Andy Kerr

Conservationist, Writer, Analyst, Operative, Agitator, Strategist, Tactitian, Schmoozer, Raconteur

 Kerr’s Public Lands Blog Table of Contents

Below are each and every one of my Public Lands Blog posts in reverse chronological order.

258

WTF Now?

November 11, 2024

 257

Utah’s Existential Threat to Most BLM Holdings

September 30, 2024

256

Rethinking Commercial Thinning as a “Tool” to Ecologically Restore Forests of the Frequent-Fire Type, Part 2: Burn, Baby, Burn

September 16, 2024

255

Saving Old Growth from the Forest Service

September 29 2024

254

Rethinking Commercial Thinning as a “Tool” to Ecologically Restore Forests of the Frequent-Fire Type, Part 1: Outdated Science and Policies

September 2, 2024

253

The Continuing Reduction in the Number of Sawmills in the Pacific Northwest

August 12, 2024

252

Wyden’s Unilateral Public Lands Livestock Grazing Giveaway

July 8, 2024

251

About That Vision Thing

June 24, 2024

250

O&C Lands Act (Part 4): Repeal the Act and Transfer the Lands

June 10, 2024

249

Wyden’s Awesome Owyhee Opportunity

June 3, 2024

248

O&C Lands Act (Part 3): The Decision of the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit

May 27, 2024

247

O&C Lands Act (Part 2): The Decision of the Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit

May 20, 2024

246

O&C Lands Act (Part 1): Neither 11th Commandment Nor 28th Amendment

May 13, 2024

245

Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument: Safe from Big Timber, Threatened by the BLM

April 29, 2024

244

The Conservation of Darkness

March 26, 2024

243

Welcoming Back Pumas to the Eastern United States

March 13, 2013

242

Closing the Disconnect Between Voter Attitudes and Public Lands Conservation in the West

February 26, 2024

241

It’s About Dam Time

February 12, 2024

240

The Forest Service Proposal to Save Its Old Growth: A Start, Though Inadequate

January 22, 2024

239

Changes Coming to the Oregon Delegation to the US House, Part 2: 1st, 2nd, and 4th Districts

January 2, 2024

238

Changes Coming to the Oregon Delegation to the US House, Part 1: 3rd, 5th, and 6th Districts

December 26, 2023

237

The Unmaking of the Northwest Forest Plan, Part 2: Remaking It for the Next Quarter Century

November 20, 2023

236

The Unmaking of the Northwest Forest Plan, Part 1: Out with Enforceable Substance and in with Performative Process

November 6, 2023

235

Protecting Drinking Water Sources, Part 2: Suggestions for Improvement

October 23, 2023

234

Protecting Drinking Water Sources, Part 1: Water Quantity, Quality, and Timely Release

October 9, 2023

233

The Voluntary Retirement Option for Federal Public Land Grazing Permittees, Part 3: The Future of the Voluntary Retirement Option

September 18, 2023

232

The Voluntary Retirement Option for Federal Public Land Grazing Permittees, Part 2: The History of the Voluntary Retirement Option

September 12, 2023

231

The Voluntary Retirement Option for Federal Public Land Grazing Permittees, Part 1: The Context and Case for the Voluntary Retirement Option

September 5, 2023

230

Malheur County Federal Land Legislation Take 4, Part 2: The Ugly, the Missing, and the Alternative

July 30, 2023

229

Malheur County Federal Land Legislation Take 4, Part 1: The Good, the Whatever, and the Bad

July 24, 2023

228

Forest Service Proposes Rulemaking: An Opportunity to Conserve and Restore Mature and Old-Growth Forests

June 26, 2023

227

Just How Much Mature and Old-Growth Forest Do We Have Left?

June 5, 2023

226

BLM’s Proposed “Conservation” Rule

May 8, 2023

225

Forests in the American East, Part 3: A Vision of the Return of Old-Growth Forests

April 24, 2023

224

Forests in the American East, Part 2: A Plague of Early Successional Habitat

April 10, 2023

223

Forests in the American East, Part 1: A Pandemic of Shifting Baseline Syndrome

March 27, 2023

222

Preforests in the American West, Part 2: “Reforestation,” By Gawd?

