There is little doubt that conflict over environmental
issues will intensify under the twin pressures of population and
aspiration. It also seems likely that much of this conflict will
involve public lands – those lonely, semi-arid basins and ranges
where the cattle roam.
Cows
by Will
Baker
In 1995, journalist and former
ranch hand Will Baker ventured to an Earth First! Rendezvous in
Northern California, hoping to cover the gathering for a
prestigious magazine. He came away with mixed feelings about the
radical environmental movement, but he developed a lasting respect
for at least one radical environmentalist: Tony Merten, a former
Sierra Club activist who lived alone in the southern New Mexico
desert. Baker admired Merten’s dedication and intelligence, and the
two enjoyed a long bull session during the rendezvous. But a few
months later, Merten became a suspect in the shooting deaths of 34
cows and calves near his home in New Mexico. When the inquiry
gathered speed, Merten shot himself.
The tragedy
sent Baker on a long, self-reflective investigation, and several
years later he turned his findings into a small volume called
Tony and the Cows. Recently reprinted by the
University of New Mexico Press, this modern fable is both an
epitaph for Merten and a thoughtful critique of the environmental
movement. Though Baker doesn’t pretend to provide answers, his
unusual ability to argue all sides makes for a mind-expanding
read.
Tony and the Cows: A True Story
from the Range Wars, by Will Baker, University of New
Mexico Press, 2001. 121 pages. Softcover: $17.95.
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Tony and the Cows.
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