by Hal Herring

Over the past fifteen years, more and more of my bird and antelope hunting has been done on Bureau of Land Management public lands. Every year, I buy a pass to Glacier National Park, and our family hikes and rambles there are some of the finest experiences of my life so far. For me, and for millions of other American outdoorspeople, no public agency has as much potential or actual effect on hunting, fishing and just the plain freedom to roam and camp and shoot as does the US Department of Interior.

On February 7th at 1 pm EDT, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar will be taking questions and discussing conservation and the economy in a live webchat that should be both interesting and informative. The sportsmen and women of the US need to have their voices heard on issues that range from wolves and energy development to the restoration of the Mississippi Delta- this is a chance to make that happen. Please don’t miss it. Click here to watch it on the Department of Interior site.

Here’s a quick list of agencies under the Department of the Interior, which should inspire participation--because every one of us has a stake in here somewhere:

-Bureau of Indian Affairs
-Bureau of Land Management
-Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
-Bureau of Reclamation
-Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement
-National Park Service
-Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement
-U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
-U.S. Geological Survey

by Bob Marshall

Readers of this blog are familiar with my claim that there's no inconsistency with being pro-gun, pro-life, pro-freedom and pro environment--and, in fact, most sportsmen are conservative and pro-environment. Now there's proof...

A poll released Monday by the Colorado College found "western voters across the political spectrum--from Tea Party supporters to those who identify with the Occupy Wall Street movement and voters in between--view parks and public lands as essential to their state’s economy, and support upholding and strengthening protections for clean air, clean water, natural areas and wildlife."

The 2012 Conservation in the West Poll, part of the college's State of the Rockies Project, questioned voters of all political spectrums in Arizona, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. It found "two-thirds of Western voters say America’s energy policy should prioritize expanding use of clean renewable energy and reducing our need for more coal, oil and gas. Even in states like Wyoming and Montana, which are more often associated with fossil fuels, voters view renewable energy as a local job creator."

Here at Field & Stream we love a good time-lapse video. We thought it would be nice, seeing how it's Friday and all, to share one of these calming videos for an end-of-the-week treat!

This video in particular--which features breathtaking sunrises, sunsets, and even meteor showers--was a collaboration between Sheldon Neill and Colin Delehanty, in their ongoing Project Yosemite.