Items by Paul Larmer

Energy without hypocrisy
Natural gas is a wonderful thing, but our need for it does not outweigh our responsibility to the land
Reawakening our wild humanity
Human beings can learn a lot from our wild animal cousins, but we need to pay more attention to them — especially to the ones we flatten on the highways
Who'll stop the rain?
January may have brought rain and snow to parts of the West, but the study of past climates warns us that we still have to learn to live with drought
Here’s hoping the drought is not over
The writer welcomes the latest moisture but says we still need to learn the lessons of drought
Looking outside the box
In this issue, High Country News ventures outside its usual box to look at 10 serious issues facing the West in the next four years
Politics as a winner-takes-all game is a loser
It would be a grave mistake for President Bush to assume that his recent victory gives license for a winner-take-all power grab in the West
Dear friends
Terry Tempest Williams on the First Amendment; HCN Portland board meeting; remembering Judy Jacobsen
The conservation hall of fame is too small
The brothers Stewart and Mo Udall are two of the West’s conservation heroes, and their sons, Rep. Tom Udall of New Mexico and Rep. Mark Udall of Colorado, have very large shoes to fill in their own work for the Western landscape
Look who’s in the conflict business now
A rising number of Westerners are committed to local solutions that benefit both the land and communities
The beauty of the ugly West
Towns like Wamsutter, Wyo., may never be quaint and charming, but they can lay claim to their own rough beauty once a real community takes root
Commemorate or celebrate?
In this issue of High Country News, four essayists take a thoughtful look at the Lewis and Clark expedition and its impacts – past and present — on Indian America
Buying ecological leverage
High Country News interviews Bill Hedden of the Grand Canyon Trust about northern Arizona’s Kane and Two Mile ranches, which the Trust and the Conservation Fund have an exclusive option to purchase
Waxing and waning in the Modern West
Collaborative conservation may help revive both endangered prairie ecosystems and the struggling farm communities of the Great Plains
The people who care about HCN
This issue features three pages of letters from readers, weighing in on High Country News’ editorial approach to the Bush administration’s environmental policies
Ballot-box democracy
The same kind of "ballot-box planning" that’s been used to control development in small towns like Paonia, Colo., is being manipulated by Wal-Mart in its quest to build more Supercenters in the West
Laboring for the environment
The challenge of restoring one overgrazed, weed-choked pasture is a good example of the kind of work that needs to be done in the West, to the benefit of both workers and the environment
In search of political dialogue
Our theory that newcomers would, over time, change the political landscape to one more progressive in outlook, needs revision
Saving ranchlands doesn’t mean saving the rancher
The writer urges us to focus on saving the land, not the rancher
The great ranch lands sell-off
Environmentalists and ranchers should quit arguing about public-lands grazing and work together with the land trust movement to save the land we all love
President Bush should consider a "land grab" of his own
A visit to Arizona’s new Agua Fria National Monument – one of those designated by Clinton at the end of his presidency – points up the failure of the Bush administration to protect and preserve the public lands
A monumental shift for public lands
The writer tells President Bush that some public lands are worth more as national monuments than energy producers
In conservation contests, there are no slam dunks
The increasing politicization of the courts is creating a hazardous landscape for conservationists, who need to diligently oppose anti-environmental judges
A plan for Spaceship Earth
President Bush’s space initiative will most likely come to nothing, but it reminds us that we need to get our own planet in order before we explore the galaxy
Lost in the wilderness of power politics
The kind of democratic dialogue that creates viable wilderness proposals is impossible in the current wilderness of power politics
A defensive island
Los Alamos National Laboratory needs to be open with the public about the messes it has made, in order to ensure that the public health is protected
Pieces of the economic puzzle
The West’s small towns have always been subject to boom-and-bust economies, and even when the coal mines close and the factories move overseas, new economic engines will likely take their place
A shock to the system
Montana’s Flathead Valley shows how environmentalists can work together – even work with their opponents – to get things done in a climate hostile to conservation
Dear Friends
Farewell, Radio HCN; and Farewell, radio staffers Adam Burke, Krissy Clark and the recently arrived Maria Schell
The return of the Nuclear West
Those who thought the West’s nuclear role would wind down with the end of the Cold War are facing a brand-new nuclear age, one that is being created behind closed government doors where few questions are asked
A brave new world of water
Water development in the West has always been about economic growth and enrichment, and current proposals for water use, whether from the public or private sector, need to be judged on their own merits
High Country News Classifieds
  • COMING TO TUCSON?
