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Friends of Saddle Mountain

Saddle Mountain towers over the desert solitude of central Arizona, yet is located just 55 miles from downtown Phoenix – one of America’s most populated cities, with over 1.5 million residents. Two mountain masses, jutting up among side canyons, form the saddle that gives the mountain its name and its unique architecture. Saddle Mountain is backyard to those living in the Tonopah area and also provides a great escape from busy metropolitan life in Phoenix.

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Have Faith in Wilderness — National Council of Churches Photo Contest 

Do you enjoy retreating to a secluded lake for meditation and spiritual rejuvenation? Do you feel closer to God when you’re in nature?   Do you have pictures of the special places that provide escape from your hectic life and help to refresh your faith? 

Take some time to sift through your favorite photos and reflect on how you connect with God in America’s wild lands. Whether you’re recreating in, retreating to, or restoring our natural treasures, the National Council of Churches wants to hear from you. The Council has kicked off their On God’s Wild Land Photo Contest! Submit your photos today!

Share a vivid image of your favorite wild place and your thoughts on how you connect with God in America’s wilderness. If you’re the lucky winner, you’ll receive a gift certificate from outdoor clothing and gear retailer Patagonia. All entries must be sent or postmarked by Wednesday, October 31. For more information, click here.

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Mineral King: Protecting a Legendary Wild Valley — and Honoring One of Those Who Saved It

Some 115,000 acres of wilderness will be protected in California’s southern Sierras under new bipartisan legislation introduced in both the House and Senate in July. The centerpiece is a 69,500-acre wild treasure most fittingly to be named the John Krebs Wilderness, honoring the former Congressman and conservationist whose courageous leadership was crucial in winning protection for this once gravely threatened place.

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Congress Returns, and Acts on Wilderness

September saw a flurry of congressional action on wilderness legislation. On September 20, the Senate Public Lands and Forests Subcommittee held a hearing on the Copper-Salmon Wilderness Act (S. 2034/H.R. 3513), which was introduced just two weeks earlier. The measures, to designate as wilderness the Copper Salmon region of Southern Oregon, was introduced by Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR). Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR) joined on as a cosponsor at the hearing. The conservation bill would protect 13,700 acres of pristine old-growth forest surrounding the headwaters of the Elk River in the Siskiyou National Forest, a largely intact ancient forest.

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Save Alaska’s Teshekpuk Lake!

Alaska’s Teshekpuk Lake is on the verge of being leased for oil development, imperiling one of the world’s most ecologically important wetland complexes. Literally hundreds of species of migratory bird from six continents depend on the health of these wetlands as a refuge during their long journeys. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is now planning to open these sensitive wetland habitats to oil and gas drilling. Tell the BLM that Teshekpuk Lake is off-limits!

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Bill Grant: a lifelong love affair with the west

Bill Grant of Grand Junction, CO has always been a westerner at heart. He grew up in the shadow of the Appalachian Mountains in western North Carolina, but subsequently lived in several parts of the country. Prior to moving to Colorado, he spent twenty-one years in Ohio where he was a professor of western history and culture at Bowling Green State University.

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