The Indian Health Service, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, provides health services to federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes. The agency focuses on school nutrition and exercise programs, education about diabetes and obesity, injury prevention, and treatment for mental health issues and substance abuse. With about 15,000 employees, […]
Anna V. Smith
Anna V. Smith is an associate editor of High Country News. She writes and edits stories on tribal sovereignty and environmental justice for the Indigenous Affairs desk from Oregon.
Posted inArticles
What is the U.S. Geological Survey?
The U.S. Geological Survey was created in 1879 to map the land and waters of the United States. Part of the Department of the Interior, today it also focuses on conducting scientific research and developing new methods and tools. The USGS gathers data on climate change, groundwater, natural ecosystems, oil, gas and renewable energy and […]
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What is the National Park Service?
Founded in 1916 as part of the Interior Department, the National Park Service oversees 417 units on over 84 million acres. That includes national parks as well as national monuments, historic landmarks, heritage areas, wild and scenic rivers and 44 million acres of designated wilderness. Its budget in 2016 was $3 billion, but it needs […]
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What is the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service?
Part of the Interior Department, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is primarily responsible for conserving the nation’s flora and fauna. It manages 850 million acres of water and land in the National Wildlife Refuge System, which provides hunting, fishing and wildlife-watching opportunities. The agency also oversees fish hatcheries, enforces federal wildlife laws and manages […]
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What is the Bureau of Reclamation?
The Bureau of Reclamation, part of the Interior Department, manages water conservation and delivery, flood control, drought response and rural water projects. It helped Western homesteaders in the early 20th century by providing water to farmers and ranchers through dams, irrigation and reservoirs. Today, it delivers water to one in five farmers in the Western […]
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What are the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement?
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management manages oil and gas exploration and leasing on 30 million underwater acres — part of the outer continental shelf, under U.S. jurisdiction, where drilling and extraction take place. The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement enforces regulations for offshore oil and gas rigs, oversees oil spill response and conducts […]
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What is the Bureau of Land Management?
The Bureau of Land Management, part of the Department of the Interior, was established in 1946 to administer grazing and mineral rights when the U.S. Grazing Service was merged with the General Land Office. Today it manages 246 million acres of land, mostly in the Western U.S., ranging from lush Northwestern forests to arid, oil-rich […]
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What is the Bureau of Indian Affairs?
The Bureau of Indian Affairs was created in 1824 to help the federal government negotiate trade and treaties and ultimately assimilate Native Americans into the dominant white culture. Its modern mission is to promote tribal self-determination by working with the nation’s 566 federally recognized Indian tribes, providing support for education, courts, law enforcement and social […]
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What is the Department of the Interior?
The Department of the Interior protects and manages the United States’ natural and cultural resources. This executive branch department is made up of 10 agencies that oversee federal public-land management on roughly 500 million acres, largely in the West. These include the National Park Service, responsible for national parks and some national monuments, and the […]
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Washington continues to kill wolves that prey on livestock
The state’s increasing wolf population is creating a tangle between advocates, ranchers and politicians.
Posted inSeptember 18, 2017: No Hoax
A salmon festival portends struggles on the Klamath River
The Yurok Tribe has again halted fishing during the chinook’s fall run.
Posted inAugust 7, 2017: Los Promotores
The West braces for a “cosmic traffic jam”
Hordes of travelers have filled up campsites and hotels in preparation.
Posted inAugust 7, 2017: Los Promotores
Latest: Duel over Owens Valley water intensifies
A county uses eminent domain to try to reclaim land taken by LA.
Posted inArticles
The Interior secretary gave a closed-door speech to ALEC
The pro-land-transfer group has the ear of Ryan Zinke and other key Trump cabinet members.
Posted inAugust 21, 2017: Rooftop Revolution
Under Trump, tribal land ownership is not a priority
Hearings and Interior statements signal a step back for tribes trying to acquire lands.
Posted inArticles
Help us report on hate in the West
High Country News joins a national effort to document hate.
Posted inJune 26, 2017: Personal Pilgrimage
The man behind our new tribal affairs desk
Our latest letter to readers welcomes Tristan Ahtone to the team.
Posted inJune 12, 2017: The Big Swing
Reading the old-fashioned way
Warmer weather brings visitors to High Country News.
Posted inArticles
In Montana, an election shows a deepening partisan divide
Gianforte wins a House seat despite violence and after millions of dollars in spending.
Posted inMay 29, 2017: The Cost of a Comeback
Old friends and new adventures
Wildflowers abound in the Colorado Rockies right now, and as warmer weather settles in, yellow glacier lilies and purple two-lobed larkspur have begun to grace our hikes. What a great time to welcome back an old friend — Michelle McClellen, who interned at HCN in 1996. Michelle was visiting Four Corners and Mesa Verde National […]