March 13, 2023

221

Preforests in the American West, Part 1: Understanding Forest Succession

March 7, 2023

220

Book Review: Our Common Ground: A History of America’s Public Lands

January 28, 2023

219

Remembering Ecowarrior Dave Foreman, Part 2: Moving the Needle

January 9, 2023

218

Remembering Ecowarrior Dave Foreman, Part 1: The Kalmiopsis Connection

January 2, 2023

217

The Forested Estate of the Bureau of Land Management

December 5, 2022

216

NEPA Under Attack: A New Opportunity for Conservationists

November 7,2022

215

Oregon State Forests Are Public Forests, Not County ATMs

October 17, 2022

214

Senator Wyden’s Owyhee Wilderness, and More, Legislation

October 3, 2022

213

30x30: Biden Administration Needs to Up Its Game

September 19, 2022

212

Blumenauer’s REC Act of 2022: A Wreck for Conservation

September 5 (6), 2022

211

Offshore Oregon Could Be Despoiled by Wind Power Turbines

August 8, 2022

210

The Futility of “Fighting” Wildfire: Elemental—A Film Review

July 25, 2022

209

Oregon’s Glaciers: Going but Not Forgotten

July 11, 2022

208

Biden’s Executive Order on Forests (Part 2): Seize the Day!

May 23, 2022

207

Biden’s Executive Order on Forests (Part 1): A Great Opportunity

May 16, 2022

206

Mark Odom Hatfield, Part 2: A Great but Complicated Oregonian

May 2, 2022

205

My Vote in the 2022 Oregon Democratic Gubernatorial Primary

April 25, 2022

204

Mark Odom Hatfield, Part 1: Oregon Forest Destroyer

April 18, 2022

203

Toward 30x30: Using Presidential Authority to Proclaim National Wildlife Areas Within the National Forest System

March 28, 2022

202

30x30: 44 Tasty Conservation Recipes One Can Make at Home—If One Lives in The White House

March 14, 2022

201

30x30: What “Conserved” Needs to Mean

March 7, 2022

200

30x30: By the Numbers

February 28, 2022

199

Senator Ron Wyden and National Recreation Areas: How Large a Legacy?

February 14, 2022

198

An Elliott State Research Forest!

January 31, 2022

197

Social Cost of Fossil Fuels from Federal Public Lands

January 24, 2022

196

The Oregon Private Forest Accords: Grand Bargain, Grand Détente or Great Sell-Out? (Part 2)

January 3, 2022

195

The Oregon Private Forest Accords: The Deal and Its Significance (Part 1)

December 20,2021

194

The Proposed Sutton Mountain National “Monument”

November 22, 2021

193

B. Owl v. N. S. Owl

November 8, 2021

192

Clinton and Obama Giveth, Trump Taketh, and Biden Restoreth: Two National Monuments in the State of Utah

October 25, 2021

191

Oregon’s New Congressional Districts and Conserving Public Lands

October 11, 2021

190

Small-d Democratic Reforms to Revive Our Republican Form of Government

September 17, 2021

189

Where’s the Beef?

August 13, 2021

188

Oregon’s Blue Carbon (Part 3): Forested Tidal Swamps

July 23, 2021

187

Oregon’s Blue Carbon (Part 2): Coastal Wetland Loss and Restoration

July 9, 2021

186

Oregon’s Blue Carbon (Part 1): Rep. Bonamici on the Case

June 25, 2021

185

The Proposed Restoring America’s Wildlife Act

June 11, 2021

184

Certified Wood from Federal Forests? Hell No. Make That NFW!

May 28, 2021

183

Biden’s Bait and Switch

May 14, 2021

182

Roading the Red Cliffs: Unnecessary, and Illegal to Boot

April 30, 2021

181

Withering Whitebarks and Wilderness

April 16, 2021

180

Pre-remembering Jerry Franklin and Norm Johnson, Oregon Conservationists

March 19, 2021

179

The Proposed Roadless Area Conservation Act: Work Still Needed

March 5, 2021

178

The Simpson Salmon Strategy

February 19, 2021

177

Wyden’s Unprecedently Good Wild and Scenic Rivers Legislation

February 5, 2021

176

Pre-Remembering Brock Evans, Oregon Conservationist

January 22, 2021

175

46, the 117th, and the New Math 50+1>50

January 8, 2021

174

Georgia on My Mind

December 11, 2020

173

An Elliott State “Research” Forest?

