Turbulence surrounding Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar’s controversial Wild Lands policy only seems to be increasing, and now the big dogs are beginning to enter the fray. On April 29, the state of Utah announced it is filing suit in federal court with the object of nullifying Salazar’s

With the ink still drying on the budget resolution that delisted wolves and temporarily defunded Wild Lands two weeks ago, Republican congressmen have advanced new legislation that considerably raises the stakes in the ongoing wilderness debate. A bill introduced to Congress on April 15 would order

In a double win for ranching and recreation interests, Congress last week passed a budget measure that included a rider removing the majority of gray wolves within the Northern Rocky Mountain region from the endangered species list, as well as a second provision which stripped the controversial Wild Lands policy of funding until

With all the back and forth on the endangered status of wolves, it’s no wonder that some ranchers may be scratching their heads over what steps they need to take if they suffer depredation from wolves. In Montana, the situation isn’t made any easier by the fact that there are two separate recognized wolf

In this modern age where most everything seems to be bought and sold, good old-fashioned neighboring remains one of the cornerstones of ranching culture. This spring, thousands of brandings will be attended by neighboring ranchers and cowboys who will gladly put in a hard day’s work for no more pay than a hamburger

Most ranch owners roll out of bed each morning with the intention of doing what’s right: for the cows, for the calves, and for the land they graze on. Obviously, it literally pays to be a good land steward; good grazing practices mean healthier range, taller grass, and higher weaning weights. But for most of us, doing what’s right

To people in the business of working with cattle and horses, the saying "slower is faster" is a time-worn chestnut. Ramming and jamming cows can cause a wholesale run-back, ruining an hour or a day’s work. Pushing a young horse or dog too hard and too fast can cause issues that take months to undo. Sometimes

Tensions over the relisted gray wolf were ratcheted up several more notches last week when Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer issued a blunt statement to Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar blasting the government for dallying over resolving the wolf issue. Schweitzer clearly indicated that Montana will

Western Watersheds Project is on a roll. The anti-grazing group’s policy of targeting grazing permit renewals on public lands in order to curtail or eliminate livestock use has proven highly effective for the second time this year. On Feb. 11, the Department of Interior Office of Hearings and Appeals ordered the Bureau

Believe it or not, there are limits to what money can buy. To the well-worn short list of exceptions like "love" and "salvation," nowenters a new addition: "wild horse sanctuary." After months of review and discussion, the Bureau of Land Management released its decision Friday, Jan. 21, that it is rejecting Madeleine Pickens’ proposal