It’s clear the rural American West is in transition. Ways of life, deeply rooted in the culture of ranching, mining and logging, are challenged by new social and economic forces. Immigrants arrive with their wares stored in hard-drives rather than Conestoga wagons. People move to the region for its amenity values–wilderness, clean air, fish, wildlife […]
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As Americans flock to national parks this summer, we can learn a lot from national parks around the world. Field biologists the world over uniformly confirm the woeful conditions of national parks. The Nature Conservancy found many national parks in Latin America are at great risk. Even closer to home, Canada’s experiments with national parks […]
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Americans are increasingly concerned about our wildlands. Historically we looked toward federal custodians. But, if you believe that Congress will respond with large appropriations, read no further. The federal government has made promises it cannot afford to keep. The implications preclude an expanded federal wildlands system. What will happen when actual spending cuts become unavoidable? […]
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The epicenter of Ecotopia lies somewhere in the area encircled by Bellingham, Eugene, and Bozeman. Four colleges of forestry, dozens of environmental groups, and busloads of environmental writers are based there. Hence, the federal land management agencies are under intense scrutiny. But even here, the institutional arrangements are so perverse that often management is grossly […]
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TOMORROW is the Seattle meeting of the President’s Council on Sustainable Development. According to their news release, the council’s goal is to: “explore and develop policies that encourage economic growth, job creation, and effective use of our natural resources.” Council leaders want to learn what works in environmentally sound economic-development policies. The council includes prominent […]
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