November 20, 2020

172

Oregon State Forest Lands, Part 3: “Greatest Permanent Value”

October 30, 2020

171

Oregon State Forest Lands, Part 2: What, Were, Who, Why, and How Much

October 16, 2020

170

Oregon State Forest Lands (Part 1) A New Day?

October 02, 2020

169

David Simons: An Oregonian with a Shining Vision for Public Lands Conservation

September 18, 2020

168

Converting State Trust Lands into Public Lands, Part 2: Focus on Oregon

September 4, 2020

167

Converting State Trust Lands into Public Lands, Part 1: National Overview

August 28, 2020

166

What to Do with Stranded State Trust Lands in Federal Conservation Areas?

August 14, 2020

165

Amending the Eastside Screens, Part 3: Reignition of the Eastside Forest War or Slight Midcourse Correction?

July 24, 2020

164

Amending the Eastside Screens, Part 2: The Science of Management and the Management of Science

July 17, 2020

163

Amending the Eastside Screens, Part 1: A Quarter Century of “Interim” Management

July 10, 2020

162

A North Oregon Coast Range National Park: Sorely Needed but a Hell of a Long Shot

June 12, 2020

161

Udall-Heinrich Wild & Scenic River Bill Would Change Color on Map but Not Management on Ground

May 29, 2020

160

National Parks in Oregon (Part 4): Will the Inertia Continue?

May 15, 2020

159

National Parks in Oregon (Part 3): Modest Expansion Amid Grand Hopes

May 1, 2020

158

National Parks in Oregon (Part 2): Multiple Failures

April 17, 2020

157

National Parks in Oregon, Part 1: One Success

April 10, 2020

156

Conserving and Restoring the Mount Hood National Park Forest

March 27, 2020

155

Another Northwest Forest War in the Offing? Part 2: Current Threats and Perhaps an Epic Opportunity

March 13, 2020

154

Another Northwest Forest War in the Offing? Part 1: A Sordid Tale of Environmental Destruction, Greed, and Political Malfeasance

March 6, 2020

153

The Presidency in 2020: To Be Decided by 538 Votes Cast in 51 Elections

February 14, 2020

152

Bring Back the Elakha

January 31, 2020

151

L'Affaire Malheur: Part 2

January 17, 2020

150

L'Affaire Malheur: Part 1

January 10, 2020

149

Pathbreaking Legislation to Conserve the Smith River Watershed

December 13, 2019 (skipped a week)

148

Wild Lands and Waters Best Served by Replacing Greg Walden with Another Republican

November 22, 2019

147

Crowdsourcing New and Expanded Oregon Wild and Scenic Rivers, Part 2: How to Nominate Your Favorite Stream(s)

November 9, 2019 (day late and week early)

146

Crowdsourcing New and Expanded Oregon Wild and Scenic Rivers, Part 1: An Unprecedent Opportunity

November 1, 2019

145

Public Land Conservation Grand Bargains, Part 3: Wrestling with the Devil of Principle and the Angel of Pragmatism

October 18, 2019

144

Public Land Conservation Grand Bargains, Part 2: Using History as a Guide

October 4, 2019

143

Public Land Conservation Grand Bargains, Part 1: Hard Choices Ahead for Oregon Conservationists

September 20, 2019 (sent 23 Sep 2019)

142

Solomonic Salmonid Bargain

September 6, 2019 (sent 9 Sep 2019)

 

141

Speaking Truth to the Fire-Industrial Complex

August 23, 2019

140

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

August 9, 2019

139

Cow-Bombing the Earth’s Largest Living Organism

July 26, 2019

138

Book Review: Oregon's Ancient Forests: A Hiking Guide

July 12, 2019

137

Preremembering Mary Gautreaux, Oregon Conservationist

June 28, 2019

136

Coordination Schmordination

June 21, 2019

135

Oregon Wild and Scenic Rivers by the Numbers: Versus Other States and Congressional Delegation Rankings

June 7, 2019

134

Oregon Wilderness by the Numbers: Versus Adjacent States, Congressional Delegation Rankings, and Total Potential Wilderness

May 24, 2019

133

California Condor Comeback in the Pacific Northwest

May 10, 2019

132

The Other Anti-Public-Lands Constituency: Left-Wing Extremists

April 26, 2019

131

Certified Wood from National Forests? No. Make That Hell No!

