In a letter published in the November 24th edition, Jessica Hall urged HCN to “take a deeper look at water issues in California.” Around the same time there were several significant developments in the world of California water. And while GOAT is not the proper forum for a “deep” analysis, we can make readers aware […]
California water conflicts heat up
Posted inWotr
It’s time for a ceasefire on guns
Gun owners represent at least 4 million of the nation’s most dedicated voters, and in election after election, they affect the outcome. Sometimes they elect politicians who are corrupt or unabashed lackeys of corporate interests — people whose only appeal to gun owners is that they promise to leave the Second Amendment alone. Now, however, […]
Posted inGoat
On predators, ranchers and public land grazing
Jim Eischeid’s letter to HCN in the November 24th edition pointed out the irony that “the large majority of those ranchers get sweet subsidized deals on the use of the public lands for grazing, and yet they vilify the efforts to restore the wolf on those very same lands.” Eischeid then goes to the heart […]
Posted inDecember 8, 2008: Out in the cold
Nonprofitable times
Conservation groups hunker down for the economic crisis.
Posted inDecember 8, 2008: Out in the cold
For the birds
Name Scott RashidAge 45Day Job Chef at Eagle Rock High School in Estes Park, Colo. Time spent doing bird stuff “How many hours are in a week?” First date with his wife Going up to Rocky Mountain National Park’s tundra to look for ptarmigans.Other hobbies Aikido ESTES PARK, COLORADO Scott Rashid stands in front of […]
Posted inDecember 8, 2008: Out in the cold
Birds of a feather
Home Ocala, Fla. (Dave); Bozeman, Mont., and Patagonia, Ariz. (Tam)Subscribers since 2002 At a remote watering hole in northeastern Montana called Harry’s Nite Club, HCN readers Dave Schweppe and Tam Scott and HCN intern Andrea Appleton crossed paths one moonlit October evening. Andrea was on assignment, and Dave and Tam were on their annual visit […]
Posted inDecember 8, 2008: Out in the cold
Congratulations, Theo
HCN‘s most famous hometown scientist, Dr. Theo Colborn, just received a prestigious international prize, the 2008 Goteborg Award for Sustainable Development. Theo is the founder and president of the Endocrine Disruption Exchange, which studies how industrial toxins affect the health of humans and the environment (www.endocrinedisruption.com). The prize, awarded by the city of Goteborg, Sweden, […]
Posted inDecember 8, 2008: Out in the cold
Fruit of the land
Just a few weeks ago, I picked the last of the tomatoes — a handful of tiny, bright-red Sweet 100s and three big, meaty heirloom Cherokee Purples. The extended harvest was made possible by a makeshift greenhouse concocted from old windows, discarded lumber, plastic and duct tape, and warmed during the 20-degree nights with a […]
Posted inDecember 8, 2008: Out in the cold
Out in the cold
Selling the family farm severs connection with place and past
Posted inGoat
It’s still a giveaway
Some of the land recently marked for drilling in Utah may be pulled from the oil and gas auction block. In late summer and early fall, six resource management plans were rushed through at a break neck speed, opening up 80 percent of the 11 million acres in the planning areas for energy development. Cultural […]
Posted inDecember 8, 2008: Out in the cold
The missing puzzle piece
Bringing native perspectives into archaeology for a more complete picture of the past
Posted inGoat
Sheep v. sheep, redux
The Bush administration is attempting yet another under-the-radar rules change on its way out the door (watchdog Propublica keeps a complete list of other such changes). This time it’s wresting away Western states’ abilities to manage their bighorn sheep populations. Wildlife management has historically been the responsibility of state wildlife agencies and the U.S. Fish […]
Posted inDecember 8, 2008: Out in the cold
Two men, two paths
The OtherDavid Guterson256 pages, hardcover: $24.95.Random House, 2008. David Guterson’s newest novel, The Other, tells of the lasting friendship between two men. One chooses a life in the woods, while the other finds joy within city limits. Guterson, best known as the author of Snow Falling on Cedars, writes of the delicate balance between the […]
Posted inDecember 8, 2008: Out in the cold
Night: not just for astronomers
Let There Be Night: Testimony on Behalf of the DarkEdited by Paul Bogard208 pages, softcover: $21.95.University of Nevada Press, 2008. Many of us in the rural West still get to enjoy dark skies and bright stars, but in urban areas around the world, night is not as black as it once was. Paul Bogard has […]
Posted inDecember 8, 2008: Out in the cold
Digging deep
Addicts get back to the land in northern New Mexico
Posted inArticles
Slideshow: Back to the garden
Recovering addicts find roots in the soil of New Mexico
Posted inGoat
Grabbed my shovel and I went to the mine
Here’s one more addition to the list of Western industries being affected by the economic downturn: coal. Peabody Energy — the world’s biggest coal company, made famous as the villain in the John Prine song “Paradise” — has announced that it is freezing all hiring at its three Wyoming coal mines. The company said in […]
Posted inHeard Around the West
Bicyclists get a bailout break.
Starting in January, you can get paid to ride your bicycle to work. It’s all thanks to the $700 billion bailout passed by Congress to goose our failing economy back to productivity. Workers who use their bikes as primary transportation to and from their jobs will be eligible for $20 a month from their employers. […]
Posted inWotr
How to survive the lean times
In 1976, circumstances beyond my control forced me into temporary homelessness. For six months, I alternated between relying on the couches of friends and camping out in my car. With the proper gear, it’s surprising how well you can fend for yourself. Of course, it helps to live in a region of the country with […]
Posted inNovember 21, 2008: Ultimate solution?
Real work
Depending on your perspective, my partner Laurie’s resume is either impressive or disturbing. In her 20s, she worked as a wilderness ranger, hiking miles with a too-heavy pack, digging drain dips and toilet holes. In her 30s, she worked on a trail crew, chopping roots, sawing logs, clearing brush. Nowadays she works in an historic […]