It's time to balance access with conservation on public lands and waters
There was some good news this week when a federal appeals court upheld a lower court ruling that 'corner crossing' from public land to public land is not trespassing on adjoining private lands. Thanks to that ruling, the efforts by another billionaire landowner to lock the public out of our own lands has failed – and corner crossing will now be legal in six Western states.
The issue is significant due a horrendous policy mistake when the federal government deeded every other section of public land across the West to railroad barons between 1850 and 1872 as an incentive to lay track. The joke was on the public since many of those deeded lands never saw permanent rail lines built. Indeed it's rare that one can see any railroads from most of the 'checkerboard' sections.
Those lands in Montana were infamously logged mercilessly when Burlington-Northern Railroad's subsidiary, Plum Creek Timber Company, decided to 'liquidate its timber assets' in the 1980s. Adding insult to injury, it then turned itself into a Real Estate Investment Trust in 1999 and is now subdividing and selling off those formerly forested parcels across the nation.
Other checkerboard sections were purchased by wealthy individuals or corporations, in many instances with the goal of surrounding and locking up public lands and their fish, wildlife, and recreational assets by locking out public access, including 'corner crossing' from one public section to another.
That particular ploy has now fallen by the wayside after Wyoming hunters used a ladder to cross the private fence to the adjoining public land and never touched the private sections. Hence, the court's decision that it was not trespassing.
Of course the ruling has been applauded by public lands advocates who have increasingly placed 'access' as their main goal rather than conservation of the public resources. And therein lies the rub. Access and conservation are simply not the same thing — especially not when those same public lands and waters are increasingly pressured.
A great recent example would be the Montana legislature's recent move to spend a whopping $2.7 million to study who uses Montana's rivers, many of which are now so crowded the once-common opportunity to enjoy a river in the quiet solitude of Nature no longer exists.
One wouldn't have to study too long on the Yellowstone, Blackfoot, Bitterroot, Madison or Missouri Rivers to see the flotillas of outfitter and private drift boats, rafts, paddleboards, and inner tubes clogging the river.
But when politicians or agencies lack the courage to address a sticky problem, they appoint task forces, advisory councils, and do studies. A great example would be the Upper Madison where, after public outcry over too many outfitters on the river, task forces and studies have been on-going for decades without resolution.
At some point, we have to weigh the impacts of use on the resource itself to determine the actual carrying capacity of our rivers and public lands to balance access with conservation. As usual, however, the commodification of those assets by profit-driven entities continues to outweigh the impacts to the public resource.
The simple truth is that the conservation of those resources is going to require significant investment. For instance, Montana's list of 'chronically dewatered' rivers and streams has been in existence for decades — yet, most of those rivers remain chronically dewatered.
If our legislature really wanted to do the right thing, they'd put half of that $2.7 million into buying and leasing water rights to keep those rivers flowing, the fisheries healthy, and actually conserve the resource — instead of splurging on yet another study to document the on-going decline.
