What can we learn from salt lakes?
A Q&A with Caroline Tracey about her new book, which documents the plight of one of our most unusual ecosystems.
Black riders have always held the reins
What ‘High Horse’ gets right about Black cowboys and the West.
A shrinking Colorado River is forcing farms to change
From low-flow nozzles to baling hay at night, see how farmers are adapting to less water.
How federal cuts are reshaping Alaska’s communities, research and species management
A former U.S. Geological Survey research scientist reflects on the Trump administration’s sweeping changes in the agency.
Heavily contested pumped hydro-storage project gets federal go-ahead
The project in the Columbia Gorge would involve tunneling through a Ḱamíłpa sacred mountain.
Trump’s BLM is going all-in on resource extraction
The agency’s new plan for ecologically significant areas of western Oregon is not responsible forest management.
How Montana tribes are using sovereignty to restore their waterways
‘We live at the backbone of the world, where the water begins.’
A champion Iditarod musher proved that caring and trust win races
As the 2026 sled dog race kicks off, the lessons of Susan Butcher still resonate.
Badger signs: An essay from Terry Tempest Williams’ new book ‘The Glorians’
Thoughts on an elusive animal and the afterlife.
Coyotes and cougars and rats, oh my!
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
Why Western states are pushing for plug-in solar
State laws and product standards could make or break the nascent portable solar market.
As a caribou herd crashed, wildlife managers turned to killing predators
The controversial culling program reveals the messy politics behind reviving a struggling Alaska herd.
The essentials of democracy
Keep sending public comments, because our future hangs in the balance.
FROM THE GRIMOIRE
A poem by D.A. Powell.
Most Popular Stories
High Country News Classifieds
- Salary Range: $97,750.00 To $115,000.00 Annually Position Summary This is a role that will work under the direction of the Marketing & Communications Director. The Associate Director of Donor Communications will be responsible for leading the strategy, development, and execution […]
In This Issue
March 2026: The Uncertainty of Farming in the Colorado River Basin
HCN looks at several Western ecosystems and the various species that depend on them — including the human beings who rely on the drought-stricken Colorado River. How are farmers in the Colorado River Basin adapting to climate change, given the contentious politics around water use?…
Try HCN for free
Water
The Colorado River rift abides
Snowmaking could be the future of skiing. But at what cost?
The coming failure of Glen Canyon Dam
Wildlife
How people are helping breeding frogs dodge cars
It’s time to rethink how we care for our public lands and waters
The farther the walk, the fatter the deer, study finds
Public Lands
Trump’s BLM nominee waffles on public land sell-off stance
Karen Budd-Falen’s ethics documents spark renewed calls for an investigation
Skimo is hot, in hot times
Indigenous Affairs
LandBack advances across the West
What does ‘time immemorial’ really mean?
We need to talk about the pretendians in our midst
Communities
How community organizers are amplifying Oregon’s Black music history
The little-known photographer who documented a changing Okanogan, Washington
‘Rural areas are very powerful — and often underestimated’
Books
Three books explore deep time and help us look forward
National parks aren’t just for tourists. They’re an essential home for wildlife.
The fallout from Ruby Ridge
In the News
Markwayne Mullin is for Trump – and Indian Country
The Cherokee congressman, who is hard-right and white-passing, may not seem like an Indigenous lawmaker, but he’s no anomaly.