I live in the Sourdough Creek watershed, just south of Bozeman. This mix of federal, state, and private lands is highly valued — as a recreation spot for city residents, for its wildlife habitat, and as one of Bozeman’s primary sources of drinking water. The watershed’s forests and soils are a natural filter for the […]
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Montana’s current governor, Republican Judy Martz, as well as four Republican gubernatorial candidates favor a return of cyanide leach mining. (One, Ken Miller, flippantly told an audience, “You had some cyanide for lunch” because there were almonds on their chicken.) I object to cyanide on ethical, economic, and ecological grounds. This process violates the most […]
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“Unfortunately for everyone who cares about Yellowstone Park, [federal judge] Brimmer’s decision further entangles the park in a legal quagmire: The opponents of recreational snowmobiling sue. The government responds. The proponents of snowmobiling sue. The government responds. Then the cycle starts all over again. What will the rule be next winter? Where will this all […]
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Ramona and I created Gallatin Writers more than a decade ago. Our goal was to foster sensitive but analytically sound analysis of problems and opportunities in our emerging West. With generous support from the Fanwood Foundation and in cooperation with Yellowstone Public Radio, Gallatin Writers and FREE are again sponsoring the Wallace Stegner Essay Contest […]
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Think tanks challenge conventional wisdom and generate alternatives. Gallatin Writers and FREE seek innovative solutions to difficult environmental and economic problems. For example, we promote community-based conservation projects and environmental entrepreneurship. Our seminars facilitate policy discussions among federal judges, law professors, environmental professionals, and business leaders. We hope to foster creative alternatives to contentious natural […]
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Every society faces the important challenge of meeting its desires without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs. Since we care about the well-being of future generations, the question is, How do we best allocate scarce resources over the long term? Here I consider four categories of resources. The first is renewables, such […]
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Yesterday Americans celebrated our 33rd Earth Day. I spent the first fighting to protect the Lincoln Backcountry from the U.S. Forest Service. They proposed an economically idiotic development plan for that high-elevation and extremely fragile area. In 1972 we won that battle and I’ve seen great environmental progress since. The air and water are cleaner […]
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Montana’s economic prosperity is no longer tied to extracting natural resources. It is simply not our strong suit. The best strategy for our prosperity lies in policy innovations that retain and attract human capital, the ultimate key to progress. In part this requires protecting the environment and reducing the state’s income taxes while simultaneously stressing […]
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The United Nations World Summit on Sustainable Development concluded last month in Johannesburg, South Africa. Real progress was made in debunking a recurring and fundamental error. Here’s the error: Most environmental problems are due to modernization and affluence. In fact, across time and cultures, technological advances and economic growth have proved the only sure path […]
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The tourist’s observation: “Montana would be heaven if it only had an ocean” is a slight exaggeration. However, we live in an increasingly competitive and congested world and our treasures are at risk. Specifically, our natural vistas and resources and our rural cultures are under siege. We can do little to arrest the persistent and […]
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