Straight-talking publisher defends traditional West

In 1989, a breakfast with a group of cowboys changed the life of C.J. short for Caroline Joy Hadley's life.

John Ascuaga who knew Hadley from Nevada Magazine and one of his cattle drives, recommended Hadley to the cowboys.

Until then the girl from Birmingham, England, had edited Car and Driver, published Nevada Magazine, wrote for Sports Illustrated, and traveled the world as a well-paid writer and photographer.

The cowboys wanted to publish a 32-page brochure informing members of Congress that cowboys were not the bad guys.

For about the same cost, Hadley cajoled them into running 20,000 copies and sending them out to numerous states.

Featuring the difficulties faced by workers on six ranches from around Nevada, the brochure met positive reactions.

When she began the project, Hadley knew little about the ranchers' problems.After the mailings, some California cowboys educated her further about difficulties from endangered species, takings, wetlands, urban encroachment, and environmental innocence.

That visit provided the impetus for Range, a magazine published and owned by Hadley.

From the first issue in 1992, funding has been a challenge.

Initially, she worked from her home, used her '57 Chevy as her file department, and worked part time for Silver and Blue, a UNR publication, to defray the cost of the magazine.

In 1996, she moved to her current quarters in Carson City and hired her first employee.

Range is controversial.

Tim Findley, Hadley's investigative reporter, has tackled muckraking topics about endangered species, water rights, and The Nature Conservancy.

The profile stories are personal but propelled by issues: water shut off to a ranch causes the land to become arid or tightening federal regulations result in large fines.

Every week, Hadley receives calls from ranchers whose livelihood is affected by political and environmental policies.

According to the blunt-spoken Hadley, "Food producers are the most important people in the world, and they should be applauded.

But in the U.

S.

they are being abused by people who want their land for political and environmental reasons ... And it's wrong." The hardest part of her job is dealing with the misery suffered by so many ranchers, misery not of their own doing.

To alleviate her own agony over gut-wrenching stories, she has just published "Grit, Guts, and Glory / Portrait of the West," the second volume in the trilogy she playfully calls "The Lord of the Range." The books, beautifully photographed, are an ode to the West and the cowboys and sheepherders who live and work the land.

Debt remains a problem.When invited to give a speech, Hadley asks for magazine subscriptions.

Income from advertisements is limited; only products that complement the magazine's purpose are welcomed.When it receives its nonprofit status, Range Conservation Foundation, the organization Hadley establish to preserve American agricultural lands and ranching traditions, can qualify for grants.

Heart-warming are the love letters and the contributions that dribble in, often from $100 to $500.

One Texan sent $45,000, another $10,000.

A Reno company paid her salary for a year.

Others have donated computers or office equipment.

Hadley has been called everything from a "cousin-marryin', Shepler-shopping troglodyte" to "God in Oregon." On Jan.

8, 2005,Western Ranchers Beef will present the "Westerner of the Year" award to her.

The glossy, photo-filled magazine has 150,000 subscribers, split between urban, suburban and rural, mostly middle-aged males, in all states and many countries.

Adamant about educating the public, Hadley is pleased the magazine's website had 2.5 million hits in 2003, indicating many see the message.

However, the magazine needs more visibility in schools, libraries, waiting rooms, and places where there is traffic.

Hadley intends to increase the number of issues from four to six per year but is not able to fund them at least, not yet.