As the aerial technology increases in popularity, so do its impacts.
U.S. Forest Service
Posted inArticles
Arizona Rep. Grijalva targets extremism on public lands
Dozens of high-profile former federal employees sign a letter urging Congress to address Sagebrush Insurgency threats.
Posted inJune 13, 2016: Water to Dust
Federal-lands ranching: A half-century of decline
How grazing fell from its Western pedestal — and fueled Sagebrush Rebellion.
Posted inMay 30, 2016: Trial by Fire
Trial by fire
Women in the male-dominated world of wildland firefighting still face harassment, abuse and sexism.
Posted inArticles
Local woodcutters pitch in on forest health
How mobilizing a small army of locals could nurture grassroots support for large-scale thinning efforts.
Posted inArticles
Can a ranch sawmill improve forest health in rural Colorado?
Cutting timber on a billionaire’s land could boost the San Luis Valley’s economy.
Posted inMay 16, 2016: Grizzly Face-Off
Who’s cutting illegal ski trails in the Santa Fe National Forest?
On the trail of a backcountry criminal with the Forest Service.
Posted inMarch 21, 2016: Making Sense of Malheur
Latest: Courts backs domestic sheep reduction near Idaho’s Hells Canyon
An Idaho court upheld a 2007 plan intended to protect bighorn sheep.
Posted inMarch 21, 2016: Making Sense of Malheur
Stop trying to make biking in wilderness happen. It’s not going to happen.
I shouldn’t be writing this, and you shouldn’t be reading it. Far more pressing issues face our public lands. But a vocal minority is drudging up the long-resolved question of mountain biking in wilderness. They have even drafted a bill for somebody to introduce in Congress — the Human-Powered Wildlands Travel Management Act — that […]
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Forest Service rejects Grand Canyon luxury village
The setback is just the latest in a 30-year push to develop the rim.
Posted inArticles
Interactive timeline: Livestock grazing in the West
Whether grazing on public land is a ‘right’ or a ‘privilege’ is one of the region’s most contentious issues. Here’s why.
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How an East Coast think tank is fueling the land transfer movement
ALEC is becoming increasingly involved in the public lands debate by providing model bills for Western states.
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Forest Service leaves control of water rights to ski resorts
How does industry control of water affect public land management?
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How smokejumpers prepare for wildfire season
Photos of the rigorous training this special type of firefighter endures.
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2015 wildfires burned a record-breaking 10.1 million acres
Fires in Alaska help to smash 2006 record.
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Climate change triggers triage in Northwest forests
Siuslaw National Forest managers must decide whether to save meadows or let trees encroach.
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The BLM has armed up since 1978, but it’s still outgunned
In confrontations with armed groups like the Bundy supporters, local law enforcement matters most.
Posted inArticles
Forty years of Sagebrush Rebellion
The Oregon occupation, the 2014 Bundy standoff and many other stories are all related to a long-simmering movement.
Posted inDecember 21, 2015: Secrets of the Deep
Latest: Arizona forest restoration project falls short
The Four Forest Restoration Initiative was supposed to be the largest such project ever attempted.
Posted inDecember 7, 2015: Good Neighbors
Gun-toting toddlers in the desert and drunk Brits in the Grand Canyon
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.