Jared Dahl Aldern

Depressing reading, especially if you search through the spreadsheet for a term like Tribal or Indigenous

US investigators believe strike on Iranian girls’ school probably carried out by US forces US military officials briefed on investigation make disclosure, while Pentagon has confirmed only that inquiry is under way

“Deliberately attacking a school or hospital or any other civilian structure would probably be a war crime under international humanitarian law.

“If a US role were to be confirmed, the strike would rank among the worst cases of civilian casualties in decades of conflicts in the Middle East.”

Reintroduction would only work if there were enough habitat to support a viable population of bears, with management to minimize human-bear conflicts. We are a long, long way from that kind of arrangement.

SB 1305 is full of references to consultation with Tribes and local communities, and if the state of California moves forward with this, they will get an earful. A system of true comanagement or tribally led management of grizzly habitat would be far better than consultation. Let the locals decide.

California Bill to Study Grizzly Bear Reintroduction Sparks Debate A proposal to study reintroducing grizzly bears to California is drawing political and cultural pushback.

Senate Bill 1305 to reintroduce the grizzly bear

Big Wildfires Can Devastate California’s Fish. But They Thrive With Frequent, Small Burns | KQED A burgeoning area of research shows that wildfires can stimulate growth and abundance in freshwater creeks and rivers — particularly low- to moderate-severity fires.

And for fatter trout, use fire to increase streamflow and invertebrate (fish food) populations, add a little turbidity, gravel, rocks and logs, and use smoke to cool the water down. www.kqed.org/science/1982...

The farther the walk, the fatter the deer, study finds - High Country News In southwest Wyoming, mule deer with the longest migrations end up fatter, live longer and carry more fawns to term than their herd-mates.

For fatter deer, keep the paths open: “Mule deer — unlike elk or pronghorn, which can wander based on food and weather conditions — tend to stick to the path they were born into… As a result, it’s vitally important to keep pathways open so deer can continue accessing green pastures and better food.”

Landkeeping With rising temperatures, longer summers, drought, and more wildfires occurring in the United States and Canada, there is growing interest in the impact and efficacy of Indigenous fire and cultural bu...

As @ecohugger.bsky.social writes in her foreword, "Each voice in these pages speaks from a relationship that has strong roots to land, fire, and community," and it's good to see these pages heading into production this week!

Preorder now with discount code S26; books will ship in late April.

I was just out fishing at Avocado Lake a few days ago. Tonight, reading Levine’s “Renaming the Kings,” set along the river close to the park, I’m thinking this is a poem that will stick with me for a while.

Criticism: Naming the Lost: The Poetry of Philip Levine - Edward Hirsch - eNotes.com In the following essay, Hirsch considers the evolution of Levine's poetry and its gradual change in themes and attitudes. He declares it begins in rage, grows i

Edward Hirsch on Philip Levine’s poems: “They evoke three distinct but related cities: Detroit, Fresno, and Barcelona, all of which are defined as landscapes of desolation, rugged cities of the enraged, the exhausted, the exploited.” www.enotes.com/topics/phili...

The Great Olympic lie: untold story of Winter Games’ huge environmental impact Rivers drained dry to create artificial snow, a forest cut down for the bobsleigh track – IOC’s claims to prioritise sustainability at Milano Cortina exposed

Clearing forests, draining rivers, killing fish for the games www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/f...

Sundial Magazine - Sierra Glen In eastern Tulare County, Four miles east From the hamlet of Badger, On Road 469, Whitaker Forest Road, Is Sierra Glen. Where hillsides are unadorned But for the occasional Live oak, pine, and redb...

I’m digging deeper into Fresno poetry — throw a rock here, they say, and hit a poet — and its imagery and musicality. See Doug Cox’s overview at fresnoflyer.com/poetry-heart...

Today I ran across “Sierra Glen” by Stephen Barile, which turns out to be about Native burning🔥:

Republicans and Democrats unite to condemn Trump’s attacks on allies US politicians break rank at Munich Security Conference to hit out at ‘destructive’ president and urge Europe to stand up to Trump

Republican Senator Thom Tillis challenged Lindsey Graham, one of Trump’s closest Republican allies, who recently said, “who gives a shit who owns Greenland?” Tillis said: “The 85,000 Indigenous people in Greenland give a shit about who owns Greenland… we need to show respect.”

As Guatemala begins high-stakes court elections, agents raid voting sites Guatemalan prosecutors have raided two voting locations as a process got underway to fill top justice jobs that could shape the rule of law and test its democracy.

