Here, you’ll find our latest opinion pieces, where we share insights, advocate for conservation, and discuss critical issues affecting the Western United States’ ecosystems. Our op-eds aim to inform, inspire, and engage readers in the ongoing efforts to protect and preserve public lands. Dive in to explore our most recent contributions to the conversation on environmental stewardship and sustainable land management.

On Wolves

• Let Caldera wolf pack roam together, by Greta Anderson, Santa Fe New Mexican, 22 Jun 24
• Letter to the Editor, by Dagny Signorelli, Pinedale Roundup, 25 April 24
• Promoting Torture by Devaluing Predators, by Dagny Signorelli, Cowboy State Daily, 22 April 24
• Viewpoint: USFWS fails wolves, science, and the law, by Erik Molvar, Missoula Current, 17 April 24
• Ranchers, Livestock, and Wolves: Why We Should Coexist, by Erik Molvar, CounterPunch, 12 April 24
• Protecting wolves from aerial attacks, by Erik Molvar, Idaho Mountain Express, Jan 2024
• “Mexican wolf didn’t have to be captured,” by Greta Anderson, Albuquerque Journal, 29 Jan 23 (misattributed and archived online as having been written by Journal staff)
• “Scrubbing anti-wolf politics from state plan,” by Erik Molvar, Colorado Politics, 1 Feb 2023
• “Anthropomorphism, anthropocentrism, and Asha the wandering wolf,” by Erik Molvar, Counterpunch, 21 Jun 2023
• “WOLF Act isn’t fair to wolves or to the public,” by Greta Anderson, Albuquerque Journal 25 June 2023
• “Let wolves regulate themselves,” by Erik Molvar, Colorado Sun, 4 Jul 2023
• “Wolves don’t obey an imaginary border,” by Greta Anderson, Arizona Republic, 26 Sept 2023
• “Setting Colorado’s wolves up for success,” by Erik Molvar and Delaney Rudy, Colorado Politics, 27 Dec 2023
• “Wolf hate on the rise in the West, with ranchers often in the driver’s seat,” by Adam Bronstein, East Oregonian, 30 Dec 2023
• “Montana’s Wolf Population Struggling despite Montana FWP Claims,” Jocelyn Leroux, Helena Independent Record (also Missoulian), 15 Aug 2023
• “Wolf Management in Oregon is a Train Wreck,” Adam Bronstein, Oregon Capital Chronicle, 18 Aug 2023
• “State and livestock industry depredations on wolves must end,” Erik Molvar, Spokane Spokesman-Review, 18 Jun 2022
• “Montana Doubles Down on Wolf Slaughter,” Counterpunch, 30 Aug 2022
• “Feds must halt the needless slaughter of Yellowstone’s wolves,” Jocelyn Leroux (with Roger Dobson), Missoulian, 24 Jan 2022 (also Missoula Current, Bozeman Daily Chronicle, and Helena Independent Record)
• “The case for equal protections for wolves throughout their range,” Erik Molvar, Counterpunch, 14 Feb 2022
• “Anti-Wolf Rancher Demonstrates Why ESA Protections are Warranted,” Erik Molvar, Cowboy State Daily, 27 Sep 2022
• “State and livestock industry depredations on wolves must end,” Erik Molvar, Spokane Spokesman-Review, 18 Jun 2022
• “Protect the Seco Pack’s wild legacy,” Greta Anderson, Wolf News (also ABQ Journal), 15 May 2022
• Biden Should Put Science, Not Policy Positions, in the Driver’s Seat on Wolves and the Endangered Species Act, by Erik Molvar, CounterPunch, 21 September 2021
• Trapping’s goal is not to manage wildlife, by Erik Molvar, Idaho Mountain Express, 17 Feb 2021
• Killing Fields: the Seamy Side of Idaho’s Wildlife Agency, by Erik Molvar, Counterpunch, 6 Nov 2020

