Livestock guardian dog culture in the Balkans
In her book Brave and Loyal: An Illustrated Celebration of Guardian Dogs, Cat Urbigkit relates a conversation she had in Bulgaria with Sider and Atila Sedechev, experts on the use
Road ruling could dead end property rights
A federal district judge’s interpretation of a controversial statute could open a pandora’s box of litigation over every footpath and service road on private property in the West. On the Western
Reconnecting community to our lands and water
Even In today’s climate, we can find ways to live, work, and play together.
Resources for producers facing drought
US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Disaster Relief The USDA provides a web-based disaster assistance discovery tool (farmers.gov/recover/disaster-tool) to help producers initially determine which disaster relief programs may fit their circumstances. If
What would make 30 by 30 work for the West?
In this post we lay out a dozen ways in which the Biden administration could meaningfully recognize and support landowners and rural communities for their role in sustaining biodiversity.
The Myth of Efficiency
Many irrigators face the public perception that flood irrigation systems are inefficient and a waste of water. But water does far more than just for grow food for humans.
Using Low Stress Livestock Handling for Conflict Prevention
Ranching operations use LSLH to meet a multitude of stewardship goals, but one particularly fascinating application is to manage the risks associated with large carnivores on the landscape. Ranchers are
Inherding for conflict prevention on Alderspring Ranch
On the Alderspring Ranch in central Idaho, Glenn and Caryl Elzinga graze yearling cattle among wolves, lions and black bears. We have three basic goals, the primary one being that we
Debunking the biggest myth about livestock depredation compensation
This month, Montana’s state legislature will consider giving the state Livestock Loss Board the authority to include a multiplier in their formula for compensation. Colorado agency leaders are also beginning
This floating armor against evaporation can reduce water loss by 90 percent
Scientists predict water stress in the West will increase dramatically in the coming decades, as climate change increase evaporation rates, shifts rainfall patterns, and impacts snowpacks in complex ways. A 2019
Western landowners respond to Biden climate and conservation executive actions
The Biden administration’s announcement today of a package of executive actions on climate and conservation includes several elements that the Western Landowners Alliance (WLA) has insisted are critical to making
How understanding ungulates has moved policy
A recent review by Arthur Middleton and colleagues highlights how a decade or more of advances in our understanding of ungulate migrations contributes to policymaking and management of migration corridors