The Boundary Waters is one of the rare places that still feels ancient and necessary. Millions of acres of lakes, streams, and boreal forest, it has been traveled by water for generations. It offers something increasingly scarce in modern life: silence, dark skies, humility. #boundarywaterscanoearea
David Brower said as much in the book: "All a conservation group can do is to defer something. There's no such thing as a permanent victory. After we win a battle, the wilderness is still there, and still vulnerable. When a conservation groups loses a battle, the wilderness is dead."
Six years old today!
I think this is my best book. It has special resonance today. The book is about people fighting for the public good against what they saw as corporate greed. And they won. We can win again. The thing is, we have to keep winning.
www.oupress.com/978080616501...
🚨 BREAKING: The Senate passed H.J. Res. 140, gutting Boundary Waters protections. This sets a dangerous precedent for public lands nationwide. We’re not done fighting. There are still paths to stop this mine. We'll keep you posted today about what this means and how you can get involved.
A short reflection from one stop on my fall trip, which, during the drafting, turned into a reflection on paradoxes in American history (and being an adult about it).
www.adamsowards.net/paradox-at-m...
After big dams on the upper Klamath River in far northern CA were removed in 2024, Chinook (king) salmon migrated upstream for the first time in 100+ years--and now they have hatched.
I enjoyed this one a lot, Kate! The conversation about public history was so insightful.
This is a useful story about the many ramifications of cutting Forest Service research.
US Forest Service workers' union is condemning the agency's restructuring plan and cuts
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
The Forest Service has been ordered to begin dismantling its research program (and relocate its headquarters to the heart of anti-public lands country). So I wrote this week about the origins of that research program.
www.adamsowards.net/weakening-th...
Generations of science & knowledge will be lost with the shutting down of USFS research facilities and offices. Madness that may that lead to the privatization of public lands & loss of access to many of the forests, mountains, rivers, trails, campgrounds, & other outdoor spaces we all love. 😞😡
If anyone on here works at one of the 57 forest service research stations that are going to be closed and you want to tell me about your work there and why it's important, reach out: jmckenzie@thebulletin.org
the trump administration is selling this country wholesale to rapacious, extractive industries that will destroy our collective resources for private profit morethanjustparks.substack.com/p/breaking-t...
I'm excited about this new way for readers who care about national parks to follow our team @sfgate.com: a WhatsApp channel where you can can opt in to receive story alerts directly on your phone, plus a community where you can talk directly to meeeee + my colleagues www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029...
Reckless and nonsensical., which makes it on brand. This will weaken the Forest Service, public lands, and conservation.
www.hcn.org/articles/for...
I’m in Kansas City for #ASEH2026. I co-edit a history of technology book series for Johns Hopkins University Press. We are always looking for titles that intersect with environmental history. If you have a project, let me know and let’s talk 🙂
The Forest Service alone lost 16% of its workforce because of DOGE, plus big reductions from Interior and Agriculture—all agencies tasked with both fighting fires and reducing fuel for fires on the landscape.
Critical coverage of the National Park Service and Department of the Interior has led to me and the rest of my @sfgate.com park colleagues being massively hamstrung — and singled out. www.sfgate.com/national-par...
My weekly essay, in which I speak a word for beauty (actually LBJ does) as opposed to words only for money (which Burgum does). Have a look:
www.adamsowards.net/speaking-a-w...
So (not) surprised to learn that the efforts to censor history at National Park Service sites have been a mess. Start with a stupid premise, develop a poorly considered plan, staff it with people without expertise, and it turns into a "slog." Repeat.
www.eenews.net/articles/ins...
I was pleased to learn that the US Fish and Wildlife Service is using my last book, MAKING AMERICA'S PUBLIC LANDS, as part of their yearlong celebration of America's 250th anniversary. Surely, it will be a lively discussion! www.fws.gov/event/making...
niche reporting request! Any suggestions for fence historians/Western history historians who can speak to the nuance/history/legacy of colonization of FENCES? Especially barbed wire?
Cannot tell you how depressing it is to read that people are simply refusing to read nonfiction after you’ve worked really hard to write a nonfiction book you believe in, in case anyone is wondering why I’m posting so much about my book which comes out in a few weeks #BookSky
Anyone in Prague want to hire me to give a talk about Drafting the Past to their university at the end of April?
Can't quite justify the cost of tagging along on my partner's work trip, but if it were also my work trip... 🤷♀️
Boise in May would be nice. If you can a way to get into the mountains, take advantage of the opportunity.
I'm a fan of Grizzly West (Dax)--after your era. ID is a peculiar state with distinct pockets that has evolved a lot, though it often doesn't seem to. It makes generalizations difficult. Finding some classic self- or locally-published memoirs of people who lived in the backcountry would be valuable.
Cool project; good luck! That nexus is a bit outside what I know best. Wired Wilderness (Benson) seems like it'd be useful. A homegrown history would add context if you recognize the book for what it is (and its limits): Defending Idaho's Natural Heritage (Robison).
Yes, the details of the stories would differ, but the commitment from so many of those professors had toward us astounds me--especially knowing better now all that that entailed.
In December, my undergraduate advisor died. Sunday I went to his memorial service, which prompted me to write about him and what he meant to me. It was good to think about how teachers influence their students.
www.adamsowards.net/legacy-of-a-...