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Los Angeles Times
31 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
A Ukrainian startup develops long-range drones and missiles to take the battle to Russia
When a Ukrainian-made drone attacked an ammunition depot in Russia last September, it showcased Kyiv's determination to strike deep behind enemy lines and the prowess of its defense industry. The moment was especially gratifying for the woman in charge of manufacturing the drones that flew more than 620 miles to carry out this mission. For months after, Russia no longer had the means to keep up devastating glide bomb attacks like the one that had just targeted her native city of Kharkiv. 'Fighting in the air is our only real asymmetric advantage on the battlefield at the moment. We don't have as much manpower or money as they have,' said Iryna Terekh, head of production at Fire Point. Terekh spoke as she surveyed dozens of 'deep-strike drones' that had recently come off the assembly line and would soon be used by Ukrainian forces to attack arms depots, oil refineries and other targets vital to the Kremlin's war machine and economy. Spurred by its existential fight against Russia — and limited military assistance from Western allies — Ukraine has fast become a global center for defense innovation. The goal is to match, if not outmuscle, Russia's capabilities, which were on brutal display Thursday — and Fire Point is one of the companies leading the way. The Associated Press was granted an exclusive look inside one of Fire Point's dozens of covert factories. In a sprawling warehouse where rock music blared, executives showed off their signature FP-1 exploding drones that can travel up to 994 miles. They also touted publicly for the first time a cruise missile they are developing that is capable of traveling 1,864 miles, and which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hopes will be mass-produced by the end of the year. Even as President Trump presses for an end to the three-and-a-half -year war — and dangles the prospect of U.S. support for NATO-like security guarantees — Ukrainian defense officials say their country is determined to become more self-sufficient in deterring Russia. 'We believe our best guarantee is not relying on somebody's will to protect us, but rather our ability to protect ourselves,' said Arsen Zhumadilov, the head of the country's arms procurement agency. Ukraine's government is now purchasing about $10 billion of weapons annually from domestic manufacturers. The industry has the capacity to sell triple that amount, officials say, and they believe sales to European allies could help it reach such potential in a matter of years. Like most defense companies in Ukraine, Fire Point grew out of necessity after Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. Despite pleas from Ukrainian military officials, Western countries were unwilling to allow Kyiv to use their allies' longer-range weapons to strike targets deep inside Russian territory. That's when a group of close friends, experts from various fields, set out to mass-produce inexpensive drones that could match the potency of Iranian-made Shahed drones that Russia was firing into Ukraine with devastating consequences. The company's founders spoke with AP on the condition of anonymity out of concern for their safety and the security of their factories. By pooling together knowledge from construction, game design and architecture, the company's founders — who had no background in defense — came up with novel designs for drones that could fly further and strike with greater precision than most products already on the market. Their long-range drones had another benefit: they did not need to take off from an air field. When Terekh — an architect — was hired in the summer of 2023, she was given a goal of producing 30 drones per month. Now the company makes roughly 100 per day, at a cost of $55,000 apiece. The FP-1 looks more like a hastily made science project than something that would roll off the production lines of the world's biggest defense contractors. 'We removed unneeded, flashy glittery stuff,' she said. But the FP-1 has been extremely effective on the battlefield. With a payload of explosives weighing 132 pounds, it is responsible for 60% of strikes deep inside Russian territory, including hits on oil refineries and weapons depots, according to Terekh. These strikes have helped to slow Russia's advance along the 620 mile-long front line in eastern Ukraine, where army units have reported a sharp decline in artillery fire. 'I think the best drones, or among the best, are Ukrainian drones,' said Claude Chenuil, a former French military official who now works for a trade group that focuses on defense. 'When the war in Ukraine ends, they will flood the market.' Fire Point's story is not entirely unique. Soon after Russia's 2022 invasion, hundreds of defense companies sprouted almost overnight. The Ukrainian government incentivized innovation by relaxing regulations and making it easier for startups to work directly with military brigades. Patriotic entrepreneurs in metallurgy, construction and information technology built facilities for researching and making weapons and munitions, with an emphasis on drones. The ongoing war allowed them to test out ideas almost immediately on the battlefield, and to quickly adapt to Russia's changing tactics. 'Ukraine is in this very unique moment now where it is becoming, de facto, the Silicon Valley of defense,' said Ukrainian defense entrepreneur Yaroslav Azhnyuk. 'The biggest strategic asset that we have is that we have been at war with Russia for 11 years.' A case in point: Fire Point had initially sourced navigational equipment for its drones from a major Western firm, but before long Russia was able to disrupt their effectiveness using electronic warfare; so Fire Point developed its own software to outwit the enemy. Because defense companies are high-value targets for Russia, many operate underground or hidden within civilian centers to evade detection. Although they are guarded by air defenses, the strategy has the disadvantage of putting civilians at risk. Many Ukrainians have died in imprecise Russian attacks that were likely targeting weapons facilities. Entrepreneurs said the alternative is to operate openly and face attacks that would set back the war effort. On the day AP reporters visited the Fire Point factory, there were dozens of drones awaiting delivery. They would all be gone within 72 hours, shipped to the battlefield in inconspicuous cargo trucks. The Fire Point team receives regular feedback from army units, and the company has reinvested most profits toward innovating quickly to keep pace with other drone makers. Increasingly, those profits are being directed to develop a new, more potent weapon. The company completed testing this year for its first cruise missile, the FP-5. Capable of traveling 1,864 miles and landing within 45 feet of its target, the FP-5 is one of the largest such missile in the world, delivering a payload of 2,535 pounds, independent experts said. Because initial versions of the missile came out pink after a factory error, they called it the Flamingo — and the name has stuck. Fire Point is producing roughly one Flamingo per day, and by October they hope to build capacity to make seven per day, Terekh said. Even as Zelensky and other Ukrainian officials pursue ways to end the war, Terekh said she is skeptical that Russia will accept terms for a real peace. 'We are preparing for a bigger, much scarier war.' Kullab and Lukatsky write for the Associated Press. AP journalist Dmytro Zhyhinas contributed to this report.
