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By Gerald Mestl

Executive Summary

Many people throughout the basin are claiming that the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) either caused or contributed to the extent of the Missouri River flood through mismanagement or by managing the system for endangered species. They believe that the USACE could have prevented the flood by taking other management actions leading up to the flood. In order to examine the accusations we will present a timeline of water supply in the Missouri River basin during 2011.

By Toby Jurovics

Landscape photography is thought to be easily done. In its most literal form, it is an art of topography, an objective description of a particular site. The subject is usually expected to be a place notable for both dramatic scenery and the absence of people and their endeavors. This last belief, however, has also led to the assumption that “landscape” equals “wilderness.” This position was established by photographers like Ansel Adams and Eliot Porter, who were central to the growth and success of the conservation movement in the 1960s.

By Christopher Marks

What are all of those buttons for?” This is a question that you might expect to hear in the cockpit of a 747, but those of us who play the pipe organ hear it more often than any other question—except, perhaps, “How can you play with your hands and feet at the same time?” Both questions point to the complexity of the King of Instruments and the incredible artistry that goes into performing an organ recital.

By Ron Hull

Mari Sandoz, our great chronicler of High Plains history, was fascinated by “will-to-power individuals” and her books are populated by these people. You’ll meet them in “Crazy Horse: Strange Man of the Oglala’s,” “The Cattlemen,” “The Buffalo Hunters” and others found in her books.

By Jack Phillips

Upon leaving my faculty position in the humanities a few years ago, I set out on a journey to learn everything I could about trees. It was my good fortune to be taken under the wing of Dr. Alex Shigo, the controversial and hugely influential scientist who changed the way the world thinks about trees. He was hardest on those in whom he saw promise, so I guess I should have felt honored when he sent me to dig roots from a frozen pond in New Hampshire in December.

By Kendall Weyers

Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone / they paved paradise and put up a parking lot.” Joni Mitchell, in her song “Big Yellow Taxi,” is one of many who have said we often fail to appreciate something until it is gone. The same can be said of our feelings toward our community forests, the collection of trees on private and public property throughout our towns or cities. We tend to take our community forests for granted simply because we’ve “always” had them. The longevity of trees can create an illusion of permanence.