In this issue, a growing cadre of young Indigenous lawyers is rising to meet legal challenges, old and new. The Yurok Tribe, in Northern California, now has one of its own citizens leading its most important legal battles over the Klamath River and the salmon it carries. Also, a look at water battles across the West and an excerpt from author Craig Childs’ new book.

Credit: Daniel Cordalis Credit: Daniel Cordalis

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Set aside the stoke

I presume it was an intentional editorial decision by HCN, but the same issue that contains this article (“Your stoke won’t save us,” HCN, 5/14/18) also contains an article on how a group of mountain biking enthusiasts are seeking a legislative change to the Wilderness Act to allow mountain bike riding in designated wilderness areas…

by Scott Finley

Consumptive flight

In response to “Jet lag” (HCN, 5/14/18), I’m wondering what Jonathan Thompson is so provocatively trying to say, and I’m reminded of Bob Dylan’s liner note to his seminal record Highway 61 Revisited record: “The subject matter, though meaningful as it is, has something to do with the beautiful strangers.” I’d like to walk through…

by Doug Morris

Eco-conscious contradiction

I, too, have begun to question the assumed correlation between outdoor recreation and environmental conservation (“Your stoke won’t save us,” HCN, 5/14/18). I used to be a nearly full-time recreationalist masquerading as a “professional outdoor athlete.” I continue to half-heartedly follow the culture on social media. Along with the overused Edward Abbey quote, I’ve come…

by Kyle Skaggs

Real fear

I disagree with the self-serving, condescending quote from Ted Stroll in the article on mountain bikes in the wilderness: “The real fear isn’t that mountain biking will cause problems, but that it won’t cause problems.” (“Bikes in wilderness?” HCN, 5/14/18). To me, the “real fear” is that some people refuse to leave their vehicles, cellphones,…

by Bruce Dissel

The privilege of wilderness

I enjoyed Sean Prentiss’ review of two books about humans’ role in the wilderness and in sharing the experience of living within wilderness with your children (“Wildness for the next generation,” HCN, 5/14/18). My kids have the unique experience of getting to live on U.S. Forest Service land on the edge of a large wilderness…

by Scott Crain

Willful ignorance

I still find it somewhat astounding that these “range rights” folks seem to forget, ignore or seem plain outraged over the simple fact that they are accessing resources that belong to everyone in the country and not managing private property (“Rebels vs. Reporters,” HCN, 5/28/18). What they are complaining about is not a property right,…

by Tim Baker