Former Staff
10/15/14 – Sturgeon
In August 2014, when Idaho Power biologists working near the Snake River’s Hells Canyon caught a 10-foot, 400-pound sturgeon, it was far from the largest fish caught on the Snake River.[i] Sturgeon, the largest fresh-water fish in North America, can live to be 75 years old and 14 feet long. Recently, when combing the archives,… Read the Rest »
10/13/14 – Greenbelt and Bike Path History
This October, Boise, Idaho celebrates the 45th anniversary of the creation of the Greenbelt, the 25 miles of biking and walking trails that line both sides of the Boise River. The history of the Greenbelt (see SHRA blog from the summer of 2012) is interesting on its own merit, for it is the story of… Read the Rest »
10/8/14 – Gila Wilderness
On October 2, 1922, Aldo Leopold penned a plea for the preservation of a wilderness area in New Mexico. As a U.S. Forest Service employee stationed in the Land of Enchantment, Leopold lamented the loss of areas fit for wilderness designation that recently had been lost to the rise of automobiles. In his plea, he… Read the Rest »
10/6/14 – Current Troubles with Wilderness
As we honor the 50th anniversary of the 1964 Wilderness Act, it is easy to celebrate the habitats, wild places, and recreational opportunities that it has protected. But it is also important to consider all sides of wilderness and wilderness conservation. In his well-known 1995 essay “The Trouble with Wilderness,” William Cronon tackles the idea… Read the Rest »
9/26/14 – Wilderness Cartoon, 1962-1963
This cartoon,[i] originally printed in the Washington Daily News, was reprinted in the winter of 1962-63 in Living Wilderness, the publication of the Wilderness Society. As conservationists fought to pass the Wilderness Act, the issue of wilderness and wilderness conservation became part of mainstream conversations and media coverage. When Congress passed the law in… Read the Rest »
9/26/14 – Wilderness Areas, 1964-2014
When Congress first created the National Wilderness Preservation System in September 1964, (1) they protected nine million acres of National Forest. On this 1964 map, which was published in the Wilderness Society’s magazine The Living Wilderness, stars represent those first federally designated wilderness areas. The other icons denote potential wilderness areas, foreshadowing the tremendous growth… Read the Rest »
9/12/14 – From Clearcuts to Ecosystem Management: The Forest Service and the Environmental Movement
Editor’s note: This is the fourth installment in a blog series on the history of the national forests by SHRA environmental analyst/researcher Naomi Heindel. Links to the previous blogs in the series are here, here, and here. This installment examines the rise of the environmental movement, the Forest Service’s continued reliance on clearcutting, and the… Read the Rest »
7/23/14 – World Cup Reflections
In the months leading up to the 2014 World Cup, headlines abounded with speculation on Brazil’s readiness. As thousands of tourists descended upon the various host cities, it was clear that Brazil’s infrastructure was not up to snuff. Barely finished stadiums, hastily constructed airport terminals (one of which was under a tent) and numerous uncompleted… Read the Rest »
6/12/2014 – The World Cup through the Lens of History
On June 12, 2014, the 20th FIFA World Cup officially kicked off in San Pao, Brazil. For precisely a month, more than a billion eyes will diligently watch as 32 teams compete in the sport’s marquee event. A fan only needs to watch one game to realize the World Cup is a public celebration steeped… Read the Rest »
6/6/14 – Timber Harvesting and Wildfire in the National Forests: The Emergence of Multiple-Use Management
Editor’s Note: This is the third installment in a series of blogs by SHRA Environmental Analyst/Researcher Naomi Heindel on the history of the United States Forest Service. You can read the first two installments here and here. In my previous blog, the second in this series on the history of the Forest Service, I discussed the… Read the Rest »