News
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(Don't) Let it burn
A "temporary" policy change requires Forest Service firefighters to put out fires they might have let burn in previous years, for fear of them raging out of control.
by Emily Guerin , Sep 02, 2012 -
Saving threatened Utah prairie dogs -- on private property
Can a new approach to conservation help landowners and endangered species coexist?
by Nathan Rice, Aug 28, 2012 -
Alaska Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell on the U.S. as an Arctic nation
Treadwell, an expert in the politics of the opening Arctic, discusses offshore drilling, the Arctic as a global economic powerhouse, and climate change adaptation.
by Michael Burger, Aug 21, 2012 -
Western states' transportation spending reveals their priorities
A breakdown of what various states spend on bike lanes and public transportation.
by Brendon Bosworth, Aug 19, 2012 -
Tunneling under California's Bay Delta water wars
Environmentalists and fishermen have panned past versions of Gov. Jerry Brown's new proposal for water export tunnels, but it might actually help endangered fish.
by Emily Green, Aug 20, 2012 -
What the High Park wildfire can teach us about protecting homes
After the Colorado wildfires, experts try to figure out why some "fire-proofed" neighborhoods with defensible space burned, while similar neighborhoods didn't.
by Joshua Zaffos, Aug 07, 2012 -
The Continental Divide Trail gains new protectors
After its original trail group dissolved in January, in July the new Continental Divide Trail Coalition formed. They'll coordinate protection and maintenance of the long-distance hiking route through five Western states.
by Emily Guerin, Aug 05, 2012 -
The Bakken oil play spurs a booming business -- in water
Hydraulic fracturing's extraordinary appetite for water is creating friction between North Dakota's farmers and drillers.
by Nicholas Kusnetz, Aug 06, 2012 -
Will Utah's tar sands make it the Alberta of the high desert?
Calgary-based U.S. Oil Sands says it's ready to take its exploratory effort in eastern Utah’s Tavaputs Plateau commercial.
by Jeremy Miller, Jul 31, 2012 -
Oregon ignores logging road runoff, to the peril of native fish
Oregon has long refused to regulate sediment runoff from logging roads as pollution under the Clean Water Act. Now, the U.S. Supreme Court will decide what the state should do.
by Joshua Zaffos, Jul 27, 2012 -
Coal-export schemes ignite unusual opposition, from Wyoming to India
Ambitious schemes to build railroads and ports to ship Powder River Basin coal abroad will bring pollution and traffic to communities along the transport path, who are rising up in protest.
by Ray Ring, Jul 24, 2012 -
Congress thwarts effort to reduce Grand Canyon noise pollution
A last-minute provision in July’s transportation bill overrules Park Service recommendations for quieting the cacophony of sightseeing air traffic over the Grand Canyon.
by Emily Guerin, Jul 22, 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 -
Beyond the politics of no: Luther Propst and collaborative conservation
The Sonoran Institute's departing founder reflects on 20 years of conservation work and how he developed his approach to protecting land while working with a wide range of stakeholders.
by Paul Larmer, Jul 18, 2012 -
On the prowl with Oregon's pygmy owls
Biologist John Deshler knows more about pygmy owls than just about anyone. Writer Nick Neely spent a fascinating day with Deshler tracking, capturing and measuring the owls in Portland's Forest Park.
by Nick Neely, Jul 13, 2012 -
Afield with a vegan gas man
HCN talks with Eric Sanford of SG Interests about the politics of energy development, split estate, and more.
by Paul Larmer, Jul 08, 2012 -
Three days in the Four Corners
A loop around the Four Corners, where Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah meet, leads into a land of both historical and geological friction.
by Jonathan Thompson, Jul 05, 2012 -
Three days in eastern Montana
A saunter through the grasslands of eastern Montana brings interesting encounters with cowboys, bull-riders, small-towners and BLM rangers, not to mention wildlife and endless skies.
by Neil LaRubbio, Jul 03, 2012 -
Three days in western Nevada
A lot of places call themselves "gateway cities," but Reno, Nev., is truly the gateway to a lot of strange and amazingly gorgeous places.
by Ray Ring, Jun 28, 2012 -
Three days in southwest New Mexico
Santa Fe may be too ritzy for its britches, but the funky, far-flung towns of southern New Mexico still have that special "spice" that makes the state unique.
by Cally Carswell, Jun 26, 2012
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