April 12, 2019

130

The Oregon Wildlands Act 2.0

March 29, 2019

129

The Hard Case of Hardrock Mining Reform (Part II): If You Make a Mess, Clean it Up and Pay for the Privilege

March 15, 2019

128

The Hard Case of Hardrock Mining Reform (Part I): Areas in Which to Just Say No

March 1, 2019

127

Point Reyes National Feedlot

February 15, 2019

126

Booklet Review: Debunking the Creation Myths of America’s Public Lands

February 1, 2019

125

Showdown for the Oregon Wildlands Act

January 18, 2019

124

Wither the Rogue?

January 4, 2019

123

Where the Buffalo Roam

December 21, 2018

122

Trump Signs DeFazio-Walden-Wyden-Merkley Bill Giving Away 50 Square Miles of Federal Public Land in Oregon

December 7, 2018

121

Tipping Over Old-Growth Trees in the Name of Salmonid Conservation

November 23, 2018

120

Public Lands in the 116th Congress

November 9, 2018

119

Smoke Happens

October 26, 2018

118

The Other Half of the National Environmental Policy Act is Under Threat

October 12, 2018

117

Half of the National Environmental Policy Act is a Dead Letter

October 5, 2018

116

Go Take a Hike: The National Trails System at 50

Sep. 28, 2018

115

How US Public Lands Can Help Save the Climate and Ourselves

Sept 22, 2018 (day late)

114

As Courts Change, So Must Public Lands Conservation Look More to Congress (Part 2)

Sep. 14, 2018

113

As Courts Change, So Must Public Lands Conservation Look More to Congress (Part 1)

Sep. 7, 2018

112

Filling the Congressional Conservation Pipeline for When it Unclogs

Aug 31, 2018

111

New U.S Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Exploitation: Costly and Short Lived (Part 2)

Aug 24, 2018

110

New U.S Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Exploitation: Costly and Short Lived (Part 1)

Aug 17, 2018

109

Zinke’s Move to Defile the Izembek

Aug 10, 2018

108

Lessons from Salem: Protecting Local Drinking Water Supplies

Aug 3, 2018

107

The National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, Part 2: Rounding It Out and Cleaning It Up (For Oregon, If Not Elsewhere)

Jul 27, 2018

106

The National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, Part 1: A Vital National Conservation Purpose

Jul 20, 2018

105

Trump Pardons Abusers—Of Public Lands, Public Officials, and a Child

Jul 13, 2018

104

Leave It to Beavers: Good for the Climate, Ecosystems, Watersheds, Ratepayers, and Taxpayers (Part 2)

Jul 6, 2018

103

Leave It to Beavers: Good for the Climate, Ecosystems, Watersheds, Ratepayers, and Taxpayers (Part 1)

Jun 29, 2018

102

Burning Wood to Make Electricity: Bad for Forests, the Climate, Ratepayers and Taxpayers

June 22, 2018

101

The National Wilderness Preservation System, Part III: The Promise of and a Promise to Wilderness

Jun 15, 2018

100

The National Wilderness Preservation System, Part II: Past Progress Stalled

Jun 8, 2018

99

The National Wilderness Preservation System, Part I: Birthed by a Congress Both Poetical and Practical

Jun 1, 2018

98

Ecological Forest Management: Moving Forestry from Agronomic Toward Ecological

May 25, 2018

97

Humans Have Become an Indoor Species

May 18, 2018

96

“Rural” Versus “Urban” Oregon, Part 2: More Urban Every Decade

May 11, 2018

95

“Rural” Versus “Urban” Oregon, Part 1: It’s Not Black and White

May 4, 2018

94

A Sixth Congressional District for Oregon?

