A coalition of 27 environmental, taxpayer and budget-watchdog groups has produced its sixth annual report, Green Scissors 2000, which cites 77 wasteful government programs that harm the environment and cost taxpayers $50 billion. The 26-page report targets programs such as timber and irrigation subsidies and predator control projects, detailing their cost to the taxpayer and […]
Catherine Lutz
Posted inFebruary 14, 2000: Land of the fee
Women on the move
Women’s roles in the natural-resource professions have changed significantly over the years, and Women in Natural Resources journal has been there to document the progression. Founded by a network of Forest Service women 20 years ago, the approximately 40-page quarterly covers forestry, fisheries, wildlife, range, recreation, soils and related environmental and social sciences. The journal […]
Posted inFebruary 14, 2000: Land of the fee
Mumma resigns – wildlife division shaken up
Nine years ago, Northern Regional Forester John Mumma stood tearfully before a House subcommittee and said he had been betrayed by the Forest Service (HCN, 10/7/91). Because he didn’t meet timber quotas in the 13 national forests under his care, he said, powerful industry and political interests had conspired to force him out of his […]
Posted inJanuary 31, 2000: Searching for pasture
Incinerator unsafe, says former Tooele manager
A former manager for the Army’s chemical weapons incinerator in rural Tooele County says he was told he would lose his job if he talked about the plant’s environmental problems. During a January press conference, Gary E. Harris made public a list of over 100 questionable activities by the Army and its contractor, EG&G, at […]
Posted inDecember 20, 1999: Unleashing the Snake
Buy land now, says Udall
The state of Colorado is tightening its belt on land purchases, and Democratic Rep. Mark Udall wants someone to account for it. The state’s Department of Natural Resources has been discussing a moratorium on buying properties for wildlife habitat, says Greg Walcher, the department’s executive director. Budget concerns drove the decision. “We decided we would […]
Posted inNovember 8, 1999: A new road for the public lands
Wolves at Colorado’s door?
During a recent presentation at the University of Colorado by a Boulder-based wolf recovery organization, Sinapu, a captive-raised wolf named Rami was introduced to the audience. As Rami calmly walked up and down the aisles with her handler, sniffing boots and licking faces, audience members sat in awed silence. Wolves, like many other predators, are […]
Posted inOctober 11, 1999: A home-grown Water War
An ancient ditch hits a glitch
For about a year, pollutants from a defunct gold mine have been leaking into the Rito Seco Creek near San Luis, a small farming community in southern Colorado. The creek feeds the San Luis People’s Ditch, the oldest irrigation ditch in the state, and many farmers fear their water supply is being destroyed. The Texas-based […]
Posted inJuly 5, 1999: The new faces of the West
‘Over the River’ not yet through the woods
Controversy and art often go hand in hand, and the proposed “Over The River” project in central Colorado is no exception. In this case, it’s the medium rather than the messagethat has people up in arms. The artists, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, who use only single names, are known for large-scale temporary exhibits spanning natural or […]
Posted inJune 7, 1999: Mining the past
Black Canyon National Park?
If Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, R-Colo., gets his way, he will leave behind a legacy. A bill moving rapidly through the U.S. Senate would redesignate the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument as a national park and expand its current 20,766 acres to 30,000. Campbell, the bill’s sponsor, has been pursuing this legislation for […]
Posted inMay 10, 1999: My beautiful ranchette
State says no to new wildlife
The next time the federal or state government wants to reintroduce wildlife on public lands in Colorado, the state Legislature wants it to ask nicely. On April 22 – Earth Day – Colorado Gov. Bill Owens signed the measure requiring the Legislature’s consent before agencies can restore threatened and endangered species to the state. Critics […]