Can the last casino in Primm, Nevada, save a desert community?
A last-minute deal is another bet on the town’s unlikely survival.
A ban on chainsaws in wilderness is performative, not practical
An experienced trail crew leader argues that, in today’s forests, the rigidity of the regulation buries what it’s designed to protect.
The conflict over permanent climbing anchors in wilderness
Climbers concerned about safety are pitted against wilderness advocates worried about overcrowding and unfettered bolting.
Pueblo leaders, New Mexico lawmakers speak out to protect Chaco Canyon
Officials call push to remove an oil and gas buffer around the culturally critical monument ‘an absolute gut punch.’
I used to ignore prediction markets. Then I learned people were betting on wildfires
My story on prediction market wildfire wagers exposed the gamification of natural disasters.
Alaska Native communities prepare for man camps driven by new mining boom
How one village established a Native-led sexual assault response team to help address the oncoming chaotic boomtown atmosphere.
A new section of the billion-dollar border wall in Arizona is bent out of shape
At least four panels of the wall in the San Rafael Valley were mysteriously damaged months before a controversy-plagued contractor even finished construction.
The clock is ticking for New Mexico to cut Rio Grande water use
For now, the state is counting on voluntary cuts among vegetable and pecan farmers. But that might not be enough.
Bears Ears cuts also end first-of-its-kind tribal land commission
A presidential proclamation slashed the monument by 90% despite a promise to involve tribes.
The Chinese immigrants trafficked on New Mexico’s weed farms
Migrant workers were trapped in the Southwest’s illicit cannabis boom and treated as criminals — until investigators began chasing their bosses.
Feds transfer grizzly bear management to states
After 20-year controversy and numerous court battles, the Trump administration declared grizzlies recovered despite public lands rollbacks.
How a Utah Republican’s quiet battle for hunting access undercut LandBack hopes
Rep. Casey Snider worked behind the scenes for years to transfer large blocks of roadless state trust land to wildlife officials — cutting the Ute Tribe out in the process.
On Mount Shasta, a photographic record outlasts living memory
The re-photo project maps what used to be.
Collapsing mountains in Alaska are causing massive tsunamis
Climate change is shrinking glaciers, destabilizing the state’s coastline and shaking its tourism industry.
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In This Issue
July 2026: Lost in the Weeds
The West has always dealt with natural disasters, human trafficking and crime, but today those problems are taking on new forms. What happens when one of Alaska’s melting glaciers causes a landslide that sends a tsunami tearing through a fjord frequented by cruise ships and…
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Water
Can restoration save the Delta smelt?
The Klamath Tribes couldn’t get federal dollars for salmon. Then the Yurok stepped in
The Deschutes River goes to the water-rich few during drought. Farmers are paying the price
Wildlife
The electrifying allure of a tide pool creature
Bazillions of bunnies, Montecito’s ‘hog heaven,’ and pride will always prevail
On Oregon’s McKenzie River, an unprecedented approach to restoration takes shape
Public Lands
The rules for grazing on 155 million acres of public lands are getting overhauled
Sen. Mike Lee targets the Roadless Rule
Billions in border wall contracts are going to a Montana firm run by a Trump donor
Indigenous Affairs
Treat water like family, not profit
The facade of the Red Wind commune
War, climate change and AI are at stake at the 2026 UN Indigenous forum
Communities
Let’s go in on the American dream, together
Meet the students graduating from Montana’s smallest classes
‘What we have to do is come together and stick together’
Books
What can we learn from salt lakes?
Badger signs: An essay from Terry Tempest Williams’ new book ‘The Glorians’
Three books explore deep time and help us look forward
In the News
Hey New York, we’ve survived decades of smoke. Here’s how
Tips on staying healthy, keeping sane and getting through being socked in by smoke.