Patrick Shipsey wanted to take a stand against the
folly of Oregon’s “open range” law. It allows ranchers to let their
cattle roam and forces property owners to build fences if they want
to keep them out (HCN, 11/25/96). Shipsey killed 11 of his
neighbor’s cows after they wandered onto his property once too
often. (His fence had been destroyed by elk.) Now he has been
convicted of criminal mischief and unauthorized use of livestock
and could face jail time, probation, a fine and community service.
The Oregon doctor had been planning to plead that he was defending
his creekside property from being trampled; the judge barred his
attorneys from using that argument. …
If the
Goshute Indian Tribe has its way, Utah could become a gambling
state. The tribe wants to build a high-stakes bingo parlor on
tribal land. Utah is one of only two states that doesn’t allow any
form of gambling, and a spokeswoman for Gov. Mike Leavitt says
Utah’s citizens want to keep it that way. But do they? Every day
Salt Lake City residents trek 120 miles to casinos in Wendover,
Nev. The Goshutes’ casino would be much closer.
…
The judge credited with protecting the
Northwest’s old-growth forests has announced his retirement. In
1991, U.S. District Judge William Dwyer issued a ban on public-land
timber sales in northern spotted owl habitat. Dwyer has Parkinson’s
disease and has decided to stop working next year, after 10 years
on the bench. …
It is not clear what misconduct
Yellowstone National Park’s chief ranger is accused of, but he has
been temporarily removed from his duties while National Park
Service officials investigate whether he did it, says the Billings
Gazette. Dan Sholly, who has been chief ranger in Yellowstone for
over a decade and is the author of Guardians of Yellowstone, is
working on special projects during the
investigation.
* Heather
Abel
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline The Wayward West.
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