The Western states are home to a stealth campaign by
libertarians who – under the guise of reforming eminent
domain – are out to destroy all land-use planning through
"takings" ballot initiatives
Magazine

July 24, 2006
The Western states are home to a stealth campaign by libertarians who – under the guise of reforming eminent domain – are out to destroy all land-use planning through "takings" ballot initiatives. Also in this issue: Even as Western states debate the best way to look after their roadless areas, logging, drilling and mining are already happening on some formerly protected lands.
Feature
Sidebar
Dorothy English weighs in on the pros – and cons
– of Oregon’s Measure 37
Bill Roses weigh in on the pros – and cons –
of Oregon’s Measure 37
Ted Schroeder weighs in on the pros – and cons
– of Oregon’s Measure 37
A detailed graph sums up the status of the current
"takings’ initiative campaigns in six Western
states
Jim Miller weighs in on the pros – and cons –
of Oregon’s Measure 37
Renee Ross weighs in on the pros – and cons –
of Oregon’s Measure 37
Editor's Note
Ray Ring’s cover story on the libertarian stealth
campaign to put "takings" initiatives on Western ballots is the
biggest untold political story of the year
Uncommon Westerners
Arizona Congressman Raul Grijalva loves fighting for
old-fashioned liberal causes like immigration rights, the
environment, unions and strong social programs
Essays
The experience of watching a mountain lion is utterly
transformed when the watcher realizes he is the one being
watched
Book Reviews
In Blithe Tomato, Mike Madison writes
engagingly about working the land on a small farm in
California’s Central Valley
In Ogallala Blue: Water and Life on the Great
Plains, William Ashworth examines the effects of
groundwater dependency in a dry land
In his new book, The Worst Hard Time,
Tim Egan interviews survivors to tell the story of the great
American Dust Bowl on the southern Great Plains in the
1930s
Perspective
The Democratic bloggers on the netroots seem to be prone
to wildly optimistic self-delusion – and then again, maybe
they’re not so crazy after all
Heard Around the West
"Pit bulls with flippers" in Newport Beach; mountain lion
problems; Lewis the Cat; don’t try this on the highway;
Fighting Sioux fight for sports team name
Dear Friends
Summer editorial retreat, global warming booklet is here,
lots of summer visitors
News
Western states debate the best way to look after their
roadless areas even as logging, drilling and mining move in on
formerly protected lands
New Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne junks Gale
Norton’s controversial Park Service proposal; New
Mexico’s Nantac Mexican wolf pack killed; Justice Department
removes Judge Royce Lamberth from Indian trust case
Even as raising sturgeon for caviar takes off in the San
Francisco Bay-Delta area, the region's wild sturgeon are in serious
trouble, along with the rest of the Bay-Delta’s
ecology
In Missoula, Mont., and other Western communities,
activists search for the winning formula to pass new open-space
bonds in November
Endangered aplomado falcons already in New Mexico may lose
protection under a controversial Fish and Wildlife Service plan to
release captive-bred birds as a "nonessential experimental
population."
Farmers and conservationists have reached a settlement
that allows water to flow in California’s San Joaquin River,
home to the Friant Dam
Letters
- Meet the gun-toting ‘Tenacious Unicorns’ in rural Colorado
- Diverted, drained and dwindling: What’s the fate of New Mexico’s Rio Grande?
- Indigenous fishers on the Columbia River confront new challenges
- The Gadsden flag is a symbol. But whose?
- The Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe reintroduces bighorn sheep on tribal lands
Featured stories
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ANCESTRAL LANDS ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER Starting Salary: Grade C, $19.00 to 24.00 per/hour Location: Albuquerque or Gallup, NM Status: Full-Time, Non-Exempt Benefit Eligible: Full Benefits Eligible per Personnel Policies Program...
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GRAND CANYON DIRECTOR The Grand Canyon director, with the Grand Canyon manager, conservation director, and other staff, envisions, prioritizes, and implements strategies for the Grand Canyon Trust's work...
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ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Great Old Broads for Wilderness seeks a part-time Administrative Assistant to support the organization's general operations. This includes phone and email communications, office correspondence and...
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HISTORIC LODGE AND RESTAURANT - FULLY EQUIPPED Built in 1901, The Crazy Mountain Inn has 11 guest rooms in a town-center building on 7 city lots (.58 acres). The inn and restaurant...
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ONE WILL: THREE WIVES by Edith Tarbescu. "One Will: Three Wives" is packed with a large array of interesting suspects, all of whom could be a murderer ... a...
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PROGRAM DIRECTOR, SALAZAR CENTER FOR NORTH AMERICAN CONSERVATION The Program Director will oversee the programmatic initiatives of The Salazar Center, working closely with the Center's Director and staff to engage the world's leading...
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WILDEARTH GUARDIANS - WILD PLACES PROGRAM DIRECTOR Salary Range: $70,000-$80,000. Location: Denver, CO, Portland, OR, Seattle, WA, Missoula, MT or potentially elsewhere for the right person. Application Review: on a rolling basis....
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RIVER EDUCATOR/GUIDE + TRIP LEADER Position Description: Full-time seasonal positions (mid-March through October) Organizational Background: Colorado Canyons Association (CCA) is a 10 year old nonprofit organization fostering community stewardship of...
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BOOKKEEPER/ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Position Description: Part-time, year-round bookkeeping and administration position (12 - 16 hours/week) $16 - $18/hour DOE Organizational Background: Colorado Canyons Association (CCA) is a 10...
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LAND STEWARD San Isabel Land Protection Trust seeks a full-time Land Steward to manage and oversee its conservation easement monitoring and stewardship program for 42,437 acres in...
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Ventana Wilderness Alliance is seeking an experienced forward-facing public land conservation leader to serve as its Executive Director. The mission of the Ventana Wilderness Alliance...
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COMMUNICATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR The Quivira Coalition (www.quiviracoaltion.org) is a Santa Fe-based nonprofit that builds resilience on arid working lands. We foster ecological, economic, and social health through education,...
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GRANT WRITER "We all love this place we call Montana. We believe that land and water and air are not ours to despoil, but ours to steward...
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DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR The Development Director is responsible for organizing and launching a coherent set of development activities to build support for the Natural History Institute's programs and...
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WILDLIFE PROJECT COORDINATOR Founded in 1936, the National Wildlife Federation (NWF or Federation) is America's largest and most trusted grassroots conservation organization with 53 state/territorial affiliates and more...
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR The Cinnabar Foundation helps protect and conserve water, wildlife and wild lands in Montana and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem by supporting organizations and people who...
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TRUSTEE AND PHILANTHROPY RELATIONS MANGER, Come experience Work You Can Believe In! The Nature Conservancy in Alaska is seeking a Trustee and Philanthropy Relations Manager. This position is critical to...
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OLIVERBRANCH CONSULTING Non-Profit Management Professional specializing in Transitional Leadership, Strategic Collaborations, Communications and Grant Management/Writing.
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GREAT VIEWS, SMALL FOOTPRINT Close to town but with a secluded feel, this eco-friendly home includes solar panels, a graywater reuse system, tankless hot water, solar tubes, and rainwater...
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COMMUNITY ORGANIZER- NORTHERN PLAINS RESOURCE COUNCIL Organize with Northern Plains Resource Council to protect Montana's water quality, family farms and ranches, & unique quality of life. Starts $35.5k. Apply now- northernplains.org/careers