WILD BILL
Idaho Doesn’t Deserve DelistingLast Thursday, the so-called Idaho Sportsman's Day, was a sad day for hunters--and not just in Idaho; all of us, everywhere. But at least young people now understand why and how the wolf was wiped out in the early 1900s. They say we should understand history so we don't repeat our mistakes, but are political hysteria and irrational, factless hatred once again turning the wolf into a four-legged devil in the public consciousness?
Under these circumstances, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service should not move forward with delisting the wolf from the protection of the Endangered Species Act, not until Idaho can display some sense of rationality and guarantee we can expect professional, balanced wolf management.
Right now, Idaho does not deserve delisting.
WILD BILL
What Happens Next? Outdoor News Predictions for 2007This time of year you see lots of writers reflecting on what happened during the year just ended, but how hard is it to look into the past and be a visionary? Being a forward-looking sort of guy, I prefer to look ahead and predict what will happen instead of looking back to predict what did happen.
As far as wildlife and outdoor issues in the New West, and in particular to the subjects I've covered in my column, I predict the following will be the biggest stories of 2007--and what will or will not happen in the coming year.
MANSIONS AND MORTGAGES
Colorado’s Housing Market Splits Three WaysIt's not easy being Colorado's housing market these days. The record number of foreclosures in the state, particularly in the Denver area, has given it a bad rap. And some say that foreclosure flap has even affected the sale of luxury homes in the hills above Denver and Boulder.
But Colorado's housing market is more than just foreclosures. Yes, home sales for the generally middle class in Colorado are awash in such foreclosure problems right now, enough so in fact that the state Legislature is looking at ways to help, but other housing markets in the state are doing just fine.
WILD BILL
New Year’s Resolutions for Fun HogsYou've probably heard about people who never do today what they can put off to tomorrow. Well, I've been guilty of that of late. I’ve been putting it off for months, but I finally made myself go back and look at my new year’s resolutions, posted precisely a year ago, to see how I was progressing in my self-improvement efforts. And it seems like a good time to make a few more resolutions that really matter for 2007.
First, as promised a year ago, here are last year's New Year's Resolutions for Fun Hogs and my truly honest status report.
Networking the West with Liz Ryan
Social Networking Bandits?Here in the West, we appreciate social networking - we need it. We're not thick as thieves with thousands of other people in our industries, not in places like Missoula and Boulder. We don't have the huge industry concentrations they have in New York and Chicago and London. Sometimes, we learn about a fascinating person because we find him or her online - and learn that the person lives and works maybe blocks away from us!
It happened to me last summer. I wrote to the president of an international women's organization, located in Canada. A few days later, I got an email back from the person who runs technology for this global women's organization. That person - Stephanie - lives in Boulder, maybe a mile and a half from me. That would be a small-world story anywhere, but particularly in a small city like Boulder. Anyway, my point is: the online connections are not trivial to New West networkers, because we're not overwhelmed with face-to-face networking events and industry functions like the businesspeople in LA and other megalopolae.
So imagine my horror when I read on a LinkedIn-related list-serv (it's called MyLinkedInPowerForum) that a LinkedIn user was trying to get money from another user, by acting as a sort of virtual highwayman.
WILD BILL
Comments Worth Repeating, 2006As I'm sure many of you have noticed, NewWest.net has engaged readers who take the time to make excellent comments that frequently add value to stories. This week, I read through the hundreds of comments I've received on my weekly columns this year and picked out some gems worth repeating.
The hard part was narrowing down the list of insightful, well-written comments to a manageable size. Even though there are obviously many more comments worth repeating, here, in chronological order, are some of my favorites from a whole year of Wild Bill columns. Enjoy.
