Feature stories
Browse High Country News feature stories
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Sowing the red suns of August
Even when the tomatoes freeze and the deer trespass, gardening serves its own high purpose.
by Sean Gillihan, Aug 19, 1996 -
While the vultures circle
The writer describes a summer as a "human mule" surveying the Arizona desert, where only the vultures move in the heat.
by Gary Every, Aug 19, 1996 -
Searching for grass in a magic valley
A hot summer spent inspecting the dry range in an Idaho valley brings a close encounter with a coyote.
by Peter Stekel, Aug 19, 1996 -
Of muskrats and mortality
A writer watches muskrats in Utah's Logan Canyon as she tries to come to terms with her father's approaching death.
by Ona Siporin, Aug 19, 1996 -
A new breed of artists depicts Montana - cyanide leach fields and all
Contemporary Montana artists create protest art as they try to depict the real Montana.
by Carol Bradley, Aug 19, 1996 -
Disappearing railroad blues
The merger of the Union Pacific and Southern Pacific railroads creates a monopoly that may leave some of Colorado and Utah's working towns without rail transport for their coal.
by Ed Quillen, Aug 05, 1996 -
Drought cuts to the bone on Southwest range
The Southwest's severe drought takes a toll on the ranchers of New Mexico's Gila National Forest.
by Lisa Jones, Jul 22, 1996 -
Deciding what kind of river we want
Canyon hydrologist Jack Schmidt says that the decision of how to manage the Colorado River requires a decision on what kind of river people want it to be.
by George Sibley, Jul 22, 1996 -
Glen Canyon: Using a dam to heal a river
The first-ever manmade flood of the Colorado River through Arizona's Glen Canyon Dam is intended to help repair the river in Grand Canyon - and perhaps to signal the end of the "technocratic utopia" dream.
by George Sibley, Jul 22, 1996 -
The Country Doctor
Reserve, N.M., Dr. Mark Unverzagt, in his own words, on the often overlooked middle ground in Catron County.
by Lisa Jones, Jun 24, 1996 -
The Psychologist
Psychologist Melinda Garcia, in her own words, on working with people in Catron County's "war zone."
by Lisa Jones, Jun 24, 1996 -
The Forest Ranger
Forest Service District Ranger Mike Gardner, in his own words, on dealing with the tensions in Catron County.
by Lisa Jones, Jun 24, 1996 -
The Businessperson
An anonymous Catron County businessperson, in his words, on the tensions between factions in the county.
by Lisa Jones, Jun 24, 1996 -
The County Attorney
Catron County Attorney Jim Catron, in his own words, on the "rural Western resistance to the federal empire."
by Lisa Jones, Jun 24, 1996 -
Catron County's politics heat up as its land goes bankrupt
Catron County, N.M., the home of the county independence movement, is a study of contrasts - its people heavily dependent on the federal government and its land and rivers dying.
by Tony Davis, Jun 24, 1996 -
Tough love proves too tough
Controversial "wilderness therapy programs" such as Utah's North Star, intended for troubled kids, come under critical scrutiny - and lawsuits - after several teenagers die while in their care.
by Christopher Smith, Jun 10, 1996 -
Getting outside all around the West
A state-by-state directory describes some of the many outdoor education programs in the West.
by Michelle Mcclellan, Jun 10, 1996 -
Spreading the gospel: Outdoor education teaches people to know and care about the West
The number and variety of outdoor education programs has increased dramatically in the last 25 years.
by Elizabeth Manning, Jun 10, 1996 -
Utah ushers its frogs toward oblivion
Utah, which once boasted exceptionally rich populations of reptiles and amphibians, now does nothing to stop their rapid disappearance.
by Todd Wilkinson, May 27, 1996 -
Everyone helps a California forest - except the Forest Service
The Quincy Library Group of Plumas County, Calif., has won much approval nationally and yet finds itself having to battle the Forest Serivce on its own ground.
by Jon Christensen, May 13, 1996
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