Judith Kohler’s Archive

Greater sage-grouse photo by Greg Bergquist

The Administration Leaves an Iconic Bird’s Fate Up in the Air

The fate of a one-of-a-kind bird that lives in a one-of-a-kind landscape is in limbo. So, why should anyone care? There are more than 350 reasons why. That’s the number … Read more

Give Sage-grouse a Home on the Range — Not in a Cage

Sagebrush — that’s just the scrubby vegetation you have to drive through to get to the pretty pine trees and the mountains, right? Who cares what happens to it? Well, … Read more

The Antiquities Act Turns 111! How About a Hundred More Years?

The Antiquities Act, which has been integral to building our nation’s public-lands legacy, is 111 years strong. Americans’ love of and support for our public lands remains strong, too. Support … Read more

pronghorn

Overturning Methane Rule is Bad Public Policy, Bad Business

Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to employ a little-used legislative tool known as the Congressional Review Act to undo a common-sense Bureau of Land Management rule to … Read more

Energy Leases Canceled in Wildlife Habitat

The Interior Department has signed off on two decisions cancelling oil and gas leases on fish and wildlife habitat covering more than 70,000 acres. The areas affected — the Roan … Read more

sage grouse

‘Pedal to the metal’ to save the Greater Sage-Grouse

On Sept. 22, 2015, with the Front Range of the Rockies as a backdrop, Secretary Jewell announced the greater sage-grouse didn’t have to be placed on the endangered species list, thanks … Read more

Hard-Rock Mining Law Stuck in the Past

On Aug. 5, 2015, an estimated 3 million gallons of heavy-metal-laden mine wastewater washed down the San Juan Mountains into southwest Colorado’s Animas River. The water turned a sickly mustard yellow all … Read more

Vieques Wildlife Refuge Saved from Auction Block

The decision by members of Congress to leave the Vieques National Wildlife Refuge intact benefits thousands of wildlife species, some of which are not found anywhere else on earth. This … Read more

Congress, Leave the Strutting to Sage-Grouse

The greater sage-grouse’s annual mating dance on leks, or breeding grounds, is a one-of-a-kind spectacle that draws bird watchers from around the world to the Western U.S. The male sage-grouse … Read more

Birthday Gift Ideas for the National Wildlife Refuge System!

Here are a few ideas: Better fund the refuges Our public lands include more than 560 national wildlife refuges and 38 wetland management districts covering more than 150 million acres … Read more