#250 | God's Country: The Faith & Fate Of Land Use In The American West w/ Betsy Gaines Quammen

Intro: 11:36 | Book Pre-sale

In this episode, I speak with historian and conservationist Betsy Gaines Quammen, author of ‘American Zion: Cliven Bundy, God and Public Lands in the West.’ 

This discussion with Betsy begins with an examination of the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and how the theological underpinnings of this religious organization has played an important and instrumental role in the settler-colonialist expansion in the American West since the followers of this faith settled in the region over a century ago. This is especially relevant when we examine how these historical processes have led to the present day crises of land use in the region — conflicts between the federal government (e.g. the Bureau of Land Management) and the political extremism of various cattle ranchers and the militia movement, particularly the Bundy family (Cliven and his son Ammon). The Bundy's numerous high-profile confrontations with federal authorities in recent years have been at the forefront of the "wise use" movement, a "loose-knit coalition of groups promoting the expansion of private property rights and reduction of government regulation of publicly held property." (https://bit.ly/3djbaub) These confrontations came to a head in 2014, with Cliven Bundy leading an armed confrontation with the BLM regarding a 21-year legal dispute involving grazing fees on public land in southeastern Nevada, and in 2016 with Ammon Bundy leading the armed occupation of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Harney County, Oregon, lasting well over a month. Betsy reveals the longstanding relationship far-right militias have had with the Bundy’s and their ongoing conflict with public land management in the western United States, and how the theology of the LDS church has informed their relationship with the land in the region. With these high-profile armed confrontations in mind, I ask Betsy to point to where this ultimately will lead — environmentally, politically, and socially. 

Betsy Gaines Quammen received a doctorate in Environmental History from Montana State University in 2017, her dissertation focusing on Mormon settlement and public land conflicts. She has studied various religious traditions over the years, with particular attention to how cultures view landscape and wildlife. The rural American west, pastoral communities of northern Mongolia, and the grasslands of East Africa have been her main areas of interest. After college in Colorado, caretaking for a bed and breakfast in Mosier, Oregon, and serving breakfasts at a café in Kanab, Utah, Betsy has settled in Bozeman, Montana, where she now lives with her husband, writer David Quammen.

Episode Notes:

- Learn more about Betsy and her work: https://www.betsygainesquammen.com

- Learn more about and purchase ‘American Zion: Cliven Bundy, God and Public Lands in the West’ and ‘The Earth Will Appear as the Garden of Eden: Essays on Mormon Environmental History’ : https://bit.ly/3gAJfYO / https://bit.ly/2Bj83Vb

- Read an excerpt of ‘American Zion’ her interview at High Country News: https://bit.ly/2zBNov0 / https://bit.ly/2TPAgsM

- Learn more about Wild Earth Guardians: https://wildearthguardians.org

- The song featured in this episode is “Tumbling Tumbleweeds” by The Sons of the Pioneers.