Looking Underground
Tiny soil organisms may hold the key to managing invasive plants
The four members of Gordon Custer’s research group gather around as he walks through the steps of data collection.
Released to the Wild
Unwanted pets take a toll on ecosystems
Stepping through the tall grass, a family made their way to the edge of Kelly Warm Spring, a geothermal spring with a temperature that hovers around 77 degrees Fahrenheit year-round, in Grand Teton National Park.
Colonel Mustard, by the Dock, with the Bucket
A fish detective, the effort to stop illegal invasive species introductions, and a long history of a fish management culture clash
One summer day in 1992, two teenage boys fishing Lake Mary Ronan watched a man dump a cooler
Bye Bye, Baseline, Goodbye
Rethinking our goals for ecosystem conservation
Natural resource managers strive to keep ecosystems functioning on their own.
Time to Revisit our Invasive Species Strategy
Perspective from Governor Mark Gordon
Invasive species are not a new phenomenon, but over the past few decades the West has seen an explosion of all types in all ecosystems.
Federal lands in public hands
The long history of Congressional intent to keep public lands public
Bob Keiter is the Wallace Stegner Professor of Law, University Distinguished Professor, and Director of the Wallace Stegner Center of Land, Resources, and the Environment
Your Federal Public Lands
The United States of America is unique in the world for its vast system of federal public lands, which make up more than a quarter of the country’s land area. Those federal lands, mostly concentrated in the 11 westernmost states and Alaska, span everything from rivers and canyons to sagebrush steppe and alpine peaks.
Why We Have Federal Land
The citizens and leaders behind our public land heritage
On June 30, 1864, the US Senate approved a grant of federal land to the state of California, a tract in the Sierra Nevada at the headwaters of the Merced River “known as the Yo-semite valley…with the stipulation…that the premises shall be held for public use, resort, and recreation…for all time.”
National Monuments and Local Concerns
What it means to have protected public lands in your backyard
Waves lap the shoreline. An endless stellar canopy shimmers in the ink-colored sky. Smoky fragrance drifts from a campfire, and 20 middle school students sit around the dancing flames.
Consuming Experiences Instead of Stuff
What quiet recreationists bring to the outdoor economy and how to reach them
With BLM maps in hand and fragments of descriptions from locals, Eric Krszjzaniek searches for an old Indian village in Wyoming’s Shirley Basin. As he walks across the landscape, he pauses often to reference his Rockhounding in Wyoming guide and note the types of rocks in the area.
A Different Kind of Map
Social science reveals the contours of wildlife migration’s human dimensions
On an early June morning, I found Jessi Johnson and her hunting partner loading up a bright red pickup, deep in discussion about the best spot to scout for bedded-down deer.
What to Do with Wilderness Study Areas?
A collaborative stakeholder group negotiates a solution
On a sunny afternoon in early May, twelve people sat around plastic tables in a classroom in the Carbon County Higher Education Center in Rawlins, Wyoming.
Rebel Yell
Why the Sagebrush Rebellion didn’t end with Malheur
“The Court excludes Dr. Cawley’s testimony as irrelevant and finds, in any event, that its probative value is significantly outweighed by the risk of confusing the issues, misleading the jury, and wasting time.” Here’s the backstory.
Return of the Grizzly
No longer federally protected, is the great bear ready to strike out on its own?
In the early 20th century, tourists gathered around dump pits in Yellowstone National Park to watch grizzlies devour trash.
New Neighbors
Wyoming ranchers are key to black-footed ferret recovery
Lenox Baker’s hands gripped the steering wheel, and the large silver ring on his finger glinted, revealing an outline of a black-footed ferret.
Collaborate or Litigate
Local collaboration faces off against outsider litigation in the long, slow process to help a threatened species
From his Chevy Silverado, Phil Fine watched heavy rain fill up an irrigation ditch on his family farm in central Oregon.
Modernizing the Act
As calls for ESA reform have conservationists on high alert, western governors offer a way forward
“Here’s the problem. The Endangered Species Act isn’t working today,”
Wyoming’s Only Endangered Plant
A tale of re-discovery
In the 1850s, the geologist Ferdinand Hayden crossed the Nebraska Sandhills on an expedition to map uncharted territory and chronicle its natural resources.
