Across the American West, influencers— both people in search of the ultimate selfie and promoters of park landscapes—broadcast their experiences to tens of thousands of followers. But at what cost to parks?
Continue readingHow social media videos are changing the experience of national parks
Category: Conservation & the West
A federal push to return American Bison herds to tribal control raises hopes that the once-abundant species can regenerate landscapes and restore native traditions. Continue readingDo buffalo still roam the American West with Native tribes? And if so, where?
The emerging science of road ecology has been tallying the cost of collisions to animal populations and vehicle owners. Now western states are mitigating the danger, a process that new Federal money could accelerate.Continue readingWildlife crossings seek to reconnect the animal West
Officials in Wyoming, a state containing almost all of two national parks, want sole authority to manage species like elk, wolves and grizzlies. Can state agencies ensure conservation when hunters pay the bills and ranchers determine wildlife policy?Continue readingIn Greater Yellowstone, Wyoming seeks more control to improve hunting and eliminate predators
If other figures in American law are celebrated for what they changed, the late Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas has been celebrated for what he kept unchanged. Continue readingJustice Douglas’ Real Roots Were in the Wilderness: Q&A with Judge M. Margaret McKeown
A new paper suggests that “mineral easements” might provide a tool to block hydraulic fracking and the oil and gas wells that have been sources of fear and opposition from New York to California.Continue readingConservation Underground: Researchers Propose a Way to Block Subsurface Exploitation
The fishing rights promised to the Pacific Northwest’s Native Americans 160 years ago are proving the sharpest knife the region’s environmentalists possess. So far in 2016, these rights have undergirded decisions to block two planned terminals to ship coal to Asia. Another decision could cost Washington state a billion dollars in highway repairs aimed at protecting salmon.Continue readingIn the Pacific Northwest, Native Fishing Rights Take on a Role as Environmental Protector