Fire on the Horizon, Wolves at the Gate
Amid wildfire smoke and rising tensions, a lone, uncollared wolf in northwest Colorado tested every mitigation tool—and my resolve—until CPW confirmed chronic depredation and lethal control was clearly the most
Seeding Rye with Wool to Outcompete Cheatgrass
Fight cheatgrass naturally by pairing rye seed with raw wool “tags” for stabilization, moisture, and a slow-release nutrient boost. Tip from Erik Kalsta, rancher and WLA’s Working Wild Challenge program director
Building Vibrant Rural Communities Through Place-Based Collaboration
The Montana Conflict Reduction Consortium (CRC) hosted a webinar offering opportunities to engage with producers and practitioners developing community-led solutions to natural resource challenges, while sharing novel funding opportunities for
Page Burners: The Big Burn by Timothy Egan
Elegantly written and abundantly informative, Timothy Egan’s The Big Burn tells the dramatic story of the 1910 wildfire that tore through Washington, Idaho, and Montana, burning over 3 million acres
Page Burners: Young Men and Fire by Norman Maclean
Few nonfiction wildfire books capture a moment in fire history as vividly as Young Men and Fire. With the precision of an archivist and the heart of a storyteller, Norman
Page Burners: This is Wildfire by Nick Mott
As my wife and I begin building our home in rural Montana, wildfire resilience has been central to our planning. Rather than sift through AI-generated misinformation online, I’ve been turning
House Money
This sagebrush ecosystem in Idaho has been fully invaded by cheatgrass. Right: Charred fenceposts and brittle wire make fences a major rebuilding expense for working lands post-fire.
Fighting fires safely and responsibly
T he sign outside the Valley Fire District in Granite County, Montana, jokingly touts “Same Day Service since 1876.” Of course, the Valley Fire District, like fire protection districts across the
Community wildfire readiness: What landowners need to know
Across the West, as suburban sprawl, working lands and wilderness collide, many communities now have Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs). The 2003 Healthy Forest Restoration Act encouraged these plans in
Can we accelerate post-fire recovery without compromising future resilience?
This BLM photo from 2016 shows a re-seeded area in the Soda Fire burn scar in Idaho where native bunchgrasses are sprouting and germinating well.
Sterling Drake’s new album honors land, ranchers and mental health
Country artist Sterling Drake just released his new album The Shape I’m In, and On Land had the privilege of an early listen. It’s a powerful collection - honest, expansive,
Farm Bill Funding Freeze: Updates and Opportunities
The American Relief Act of 2025, signed into law on December 21, 2024, extended the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill) through September 30, 2025. This extension maintains