sheep Alone in a New World With Vast Open Space, and Sheep “ At Pitchstone Waters, our goat herders are seasonal workers from Peru. NOTE: this article was originally published to NYTimes.com on September 23, 2022. It was written by Miriam Jordan. Latin American sheepherders, here on work visas, do the same nomadic work that European immigrants did before them. But do
buying and selling ranches My Wild Land: Terry Creek Ranch - Trailer Al and Barb Johnson have witnessed the changing landscape of the West firsthand on their ranch, and in the surrounding area. Their land isn’t just home to a leased cattle operation, but also is used as winter range and during migration by hundreds of deer, elk, and moose. With
beaver habits 5,000 Years Later, Beavers Return to the High Plains “The Brazos is the longest river in Texas. Beavers were always found downstream. As discussed below, they are now colonizing the upper Brazos where dams have created large bodies of permanent water. NOTE: this article was originally published to TexasMonthly.com on September 6, 2022. It was written by Peter
floods Yellowstone and Grand Teton Park Attendance Falls Below 2021 & 2019 Contrary to the implications of the article below, the primary cause of 2022’s falling Yellowstone attendance is not road closures. Although some roads were closed in 2022, many miles that had been closed for 3-years of reconstruction reopened. Total drivable miles inside the park were much the same over
Bio-Diversity All About Moose for Kids The moose is the largest member of the deer family and one of the largest mammals in North America! With its distinctive antlers and unusual face, moose are easy to recognize! They live in northern temperate and subarctic climates, where snow covers the ground in winter. Moose are amazing! NOTE:
Newsletter Restoring Biodiversity - 09/27/2022 Articles The article above was published by the New York Times, which is consistently anti-fossil fuels. The feature describes an environmental catastrophe being caused by Western Europe’s runaway “green” mandates. Europe sits on vast shale deposits which could supply its energy for centuries, but its green ideologues block development
Bio-Diversity Wolves 101 With their piercing looks and spine-tingling howls, wolves inspire both adoration and controversy around the world. Find out how many wolf species exist, the characteristics that make each wolf’s howl unique, and how the wolf population in the continental United States nearly became extinct. NOTE: this video was originally
Bio-Diversity Europe Is Sacrificing Its Ancient Forests for 'Green' Energy The article below was published by the New York Times, which is consistently anti-fossil fuels. The feature describes an environmental catastrophe being caused by Western Europe’s runaway “green” mandates. Europe sits on vast shale deposits which could supply its energy for centuries, but its green ideologues block development of
lightning Lightning Striking a Montana Stream /content/images/wordpress/2019/08/03JTk-4iSwy7V865p3tnSVCZg90aCGvR-1.mp4 “This is fake news (explosives not lightning) – but a great video. NOTE: this post was originally publsihed to this site on November 14, 2019
Artificial Beaver Dams It Was War. Then, a Rancher’s Truce With Some Pesky Beavers Paid Off The article below has an excellent discussion of the growing recognition that beavers are an essential part of habitat restoration. Quoting one expert, “It may seem trite to say that beavers are a key part of a national climate action plan, but the reality is that they are a force
Newsletter Restoring Biodiversity - 9/20/2022 Articles “This article from the Property and Environment Research Center (PERC), a free market environmental think tank based in Bozeman, discusses how states are starting to overcome decades of inertia and entrenched policy challenges to promote the use of prescribed fire. As discussed above, well-managed domestic cattle, bison, other livestock
Bio-Diversity My Wild Land: Bischoff Ranch - Trailer My Wild Land: BISCHOFF RANCH – Trailer from Wyoming Migration Initiative on Vimeo. “Keeping a ranch afloat in a volatile market is a story that hits too close to home for Tyrell Bischoff. After a number of rough winters and low cattle prices, Tyrell’s family faced a formidable reality: sell
forests Returning Fire to the Land “This article from the Property and Environment Research Center (PERC), a free market environmental think tank based in Bozeman, discusses how states are starting to overcome decades of inertia and entrenched policy challenges to promote the use of prescribed fire. NOTE: this article was originally published to PERC.org on
