Every once in a while I like to check in with y’all to find out what you’d like more of (or less of, I guess) from the Land Desk. Do you want more news? More impressionistic essays? More ranting and raving? More photos? More maps!? Should I expand the geographical coverage? Shrink it? And so forth.
But I’m also about to embark on some on-the-ground reporting, mostly in the Four Corners Country (but venturing beyond it, too, so long as the Silver Bullet’s up for it). So if you have specific issues — e.g. a leaky oil and gas field, a marvelous solution to the housing problem, a dryland farmer that’s figured out how to thrive during drought, or just a cool place or a glorious view — let me know about them and I’ll see if I can fit it into my itinerary.
Leave your tips, suggestions, inside scoops, rants, raves, and comments below (I opened it up to everyone, even free subscribers)!
🌵 Oh, and also, if you’re up for it, you can check out the Land Desk/Lost Souls Press merchandise/swag portal. I’ve only got a few products up there now, but I’ll be adding more over time. So keep checking back (the link can be found at the top of the LandDesk.org webpage under “swag). At let me know what kind of products you’d like! 🌻
Have you read Keith Basso’s Wisdom Sits in Places, Landscape and Language Among the Western Apache? Here’s an essential quote, dictated by an elder from Cibecue: "'Wisdom sits in places. It's like water that never dries up. You need to drink water to stay alive, don't you? Well, you also need to drink from places. You must remember everything about them. You must learn their names. You must remember what happened at them long ago. You must think about it and keep on thinking about it. Then your mind will become smoother and smoother.’” p 127.
I would love to learn more about the Navajo analogue. By now a pretty consistent understanding of Four Corners Country from the modern-western point of view has emerged; while new stories constantly surface, it would be great to hear more Indigenous voices.
I loved that recent photo of your dogs and - as a break now and then from all the challenging news and events - hear about their continuing adventures.
The history with visuals is fascinating to me -- maps and photos. Drought updates and any so-called rant is a fun read though they sound more like brutally honest reflections than rants.
I had a couple requests to follow BLM rule making changes for oil and gas and it's so dense. If you can keep reporting on that and make it interesting (which you do), I'm grateful.
I suspect I am not alone in this, but I feel hope when I learn about communities, particularly small Western ones, building their own forms of resilience (or resistance!) to tradewinds (environmental, economic) larger than themselves. You've covered good examples of this thus far; I bet you'll find some more along the way.
I also love the maps. It happens to be my work to build and share them; I'd be glad to help if you're looking for it.
You are doing just fine, your instincts reflect your roots and upbringing, your travels are probably what give you the distance and perspective for your insights. Thanks
environmental lawsuits dealing with land management and fish and wildlife agencies. Development and available water. Human/wildlife conflict, what prompts relocation? what prompts lethal removal? Environmental regulations being skirted for "green" energy projects and "green" rare earth metals and minerals mining. How much money is the Pentagon shelling out to these mining outfits in the west? NEPA stuff, National Forest Management and other environmental laws. Fighting wildland fire, in the end, what would be the best approach, are we achieving our goals and what are our goals in wildland firefighting?
OMGOMGOMG Keith is my hero. Place matters. The Hi-Lo country, for example. The native influence is not as strong there, but it runs through so many of the families out there, immigrants from Mora and Ócate and Taos. And what does place mean to small-time family ranchers?
I love your maps and photos! It's also great to learn more about the issues on the West Slope from the community level. Most of the news and things I run across at work ignores that aspect.
I would be thrilled if your travels took you into the Dolores River canyon country. With momentum building to strengthen protections for this region this could be a timely opportunity to spend time in some incredible country.
Tuesday Thread: Whaddaya want from the Land Desk?
Great Basin stuff.
Have you read Keith Basso’s Wisdom Sits in Places, Landscape and Language Among the Western Apache? Here’s an essential quote, dictated by an elder from Cibecue: "'Wisdom sits in places. It's like water that never dries up. You need to drink water to stay alive, don't you? Well, you also need to drink from places. You must remember everything about them. You must learn their names. You must remember what happened at them long ago. You must think about it and keep on thinking about it. Then your mind will become smoother and smoother.’” p 127.
I would love to learn more about the Navajo analogue. By now a pretty consistent understanding of Four Corners Country from the modern-western point of view has emerged; while new stories constantly surface, it would be great to hear more Indigenous voices.
We can all benefit from smoother minds.
I loved that recent photo of your dogs and - as a break now and then from all the challenging news and events - hear about their continuing adventures.
The history with visuals is fascinating to me -- maps and photos. Drought updates and any so-called rant is a fun read though they sound more like brutally honest reflections than rants.
I had a couple requests to follow BLM rule making changes for oil and gas and it's so dense. If you can keep reporting on that and make it interesting (which you do), I'm grateful.
I suspect I am not alone in this, but I feel hope when I learn about communities, particularly small Western ones, building their own forms of resilience (or resistance!) to tradewinds (environmental, economic) larger than themselves. You've covered good examples of this thus far; I bet you'll find some more along the way.
I also love the maps. It happens to be my work to build and share them; I'd be glad to help if you're looking for it.
You are doing just fine, your instincts reflect your roots and upbringing, your travels are probably what give you the distance and perspective for your insights. Thanks
environmental lawsuits dealing with land management and fish and wildlife agencies. Development and available water. Human/wildlife conflict, what prompts relocation? what prompts lethal removal? Environmental regulations being skirted for "green" energy projects and "green" rare earth metals and minerals mining. How much money is the Pentagon shelling out to these mining outfits in the west? NEPA stuff, National Forest Management and other environmental laws. Fighting wildland fire, in the end, what would be the best approach, are we achieving our goals and what are our goals in wildland firefighting?
" leaky oil and gas field, a marvelous solution to the housing problem, a dryland farmer that’s figured out how to thrive during drought"
Any and all of the above - its such a different world (so to speak) from where I live!
Southwest environment happenings including rechnology
and natural resources.
OMGOMGOMG Keith is my hero. Place matters. The Hi-Lo country, for example. The native influence is not as strong there, but it runs through so many of the families out there, immigrants from Mora and Ócate and Taos. And what does place mean to small-time family ranchers?
I love your maps and photos! It's also great to learn more about the issues on the West Slope from the community level. Most of the news and things I run across at work ignores that aspect.
I would be thrilled if your travels took you into the Dolores River canyon country. With momentum building to strengthen protections for this region this could be a timely opportunity to spend time in some incredible country.