Elaborate marijuana gardens, created and managed by
Mexican drug lords, are turning California’s public lands
into a dangerous, illegal, industrial-style landscape
Magazine
October 31, 2005
Elaborate marijuana gardens created and managed by Mexican drug lords are turning California’s public lands into a dangerous, illegal, industrial-style landscape. Also in this issue: The Forest Service’s claim that a recent court order would suspend routine activities – such as cutting Christmas trees or picking mushrooms – has been dismissed by the judge as the agency’s attempt to blow the issue out of proportion.
Feature
Editor's Note
The same solitude that attracts nature-lovers to the
West’s public lands attracts lawbreakers as well –
particularly a growing number of Mexican
marijuana-growers
Uncommon Westerners
Chef John Sharpe has created a gourmet restaurant in the
desert town of Winslow, Ariz., far from his birthplace in the misty
green landscape of England
Essays
The chance to see a huge dead whale draws "carcass
tourists" to the California coast
Book Reviews
Two recent guidebooks – Mike Coltrin’s
Sandia Mountain Hiking Guide and The
Field Guide to the Sandia Mountains by Robert Julyan and
Mary Stuever – are excellent guides to the trails and
histories of the mountains outside Albuquerque
Bill McKibben’s new book, Wandering Home, is a
hopeful account of a leisurely hike across northeastern America, as
relevant to the West as it is to the East
In Tony Hillerman’s Navajoland,
Laurance D. Linford provides an obsessively detailed guide to the
world of Hillerman’s Leaphorn and Chee Navajo
mysteries
Recovering the Sacred, by environmental
and Indian rights activist Winona LaDuke, examines the struggle of
American Indians to reclaim their sacred sites and
beliefs
Cougar Management Guidelines collects
current cougar research into a set of guidelines for managing these
secretive and increasingly rare big cats
Perspective
Newly confirmed Chief Justice John Roberts may not be the
umpire he claims to be, but he could be worse: a
counter-revolutionary, like Judge Janice Rogers Brown
Heard Around the West
"Endangered Feces" T-shirts; troublesome T-shirts on
airlines; renaming places in Oregon; outhouse races in Reno;
rent-a-cave in Idaho; Parade of Homes vs. Parade of Wealth in
Jackson
Dear Friends
Luther Propst joins HCN board;
visitors; HCN wins awards; clarifications and
corrections
News
The Forest Service’s claim that a recent court order
would suspend routine activities – such as cutting Christmas
trees or picking mushrooms – has been dismissed by the judge
as the agency’s attempt to blow the issue out of
proportion
Whistleblower Earle Dixon’s complaint denied;
Colorado moose has chronic wasting disease; Colorado wind power
gets cheaper than traditional electricity; court nixes
BuRec’s 10-year Klamath River plan
The Land Trust Alliance hopes its new accreditation
program for land trusts will forestall the passage of federal
legislation designed to end the abuse of conservation
easements
Air pollution from oil and gas drilling is on the increase
in the Rocky Mountain West, and environmentalists and energy
companies are trying to prevent it from getting any worse
Nutria, destructive beaver-like mammals from South
America, are moving into the Skagit River Valley of northwestern
Washington, and some believe a warming climate is to
blame
Homeland Security Chief Michael Chertoff is using the
recently passed Real ID Act to bypass environmental, safety and
labor laws in order to build a giant border fence south of San
Diego
The Forest Service wants to create a new type of
"categorical exclusion" to make it easier for oil and gas drilling
projects to be approved without environmental study or public
input
The BLM’s failure to plug security holes in its
computers, especially those dealing with Indian trust fund
accounts, means that most of the agency’s Web sites have been
closed to the public for the past six months
Letters
Featured stories
-
CANYONLANDS FIELD INSTITUTE Colorado Plateau Natural & Human History Field Seminars. Lodge, river, hiking options. Small groups, guest experts.
-
NATURE EDUCATION DIRECTOR Our mission is to inspire a life-long connection to nature and community through creative exploration of the outdoors. We are seeking an educational leader who...
-
DEVELOPMENT AND MARKETING DIRECTOR The Development and Marketing Director is a senior position responsible for the execution of all development and marketing strategies to raise funds and increase public...
-
DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR 
Coordinates all Wyoming Wildlife Federation philanthropic activities. Tasks include identification, recruitment, and retention of donors, organizing fundraising events, and assisting with grant writing.
-
REALTOR NEEDS A REMOTE ASSISTANT
This is a business assistant position, The working hours are flexible and you can chose to work from anywhere of your choice, the pay is...
-
CORPORATE & GRANTS PARTNER MANAGER Forever Our Rivers Foundation Corporate Partnerships Manager February 2020 www.ForeverOurRivers.org Forever Our Rivers Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, was formed in late 2016 with the mission...
-
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Central Oregon LandWatch is seeking an Executive Director to advance our mission and oversee the development of the organization. Job Description: The Executive Director oversees...
-
WESTERN NATIVE SEED Specializing in native seeds and seed mixes for western states.
-
MEDIA DIRECTOR Love working with the media? Shine a spotlight on passionate, bold activists fighting for wild lands, endangered species, wild rivers and protecting the climate.
-
STAFF ATTORNEY - NEVADA The Center for Biological Diversity is seeking an attorney to expand our litigation portfolio in Nevada. Come join our hard-hitting team as we fight for...
-
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR The Montana Wildlife Federation seeks an energetic leader to advance our mission, sustain our operations, and grow our grassroots power. For a full position description,...
-
HISTORIC COMMERCIAL OPPORTUNITY IN DOWNTOWN NOGALES Nogales. 3 active lower spaces and upper floor with lots of potential. 520-245-9000 [email protected]
-
CHUCK BURR'S CULTUREQUAKE.COM BLOG Change will happen when we see a new way of living. Thinking to save the world.
-
COMING TO TUCSON? Popular vacation house, furnished, 2 bed/1 bath, yard, dog-friendly. Lee at [email protected] or 520-791-9246.
-
DIRECTOR, TEXAS WATER PROGRAMS The National Wildlife Federation seeks a Director to lead our water-related policy and program work in Texas, with a primary focus on NWF's signature Texas...
-
SPLIT CREEK RANCH Spectacular country home on 48 acres with Wallowa River running through it! 541-398-1148 www.RubyPeakRealty.com
-
OJO CALIENTE COMMERCIAL VENTURE Outstanding location near the world famous Ojo Caliente Mineral Spring Resort. Classic adobe Mercantile complete w/living quarters, separate 6 unit B&B, metal building and spacious...
-
NEW MEXICO GILA NATIONAL FOREST HORSE RANCH 43 acres in the Gila National Forest. Horse facility, custom home. Year-round outdoor living. REDUCED to $999,000, 575-536-3109.
-
EVERLAND MOUNTAIN RETREAT Everland Mountain Retreat includes 318 mountaintop acres with a 3,200 square foot lodge and two smaller homes. Endless vistas of the Appalachian mountains, open skies,...
-
COPPER CANYON MEXICO CAMPING & BACKPACKING Camping, hiking, backpacking, R2R2R, Tarahumara Easter, Mushroom Festival, www.coppercanyontrails.org.
