NO LAYOFFS OR MANAGEMENT CHANGES PLANNED

As noted in a breaking news story last week, UFA Co-operative Ltd. of Calgary is in the process of acquiring Sportsman's Warehouse, the largest outdoor retailer in the New West. UFA stands for United Farmers of Alberta, so after the article came out several readers wondered why a Canadian farmer's coop would buy a chain of sport stores in the United States.

With the kind assistance of UFA's cooperate communications manager Natalie Dawes, today I had a chance to ask UFA's President and CEO Dallas Thorsteinson that question.
 

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Part 2: Oregon, Utah, Wyoming, and Other Western States

In part two of the NewWest.Net/Books Best Books of 2008 list, I’ll discuss my favorite books set in Oregon, Utah, Wyoming, and other Western states.

Oregon

One of my favorite books set in Oregon actually was published late last year, but I didn't get to mention it in last year's best books list. Benjamin Percy's short story collection Refresh, Refresh (Graywolf Press, 249 pages, $15) makes the landscape of central Oregon come alive, enhancing the mystery and brutality of the characters. The title story (which won the Plimpton Prize from the Paris Review and earned a spot in the Best American Short Stories 2006) conveys searing authenticity, brutal energy, and a pitch-perfect dramatization of the impact of the Iraq war on communities that are losing their parents to combat. This year, Percy won a $50,000 Whiting Award for his work. (Check out my interview with Percy from earlier this year.) 

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WILL IT END OR EXTEND THE WILDERNESS DROUGHT?

For four years, I've been writing about what I've coined the "Wilderness Drought," 25 years of frustration and infighting since we've seen a single acre of Wilderness designated in Montana. Now, several mainstream groups have joined forces with representative of the wood products industry in a grand attempt to end it.

The political reality of today requires this collaborative, "bottom-up" approach because politicians are so gun-shy about Wilderness legislation. They only want lay-ups with all stakeholders already on board, which is the motivation behind this upcoming legislation. After decades of nothing, Montana wilderness advocates have decided to play the new, quid pro quo game to have some chance of success.

Regrettably, this flawed bill looks more like a half-court shot for our congressional delegation and could extend instead of end the Wilderness Drought.
 

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NEWWEST.NET Exclusive

UPDATE: At the end of the article, I've posted a release I received on 11-26-08 from UFA.--Bill Schneider

Rumors of financial troubles at large outdoor retailers, including Sportsman's Warehouse, have been swirling around for months. Now, it looks like "America's Premier Outfitter" has become "North America's Premier Outfitter." The largest outdoor retailer in the New West is being purchased by Calgary-based UFA Co-operative Lld.

And it looks like UFA has the cash to do it. On its website, UFA describes itself as "a progressive, multi-billion dollar organization committed to serving rural communities." 

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THE CONFESSIONS OF A REGULAR NUT

I'm not a gun nut. I'm a regular nut who owns guns, but only to hunt, not to defend my home and family, join the militia or fight the forces of tyranny.

Gun nuts don't scare or intimidate me. Instead, I'm learning a few things from them. You can, too. 

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Election '08

The sweeping Democratic victory across much of the West has state Republican Parties in Colorado, Washington, Oregon and even Idaho questioning their leadership and direction. In Colorado, some predictable sniping at the tactics of the party leadership is accompanied by a deeper argument over whether the party should turn to the right, as Tom Tancredo is urging, or move to the center, reports the Denver Post. Meanwhile, in the Pacific Northwest, Republicans are facing population trends (i.e. in-migration and urbanization) that look grim indeed, reports Floyd McKay at Crosscut. Oregon now has no statewide officeholders from the GOP for the first time ever. In Idaho, Republicans remain in firm control and the state party considers Tuesday to have been a fine day.giving some pause on both sides of the aisles.