Los Angeles Times
31 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
Russia launches major drone and missile attack on Ukraine as peace efforts drag on
KYIV, Ukraine — Russia launched 574 drones and 40 ballistic and cruise missiles overnight, in one of its biggest aerial attacks on Ukraine of the year, the Ukrainian Air Force said Thursday, while a recent diplomatic push to stop the three-year war is trying to gain momentum. The attack mostly targeted western regions of the country, the air force said, where much of the military aid provided by Ukraine's Western allies is believed to be delivered and stored. The strikes killed at least one person and injured 15 others, according to officials. It was Russia's third-largest aerial attack this year in terms of the number of drones fired and the eighth-largest in terms of missiles, according to official Ukrainian figures. Most such Russian attacks have hit civilian areas. The strikes occurred during a renewed U.S.-led effort to reach a peace settlement following Russia's February 2022 invasion of its neighbor. President Trump discussed the war with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last week, and at the start of this week hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders at the White House. Russia has fired nearly 1,000 long-range drones and missiles at Ukraine since the White House talks. Zelensky condemned the overnight attack, saying it was carried out 'as if nothing were changing at all.' U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will host a conference call Thursday with the national security advisers of European countries expected to play a role in future security guarantees for Ukraine, a senior U.S. official said. One of Kyiv's conditions for signing any peace deal is getting Western-backed military assurances to deter Russia from mounting another invasion in the coming years. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Wednesday that making security arrangements for Ukraine without Moscow's involvement was pointless. It was not immediately clear which countries would be represented on the call with Rubio. The U.S. official spoke on condition of anonymity to outline a discussion that had not been publicly announced. Ukraine and European leaders have accused Putin of stalling in ongoing peace efforts, including Ukraine's proposal of a ceasefire and Zelensky's offer to sit down with the Russian leader. The Kremlin has reacted coolly to those possibilities. Lavrov, Moscow's top diplomat, on Thursday repeated Russia's policy that Putin is ready to meet with Zelensky — but only after key issues have previously been worked out by senior officials in what could be a long negotiating process. Russia's Defense Ministry said the strikes targeted 'enterprises of the Ukrainian military-industrial complex.' It claimed the attack hit drone factories, storage depots and missile launch sites, as well as areas where Ukrainian troops were gathered. Russia has repeatedly denied targeting civilian areas of Ukraine. Moscow has shown no signs of pursuing meaningful negotiations to end the war, Zelensky said. He urged the international community to respond with stronger pressure on Moscow, including tougher sanctions and tariffs. Ukraine, meanwhile, has kept up its attacks with domestically produced long-range drones on infrastructure inside Russia that supports Moscow's war effort. Among other targets, it has hit oil refineries, and Russian wholesale gasoline prices have reached record highs in recent days. Almost all the overnight missiles were fired from inside Russia. They reached deep into western Ukraine, near the border with Hungary. Western parts of Ukraine are far from the battlefield's front line in the east and south of the country, where a grinding war of attrition has killed tens of thousands of soldiers on both sides. In the western city of Lviv, one person was killed and three were injured as the attack damaged 26 residential buildings, a kindergarten and administrative buildings, regional head Maksym Kozytskyi wrote on Telegram. The Regional Prosecutor's Office said three Russian cruise missiles with cluster munitions struck the city. A U.S. electronics plant near the Hungarian border was also struck, according to Andy Hunder, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine. The Flex factory is one of the biggest American investments in Ukraine, Hunder told The Associated Press by phone. At the moment of impact, 600 nightshift workers were on the premises, and six of them were injured, Hunder said. Russian attacks on Ukraine since