Rangenet 2002 was held from October 9 through
11, 2002, in Boise Idaho. AN evening reception was held for George Wuerthner,
editor of the book "Welfare Ranching: The Subsidized Destruction of the American
West". The conference was dedicated on the following morning to Dr. Joy Belsky,
who had passed away after a life dedicated to the preservation of the wild.
Many speakers followed during the next few
days of the conference. Laird Lucas, attorney for Western Watersheds Project
debated Bill Myers, Solicitor of the Department of the Interior, on the Legal
Frameworks for Public Lands Ranching. Jon Marvel, executive director of High
Country News, spoke to the possible futures of the Public Lands Ranching.
Throughout the conference, representatives of
groups such as the National Public Lands Grazing Campaign, the BLM Rangeland
Resource Team, Gallatin Wildlife Association, Sinapu, the Escalante Wilderness
Project and many others spoke on topics concerning public lands and
environmental conservation issues. RangeNet is truly a place to network.