Big Game Migrations Wyoming's Big Game Migrations 50 Years after the Creation of the Wilderness Areas “Pitchstone Waters is just west of the Winegar Hole and Jedidiah Smith Wilderness Areas shown in this video. At this time, elk are migrating out of the Parks through us as an early winter drops snow and temperatures in Greater Yellowstone. We have observed herds of as many as 100-elk
Biodiversity Lose Grazing Animals, Gain Wildfires “As discussed below, well-managed domestic cattle, bison, other livestock and grazing animals can restore ecosystems and biodiversity, upcycle grasses humans can’t eat into bioavailable nutrition, reduce wildfire risk, and help us create a better planet for our future. NOTE: this article was originally published to Weekly.Regeneration.Works on
Newsletter Restoring Biodiversity - 9/13/2022 Articles Feral pigs have become a problem for one reason: The food-safety agencies tasked to insure safe, wholesome, and affordable food have made them illegal to sell commercially. The commonsense solution is to put them back in the human food chain – where they have been for thousands of years of
"Invasion Biology" Want to Fight the Feral Hog Problem in Texas? Start With $8k, a Helicopter and a Machine Gun. “Feral pigs have become a problem for one reason: The food-safety agencies tasked to insure safe, wholesome, and affordable food have made them illegal to sell commercially. The commonsense solution is to put them back in the human food chain where they have been for thousands of years of human
beaver habits Relocated Beavers Helped Mitigate Some Effects of Climate Change “As discussed in the article below, scientists have found that when beavers were reintroduced and built new dams, the volume of surface water — streams, ponds, wetlands — increased to about 20 times that of streams with no new beaver activity. Meanwhile below ground, groundwater more than doubled what was stored on
Bio-Diversity Goats Clearing Meadows and Forest at Pitchstone Waters #4 On the Fall River in Idaho, 5-miles from the southwest corner of Yellowstone Park, we use goats instead of herbicides to control weeds and stimulate grasses in sagebrush meadows. Fourth in a series. NOTE: this post was originally published to this site on November 4, 2019
Fire management Healthy Forests Make Good Neighbors “This article from the Property and Environment Research Center (PERC), a free market environmental think tank based in Bozeman, discusses the common sense idea of turning federal-lands fire mitigation decisions over to states. NOTE: this article was originally published to PERC.org on June 23, 2022. It was written by
Newsletter Restoring Biodiversity - 9/6/2022 Articles As discussed in the article above, when bison were allowed to graze through patches of tallgrass prairie, they boosted native plant species richness by a whopping 86 percent. Cattle and other domestics animals – when they are grazed in ways planned to mimic native bison herds – do the same thing.
buying and selling ranches My Wild Land: The Place - Trailer My Wild Land: THE PLACE – Trailer from Wyoming Migration Initiative on Vimeo. “The Hellyer family sees ranching as a lifestyle, one they are not willing to compromise. In the face of a market that points to increased housing developments, the Hellyers have doubled-down on improving their land for cattle and
Bison Where the Buffalo Roam, Endangered Prairies Thrive “As discussed in the article below, when bison were allowed to graze through patches of tallgrass prairie, they boosted native plant species richness by a whopping 86 percent. Cattle and other domestics animals – when they are grazed in ways planned to mimic native bison herds – do the same thing. NOTE:
PERC How Environmental Red Tape Inflames Wildfire Risk This article from the Property and Environment Research Center (PERC), a free market environmental think tank based in Bozeman, discusses the “analysis paralysis” of the federal forest agencies. Regulatory overkill combined with environmental lawsuits make wildfire mitigation nearly impossible. Quoting the authors, “Across all mechanical fire-treatment projects, it takes an
Animal Growth Goats Clearing Meadows and Forest at Pitchstone Waters #3 Goats Clearing Meadows and Forest at Pitchstone Waters #3 from Christopher Gill on Vimeo. Third in a series: On the Fall River in Idaho, 5-miles from the southwest corner of Yellowstone Park, we use goats instead of herbicides to control weeds and stimulate grasses in sagebrush meadows. NOTE: this post