April 27, 2018

93

The Public’s Wolves on Public Lands

Apr 20, 2018

92

United States of America Versus State of California

Apr 13, 2018

91

Oregon Has Too Many Counties

April 6, 2018

90

State Wildlife Management Agencies in Crisis

Mar 30, 2018

89

Preremembering Norma Paulus, Oregon Conservationist

Mar 23, 2018

88

The National Estuarine Research Reserve System

Mar 16, 2018

87

The Overcrowding of the Public Lands

Mar 9, 2018

86

The Public Lands Conservation Movement: Mis-organized for Job 1

Mar 2, 2018

85

Using the Bundys for Good: Finding the Silver Lining for Public Lands

Feb 23, 2018

84

Abuse of Process by the Bundys: Trying to Make the Law Fit Their Beliefs

Feb 16, 2018

83

Bungling by the Bundys: A Sordid History of Livestock Trespass and Defiance of the Rule of Law

Feb 9, 2018

82

Bungling of the Bundys: A Postmortem Analysis of Government Incompetence

Feb. 2, 2018

81

Protecting the Pacific Northwest Offshore Ocean for This and Future Generations

Jan 26, 2018

80

US Pacific Northwest Offshore Oil and Gas: A Waste of Time, Ocean and Coast

Jan 19, 2018

79

Defensible Space: The Best and Only Hope for the Homeowner In or Near a Forest

Jan 12, 2018

78

More Moral Hazard Than Fire Hazard: The Responsibility of Homeowners in the WUI

Jan 5, 2018

77

 

Selling More Heroin to Pay for Methadone: Oil Drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Part 1

Dec. 22, 2017

76

Selling More Heroin to Pay for Methadone: Oil Drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Part 1

Dec. 15, 2017

75

A Solution to Corridor Collisions: A National Wildlife Corridors System

Dec. 8, 2017

74

Public Lands Conservation in Congress: Stalled by the Extinction of Green Republicans

Dec. 1, 2017

73

BLM Areas of Critical Environmental Concern: Crown Jewels Open to Theft

Nov. 24, 2017

72

Preremembering Barbara Roberts, Oregon Conservationist

Nov. 17, 2017

71

Many National Parks Arose from National Monuments

Nov 10, 2017

70

The National Landscape Conservation System: In Need of Rounding Out

Nov. 3, 2017

69

Energy Exploitation on Federal Public Lands? Not!

Oct 27, 2017

68

Oregon’s Wildlands Should Matter as Much to Oregon Legislators as Alaska’s and Utah’s

Oct 20, 2017

67

The Most Interesting Oregonian Ever: Charles Erskine Scott Wood

Oct 13, 2017

66

The Columbia River Gorge Is Dead; Long Live the Columbia River Gorge—Unless Greg Walden Has His Way (Part 2: Simply an Excuse and a Mandate to Clear-Cut)

Oct 6, 2017

65

The Columbia River Gorge Is Dead; Long Live the Columbia River Gorge—Unless Greg Walden Has His Way (Part 1: It’s a Beautiful, Natural, and Necessary Thing That Nature Changes)

Sep 29, 2017

64

Precedent for Secretary Zinke’s Gut-Job on the National Monuments

Sep 22, 2017

63

Dancing on the Dark Side: Wyden Guts His Own National Recreation Area System Bill

Sep 15, 2017

62

The Proposed Oregon Wildlands Act of 2017: Very Good but Not Yet Great

Sep 8, 2017

61

Closing the Mining Loophole for Wild and Scenic Rivers

Sep 1, 2017

60

What’s in a Name? Preserving National Monuments Versus Antiquities Only

Aug 25, 2017

59

Now that is a Member of Congress!

Aug 18, 2017

58

Owyhee Canyonlands: Faux Conservation and Pork Barrel Development

Aug 11, 2017

57

Wilderness and Mountain Bikes: Can They Co-Exist?

