‘It was the worst possible way to end the winter that was already worse than normal.’
The ramifications of record-shattering heat on the West’s ecosystems
Posted inApril 2026: Inside the Attack on Public Lands
‘Just noticing birds improves your health’
#iamthewest: Giving voice to the people that make up communities in the region.
Posted inArticles
How New Mexico is ‘building a forest’ by solving a seedling shortage
A Q&A with the New Mexico Reforestation Center director about what it takes to replant a burn scar post-wildfire.
Posted inApril 2026: Inside the Attack on Public Lands
Wildfires transform soil, turning a nutrient into poisonous chromium-6
New research shows how severe blazes create a carcinogen and how long it might persist.
Posted inArticles
War, climate change and AI are at stake at the 2026 UN Indigenous forum
Delegates are arriving in New York for the world’s largest gathering of Indigenous peoples, despite the U.S. presenting challenges for attendees to secure visas.
Posted inArticles
Why mycorrhizal fungi networks need more protection
Scientists say the West’s hidden biodiversity warrants more attention.
Posted inApril 2026: Inside the Attack on Public Lands
How I learned to stop worrying and love flies
These underdogs of the animal world have superhero-like powers. Why don’t we appreciate them more?
Posted inArticles
Interior Department crafted talking points for public lands sell-off agenda
The agency’s leadership distanced itself from the controversial proposal even though staff helped research public-land sales.
Posted inMay 2026: Pinecone Cowboys
The West’s snow drought meant record dryness — but also record flooding
From the Cascades to the San Juans, the nearly snowless winter wasn’t the same everywhere.
Posted inApril 2026: Inside the Attack on Public Lands
‘Energy dominance’ agenda sidelines tribes
Changes to NEPA come at the expense of tribal consultation. The administration has changed or revoked rules and policies to prioritize extraction.
Posted inApril 2026: Inside the Attack on Public Lands
Opting out could be the thing that sets you free
How a bison inspired me to set boundaries and just say no.
Posted inArticles
Tribal leaders reflect on a year of uncertainty — and possibility
Federal turnover and policy shifts have forced Indigenous communities to adapt.
Posted inIssues
Trotting tortoises, juggling unicyclists, ancient clothing and bear poop beer
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
Posted inArticles
A new era of industrial logging looms
Mapping the possible impacts of the Roadless Rule overhaul
Posted inApril 2026: Inside the Attack on Public Lands
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.
Posted inArticles
The public got one week to comment on Chaco Canyon drilling. It’s almost over
Indigenous leaders, New Mexico political leaders accuse feds of rushing a decision about the sacred site.
Posted inArticles
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.
Posted inApril 2026: Inside the Attack on Public Lands
What a bombing in Nevada reveals about the nation’s appetite for violence
The rise of domestic terrorism in the West.
Posted inApril 2026: Inside the Attack on Public Lands
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.
Posted inApril 2026: Inside the Attack on Public Lands
How HCN is helping fill a growing need for local news
The Western Environmental Reporting Collaborative ramps up in July.