In related news apnews.com/article/guat...

It’s also great to see Merv George Jr. quoted here with his excellent explanation of the differences between good fire and bad fire. Great stuff. Recommended for middle schoolers and everyone else. 4/4

In 2018, the Wisconsin state legislature finally honored the Menominee Tribe for its service to the community during that 1871 fire. 3/4

controlled burns, a firebreak, and wet blankets on the roof during the 1871 Peshtigo Fire, the deadliest fire in US history. After the fire, the house served as a field hospital for injured people from the town of Peshtigo, which was completely destroyed. 2/4

Cover image of the book, *The Deadliest Fires Then and Now* by Deborah Hopkinson

I’m learning a few things from this book for young readers by @deborahhopkinson.bsky.social, a book I found in my local Little Free Library. Things like, for example, the story of Abram and Elizabeth Place and how Elizabeth‘s Menominee relatives protected the Places’ farmhouse with 🧵 1/4

Apocalypse no: how almost everything we thought we knew about the Maya is wrong For many years the prevailing debate about the Maya centred upon why their civilisation collapsed. Now, many scholars are asking: how did the Maya survive?

Corrections to history, comparisons to Rome, Mayan land management sustained over millennia, a push toward plurinational governance, the risk of civil war, etc.: there’s a lot here. www.theguardian.com/news/2026/fe...

Cool Burning YouTube video by MULONG

Cool Burning song youtube.com/watch?v=6zn_...

Bipartisan ‘Good Fire Act’ aims to expand prescribed, cultural burns across California - Local News Matters A bipartisan bill aimed at expanding the use of prescribed and cultural burning was introduced Tuesday in the state Legislature. Assemblymember Chris

“… We’re empowering tribes, land managers and communities to use fire the way it has been used for millennia — as a tool for stewarding our lands and protecting our communities.”
localnewsmatters.org/2026/02/06/b...

Arellano: Petty Trump spikes football over nearly 200-year-old Mexican-American War Trump marked the 178-year anniversary of the Mexican-American War as testament to American power, breaking decades of presidential silence on the controversial conflict. The commemoration reveals his ...

“Trump has made expansionism a hallmark of his second presidential term… Critics accuse him of trying to usher in a new era of imperialism. But all he's doing is continuing the Mexican-American War, which never really ended.”

Billie Eilish, stolen land, and the climate cost of America’s dispossession Returning Indigenous land won't destroy civilization, it could save it.

“Ultimately, the controversy surrounding Eilish’s remark reveals less about celebrity or even property than the limits of America’s moral imagination, including at influential media outlets. Democracy may die in darkness, but America was built in daylight”

“…proactive, safely conducted controlled burning.” 🔥 👍 💨

I like their statement; “Smokewise Ashland is a local collaborative working group in southwest Oregon dedicated to protecting public health and creating community resiliency in the face of increasing summer wildfire smoke and the overwhelming need to reduce community wildfire risk through…

Digging around in the links on that webpage, there’s this: ashlandoregon.gov/261/Smokewis...

What’s needed to protect sage grouse? Less grazing. - High Country News Two tribes are showing how saving sage grouse, and other iconic species of the West’s vast sagebrush steppe, will require are assessment of the widespread cattle grazing that has become an emblem of t...

Here’s a good, deep dive on what’s needed in sage grouse country. The upshot: less grazing, more cultural burning.
www.hcn.org/issues/58-2/...

Wildfire Smoke Readiness and Response for Region 10 Tribes | US EPA Resources to help Tribes manage the effects from wildfire smoke in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington (EPA's Region 10).

Check this out from Tribal EPA Region 10. Unfortunately, I don't think there's anything comparable for Region 9 (which includes California). www.epa.gov/r10-tribal/w...

With habitat affected by wildfires, syilx-led program monitors rattlesnakes The Nk'Mip Desert Cultural Centre has received new federal funding to continue its research on how the snakes are adapting to a changing environment

As rattlesnakes’ movement patterns adapt to changes wrought by wildfire: “With the help of public education, guided walks and live presentations, staff have taught visitors how to identify local snake species, move safely through snake habitat and respond appropriately if bitten by a snake.”

How did palm oases get to the California desert? A behind-the-scenes look at these 'tropical islands' Ecological consultant James W. Cornett tracks the history of the palm oases in the Coachella Valley.

“Burning enhanced the survival of palms by killing some of the wood-boring insect larvae. More importantly, fire increased fruit production… Cahuilla and related groups may very well be responsible for planting palm seeds at many, even most, of the locations where palms occur today.”