Aug 4, 2017

56

The Westerman Bill: An Exploiters Wet Dream

Jul 28, 2017

55

Preremembering Jim Weaver, Oregon Conservationist

Jul 21, 2017

54

Numerous No-Take Marine Protected Areas Are Best for Commercial Fishing

Jul 14, 2017

53

Increased Wilderness Demand Calls for Increased Wilderness Supply

Jul 7, 2017

52

The National Marine Sanctuary System, Actual and Potential

Jun 30, 2017

51

The Trump Administration Takes Out 17 International Biosphere Reserves

June 23, 2017

50

The Coastal Barrier Resources System

Jun 16, 2017

49

The Various Federal Systems for the Conservation and Enjoyment of Federal and Other Lands and Waters

Jun 9, 2017

48

Federal Payments to Timber-Addicted Counties

Jun 2, 2017

47

The High Cost of Cheap Grazing

May 26, 2017

46

Trump Administration “Review” of Certain National Monuments

May 19, 2017

45

The Elliott State Forest Will Not Be Privatized—But Will It Be Saved?

May 12, 2017

44

Theodore Roosevelt: The First and Greatest Public Lands Conservationist

May 5, 2017

43

Will Trump Dump National Monuments?

Apr 28, 2017

42

National Heritage Areas: Combining the Conservation of Nature, History, and Culture with Local Economic Development

April 14, 2017

41

A Unprecedented Assault on America’s Public Lands

Apr 7, 2017

40

A Monumental Battle: National Monuments in Congress (Part 2)

Mar 31, 2017

39

A Monumental Battle: National Monuments in the Courts (Part 1

Mar 24, 2017

38

Wilderness: Expanding Concept, Shrinking Supply

Mar 17, 2017

37

The National Wildlife Refuge System, Part 3: Time to Double Down

Mar 10, 2017

36

The National Wildlife Refuge System, Part 2: Historical Evolution and Current Challenges

Mar 3, 2017

35

The National Wildlife Refuge System, Part 1: An Overview

Feb 24, 2017

34

Why Wilderness?

Feb 17, 2017

33

Privatizing Federal Public Lands in Western Oregon

Feb 10, 2017

32

National Forests of the Western United States: An Incomplete Legacy

Feb 3, 2017

31

Converting Private Timberlands Back to Public Forestlands

Jan. 28 2017 (day late)

30

Remembering Richard L. Neuberger, Oregon Conservationist

Jan 21, 2017

(day late)

29

Preremembering Bob Packwood, Oregon Conservationist

Jan 13, 2017

28

National Forests of the Eastern United States: An Incomplete Legacy

Jan 7, 2017 (day late)

27

The National Wild and Scenic Rivers System: Room for More Streams

Dec 30, 2016

26

Reigniting the Pacific Northwest Timber Wars by Logging More Old Growth: Bring It On, President Trump!

Dec 23, 2016

25

A Congressional Conservation Agenda for the Twenty-First Century

Dec 16, 2016

24

National Monuments: Long-Term National Versus Short-Term Local Interests

Dec. 9, 2016

23

Federal Public Lands Grazing “Right”: No Such Animal

Dec 2, 2016

22

A Stage Theory of Elevating the Status of Federal Public Lands

Nov 25, 2016

21

Moving On After Malheur

Nov 18, 2016

20

The November 2016 Election: Processing the Five Stages, Then Moving On

Nov 11, 2016

19

Keep It in the Ground

Nov 4, 2016

18

A Public Lands Conservation Agenda for the New President

Oct 28, 2016

17

A National Desert and Grassland System

Oct 21, 2018

16

Abolish the BLM and Replace it With a U.S. Desert and Grassland Service

Oct 14, 2016

15

The National Park System

Oct 7, 2016

14

The Bipolar State of Utah and National Monument Designation

September 30, 2015

13

“Small” Wilderness: No Big Deal

Sep 23, 2016

12

Judge John B. Waldo: Oregon’s John Muir

Sep 16, 2016

10

Marine National Monuments: Big, Bold, and Biologically Beautiful

Sep 2, 2016

9

A National System of National Recreation Areas

Aug 26, 2016

8

Federal Public Lands Under Clinton and Trump

Aug 19, 2016

7

Presidents and National Monuments Mostly by the Numbers

Aug 12, 2016

Public Lands in the United States: Federal and State

Aug 5, 2016

5

A Maine Woods National Monument

Jul 29, 2016

4

The Constitutionality of Public Lands

July 24. 2016

3

Why Public Lands?

Jul 15, 2016

2

No Room for Energy Production Public Lands

Jul 8, 2016

1

A Weekly Exploration of Federal Public Lands

Jul 1, 2016