The Trump administration sent Greater Yellowstone into chaos. What’s next?
The region survived a year of deep cuts and layoffs. Here’s who is picking up the pieces.
Border wall blasting hits a treasured New Mexico mountain
A planned 1.3-mile wall across Mount Cristo Rey has drawn opposition from environmentalists and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces.
What a bombing in Nevada reveals about the nation’s appetite for violence
The rise of domestic terrorism in the West.
The government-funded coverup under our noses
History will judge the Trump administration harshly for elevating oil and gas at the expense of everything else.
Forest Service overhaul sows confusion, concern
In the Trump administration’s reorganization of the struggling agency, painful echoes of BLM’s past moves.
A DNA archive critical to identifying missing migrants has itself gone missing
The database is no longer accessible after the organization that started it shut down.
How HCN is helping fill a growing need for local news
The Western Environmental Reporting Collaborative ramps up in July.
New nuclear safety rules reduce protections for workers, the public
‘They’re pulling away from what’s kept us safe all these years.’
Why intentional fires can still be safe during this dry spring
Land managers are finding pockets of cool, wet conditions, allowing them to safely reduce future fire risk.
How I found trans joy in backcountry splitboarding
Under an administration threatening my existence, I find self-love through movement.
War exposes the energy dominance lie
True energy independence comes from weaning ourselves from fossil fuels.
Bureau of Indian Affairs could face reorganization, deeper staff cuts
Tribal leaders say previous cuts have already impacted the government’s ability to carry out programs in Indian Country.
Utah’s new study aims to kill ‘as many cougars as possible’
Critics say the state’s attempt to boost ungulate populations lacks scientific grounding and transparency.
Public lands need less extraction and more rewilding
In the age of extinction, we need a new model for these landscapes and the communities that rely on them.
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In This Issue
April 2026: Inside the Attack on Public Lands
In this issue we take a hard look at the on-the-ground impacts of the Trump administration’s slash-and-burn staffing and budget cuts, particularly as they affect the beloved, irreplaceable Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. We also ask what “domestic terrorism” really means and why so many notorious bombers…
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Water
The BLM wants to ramp up logging. Oregonians aren’t so sure.
What can we learn from salt lakes?
A shrinking Colorado River is forcing farms to change
Wildlife
Wildlife loves Wyoming’s ‘Golden Triangle.’ So do oil companies
How federal cuts are reshaping Alaska’s communities, research and species management
Badger signs: An essay from Terry Tempest Williams’ new book ‘The Glorians’
Public Lands
In major reversal, Interior allows top official with close industry ties to work on grazing policy
Black riders have always held the reins
Trump’s BLM is going all-in on resource extraction
Indigenous Affairs
Congress contemplates sweeping investigation of Native boarding schools
Heavily contested pumped hydro-storage project gets federal go-ahead
How Montana tribes are using sovereignty to restore their waterways
Communities
A champion Iditarod musher proved that caring and trust win races
How people are helping breeding frogs dodge cars
The Colorado River rift abides
Books
Three books explore deep time and help us look forward
We need to talk about the pretendians in our midst
National parks aren’t just for tourists. They’re an essential home for wildlife.
In the News
Why Colorado River negotiations are so difficult
Basin states have had 2 years to figure out how to share the shrinking river. Will they get there before the feds step in?