Spring Valley, Nevada

The took this picture in May 2008. It is a huge nearly empty valley. Like most Nevada valleys, the rangeland is damaged by cattle, but it has many springs and ponds, The water rights have been bought by the powerful Southern Nevada Water Authority. SNWA is spending billions to pump the ground water out of many Nevada valleys to send it to Las Vegas.

Photo toward Wheeler Peak (over 13,000 feet elevation) from Spring Valley. Copyright © Ralph Maughan. May 2008

When this happens the valley will turn into pure desert (as in sand dunes).

Springs in Spring Valley. Photo March 2007. Copyright © Ralph Maughan. This photo was taken further to the north than the previous photo.

In the meantime, SNWA could at least rid the valley of cattle. They seem to have purchased all the ranches and are paying White Pine County, NV monies in lieu of taxes.

Ranchers fighting comeback of a predator that’s good for the land

An excellent article about the Mexican wolf. Ranchers fighting comeback of a predator that’s good for the land. by Linda Valdez. The Arizona Republic.

Wyoming Range deer survey reaps grim results

[Suvery coordinator Gray] “Fralick said there’s ‘no doubt the poor habitat conditions on this winter range contributed a great deal” to this year’s high death rate.’ ”

Deer survey reaps grim results. By Jeff Geario. Casper Star Tribune.

Cars and Cows

Earlier in Oil & Gas eyes your public lands I asked a question of Interior’s plans to “solve” America’s energy woes by opening up vast public lands to the oil & gas industry :

Are energy reserves that may or may not be accessible on your public lands worth the cost to wildlife, our environmental heritage, our children’s environmental trust ? Is $4/gallon gas the problem ? Is domestic extraction of fossil fuels on public lands the solution ?

It seems to me that all of these symptoms might be pointing to a deeper problem.

George Wuerthner explores the government’s shallow responses and the deeper problems in Living Large in America: Cars and Cows – featured in Counterpunch.

Wuerthner’s piece is also in New West.