Items by Jonathan Thompson

Accolades and visitors
Accolades and visitors
Reporter Doug Fox wins a big award for his HCN story, ‘Dust Detectives.’
When our river turned orange
When our river turned orange
Nine things you need to know about the Animas River mine waste spill.
Freeway closure by flash flood should teach us a lesson
Freeway closure by flash flood should teach us a lesson
Is it time to diversify the West's transportation options?
Is tech ruining the wilderness?
Is tech ruining the wilderness?
Documenting recreation on Instagram, Strava and YouTube is changing the way we experience the outdoors.
Mapping drought's impact on electricity generation
Mapping drought's impact on electricity generation
Natural gas, wind and solar fill some of the hydropower deficit in California.
Efforts to save Utah's Cedar Mesa reach a crescendo
Efforts to save Utah's Cedar Mesa reach a crescendo
Conflicting county and state proposals would provide various levels of protection.
Mapping 7 million gallons of crude oil spills
Mapping 7 million gallons of crude oil spills
A thousand pipeline ruptures or spills reported nationwide in the past five years.
Natural gas leaks are dangerous and exacerbate climate change
Natural gas leaks are dangerous and exacerbate climate change
Plus, enough gas has escaped infrastructure since 2010 to heat 170,000 homes for a year.
Drilling is down, driving is up in wake of low petroleum prices
Drilling is down, driving is up in wake of low petroleum prices
Demand increases, but rig counts plummet and workers continue to get laid off.
Sightseeing at an open pit mine in Arizona copper country
Sightseeing at an open pit mine in Arizona copper country
The mines are still in business, yet towns that once flourished are now mostly gone.
Tesla's new home battery: energy revolution or pure hype?
Tesla's new home battery: energy revolution or pure hype?
Powerwall aims to fill a missing link to integrate wind and solar into the grid.
Recapture Canyon protesters found guilty in Utah
Recapture Canyon protesters found guilty in Utah
County commissioner and co-defendant face up to a year in jail for illegal ATV ride.
Huge new 'communities' planned for Tucson, Albuquerque
Huge new 'communities' planned for Tucson, Albuquerque
Sprawl rises from its slumber, but urban renaissance is still thriving.
On a methane mystery tour in the Four Corners region
On a methane mystery tour in the Four Corners region
Scientists, planes and instruments descend on San Juan Basin to find roots of the massive greenhouse gas hotspot.
Strangers in a familiar land
International tourists in Western states, by the numbers
International tourists in Western states, by the numbers
Where they’re from, where they go and where they spend their money.
Drilling Chaco: What's actually at stake
Drilling Chaco: What's actually at stake
It's the archaeological landscape beyond New Mexico's Chaco Canyon that is most threatened.
Snapshot of a drought in progress
Snapshot of a drought in progress
Southwest Colorado's snowpack is dismal and melting fast.
Dispatch from a gas patch shopping trip
Dispatch from a gas patch shopping trip
Reporters Notebook from New Mexico's San Juan Basin.
How 'amenity migrants' push out locals
How 'amenity migrants' push out locals
Communities once sustained by local labor now rely on stock market dividends.
Lessons from boom and bust in New Mexico
Lessons from boom and bust in New Mexico
What we can learn from the oil and gas roller coaster ride in Farmington and beyond.
An oil well, by the numbers
An oil well, by the numbers
A deep dive into drilling, operating and producing.
Oil and Gas Facts
Don't expect oil prices to rebound anytime soon
Don't expect oil prices to rebound anytime soon
Global forces conspire to keep energy prices low, for better and worse.
January exodus
January exodus
HCN’ers get into the backcountry, editor Betsy Marston sees Berlin and art director Cindy Wehling takes a trip to Hawaii.
Long lost GoPro resurfaces; owl attacks in Oregon
Long lost GoPro resurfaces; owl attacks in Oregon
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
The increasingly unequal West
The increasingly unequal West
Rich get richer while everyone else wallows in a region once known to be economically egalitarian.
Goats at the table, and bobcats on (in) the grill…
Goats at the table, and bobcats on (in) the grill…
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
The Cow Liberation Moovement, bear tizzies and more
The Cow Liberation Moovement, bear tizzies and more
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
After a ski patroller’s death, a flurry of questions
After a ski patroller’s death, a flurry of questions
Forest Service permitting issues complicate a southwestern Colorado tragedy
High Country News Classifieds
  • 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,...
  • DIGITAL MEDIA SPECIALIST, THE NATURE CONSERVANCY: WYOMING, MONTANA AND UTAH
    Digital Media Specialist - WY, MT, UT OFFICE LOCATION Remote and hybrid options available. Preferred locations are MT, WY or UT, but applicants from anywhere...
  • GRANT WRITER (PART-TIME, FREELANCE CONTRACT) HIGH COUNTRY NEWS
    High Country News seeks an energetic, articulate and highly organized grant writer to support a growing foundations program. This position works closely with our Executive...
  • EXPERT COMPUTER & TECH HELP, PROVIDED REMOTELY
    From California, I provide expert tech help remotely to rural and urban clients. I charge only when I succeed. Available 7 days. Call for a...
  • ACCOUNTING AND OPERATIONS GENERALIST
    What We Can Achieve Together: The Accounting and Operations Generalist provides accounting and operations related services, including lease administration and compliance support, to the Arizona...
  • LANDSCAPE ECOLOGIST
    Landscape Ecologist, Arizona What We Can Achieve Together: The Landscape Ecologist provides technical and scientific support and leadership for conservation initiatives and strategies in landscape...
  • MULESHOE RANCH PRESERVE STEWARD
    What We Can Achieve Together: The Muleshoe Ranch Preserve Steward lives on site in housing provided by The Nature Conservancy and performs and coordinates construction...
  • 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.
  • 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.