A native New Mexican tries to understand the heroin epidemic that is destroying the Hispano community of the Espanola Valley,
Also in this issue: Interior Secretary Gale Norton’s decision to resign prompts a look at Interior’s conservative counterrevolution during her tenure, along with its unintended consequences.
Land of Disenchantment
A native New Mexican digs for the roots of a tragic epidemic
Pipeline and dam dreams
A new dam for Utah’s urban Wasatch Front and a pipeline for the fast-growing city of St. George got a boost in February, when the state Legislature approved a bill directing about $8 million a year to “preconstruction” work on the projects. The money, from state sales and use tax, will fund environmental studies and…
The Latest Bounce
A week after U.S. Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton announced her resignation, Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner John Keys announced that he will resign on April 15. The 34-year veteran of the Bureau says he’s ready to spend more time with his family in Moab, Utah. Both resignations come at a critical time, as the…
The real bison slaughter
I am surprised HCN pulled out one of those old stories about hunters slaughtering buffalo and retreaded it (HCN, 2/6/06: The Killing Fields). Why on earth does HCN want to vilify hunters who are their major allies in the conservation wars? HCN is the only journal I know back on that old “slaughter” kick. Montana…
Aspen is far from green
Regarding your recent story on global warming, lest your readers think Diesel Fumes, Colo., (also known as Aspen) is environmental, let me assure them it is not (HCN, 3/6/06: Save Our Snow). Mayor Klanderud has been in office for six years, and under her leadership, the city council has approved the most development projects ever,…
Save our public lands
While Dick Cheney and cronies hunt on 50,000-acre private ranches (ignore the shooting accident for the moment), the administration is proposing to get rid of public lands that the rest of us can enjoy (HCN, 3/6/06: Public acres for sale). I resent that. Tom Budlong Los Angeles, California This article appeared in the print edition of…
Keep the closet closed, please
I was hoping you would resist the temptation to promote Brokeback Mountain, but you guys just can’t stop slopping to the left, faster and faster (HCN, 3/6/06: In hunting camp, the closet is closed). The more you New York intellectuals move to our sacred mountains, the more baggage you bring with you. The movie is a…
Reforming Stalling
Regarding David Stalling’s piece about being a gay, wolf-loving, tree-hugging, former Marine elk hunter — David, I’m inviting you to make the short drive from Missoula to have dinner at my house (HCN, 3/6/06: In hunting camp, the closet is closed). We are a happily married, heterosexual couple, and I’m certain we can help you see…
Fight global warming: Ditch the car
Here in Phoenix, where we recently had over 120 days without rain, a record, I believe we are already seeing the results of global warming (HCN, 3/6/06: Save our snow). I’m not waiting for government officials to come to their senses. I got rid of the car; I telecommute. For local trips to the store or…
Give Bush some credit
If I understand Michelle Nijhuis correctly, the Bush administration’s refusal to sign the Kyoto Accord has unleashed dozens, if not hundreds, of local experiments in greenhouse gas reduction (HCN, 3/6/06: Save our snow). These efforts seem to define an ideal of democratic participation by matching appropriate technological responses with community-defined values. The result is that many…
No clear victory for property-rights activists
A recent Oregon court ruling has bolstered a Westwide effort to force local governments to compensate landowners who lose property value to land-use regulations. But celebrations may be premature. On Feb. 21, the Oregon Supreme Court upheld Measure 37, which was originally passed by the state’s voters in November 2004, but declared unconstitutional by a…
Casinos coming to Navajo Nation
After resisting the Indian-gaming trend for decades, the Navajo Nation now plans to build up to six casinos within its borders beginning this year. Twice, in 1994 and 1997, tribal members voted against gambling initiatives. Critics expressed concerns that state gaming compacts might undermine tribal sovereignty and that casinos would encourage social ills such as…
If you’ve got some nuke waste, you can WIPP it
Things could get a lot hotter at southeastern New Mexico’s nuclear waste storage facility if the state carries out plans to relax its rules. Opened in 1999, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) stores radioactive waste, such as contaminated equipment and soil, from as far away as the Idaho National Laboratory and Washington’s Hanford Nuclear…
Columbia River dams revived
Tribes get shut out of new plan touted as good for fish
Poison in the Wind
Pesticides sicken residents as neighborhoods sprawl into agricultural land
Tierra o Muerte
Outside the village of Tierra Amarilla in northern New Mexico, a hand-painted placard proclaims “Tierra o Muerte” — Land or Death. The sign gives some indication of just how fiercely northern New Mexicans have defended their land and their culture — a culture that traces its roots back to the conquistadores who claimed this land…
Dear friends
HCN EDITOR WINS AWARDS FOR SILVERTON PAPER Congratulations to new Associate Editor Jonathan Thompson, who recently took home seven awards from the 2005 Colorado Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest for work he did while publishing and editing the Silverton Standard & the Miner. Jonathan won first or second place in several categories, including feature and…
Washing our hands
I met Interior Secretary Gale Norton in the public restroom at Denver International Airport. She was coming out of the handicapped stall with a black roller bag. She is a tall, handsome woman. We ended up washing our hands at neighboring basins. Should I, or shouldn’t I? I did. “Secretary Norton — ” “Yes?” she…
Norton Departs
A look at Interior’s counterrevolution — and its unintended consequences
Waypoints of the heart
As a kid, I used to play treasure hunt, all by myself. I’d take a piece of wide-ruled notebook paper and draw an X for my starting point — the front stoop of my house, on a dead-end street. Then I’d make a series of marks, each one representing a step, guided more by a…
High Country Zoo Special Edition – Apr. 1
HOOTLINES MONTOMING Rep. Rambo proposes more corporate sponsorship Last fall, Rep. Richard Rambo, R-Calif., proposed that to help balance the federal budget, the National Park Circus should sell corporate naming rights for its visitor centers and trails (HCN, 9/31/05). Now, Rambo has expanded his plan to allow corporations to purchase naming rights for natural features,…