Items by April Reese

The return of the endangered Mexican wolf
The return of the endangered Mexican wolf
A program that places captive-born pups into wild dens is helping North America’s rarest wolf subspecies reclaim its native territory in the Southwest.
There’s a new boom in the Permian Basin — wastewater
There’s a new boom in the Permian Basin — wastewater
As freshwater supplies shrink, interest in recycling water leftover from fracking is growing. Others aren’t so sure.
New Mexico’s oil boom has made rural roads deadly
New Mexico’s oil boom has made rural roads deadly
As oil wells multiply in the Permian Basin, the influx of heavy vehicles exacerbates risks for those living in the area.
Can a grazing buyout program ease life for wolves and ranchers?
Can a grazing buyout program ease life for wolves and ranchers?
A fledgling effort in New Mexico's 'Yellowstone of the South.'
A former energy company lawyer now fights for the other side
A former energy company lawyer now fights for the other side
Attorney Lance Astrella represents landowners coping with oil and gas development on their doorsteps.
States rev up ORV rules
States rev up ORV rules
While federal public-land agencies dither, some Western states are cracking down on off-road vehicle problems.
Conservation or cop-out?
Conservation or cop-out?
A lack of participation could scuttle voluntary conservation agreements designed to protect species like New Mexico’s lesser prairie chickens and sand dune lizards.
Who’ll clean up when the party’s over?
Who’ll clean up when the party’s over?
There are efforts to reclaim oil and gas drilling sites, but many fear it’s too little, too late.
The leasing protest game
Conservationists can file formal protests when the BLM wants to auction off public land to energy companies, but the differences between regional management plans and styles make the protest game little more than a crapshoot.
Home is where the guilt is
In Santa Fe, N.M., April Reese wrestles with the question of whether owning a new house is worth being responsible for the bulldozing of pinon and juniper trees.
Environmental change
Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., does an about-face and moves to protect New Mexico’s Valle Vidal from oil and gas drilling
As states ponder protection, roadless forests unravel
Western states debate the best way to look after their roadless areas even as logging, drilling and mining move in on formerly protected lands
Energy company stakes out wildlife refuge
Yates Petroleum Co. plans to drill two gas wells in New Mexico’s Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge
States lead charge against global warming
With the federal government dragging its feet, Western states are beginning to take action to deal with greenhouse gas emissions and global warming
Wolf man John
John Morgart works for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, overseeing the recovery of Mexican wolves in the Blue Range of New Mexico and Arizona
Western governors wary of roadless forest mess
The Bush administration says its revision of the Roadless Area Conservation Rule rule will increase local control over national forests, but as Western governors read the fine print, they begin to have doubts
One BLM district grabs the bull by the horns
On the Upper Deschutes area of Oregon, the Bureau of Land Management is working to move cows off the public land
The Big Buyout
Tough economics, drought, and increasing clashes with other public-lands users are leading some ranchers to consider taking the "golden saddle" – a check from conservationists in exchange for their grazing permits
Nun calls the faithful to an 'ecological ministry'
Sister Joan Brown of Albuquerque, a Franciscan, believes Christianity needs to go beyond the doors of the church and into the natural world
Butterfly escapes endangered species net
Cloudcroft, N.M., creates its own conservation plan to protect the rare Sacramento Mountains checkerspot butterfly without waiting for an endangered species listing
Drilling done right?
Ted Turner's Northern New Mexican Vermejo Park Ranch is a showcase for "responsible" gas development, but critics fear the neighboring Valle Vidal won’t get the same five-star treatment.
National preserve is in hot water
GeoProducts wants to build a geothermal plant in New Mexico’s Valles Caldera National Preserve and sell power to Los Alamos National Laboratory, but some say the whole plan is a scam to get money from the Forest Service
Voters swipe at sprawl
A 10-year-old plan to build a controversial expressway through Petroglyph National Monument hits a "stop" sign, when Albuquerque voters refuse to pay for it
Right and wrong on public lands
From Conquest to Conservation: Our Public Lands Legacy by Michael P. Dombeck, Christopher A. Wood and Jack E. Williams takes a hopeful view of the ecological future of the nation’s public lands
Plains tribe harnesses the wind
Even as the Rosebud Sioux Reservation works on building and marketing "wind power," the pressure is on to exploit traditional energy sources in Indian Country
Golden State gets a green power surge
Under a new law, California's three investor-owned utilities must buy 20 percent of their power from alternative energy sources such as wind and solar.
