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.
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.
An ode to Johnny Sagebrush
Bart Koehler helped Westerners protect the places they love.
New board members join the team
These folks graciously serve our nonprofit to ensure the organization stays sound.
How people are helping breeding frogs dodge cars
Meet the volunteers shuttling northern red-legged frogs across a 4-lane highway in Oregon to lay eggs.
The Colorado River rift abides
States’ stalemate persists as Lake Powell races toward de facto deadpool.
Trump’s BLM nominee waffles on public land sell-off stance
Steve Pearce, the White House’s second oil and gas-connected pick, is ”not so sure” he’s changed.
It’s time to rethink how we care for our public lands and waters
Two former, high-ranking Interior Department employees, from opposing political parties, call for an overhaul of public-land management.
Snowmaking could be the future of skiing. But at what cost?
As the climate changes, ski resorts have begun relying more on energy and water-intensive machine-made snow.
Karen Budd-Falen’s ethics documents spark renewed calls for an investigation
Interior’s new release of ethics disclosures shed new light on the official’s growing scandal.
Most Popular Stories
High Country News Classifieds
- "Every moment is an organizing opportunity, every person a potential activist, every minute a chance to change the world." – Dolores Huerta, community organizer GRASSROOTS FUNDRAISING COORDINATOR Join our talented team as the Grassroots Fundraising Coordinator and be part of […]
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 coming failure of Glen Canyon Dam
Trump’s call for deep-sea mining off Alaska raises Indigenous concerns
An EPA proposal would make it harder for tribes to protect their water
Wildlife
The farther the walk, the fatter the deer, study finds
What’s needed to protect sage grouse?
Where giant kangaroo rats — and other critters — thrive
Public Lands
Skimo is hot, in hot times
The nation’s trails are disappearing
Alaska’s public lands are a political battleground
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
Welcome to Daylight Nonsense Time
When the Yukon tinkered with the time change, it stretched the Mountain Time Zone to its breaking point.