Items by Jodi Peterson

‘A dangerous game of chicken’ on drilling near Chaco Canyon
‘A dangerous game of chicken’ on drilling near Chaco Canyon
Feds go back and forth on leasing culturally important lands.
The last woodland caribou has left the Lower 48
The last woodland caribou has left the Lower 48
Canadian wildlife officials relocated the sole surviving member of the South Selkirk herd to British Columbia.
Update: Western states move to limit trapping
Update: Western states move to limit trapping
Caught dogs and imperiled martens spur reforms for fur-bearer trapping.
The West’s monarch migration is disappearing
The West’s monarch migration is disappearing
Fall counts show a 99 percent decline in the butterfly population since the ‘80s.
Update: Forest thinning won’t stop destructive fires
Update: Forest thinning won’t stop destructive fires
Fire-proof structures can prevent homes from adding to fuel loads in wildfires.
California contemplates water for struggling fish
California contemplates water for struggling fish
In an unprecedented move, the state may require upstream users to cut water use to improve water quality in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
Puget Sound orca pod gains a new member
Puget Sound orca pod gains a new member
If the calf survives, it’ll be the first addition in three years.
Update: The decline of Western snowpack is real
Update: The decline of Western snowpack is real
Data confirms climate model predictions of less snow that melts earlier in the season.
Feds to open most of Arctic refuge coastal plain to drilling
Feds to open most of Arctic refuge coastal plain to drilling
Despite ecological harm, energy development moves forward in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Update: New law makes it easier to kill salmon-eating sea lions
Update: New law makes it easier to kill salmon-eating sea lions
In the Columbia River, up to 920 sea lions can be removed each year to protect fish.
Record number of endangered wolves found dead
Record number of endangered wolves found dead
The U.S. recovery program for Mexican gray wolves continues to struggle.
Podcasts that fill the gap
Podcasts that fill the gap
A roundup of our favorite podcasts on stories and analysis of the West.
Update: Razorback sucker populations are increasing
Update: Razorback sucker populations are increasing
The endangered fish seem to be recovering in the San Juan River.
Update: Court blocks old-growth logging in Alaska’s Tongass National Forest
Update: Court blocks old-growth logging in Alaska’s Tongass National Forest
Meanwhile, the Trump administration pushes to allow roads and more cutting.
Latest: BLM abandons plan to surgically sterilize wild horses
Latest: BLM abandons plan to surgically sterilize wild horses
The agency will focus on increasing adoption of horses and research other methods.
Latest: Top National Park Service climate official resigns
Latest: Top National Park Service climate official resigns
Marcy Rockman cites pressure from agency.
Critics skeptical of mining company’s plans for restoration
Critics skeptical of mining company’s plans for restoration
Midas Gold hopes to reopen and revitalize an abandoned gold mining site in Idaho.
Latest: Trump’s BLM approves a massive California solar plant
Latest: Trump’s BLM approves a massive California solar plant
Opponents cite potential harm to desert wildlife, views and sand dunes.
The persistence of place in Western writing
The persistence of place in Western writing
Authors find inspiration in the land, no matter its state.
New reads for fall
New reads for fall
Enjoy a sampling of the season’s best new books.
Latest: Supreme Court upholds Grand Canyon uranium mining ban
Latest: Supreme Court upholds Grand Canyon uranium mining ban
A twenty-year moratorium on uranium extraction in northern Arizona will stand.
Latest: Yurok Tribe cancels salmon season on Klamath River
Latest: Yurok Tribe cancels salmon season on Klamath River
For the third year in a row, the tribal citizens won’t have commercial fishing.
Latest: County campaign promotes monuments on the chopping block
Latest: County campaign promotes monuments on the chopping block
San Juan County says ‘Make it Monumental’ while asking for exemption from the Antiquities Act.
Latest: Forest Service report calls for changes in wildfire management
Latest: Forest Service report calls for changes in wildfire management
Increases in timber sales, prescribed burns and thinning projects are needed to save life and property.
Latest: Tribes gain more leverage over Western water
Latest: Tribes gain more leverage over Western water
A recent ruling could settle the unresolved groundwater rights of nearly 240 tribes.
Latest: Wyoming and Idaho to hold grizzly hunts
Latest: Wyoming and Idaho to hold grizzly hunts
Lawsuits loom over the first hunting tags given in 44 years.
Latest: The Forest Service’s use of fire retardant has doubled since 2014
Latest: The Forest Service’s use of fire retardant has doubled since 2014
Despite environmental harms, the agency continues to rely on aerial drops to battle blazes.
Latest: EPA seeks to dismiss Gold King lawsuits
Latest: EPA seeks to dismiss Gold King lawsuits
Agency says it’s already working on cleanup of old mining mess.
Latest: Park Service to remove problematic mountain goats
Latest: Park Service to remove problematic mountain goats
The rapidly multiplying population in Olympic National Park threatens visitors.
Latest: Lands returned to the Mountain Maidu tribe
Latest: Lands returned to the Mountain Maidu tribe
The tribe is the first federally nonrecognized tribe to get lands back in California.
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    13 stories of extraordinary courage including HCN founder Tom Bell, PRBRC director Lynn Dickey, Liz Cheney, People of Heart Mountain, the Wind River Indian Reservation...