Can Alaska save caribou by killing bears?
A controversial culling program aims to revive a struggling herd in the southwest corner of the state.
FROM THE GRIMOIRE
A poem by D.A. Powell.
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.
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.
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.
The farther the walk, the fatter the deer, study finds
New research shows the importance of intact migration pathways for Wyoming deer.
How community organizers are amplifying Oregon’s Black music history
“The place just embraced me. Everybody was singing the same song.”
Skimo is hot, in hot times
The newest Olympic winter sport arrives just as snow droughts are becoming more likely.
The little-known photographer who documented a changing Okanogan, Washington
A century later, Frank Matsura’s images are still at the heart of families’ memories.
‘Rural areas are very powerful — and often underestimated’
#iamthewest: Giving voice to the people that make up communities in the region.
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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?…
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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
What’s needed to protect sage grouse?
Where giant kangaroo rats — and other critters — thrive
Would you pay 1% more for wildlife?
Public Lands
The nation’s trails are disappearing
Alaska’s public lands are a political battleground
Congress passes environmental funding without Trump’s deep cuts
Indigenous Affairs
LandBack advances across the West
What does ‘time immemorial’ really mean?
We need to talk about the pretendians in our midst
Communities
Learning to two-step at a queer country bar
New Mexico demands fix for federal nuclear waste management
How Breckenridge reserved almost 75% of its full-time housing for workforce
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.