Jackson Hole News | New West Network

<< Newer articles <<    Home     >> Older articles >>

IS THIS SO MUCH TO ASK?

Before all the non-flycasters get excited about the headline, I should say that I like all kinds of fishing, not just fly fishing, a problem that has made my life a constant struggle against poverty. In fact, I have more spinning and baitcasing rods than fly rods, and probably use them more, too.

Nonetheless, today, I'm feeling sorry for those anglers who only use fly rods. I think fisheries managers should throw them a bone by designating a few stretches of a few rivers as fly-fishing-only--especially a few rivers with steelhead in them. [more]

DON'T TAKE ADVANTAGE OF LEGAL LOOPHOLE

Here's something you probably never heard a western rancher say: "Government is a wonderful thing."

But that might be precisely what they're saying down in the coffee shops and saloons in Idaho and Wyoming because they could be thinking the federal government has accidentally given them the opportunity to shoot as many wolves as they can for the next 30 days with no consequences.

To this, I say: Don't even think about it. [more]

WHY SOME AREN'T WORTH REPEATING

This is another of what's becoming a long series of posts highlighting insightful comments by the readers of NewWest.Net. This time, though, before reading them, here's a comment of my own, a comment on comments.

I welcome any comment, even those critical of me or NewWest.Net, but some comments are definitely more effective than others.

To read them all, click on the Comments Worth Repeating Chronology [more]

Bison Management

Yellowstone Park and the Montana Department of Livestock sent this winter’s 991st bison to slaughter on Tuesday morning, and as the Billings Gazette reported, that number paired with the 166 killed in state and tribal hunts means nearly one quarter of the park’s 4,700 bison have been killed this winter. This year’s tally is the largest number of bison killed in a single winter, but not the highest percentage, which occurred in the 1996-97 winter when nearly one-third of the park’s 3,500 bison were killed. Park spokesman Al Nash said the park’s bison management strategies ensure genetic diversity and described the park’s bison population as “robust.”

Meanwhile, 69 landowners in the Horse Butte area filed a letter with Earthjustice addressed to four Interagency Bison Management Plan (IBMP) signatories demanding all haze and slaughter operations in the Horse Butte area cease until an Environmental Impact Statement addresses the changing nature of the now cattle-free peninsula.

And if bison weren’t in the news enough, the Bozeman Daily Chronicle is reporting the Animal Health and Inspection Service (APHIS) doesn’t have the federal funds to complete a grazing lease on the Royal Teton Ranch, which would allow bison to access about 7,500 acres of winter habitat north of Gardiner. [more]

Across State Lines as a regional whole

The 25 counties that comprise of the Yellowstone-Teton region of Idaho, Wyoming and Montana may be separated by state lines, but all share common amenities: high-quality natural areas, extensive amount of public lands, large wildlife populations and plentiful outdoor recreation.

But this also subjects the region’s economy to seasonal fluctuation — a shared challenge between both the rural and urban centers. How does this region, which shares similar environment and economic drives, understand and coordinate with each other in order to turn on the off-season?

The Yellowstone Business Partnership recently completed the first phase of a research project to characterize and analyze off-season assets and economic opportunities in the region. Therefore, local businesses and governments can grasp the regional growth trends and build an understanding across jurisdictional boundaries and vast geography. The recently completed report can be found here. [more]

HERE, WE CAN REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE

During a bout of insomnia last night, I watched CNBC to see if any of the talking financial heads thought my retirement funds might stop disappearing, and there it was. Perhaps the biggest environmental, wildlife habitat and water quality problem we don't like to discuss. Yes, it's touchy, but that has never stopped me, so why start now.

We all need to stop buying fool's gold. [more]

Western Book Roundup

As the folks over at the Wyoming Arts blog recently noted, a few weeks ago Publisher's Weekly featured Torrie Rice’s Wheatland Mercantile Book Nook in Claire Kirch's article, "Wild West Bookseller." Kirch writes:

"This being Wyoming, where a Wild West mentality still thrives, Rice sells the 4,000 titles in her inventory alongside products made and sold by her husband, Jef Rice: custom-built handguns and rifles."

Also in the Roundup: El Centro Su Teatro's upcoming events, news about the High Plains Book Award, and the Boulder Book Store hosts a book club event. [more]

THE COWBOY STATE CAUCUSES SATURDAY

Normally, members of the Wyoming Democratic Party can grimly joke about holding party meetings in phone booths. Here, in the reddest of fire-engine-red Republican states, Democrats are still the minority party by a 2.3:1 ratio. But today, party officials and members are being courted by the Hillary Clinton and the Barack Obama campaigns, prior to Wyoming's Democratic caucuses on Saturday.

Although Wyoming has only 12 national delegates up for grabs, those dozen delegates are hyper-critical to both the Clinton and Obama campaigns that are running neck and neck for the party’s nomination. [more]

TURN ONE DOLLAR INTO THREE

Sad but true, you're going to see a lot of these type of stories in future years, articles about concerned citizens and companies stepping up to undo irresponsible if not illegal environmental damage. Witness The Orvis Company teaming up with local conservationists to restore illegally channelized Teton Creek near Driggs, Idaho.

In addition to dishing out a $30,000 challenge grant, the premier supplier of quality fly fishing and other sporting gear has featured Friends of the Teton River (FTR), a local watershed nonprofit trying to restore Yellowstone cutthroat habitat on Teton Creek, in a full page in its spring and summer fishing catalogs and prominently on its website.

James Hathaway, Communications and Conservation Manager at Orvis, told NewWest.Net that the Teton Creek project is part of the company's normal policy of donating 5 percent of its profits to conservation efforts. [more]

GIVE US A MEANINGFUL, VETO-PROOF BILL

Last November, I wrote about mining law reform being a no brainer and that the U.S. House of Representatives had just passed a bill spiking the most uncivilized sections of the 135-year-old law. The House bill ends the archaic policy of giving way our public land to mining conglomerates with billions in assets and actually makes them pay royalties for taking public resources, like everybody else does.

Now, the Senate is working on its version of mining law reform, and newly elected Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) is in a position to be the leader in correcting a century-old injustice and getting the Mining Law of 1872 off the books. [more]

<< Newer articles <<    Home     >> Older articles >>