Generation Recreation

Bighorn National Forest Resorts to User Fees at Popular Trailhead

The West Tensleep Trailhead in the Bighorn National Forest ­-- the most popular access to the Cloud Peak Wilderness ­­-- will have a $10 parking fee next summer. I can’t fault forest managers for searching for an additional revenue stream after years of funding shortfalls, but this user fee unfairly targets certain user groups to pay the costs of a larger problem.

FOLLOWING MY SHOTS 2

Kids, Road Rage, Gun Laws, Union Conservationists, and More

I used to play basketball, but not too much since the day my coach took me aside, patted me on the head, and said, “Bill, you’re short, but you’re slow, and you really need to follow your shots.”

Well, that was a long time ago, and I admit to never doing anything about the shortness or the slowness, but I have learned to follow my shots. And sometimes, they’re worth following. When I write my columns, I frequently hope something happens, and guess what sometimes it does. Check out these updates to past columns.

Skiing the world with Keely Kelleher

Winter’s Coming: Bust Out the Spandex!

Welcome to my Snow Blog! First off I’d like to give you a quick intro on my skiing background. I grew up in the Gallatin Canyon fifteen miles from the Big Sky Ski Resort. Being raised in Big Sky, outdoor sports became my way of life. There weren’t many places to get into trouble as a youngster in Big Sky, yet I managed to find ways on the mountain. I would bomb down runs in Big Sky like Ambush or Snake Pit with ski patrollers close on my tail yelling, “slow down!”

Big Sky was so small twenty years ago there wasn’t even a daycare for my parents to be rid of me for a few hours. As a result Lone Peak became my babysitter. Instead of going to the mall, movies or prom with friends I went to the ski hill. I fell deeply in love with skiing, whether it be floating through powder, slicing through ice and corduroy or straight running steep pitches...it didn’t matter as long as I was skiing I was happy. I would throw fits if I had to leave Big Sky early. One Christmas when I was nine I cuddled all night with my brand new neon pink Atomic skis Santa had brought me. My obsession for skiing soon turned into ski racing. I wanted to go faster than anyone and being timed while skiing seemed like the perfect fit. 

Where to go? What to do?

Marijuana, Guns and Oregon

It’s no secret there are a number of Oregonians who enjoy smoking marijuana. And while that may be the case, there are millions in the West who don’t enjoy having their water polluted to produce the plant.

An estimated 200,000 marijuana plants were discovered in raids during the Oregon growing and harvest season this year, according to state and federal documents.

And while that number may be staggering, pools filled with chemical fertilizers to grow the plants are a main nerve of concern among state officials and environmentalists. 

Guest Opinion

Funding for Land Conservation Makes Good Economic Sense

Many of us will be afield this fall spending time in our favorite hunting and fishing spots. We will be enjoying the tradition of these field sports so important to our lives. But as you head out to the fields, rivers and streams we want you to be aware of an important tool for conservation of those areas we find near and dear to our hearts.

The United States Congress this fall will have a unique opportunity to secure full and dedicated funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the principal source of federal dollars for protecting land in America’s national parks, forests, and other public landscapes and ensuring recreational opportunities for Americans in every state in the nation.

Since 1977, this fund has been authorized at $900 million per year. Most of the funds come from off-shore oil and gas leases, and are to be used for the purchase, from willing sellers, of land with outstanding natural, recreation, scenic, and other attributes, and for the development of outdoor recreation lands and facilities at the state and local level.

WE NEED YOUR HELP WITH BURLINGTON NORTHERN SANTA FE

An Open Letter to Warren Buffett

Dear Mr. Buffett:

I read with interest and glee about your recent acquisition of the majority ownership in Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF). Congratulations on buying a great company--investment wise, I should clarify, because BNSF is a not-so-great company on the public relations front.

Now that you own the railroad, you can change that bad image with one phone call and instantly make your new acquisition--and yourself, of course--a corporate saint out here in Montana.

JUNK FOOD FOR FISH

Pollution Altering Alpine Lakes

What seem to be pristine alpine lakes high in Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park are getting greener, and not in a good way.

A report in the current edition of Science finds that those lakes are being swamped with nitrogen from the atmosphere, caused by pollution from cars, factories, feed lots and fertilizer. The nitrogen is essentially fertilizing lakes that aren’t used to being fertilized, causing a growth of algae and threatening to harm the fish at the top of the food chain.

In addition to our carbon footprint, researchers say, human activity leaves a more subtle nitrogen footprint that is affecting natural systems around the world, even in some of the most remote places.

NEW PROGRAM NEEDS MORE PRIORITY

“Open Fields” Hunting Access Program Needs a Push

Open Fields was a “major victory” for hunters and wildlife conservation, according to the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) and many other green groups that lobbied for it. It passed back in December 2008, but almost a year later, this innovative hunter access program is still mired in the administrative rule making process.

Now, predictably, conservationists who struggled mightily for the program are asking Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack for a little more priority.

PRATICAL TIPS FOR MAKING A GOOD CHOICE

Choosing a Fishing Lodge

So, you’ve finally decided to take that fishing trip of a lifetime--to Alaska, Canada, Patagonia, the Caribbean or another exotic location. Now, be sure you choose the right lodge.

The cost is always key, of course, but hardly the only concern. Regardless of your passion--bonefish, tarpon, muskie, salmon, monster rainbows or pike, whatever--you don’t want your long-awaited (and deserved, right?) vacation to turn into a stressful and costly disappointment.

If you’re a do-it-yourself type of guy, this column isn’t for you, but if you decide to stay at a fishing lodge and have a guided adventure, finding the right outfitter and avoiding problems along the way can be challenging. I’m hardly an expert, but I’ve stayed at a dozen or more lodges through the years.  Along the way, I’ve picked up a few tips that might be helpful.