[…] financial investments. For the most part, they are not here to harvest trees, graze cattle, or mine for minerals. They come for the anchor public lands like Yellowstone National Park and nearby national forests and wild and scenic rivers. A consequence is more real estate development, which can consume land, splinter wildlife habitats, put […]
[…] in Tanzania, she is one of the most recognized and beloved environmental advocates on earth. Goodall, who holds a special place in her heart for the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, is also famously outspoken in her opposition to killing animals for sport. So last summer after the 84-year-old entered her name into a special lottery […]
[…] the Cabela Family Foundation, Ivan Carter Wildlife Foundation, and Zambezi Delta Safaris, a commercial hunting outfitter. Two prides were released into a wildland roughly the size of Yellowstone National Park and have now begun to breed. The hope is that the lions, which will not be hunted, will help keep the region’s abundant big-game […]
[…] to their health. Throughout the year, these species will “surf the green wave,” following the greenest grasses from lowland riparian areas to high elevations. In the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem alone, roughly 20,000 elk are split among nine migratory herds. But in moving between public and private lands, wildlife do not read “no trespassing” signs. […]
[…] Since 1975, the species has been listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. At that time, there were only about 136 grizzlies left in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem. Fortunately, things have dramatically improved since then. In 2016, the Obama administration proposed delisting the Yellowstone population, which now numbers 700. The grizzly would become only the […]
Grizzly bear tipping up dead tree near Obsidian Creek. © Jim Peaco; April 24, 2009. Last month, a federal court ordered the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem population of grizzly bears put back on the endangered species list. Some environmentalists cheered the decision because it stopped a planned hunt. But the decision should also give people pause. If the […]
[…] course. Many of America’s most popular national parks face similar overcrowding issues as the nation’s appetite for outdoor recreation surges. In his recent farewell address, the outgoing superintendent of Yellowstone National Park cited overcrowding as one of the most important challenges facing the park. And, despite their popularity, many of the parks face a huge and chronic maintenance […]
Old Faithful Geyser, Yellowstone National Park This article originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times. Yellowstone’s Old Faithful is a symbol of reliability. The geyser’s regular eruptions attract millions of visitors each year. But the funding from Congress to sustain the park is anything but reliable. Decades of neglect have created a backlog in […]
[…] in recent U.S. history. In a span of three months, two of our nation’s most charismatic species received clean bills of health from the federal government. Yellowstone’s iconic grizzly bears numbered just 136 in the early 1970s. Today, the grizzly has rebounded to more than 700 bears. That warranted a decision by biologists […]
[…] than two decades. PERC is the nation’s leading institute dedicated to exploring market-based, entrepreneurial solutions to environmental challenges. Living in Bozeman, Montana, I am lucky to have Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Glacier National Parks in my backyard. I am an avid skier and hiker as well as a frequent visitor to our parks and […]