High Country News

Land trusts thrive despite, and because of, the Great Recession

The recession has afforded a unique opportunity for land trusts to protect more of the West’s private open land through direct acquisitions and, increasingly, conservation easements.

by Jon Christensen, Jenny Rempel and Judee Burr , Dec 13, 2011
Two weeks in the West

A flurry of end-of-year easements saves lots of lovely landscapes; heli-skiing wins in Utah; snow-lovers help starving Colorado deer; a possible ceasefire on the Klamath; and bark beetles are destroying Colorado’s lodgepole pines.

by Jodi Peterson, Feb 04, 2008
Unpaved with good intentions

A new breed of land trusts seeks not merely to preserve undeveloped landscape, but to keep it in agricultural use – particularly in organic farming.

by Seth Zuckerman, Sep 18, 2006
How big is your backyard?

We all become NIMBYs when development threatens our favorite landscapes – even conservative oilmen like Wyoming’s Diemer True.

by Paul Larmer, Dec 15, 2009
Whose Valles Caldera is it?

The beautiful Valles Caldera National Preserve in northern New Mexico is run by a closed corporation that excludes the public, overcharges visitors and now is seeking to profit from development.

by Mike Castinado, Sep 01, 2009
The lands less traveled are a treat

The National Landscape Conservation System allows adventurous tourists to experience beautiful, remote landscapes far from the nearest souvenir store.

by Jodi Peterson, Jun 15, 2009
Invading the silence

Annie Proulx talks about Wyoming's Red Desert along with photographs by Martin Stupich.

by Emma Brown and Martin Stupich, Apr 06, 2009
The desert that breaks Annie Proulx's heart

Writer Annie Proulx takes an unsentimental view of Wyoming’s little-known and somewhat scarred Red Desert.

by Emma Brown, Apr 06, 2009
'Sticking around' for an alpine valley

Attilio Genasci has devoted himself to preserving land in Sierra Valley, Calif., where he has lived and farmed for 96 years

by Jane Braxton Little, Nov 28, 2005
Surprise bequest to protect Columbia Gorge

The Friends of the Columbia Gorge, a small conservation group based in Portland, Ore., has received a $4 million bequest from Norman Yeon

by Michael Milstein, Apr 18, 2005