http://www.newwest.net/index.php/city/main/C509/L509/ New West Network: The Voice of the Rocky Mountains en info@newwest.net Copyright 2009 Mon, 06 Jul 2009 09:56:48 MST Mon, 06 Jul 2009 09:56:48 MST http://www.newwest.net/city/article/what_could_make_the_wolf_even_more_controversial/C509/L509/ Thu, 02 Jul 2009 04:48:23 MST Anything wolf makes big headlines--and, it seems, is never old news. For fourteen years since conservationists and the federal government brought the wolf back to the northern Rockies (plus several years leading up to the reintroduction), anything and everything about the Big Dog has been, to say the least, controversial. But something hasn't happened yet that could make it much more contentious. http://www.newwest.net/city/article/ufa_rebrands_its_15_spsortsmans_warehouse_stores/C509/L509/ Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:42:06 MST Putting a formal stamp on its difficult transaction that netted it 15 stores from the bankrupt Sportsman's Warehouse chain, UFA Co-operative Limited,of Calgary, Alberta, has quickly rebranded the stores as part of the Wholesale Sports chain it has owned and operated for many years in Canada. The new signs are going up right now, says Natalie Dawes, of UFA, but customers still might find temporary banners in some locations. http://www.newwest.net/city/article/beetle_hysteria_again/C509/L509/ Tue, 30 Jun 2009 07:25:39 MST Beetle hysteria has raised its head again, and I am not talking about the Fab four. A prominent article in the New York Times titled "Tiny Beetle Adds New Dynamic to Forest Fire Control Efforts" quotes many foresters and others who suggest that beetle-kill trees across the West will create larger wildfires and by implications are "destroying" our forests. For instance, Montana's State Forester Bob Harrington said as much at conference recently, as in the article. While it may seem "intuitively obvious" that dead trees will lead to more fires, there is little scientific evidence to support the contention that beetle-killed trees substantially increases risk of large blazes. In fact, there is evidence to suggest otherwise. At the heart of this and many other media reports are flawed assumptions about fires, what constitutes a healthy forest, and the options available to humans in face of natural processes that are inconvenient and get in the way of our designs. http://www.newwest.net/city/article/is_national_park_wilderness_a_good_idea/C509/L509/ Wed, 24 Jun 2009 23:22:22 MST If you've read any of my past columns, you know I'm a strong proponent of designating more Wilderness, but when considering whether to support including our national parks under the National Wilderness Preservation System, I have to wonder if this is a good idea. Here's why. http://www.newwest.net/city/article/practical_tips_for_making_bicycle_commuting_safer_and_easier/C509/L509/ Fri, 19 Jun 2009 03:00:27 MST More and more people are making the big move to bicycle commuting and finding out it isn't that difficult or dangerous to make it to work or school or coffee shop or grocery store, but even more haven't make the move. Having talked about this issue with many who haven't, I made a list of practical tips and advice that address many of the common concerns I've heard. I've been commuting around town on my bicycle for thirty years without a single accident involving a motor vehcile, and for a long time, I couldn't understand why people didn't do it, but now, I get it. http://www.newwest.net/city/article/no_child_left_inside/C509/L509/ Thu, 11 Jun 2009 06:00:47 MST Something happened, back on Earth Day 2009, that didn't get nearly the fanfare it deserved. Citing the critical need to improve environmental education across the country, Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) and Congressman John Sarbanes (D-MD) introduced House and Senate versions of the "historic" No Child Left Inside Act of 2009. If passed, it would mark the first environmental education legislation to pass Congress in more than 25 years. And long overdue, I might add. http://www.newwest.net/city/article/salazar_permanently_waive_national_park_entrance_fees/C509/L509/ Wed, 03 Jun 2009 09:14:26 MST Yesterday, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced he was waiving national park entrance fees for three prime summer weekends (June 20-21, July 18-19 and August 15-16), a widely reported and welcomed pronouncement. But I'm more interested in the back story. To me, even though Salazar didn't say a word about it, his action seems to forecast a new philosophy coming out of the National Park Service (NPS), starting with this admission that ever-increasing fees are partly responsible for steadily declining park visitation. And ending, hopefully, with something I trumpeted two years ago in this column, making our national parks a free tradition. http://www.newwest.net/city/article/vilsack_takes_over_roadless_rule/C509/L509/ Thu, 28 May 2009 10:44:50 MST Anybody who has even casually followed the on-and-off legal and political battle over the Clinton Era Roadless Rule meant to protect 58.5 million acres of unroaded national forest until its permanent future is decided knows there has been a problem. The Forest Service keeps approving developments that destroy the roadless nature of the land and foreclose future options to keep it roadless forever. That is going to change this afternoon. http://www.newwest.net/city/article/political_irony_reigns_as_president_obama_signs_masterblaster_bill/C509/L509/ Wed, 27 May 2009 17:00:08 MST I suppose I should let it go, but nobody else does, so why should I? This is my third column about the now-infamous administrative rule to allow loaded, concealed firearms in national parks and wildlife refuges (links at end of column). The rule evolved into a symbolic and high priority political battle, and both pro-gun and anti-gun groups seized on it as a way to find out who had the power. And now we know. The gun lobby wins, easily, which is no surprise to me. http://www.newwest.net/city/article/yellowstone_spring_hiking_hot_spot/C509/L509/ Sat, 23 May 2009 01:56:27 MST In May, winter still clings tight to most popular hiking areas in the northern Rockies such as Glacier, Frank Church, Wind Rivers, Bitterroots, and Absaroka-Beartooth. This means cabin fever can become a pandemic in May as hikers anxiously wait until late June if not July for the snow to give up the trails. But unknown to most hikers, they can enjoy fantastic early-season hiking--backpacking or day hiking--on many trails in the northern sections of Yellowstone National Park from early May to early June.