In August of 2015, an Environmental Protection Agency mine cleanup crew made a terrible mistake. As the crew worked to try and reduce the amount of polluted wastewater entering the Animas River watershed from the abandoned Gold King Mine, it accidentally triggered a huge release of heavy metals-tainted wastewater.   In a matter of hours, the river, a trophy trout stream as it runs through the city of Durango, was flowing bright orange. While the impact was short-lived, and, thankfully, ...

News for Immediate ReleaseJan. 26, 2022Contact: Katie McKalip, 406-240-9262, mckalip@backcountryhunters.org          Lukas Leaf, SFBW, 612-270-6805, lukas@sportsmenbwca.org  WASHINGTON – A broad coalition of hunters and anglers today applauded an announcement by the Department of the Interior to cancel two federal hardrock mineral leases located in the Superior National Forest within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness watershed, citing the importance of this move to sustaining the ...

We are a family of hunters. As a child, I was taught to cherish, value and respect the animals we hunt and the environment in which they live. It was an easy lesson. My family's 40-acre homestead is situated within a designated wilderness, surrounded by a national wildlife refuge that adjoins Katmai National Park. I grew up sharing the wilderness with the wildest of living beings. Summers, I ran barefoot through the tundra hunting small game with my bow, spent hours fishing the streams, and ...

Taking photos that capture the spirit of our public lands and waters - and the experiences we have on them - is essential in communicating the value of our wild landscapes and the richness of our outdoor pursuits to the greater public.  Send us your photos that best tell the story of our wild public lands, waters and wildlife. Be sure to include a caption with each submission. Our panel of judges will be selecting standout images - and presenting the photographers with great prize packages ...

The state constitution says all waters in New Mexico belong to the public. In 1945, the state Supreme Court ruled that all waters should be open to the public for recreational use, provided the public does not trespass across private land to reach them. Yet for decades, landowners have closed portions of the Pecos, Rio Chama and other streams with the support of NMDGF. We believe this question of whether landowners and NMDGF can prohibit access to a public resource is a major issue for New ...