Mike Hudak facts for kids

Michael John Hudak is an environmental expert and writer. He is also an activist for the Sierra Club, a radio host, and a public speaker. He cares deeply about the harm that ranching causes to US public lands, especially in Western states. This harm affects the environment and wild animals.

He wrote a book called Western Turf Wars: The Politics of Public Lands Ranching. This book is about issues with cattle grazing. He also made a series of videos that go with the book. In 1999, he started a group called Public Lands Without Livestock. Hudak has taught thousands of people, including members of the Sierra Club, about the problems of livestock grazing on public lands. His photos and writings clearly show the environmental damage caused by raising animals for food on these lands.

Early Life and Education

Michael John Hudak was born on December 4, 1952. Before he became a full-time environmental activist, he worked as a computer researcher. He earned his first degree in Mathematics from Binghamton University in 1975. He then got a master's degree in Computer Science from Northwestern University in 1977. In 1986, he received his PhD in Advanced Technology (Computer Science) from Binghamton University. His research involved studying how computers can "learn" and remember things, similar to how our brains work.

Working with the Sierra Club

Hudak has spent many years working with the Sierra Club. This is a large environmental organization in the United States.

Early Campaigns

From 1993 to 1994, Hudak helped lead a campaign in Binghamton, New York. This campaign, called "Beyond Beef," wanted McDonald's to offer a meatless burger. The goal was to encourage people to eat less meat for environmental reasons.

Focus on Public Lands

In 1997, Hudak started to study the impact of livestock on public lands. He had noticed problems while hiking in the Western US. For more than 20 months, he researched and traveled across the West. He wanted to understand how ranching affected these important natural areas.

Between 1998 and 2000, he gave 45 talks with photos to Sierra Club groups. He visited 20 different states. His goal was to convince the Sierra Club to change its policy. He wanted them to oppose commercial livestock grazing on federal public lands. He also wrote many articles for the internet and for Sierra Club newsletters.

By the summer of 2000, many Sierra Club groups agreed with him. Fifteen chapters and twenty-two groups, which made up 37% of the Sierra Club's members, signed resolutions. These resolutions asked the Sierra Club to oppose livestock grazing on public lands.

Changing Sierra Club Policy

From 1999 to 2000, Hudak helped the Sierra Club's Grazing Task Force. In December 1999, he learned that the club's leaders planned to discuss their grazing policy. They wanted to change it at a meeting in May 2000. When the discussion was moved to September, Hudak decided to take action.

He started a petition for a member vote. This vote would ask the Sierra Club to stop commercial livestock grazing on federal public lands. He personally collected almost half of the needed signatures. Other activists helped gather the rest.

During this time, he also led a Sierra Club group that wanted to end commercial livestock grazing. These efforts led to a new grazing policy being adopted by the Sierra Club's board in September 2000. Hudak supported this new policy, even though he felt it could be stronger. He then suggested withdrawing the petition for a member vote. However, some members who had worked with him disagreed. They continued with the petition, and the vote took place in 2001. The initiative was defeated by a large margin.

Ongoing Work and Achievements

Since 2001, Michael John Hudak has continued his work. He researches, writes, and speaks about how ranching practices in the US are not sustainable. He focuses on the impact on America's public lands.

• Public Lands Without Livestock: In 1999, he founded and became the director of Public Lands Without Livestock. This group is part of the International Humanities Center.
• Sierra Club National Grazing Committee: He has been a key member of the Sierra Club's National Grazing Committee for many years. He was a corresponding member from 2005 to 2007. He became a full member in 2007. From 2007 to 2008, he was the Vice Chair, and since July 2008, he has been the Chair of this committee.
• Published Photographs: His photographs have appeared in several books that discuss environmental issues:
  • Welfare Ranching: The Subsidized Destruction of the American West (2002)
  • Wildfire: A Century of Failed Forest Policy (2006)
• Sierra Club Slide Show: His photos are also featured in the Sierra Club's slide show called "Western Public Lands Grazing: The True Costs."
• Who's Who in America: From 2003 to 2004, he was included in Who’s Who in America. This book lists important people in the United States.