High Country News Classifieds
  • ARKANSAS RIVER COMMUNITY PRESERVE LAND MANAGEMENT PLANNER
    Central Colorado Conservancy seeks a land management planner to facilitate the creation of a management plan for the Arkansas River Community (ARC) Preserve on a...
  • WATER ADVOCACY MANAGER
    Do you want to help shape the future of groundwater in the Grand Canyon region? The Grand Canyon Trust is hiring its first water advocacy...
  • EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
    California Coalition for Rural Housing (CCRH) seeks a strategic and visionary Executive Director: View all job details here- https://bit.ly/CCRHED
  • MONTANA BLUES
    The new novel by Ray Ring, retired HCN senior editor, tackles racism in the wild, a story told by a rural White horsewoman and a...
  • DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST
    Title: Digital Engagement Specialist Location: Salt Lake City Reports to: Communications Director Status, Salary & Benefits: Full-time, Non-Exempt. Salary & Benefits information below. Submission Deadline:...
  • CONSERVATION FIELD ORGANIZER
    Title: Conservation Field Organizer Reports to: Advocacy and Stewardship Director Location: Southwest Colorado Compensation: $45,000 - $50,000 DOE FLSA: Non-Exempt, salaried, termed 24-month Wyss Fellow...
  • UTAH STATE DIRECTOR
    Who We Are: The Nature Conservancy's mission is to protect the lands and waters upon which all life depends. As a science-based organization, we create...
  • EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
    Apply by Oct 18. Seeking collaborative, hands-on ED to advance our work building community through fresh produce.
  • INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS EDITOR - HIGH COUNTRY NEWS
    High Country News is hiring an Indigenous Affairs Editor to help guide the magazine's journalism and produce stories that are important to Indigenous communities and...
  • STAFF ATTORNEY
    Staff Attorney The role of the Staff Attorney is to bring litigation on behalf of Western Watersheds Project, and at times our allies, in the...
  • ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT FOR DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
    Northern Michigan University seeks an outstanding leader to serve as its next Assistant Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion. With new NMU President Dr. Brock...
  • EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
    The Clark Fork Coalition seeks an exceptional leader to serve as its Executive Director. This position provides strategic vision and operational management while leading a...
  • GOOD NEIGHBOR AGREEMENT MANAGER
    Help uphold a groundbreaking legal agreement between a powerful mining corporation and the local communities impacted by the platinum and palladium mine in their backyard....
  • EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
    The Feather River Land Trust (FRLT) is seeking a strategic and dynamic leader to advance our mission to "conserve the lands and waters of the...
  • COLORADO DIRECTOR
    COLORADO DIRECTOR Western Watersheds Project seeks a Colorado Director to continue and expand WWP's campaign to protect and restore public lands and wildlife in Colorado,...
  • ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF HISTORY - INDIGENOUS HISTORIES OF THE NORTH AMERICAN WEST
    Whitman College seeks applicants for a tenure-track position in Indigenous Histories of the North American West, beginning August 2024, at the rank of Assistant Professor....
  • DAVE AND ME
    Dave and Me, by international racontuer and children's books author Rusty Austin, is a funny, profane and intense collection of short stories, essays, and poems...
  • CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
    Rural Community Assistance Corporation is looking to hire a CFO. For more more information visit: https://www.rcac.org/careers/
  • EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
    The Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness Foundation (ABWF) seeks a new Executive Director. Founded in 2008, the ABWF is a respected nonprofit whose mission is to support...
  • CANYONLANDS FIELD INSTITUTE
    Field seminars for adults in natural and human history of the northern Colorado Plateau, with lodge and base camp options. Small groups, guest experts.