Lost in the Stacks: The Crazies

The cursed wind: the scour-your-face, yank-a-car-door, topple-a-truck menace was a fact of life for Montanans. So why not, thought rancher Rick Jarrett, take that omnipresent wind that swept through his acres of sweetgrass and cattle, and turn it into a blessing? Ranching was a risky business. A wind farm would provide a steady income and allow Rick to leave the ranch as a legacy to his children.

Rick’s billionaire neighbors had a different legacy in mind. These wealthy men and their wives owned thousands of acres of paradise: parts of the gorgeous Crazy Mountains, the rippling Yellowstone Rivers and expanses of grass. It was a place of stunning views, great fishing and hunting, and a haven for wildlife. Even though many of these landowners only lived in Montana part time, they didn’t want the public hiking in their mountains, fishing in their streams, and they sure didn’t want an unsightly wind farm blocking their views.

The showdown began. Would the property rights of ranchers surpass the billionaires desire for unspoiled beauty? Amy Gamerman narrates the ensuing court cases in her engaging narrative The Crazies: The Cattleman, the Wind Prospector, and a War out West. If a court case about wind farms seems a little boring, let me assure you Gamerman weaves a masterful tale chock full of colorful characters, interesting history and glorious descriptions of the land.