For a "clean-up" bill, House Bill 637 is a mess. On its face, HB 637 aims to clarify language found in existing laws. These non-substantive, clerical changes would be fine if the bill stopped there. However, Rep. Seth Berglee’s 27-page "clean-up" attempt creates more messes than it would correct. We have seen bill after bill this session favoring the wealthy, skewing opportunities and assigning decision makers based on how much land someone owns, how much they're willing to pay or whether or ...

The majority of Indiana’s wetlands are under attack as SB 389 has now passed both chambers of the Indiana legislature. Currently, only wetlands that are connected to navigable waters or their tributaries are protected by federal law, while federal protections of isolated wetlands were left unprotected through an administrative repeal of provisions in the Clean Water Act. Thankfully, two decades ago, the State of Indiana recognized the importance of protecting clean waters and high quality ...

This title is part of BHA's Jim Posewitz Digital Library: Required Reading for Conservationists   Written by Indigenous writer Yuri Rytkheu, A Dream in Polar Fog tells the story of a white man who through unfortunate circumstance finds himself forced to live among the Chukotka Native people of coastal Russia. Accepted by their people, he eventually learns their culture and ways of life. Alongside this is the story of a people whose entire existence is tied to the natural world – an existence ...

Join Idaho BHA May 13-15th for a volunteer project to improve fencing for wildlife.  Old, dilapidated livestock fencing can be detrimental to wildlife, particularly big game animals. Movement to and from seasonal habitats can be hazardous and even impeded entirely by certain types of fence materials historically used by range permittees. Idaho Backcountry Hunters and Anglers (IDBHA) has teamed with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) and other partners to support a fence removal ...