Denver, Colo., one of the West’s most sprawling,
traffic-choked cities, has become a champion of mass transit with
FasTracks, its ambitious light-rail project
Magazine
November 14, 2005
Denver, Colo., one of the West’s most sprawling, traffic-choked cities, has become a champion of mass transit with FasTracks, its ambitious light-rail project. Also in this issue: A provision in the new energy bill promises funding to speed up the oil and gas permitting process in BLM offices – without costing the industry an extra penny.
Feature
Sidebar
Longer commuter rails could connect the West’s
far-flung cities in ways they haven’t been connected since
the glory days of the railroad
Architect Kevin Koernig, who commutes from suburban
Littleton to downtown Denver, loves light rail because it saves him
money, keeps him healthy, and gives him extra time to
read
Charlie Lybrand enjoys living in his transit-oriented
complex in metro Denver, because he rarely has to drive to get to
college or go out to party
Light rail has become unexpectedly popular in deeply
conservative Salt Lake City, Utah
Editor's Note
Westerners may love their cars, but the region’s
rapid growth means that even the most ardent car-lovers have a
stake in mass transit, and in Denver’s grand experiment in
light rail
Uncommon Westerners
Janelle Holden, the daughter of two Republican
legislators, works with the Predator Conservation Alliance in
Montana to help ranchers learn how to co-exist with wolves and
other predators
Essays
As mountain towns get more accessible and lively, even in
midwinter, the author relishes the way his tiny, remote town slows
to a stop once the mountain pass highway is closed for the
season
Book Reviews
Laura Pritchett’s first novel, Sky Bridge, perfectly
captures the speech and rhythms of everyday life in the
hardscrabble ranchland of the eastern Colorado plains
Ethnobotanist Kat Anderson’s new book, Tending the
Wild, examines the way California’s native peoples used
– and shaped – the landscape’s natural resources
before Europeans invasion
In Imperfect Pasture, Bruce Smith, Eric
Cole and David Dobkin examine the conservation successes –
and failures – of the National Elk Refuge near Jackson,
Wyo.
The Mountain Encyclopedia by Frederic
V. Hartemann and Robert Hauptman delivers intriguing,
well-illustrated facts and figures about mountainous topics from
all over the world
Writers on the Range
Sen. Larry Craig’s suggestion that New
Orleans’ 9th Ward be restored as a wetland may represent a
newfound respect for the power of nature and the limits of the
human ability to control it
Heard Around the West
Old-timers can no longer ski for free at Park City;
80-year-old farmer won’t slow down; scary killer bee stories;
Alaskan pork; Bluff vs. Pokershare.com; no road to new high school
in Tombstone
Dear Friends
Thanks to readers for Research Fund gifts and the many
responses to HCN’s survey;
visitors
News
A provision in the new energy bill promises funding to
speed up the oil and gas permitting process in BLM offices –
without costing the industry an extra penny
Assistant Interior Secretary Rebecca Watson resigns; Texas
oil baron Oscar Wyatt indicted in Iraq oil-for-food scandal;
Congress won’t fund "bunker buster" nukes; Fish and Wildlife
OK with lynx mortality at proposed Wolf Creek ski village
American Indian tribes face an uphill battle in their
effort to protect sacred sites on federal land in the
West
A land-exchange plan especially designed for
California’s Eastern Sierra could help prevent development
controversies such as the current one over the proposed Whitney
Portal project near scenic Lone Pine
Oregon’s controversial Measure 37, which de-clawed
the state’s famous land-use regulations, has been ruled
unconstitutional by a Marion County judge.
The La Plata County commissioners have signed two deals
allowing energy companies to double the density of coalbed methane
wells near Durango, Colo.
Conservationists fear that the new National Park Service
management policy will reduce environmental protection at the
expense of commercial interests
The Fish and Wildlife Service has announced plans to
remove the marbled murrelet from the endangered species list,
despite the small seabird’s declining numbers
Letters
Featured stories
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CANYONLANDS FIELD INSTITUTE Colorado Plateau Natural & Human History Field Seminars. Lodge, river, hiking options. Small groups, guest experts.
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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...
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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...
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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.
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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...
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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...
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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...
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WESTERN NATIVE SEED Specializing in native seeds and seed mixes for western states.
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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.
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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...
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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,...
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HISTORIC COMMERCIAL OPPORTUNITY IN DOWNTOWN NOGALES Nogales. 3 active lower spaces and upper floor with lots of potential. 520-245-9000 [email protected]
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CHUCK BURR'S CULTUREQUAKE.COM BLOG Change will happen when we see a new way of living. Thinking to save the world.
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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.
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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...
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SPLIT CREEK RANCH Spectacular country home on 48 acres with Wallowa River running through it! 541-398-1148 www.RubyPeakRealty.com
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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...
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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.
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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,...
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COPPER CANYON MEXICO CAMPING & BACKPACKING Camping, hiking, backpacking, R2R2R, Tarahumara Easter, Mushroom Festival, www.coppercanyontrails.org.