On Livestock

• Opinion: Sharing the trail with cows? The land, the wildlife and the taxpayers pay the price, by Delaney Rudy, Denver Post, 5 Jun 2024
• “Livestock industry’s war on wildlife at Montana legislature,” by Josh Osher, Montana Standard, 23 April 2023
• “Documenting the livestock industry’s war on wildlife,” by Erik Molvar, Cowboy State Daily, 24 Jun 2023
• “In Nevada, cattle and sheep are the real ecological catastrophe,” by Erik Molvar, Counterpunch, 28 Jul 2023
• “The BLM is ignoring its most serious land health problem,” by Erik Molvar and Chandra Rosenthal, Salt Lake Tribune, 22 Aug 2023
• “Illegal grazing,” by Erik Molvar, Desert Report, 9 Dec 2023
• “Point Reyes Management Plan Sued by Environmental Groups,”C 10 Jan 2022 (also Counterpunch)
• “Analysis shows BLM ducking review of livestock grazing, impacts on wildlife,” Greta Anderson, Missoula Current, 1 Apr 2022
• “BLM skipping environmental review where livestock grazing conflicts are greatest,” Greta Anderson, Reno Gazette-Journal, 6 Apr 2022
• “Wildfire and grazing in Nevada: More livestock will only make things worse,” Adam Bronstein, Reno Gazette Journal, May 11, 2022
• “Taming the Climate Impacts of Cattle and Sheep,” Erik Molvar, Counterpunch, 26 Aug 2022
• University of Wyoming analysis proves the economic irrelevance of public-land livestock grazing, by Erik Molvar, Sierra Nevada Ally, 25 Nov 2022
• Intensive livestock grazing cannot reverse the ecological destruction it causes, by Erik Molvar, Nevada Independent, 20 Sept 2022
• Why Regenerative Farming Works and Regenerative Ranching Fails, by Erik Molvar, Counterpunch, 23 July 2021
• How the Park Service Sold Out Point Reyes National Seashore to the Livestock Industry, by Erik Molvar, 29 Sept 2021
• Busting Livestock Industry Myths About Cattle and Soil Carbon, by Erik Molvar, Counterpunch, 12 Nov 2021
• Livestock and Deforestation in the American West, by Erik Molvar, Counterpunch, 12 Mar 2021
• “Apocalypse Cow:” Point Reyes National Seashore Launches a Propaganda War Targeting Independent Journalism, by Erik Molvar, Counterpunch 22 Feb 2021
• Why the Hammonds’ Livestock Shouldn’t be Allowed on Public Land, by Erik Molvar, Counterpunch, 22 Jan 2021
• It’s Always the Ranchers, by Erik Molvar, Counterpunch, 21 Jul 2020
• The Public Wants Ranchers Out of Point Reyes National Seashore, by Erik Molvar, Counterpunch, 28 April 2020
• Open Mic: Point Reyes National Feedlot Backed by Surprising Allies, Usual Suspects, by Erik Molvar and Greta Anderson, Bohemian, 28 April 2020
• Trump Slaps California With Anti-Environmental Plan for Point Reyes National Seashore, by Erik Molvar, Counterpunch, 30 Sept 2020
• Cattle grazing on Point Reyes public lands is incompatible with wildlife, by Erik Molvar, SF Gate, 7 April 2018
• Testimony of Erik Molvar, Federal Lands Subcommittee Hearing, 2018