it launched its invasion have damaged property belonging to more than half of the chamber's approximately 600 members, he added 'The message is clear: Russia is not looking for peace. Russia is attacking American business in Ukraine, humiliating American business,' Hunder said. In comments Wednesday that were embargoed until Thursday, Zelensky said Ukraine will hold intensive meetings to understand what kind of security guarantees its allies are willing to provide. The details are being hammered out by national security advisers and military officials. The plans will become clearer by the end of next week, Zelensky said. He then expects to be ready to hold direct talks with Putin for the first time since the full-scale invasion. The talks could also be conducted in a trilateral format alongside Trump, Zelensky said. A venue for the meeting is being discussed, and Switzerland, Austria and Turkey are possibilities, Zelensky added. Kullab and Novikov write for the Associated Press. Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this story.
American Military News
2 hours ago
- American Military News
Russia Launches Mass Strikes On Ukraine; Zelenskyy Urges Putin Talks And Security Guarantees
This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission. Russian forces launched a massive aerial attack overnight on Ukraine on August 21, the largest this month so far, according to the Ukrainian authorities. The strikes came days after US President Donald Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders to try to push forward peace negotiations. Following the overnight strikes, Zelenskyy said he expected a 'strong reaction' from Washington if Russian President Vladimir Putin refuses to meet him directly, and that he wanted to see a plan for Western security guarantees finalized within seven to 10 days. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia launched 574 drones and 40 missiles at multiple regions, causing civilian casualties and significant damage to residential areas and infrastructure. A US-owned manufacturing plant was hit at Mukacheve, in the Zakarpattya region near Ukraine's western border. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said the Mukacheve attack caused serious damage and casualties and that the strikes were 'contrary to all efforts to end the war.' 'A fully civilian facility that has nothing to do with defense or the military,' he added, noting that this is not the first time Russian forces have targeted American businesses in Ukraine. He cited previous strikes on Boeing offices in Kyiv earlier this year. The governor of the Zakarpattya region, Myroslav Biletskiy, said the plant is a civilian enterprise producing mostly household goods. He added that it was hit by two Kalibr missiles that caused a fire at the plant spreading over an area of 7,000 square meters. Russia denies deliberately targeting nonmilitary sites, but its strikes routinely destroy homes, hospitals, schools, and energy facilities. The Washington talks on August 18 finished with a call for Putin to meet Zelenskyy for face-to-face talks. It was also agreed that a plan would be worked out for post-war security guarantees for Ukraine, led by European countries but with US support. US and European military planners have since began meetings to explore what the overall security package could be, ahead of a final decision on it by political leaders. On August 21, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said any presence of European troops in Ukraine would be 'absolutely unacceptable,' calling them 'foreign intervention in some part of Ukrainian territory.' A day earlier he said the issue of security in Ukraine cannot be discussed without Russia. Lavrov told reporters on August 21 that Putin has repeatedly said he is ready to meet Zelenskyy, but there are some issues that need to be resolved before such a meeting could happen. 'Of course, I hope when and if it comes to signing future agreements, the issue of the legitimacy of the person signing these agreements on the Ukrainian side will be resolved,' Lavrov emphasized. Putin has questioned the legitimacy of Zelenskyy over the postponement of elections in Ukraine due to the war. Zelenskyy, meanwhile, said on August 21 that he aimed for a trilateral meeting including Trump. 'We want to have an understanding of the security guarantees architecture within seven to 10 days. And based on that understanding, we aim to hold a trilateral meeting,' he said. 'If the Russians are not ready, then we would like to see a strong reaction from the United States,' Zelenskyy stressed.
