally squeezed $1.28 billion from independent cattle
producers
Campaign to Protect America’s Lands seeks tips from
Interior Department employees; Montana Mining Association wants to
repeal state’s cyanide ban; Reps. Henry Waxman and Tom Davis
complain to USDA after they learn Washington mad cow wasn’t a
downer; and R
Using magnesium chloride on winter highways in Colorado
and the West makes mountain driving safer, but critics worry about
its impacts on vehicles – and on wildlife, trees, water and
people
Aerospace and defense company GenCorp wants to build a new
development on its former rocket-testing site near Sacramento,
Calif., but critics are worried about old pollutants in the
groundwater
Energen Resources Corp. wants to put a gas well on Navajo
State Park in Colorado, near Navajo Lake
Judge Don Molloy finds the Forest Service partly liable in
the 1996 Montana snowmobile wreck that injured Brian Musselman, and
some snowmobilers are worried about the ruling’s impacts on
their sport
Colorado’s lynx reintroduction program has so far
been a success, but a new Forest Service management proposal would
put energy development, forest thinning, and snowmobile trails
ahead of the threatened animal’s habitat
Letters
Featured stories
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