On Policy

• Voices: Utah’s Approach to Wildlife Management Wastes Taxpayer Resources and Causes Imbalance, by Dagny Signorelli, Salt Lake Tribune, September 2024
• It’s time to get the Arctic grayling the federal protections it deserves, by Patrick Kelly, The Missoulian, September 2024
• Protecting Oregon’s state animal would go far to help Beaver State, by Adam Bronstein, Oregon Capital Chronicle, 2 Jun 24
• Oregon wildlife commission poised to make the most consequential decision in a decade, By Adam Bronstein, Oregon Capital Chronicle, 5 Mar 24
• “Despite Pendley’s bad advice, BLM plan is perfectly legal and wise step for Wyoming,” by Erik Molvar, Cowboy State Daily, 24 Oct 2023
• “Rock Springs plan proposal brings commonsense conservation to the Red Desert,” by Erik Molvar, Casper Star-Tribune, 2 Nov 2023
• “ESA at 50: Celebrating the nation’s most effective environmental law,” by Erik Molvar, Counterpunch, 28 Dec 2022
• “Time to Ban M-44 Cyanide Bombs on Public Land,” Counterpunch, 4 Aug 2022
• “Hunters, fishers need to demand better federal management of public land,” Adam Bronstein, Oregon Capital Chronicle, December 10, 2022
• “Untangling the problem of inaccessible public lands,” Erik Molvar, Casper Star-Tribune (also Missoula Current, Sierra Nevada Ally), 15 Dec 2022
• Let’s Replace Dystopian Dirty Energy With Renewables and Climate Justice, by Erik Molvar, Common Dreams, 27 Dec 2021
• Can the BLM be Fixed? Tracy Stone-Manning Takes the Helm of a Broken Agency, by Erik Molvar, Counterpunch, 4 October 2021
• Of Indigenous Peoples, Environmentalism, and Atonement, by Marsha Small and Erik Molvar, 1 Oct 2021
• America’s Largest Windfarm: an Environmental Disaster? By Erik Molvar, CounterPunch, 17 Sept 2021
• Redefining the Anthropocene, by Erik Molvar, Counterpunch, 13 May 2021
• Honor the Tribal Vision for Bears Ears National Monument, by Erik Molvar, Counterpunch, 15 Mar 2021
• How Biden’s Policy Could Bring Positive Changes to the American West, by Erik Molvar, Counterpunch, 29 Jan 2021
• The Times Call for a Bold Conservation Agenda, Will Biden Seize the Moment?, by Erik Molvar, Counterpunch, 1 Jan 2021
• Why Red States Want to Seize Control of the Endangered Species Act, by Erik Molvar, 19 Nov 2020
• With Pendley Toppled, the Alt-Right’s Public Land Agenda Starts to Crumble, by Erik Molvar, 2 Oct 2020
• Inside Trump’s Attack on America’s Environmental Charter, by Erik Molvar, Counterpunch, 31 Jul 2020

On Grizzlies

• “Delisting grizzly bear would wreak havoc on the species,” by Erik Molvar, News-Register, 13 Feb 2023
• “Why we fight for grizzly bears,” by Erik Molvar, Jackson Hole News and Guide, 7 Jun 23

On Big Cats

• “End trophy hunting of Colorado’s wild cats,” by Erik Molvar et al., Colorado Politics (also Denver Gazette, Colorado Springs Gazette), 19 Oct 2023

On Sage Grouse

• “Groups sound alarm over hidden threat to sage grouse in Wyoming,” by Chandra Rosenthal and Josh Osher, Wyoming Tribune-Eagle, 23 Mar 2023

On Bison

• “Let’s give buffalo freedom to roam,” by Erik Molvar, Counterpunch, 20 Apr 2023
• “Montana Needs to Change the Conversation about Bison,” Jocelyn Leroux, Missoula Current, 25 Nov 2022

On Wild Horses

• UW’s sage grouse, wild horse findings let cattle off the hook, by Erik Molvar, WyoFile, 31 Aug 2024
• Erik Molvar: How federal land and wild horse management really work, by Erik Molvar, Elko Daily Free Press, Nov 18, 2023
• In Nevada, Cattle and Sheep are the Real Ecological Catastrophe, by Erik Molvar, Counterpunch, Jul 28, 2023
• A Peek Behind the Curtain at BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro problems, By Erik Molvar, Counterpunch, Oct 18, 2022
• Sage grouse, science and horsefeathers, by Erik Molvar, Casper Star Tribune, Dec 25, 2021
• The Fictions of Onaqui Expose Fatal Flaws in the BLM’s Wild Horse Round Ups, by Erik Molvar, Counterpunch, Aug 24, 2021
• Let’s be honest about cattle, wild horses, and climate solutions, by Erik Molvar, Sierra Nevada Ally, Dec 6, 2021
• The Focus on Wild Horses Distracts From the Massive Damage Caused by the Livestock Industry, by Erik Molvar, Counterpunch, Nov 27, 2020
• A solution for the Red Desert Wild Horses, Casper Star Tribune, Dec 18, 2017