High Country News

The Forest Service battles placer mining with an obscure law

A little-known 1955 law gives the Forest Service a way to shut down placer mining claims along some Western rivers.

by Marshall Swearingen, May 01, 2013

The latest: A cautious cave re-opening

After closing all Western caves to protect bats from deadly white-nose syndrome, the Forest Service re-opens certain caves

by Sarah Jane Keller, Apr 29, 2013

Watching land swaps in Idaho and the West

Federal land exchanges have come under increased scrutiny over the past decade, both from citizen activists and the Government Accountability Office.

by Neil LaRubbio, Sep 11, 2012

Smokey Bear: From cute to buff, and in between

Smokey Bear’s many image changes over the years reflect the Forest Service’s changing attitudes toward wildfire.

by Jodi Peterson , Jul 22, 2012

Western legislatures grab for control of public lands

Some Western states are rekindling the Sagebrush Rebellion and demanding ownership of federal lands -- but it's not just about local control.

by Jodi Peterson, May 15, 2012

Selling what's priceless is the nuttiest idea of all

Some Western legislators want to sell off our public lands -- an idea that is not only impractical, but contrary to the desires of most Westerners.

by Jeff Welsch, May 09, 2012

Wolf management in Idaho is not ready for prime time

The controversy that flared when a trapper posted a photo of himself with a dying wolf proves that Idaho and other Western states are incapable of managing wolves without the help of the Endangered Species Act.

by Michael J. Robinson, Apr 24, 2012

When wolf-trapping goes viral

When a trapper posted photos of himself with a dying wolf on Facebook, the resulting angry, hate-filled uproar on the Internet accomplished nothing useful.

by Erin Zwiener, Apr 23, 2012

Face it: All forests are "sluts"

If an allegedly untouched piece of woodland is "virgin forest," what does that make a forest that’s been logged or burnt or otherwise used by humans over the years?

by Sharon Friedman, Apr 12, 2012

Dead man working

When Robert Palmer began crusading for better medical care on the firelines in memory of his brother, he realized -- as many reformers do -- that one of the problems lies in the risk-accepting culture of firefighting and other outdoor occupations.

by Neil LaRubbio, Apr 12, 2012

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