Today on the show, how, with Lake Powell at record lows, the federal government is paying farmers not to irrigate. We’ll also tag along on one of the hardest endurance races in the lower 48. We’ll also hear how the city of Boulder is considering giving tribes some land as reparations for the Sand Creek Massacre. Those stories and more.

Open Spaces, March 17, 2023

A news and public affairs program about Wyoming and the Mountain West.

News

Today on the show, the first-ever Sportsperson Conservation Forum tackled some of the biggest issues in the field this week. A Wyoming woman whose son was killed for being gay has won the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her advocacy work. A handful of recent federal rule changes target coal. And while the industry has been declining for a while now, Wyoming still heavily relies on it. Those stories and more.

Wildlife conservation, coal struggles, and more

Today on the show, We’ll hear from best selling author CJ Box. He writes stories about wildlife and hunting culture in Wyoming and has thoughts on the recent wolf incident in Sublette County. Wyomingites need solutions for affordable rental housing, and fast. Cheap housing is growing scarce. Preserving posters printed more than 100 years ago can be a challenge, and a new exhibition looks at how to ensure the preservation of Buffalo Bill-era posters. Those stories and more.

Sublette wolf, Buffalo Bill, and more

This week, we reach beyond our studios and bring you interviews from Wyoming PBS’ "Wyoming Chronicle." It’s an election year and there are a couple of new rules. The Secretary of State talks in detail on the new rules and the reasoning behind them. And a vertical farm operation has put roots down in the state and is focused on how to make sure there’s a production method in the world's back pocket for a future where agricultural production is less stable and more expensive.

Open Spaces: Wyoming Chronicle

Today on the show, a conservative student group at the University of Wyoming has become a significant presence in campus politics. Almost a third of families with single moms live in poverty in the state and one organization is helping to change that. And we learn about how a couple decides to buy a record shop in Cheyenne – despite competition from national chains and a tough environment for small shops. Those stories and more.

UW football, supporting single moms, and more

Today on the show, Wyoming is the only state to feed elk every year depending on snowpack. A newly finalized plan gets the ball rolling for reimagining what that might look like going forward. A federal agency wants to revoke management of lands on the Wind River Reservation. Muddy Ridge could go to the BLM, or to the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone tribes. We take a ride on a snow plow in Grand Teton National Park during one of the biggest storms of the season and hear about one leader’s efforts to prioritize his crew’s mental health. Plus - we learn about how Wyoming judges are dealing with a rise of threats. Those stories and more.

Open Spaces, March 17, 2023

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