Nancy Langston, a social science professor at Michigan Tech, talks about the recent 41-day occupation of the Malheur Refuge. As an environmental historian, she offers up a narrative steeped in people's ties to public lands.
@nelangst, you see #Malheur thru a unique lens as an environmental historian. Tell us how history sets the stage for the present #mtulive
— MTU Research (@mturesearch) February 2, 2016
At Malheur the past shapes the future: environmental sustainability needs communities who understand their past #MTUlive #Malheur
— Nancy Langston (@nelangst) February 2, 2016
#MalheurRefuge is in SE Oregon--an oasis in high desert, critical habitat for migratory birds & waterbirds #mtulive pic.twitter.com/IkaUqaakGe
— Nancy Langston (@nelangst) February 2, 2016
Your @NYTopinion opens w/ "one of the puzzling aspects of the anti-gov't militia’s takeover … is its location.” Why? #Malheur #mtulive
— MTU Research (@mturesearch) February 2, 2016
#MTUlive Sagebrush Rebellion returns: western communities want more power over public lands--but they're meant for all Americans #Malheur
— Nancy Langston (@nelangst) February 2, 2016
#mtulive Why #Malheur for a western rebellion against public lands? It's the star for collaborative conservation https://t.co/FWhZMgLLtO
— Nancy Langston (@nelangst) February 2, 2016
Collaborative conservation
Nancy's research focuses on the ties between people, place, and past. She wrote the book Where Land and Water Meet: A Western Landscape Transformed about the history and land use of the Malheur Refuge, a narrative hinging on how people work together on public lands. Check out more of her work: http://www.nancylangston.net/malheur.html
Let’s keep talking about this collaborative #conservation, @nelangst. What does it mean? #MalheurRefuge #mtulive
— MTU Research (@mturesearch) February 2, 2016
Collaborative conservation=decisionmaking power to locals but also protects mobile resources such as water, birds, biodiversity #MTUlive
— Nancy Langston (@nelangst) February 2, 2016
#mtulive #Malheur Collaborative conservation brings locals, scientists, tribes together to negotiate better futures https://t.co/FWhZMgLLtO
— Nancy Langston (@nelangst) February 2, 2016
2/2 How does the Paiute Indian Tribe fit into the history of #MalheurRefuge? #mtulive @nelangst
— MTU Research (@mturesearch) February 2, 2016
Paiute tribe are KEY to # Malheur: their lands, voices, values are part of refuge history & future #MTUlive https://t.co/dYg6CIpHg3
— Nancy Langston (@nelangst) February 2, 2016
Where has collaborative #conservation been successful, @nelangst? #malheur #mtulive
— MTU Research (@mturesearch) February 2, 2016
@mturesearch All thru the West community #conservation works. ie: #SageGrouse partnership https://t.co/iKIYHqmOLR #mtulive
— Nancy Langston (@nelangst) February 2, 2016
@mturesearch Other examples: High Desert Partnership "what's good for the bird is good for the herd" Sharp #mtulive https://t.co/6rzzcO3hQ2
— Nancy Langston (@nelangst) February 2, 2016
@mturesearch Harney County Restoration Collaborative: reduce fire risk & provide timber for mill jobs #mtulive https://t.co/CXNz2ngszO
— Nancy Langston (@nelangst) February 2, 2016
Collaboration is about finding what's in common amid differences
@nelangst, these are great examples. In your @YaleE360 article https://t.co/ah6gXyPL4s, you talk about finding common ground. #mtulive
— MTU Research (@mturesearch) February 2, 2016
@mturesearch @YaleE360 Gary Snyder said "We must learn to know, love, and join our place even more than we love our own ideas." #MTUlive
— Nancy Langston (@nelangst) February 2, 2016
@nelangst So finding common ground can be about connecting to the place you live. #mtulive
— MTU Research (@mturesearch) February 2, 2016
Scaling up
The main challenge is connecting local stakeholders with federal agencies. It's not a simple process. Nancy says the key is recognizing broader patterns and seeking resolution to past conflicts that carry into the present.
@nelangst How do federal lands protect the local economy? #mtulive #Malheur
— MTU Research (@mturesearch) February 2, 2016
@mturesearch #Malheur makes payments in lieu of taxes; grazing leases below market cost; 42% of county jobs are w/govt #mtulive
— Nancy Langston (@nelangst) February 2, 2016
@aw_mills @mturesearch Community-based conservation protects local places for national interests #MTUlive https://t.co/ANQg3iTfAy
— Nancy Langston (@nelangst) February 2, 2016
@nelangst So this has been going on a long time. Why has #Malheur caught the entire nation’s attention now? #mtulive
— MTU Research (@mturesearch) February 2, 2016
@mturesearch In 1990s timber sales & grazing declined on federal lands because of conservation concerns. Hurt local economies #MTUlive
— Nancy Langston (@nelangst) February 2, 2016
@jessienam @aw_mills @mturesearch Federal lands are 52% of western states; in the past, locals had little voice in their management #MTUlive
— Nancy Langston (@nelangst) February 2, 2016
From the past, into the future
@nelangst Once the #MalheurStandoff is over, many will forget about the event. What’s the future of #Malheur? #mtulive
— MTU Research (@mturesearch) February 2, 2016
@mturesearch #Malheur caught media attention because of threat of violence & current political polarization #MTUlive
— Nancy Langston (@nelangst) February 2, 2016
@mturesearch #Malheur will work w/ranchers, tribes to improve bird habitat, control carp, sustain wildlife #MTUlive pic.twitter.com/wbp9rxj7q8
— Nancy Langston (@nelangst) February 2, 2016
@louisiana2times YES: #MalheurRefuge didn't destroy local economy in 1930s; it rescued it by buying failed ranches #MTUlive
— Nancy Langston (@nelangst) February 2, 2016
Seeking inspiration
@nelangst What inspired you to write your book about the #MalheurRefuge? #MTUlive
— MTU Research (@mturesearch) February 2, 2016
@mturesearch I worked in SE Oregon for many years and love #Malheur for its beauty, wildlife, & community #MTUlive pic.twitter.com/CwYFmoayLo
— Nancy Langston (@nelangst) February 2, 2016
@nelangst It is beautiful! Thank you for sharing with us. #mtulive
— MTU Research (@mturesearch) February 2, 2016
That wraps up today’s twitter chat. Thanks everyone for joining #mtulive Watch for a linked @storify of today’s conversation with @nelangst
— MTU Research (@mturesearch) February 2, 2016
Michigan Technological University is an R1 public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, and is home to nearly 7,500 students from more than 60 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan's flagship technological university offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.
Comments