    Popular vacation house, everything furnished. Two bedroom, one bath, large enclosed yards. Dog-friendly. Contact Lee at [email protected] or 520-791-9246.
  • ENVIRONMENTAL AND CONSTRUCTION GEOPHYSICS
    We characterize contaminated sites, identify buried drums, tanks, debris and also locate groundwater.
  • NATURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION MANAGER
    Central Colorado Conservancy is an accredited land trust and community-based conservation organization based in Salida, CO. Our mission is to protect the land, waters and...
  • ESCAPE THE CROWDS AND EMBRACE NATURE: AFFORDABLE RETREAT, JUST AN HOUR FROM GLACIER NATIONAL PARK AND BOB MARSHALL WILDERNESS!
    Welcome to your new tranquil oasis in Montana. This beautiful 2-bedroom home FSBO is just an hour's drive to the east entrance of Glacier National...
  • DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
    Areas of Responsibility: The Development Director collaborates with the Executive Director, other HEAL Utah staff, board, and supporters to continue building one of Utah's most...
  • DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST
    Position Summary Western Resource Advocates (WRA) is hiring an organized and creative Digital Engagement Specialist to join our Marketing and Communications Team. The Digital Engagement...
  • 92 ACRE EASTERN WASHINGTON GEM
    Welcome to Lost Creek Sanctuary... a true hidden gem in the heart of the Palouse. 1900 square feet, the main house is warm and charming,...
  • WEEKLY NEWSPAPER FOR SALE
    Vibrant, financially successful 1,100 print run, community-focused subscription newspaper in beautiful Pacific Northwest Washington seeks owner/s. It is time to retire. Now, your Norman Rockwell-like...
  • STAFF ATTORNEY - WILDLANDS AND WILDLIFE PROGRAM
    Job Opening Announcement: Wildlands and Wildlife Program Staff Attorney Reports to: Wildlands and Wildlife Program Director Location: Pacific Northwest, ideally in Eugene, Oregon, Portland, Oregon,...
  • HEAD OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT
    The Head of Project Management will oversee our project execution to ensure that we are providing our partners around the world with the field data...
  • LEGAL DIRECTOR
    Trustees for Alaska is the only nonprofit environmental law firm founded and based in Alaska. We are seeking a Legal Director, full-time based in Anchorage....
  • EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
    The Fund for People in Parks seeks leader to identify, develop, fund, and facilitate high-impact projects in western National Parks. Remote position with some travel....
  • GRASSROOTS REGIONAL COORDINATOR
    Great Old Broads for Wilderness is a women-led national grassroots organization that engages and inspires activism to preserve and protect wilderness and wild lands. The...
  • GRASSROOTS ADVOCACY MANAGER
    Great Old Broads for Wilderness is a women-led national grassroots organization that engages and inspires activism to preserve and protect wilderness and wild lands. Position...
  • GRASSROOTS LEADERSHIP DIRECTOR
    The Grassroots Leadership (Director) oversees the training, guidance, and support of volunteer Broadband Leaders. (Broadbands are women-led grassroots chapters, with 40+ across the country.) They...
  • FOCUS GROUP PARTICIPANT NEEDED
    We would like to invite you to participate in a 60-minute focus group to help us enhance the New Mexico Courts website (https://www.inside.nmcourts.gov/). Our aim...
  • GILA GRASSROOTS ORGANIZER
    New Mexico Wild is seeking a Gila Grassroots Organizer who is passionate about public lands and community engagement. The Gila Grassroots Organizer will take a...
  • 20/40 ACRES IN ARIZONA WINE COUNTRY
    Chiricahua riparian ecosystem: 5100 ft elevation:18+ inches of rain/year: 1/4 mile creek through property: The Chiricahuas' have been called: "The most biologically diverse place in...
  • SMALL CABIN WITH 260 ACRES
    Adorable quaint cabin on the Arizona Strip, on the foothills of the Kaibab Plateau with 260 acres bordering BLM lands on two sides of the...
  • LUNATEC HYDRATION SPRAY BOTTLE
    A must for campers and outdoor enthusiasts. Cools, cleans and hydrates with mist, stream and shower patterns. Hundreds of uses.