Items by Ken Olsen

Salmon Salvation
Salmon Salvation
Obama’s new political order, backed by the legal acumen of Judge James Redden, may help the Northwest’s salmon survive and end the era of the Lower Snake River dams.
Nevada stakes its salmon claim
Nevada sportsmen, tribes and environmentalists ask the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission not to renew licenses for Hells Canyon’s dams until Idaho Power makes it possible for salmon to survive its dams.
Relicensing dams hangs on warm water, endangered fish
Idaho Power Company needs permits from Idaho, Oregon and the federal government
History of a decline
An illustrated timeline charts the appearance of dams on the lower Snake River and the resulting decline of salmon, along with the so-far-inadequate response of the federal government.
Salmon Justice
Judge Jim Redden has given the Bush administration an ultimatum: Submit a viable plan for salmon restoration, or face the possible removal of four dams on the lower Snake River.
Up in smoke: Hanford fire releases plutonium
A recent wildfire on Hanford Nuclear Reservation, Wash., released plutonium into the air, and watchdog groups are not satisfied by the Department of Energy's claim that there is no cause for worry.
Hanford executive quits in protest
Mike Lawrence, manager of the cleanup effort on Hanford Nuclear Reservation, resigns, saying the project is financially out of control.
Hanford leaves a surprising Cold War legacy
Area farmers are unhappy that the Wahluke Slope, a buffer zone for the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, may now be protected as a wildlife refuge.
Beetle wars
The national forests on the Idaho Panhandle want to double the timber cut this summer to stop a bark-beetle explosion.
Logged hillsides collapse into Idaho's creeks
Heavy rains, roads and clearcuts cause more than 100 slides and washouts in Idaho's Clearwater National Forest.
For further reading
A short list of books for further reading about Hanford's history and its toxic legacy.
Hanford's prime cuts
Four pieces of Hanford real estate are the focus of prospective landlords who want control.
Amid the lovely the lethal remains
During its 40 years of weapons-building, Hanford knowingly exposed workers and area residents to dangerous levels of radiation, and the health impacts continue to be felt today.
At Hanford, the real estate is hot
Conservationists, politicians, Indians and farmers fight over the polluted but beautiful land of Washington's Hanford Nuclear Reservation.
The public was railroaded
"Railroads and Clearcuts: Legacy of Congress's 1864 Northern Pacific Land Grant" by Derrick Johnson, George Draffan and John Osborn is reviewed.
Legislature votes to hamstring Washington state
The Washington Legislature's approval of Initiative 164 creates the most far-reaching "takings" law in the nation.
Conspiracy of optimism
Paul Hirt's book "A Conspiracy of Optimism: Management of the National Forests Since World War II" is reviewed.
How Methow Valley grew an economy
Residents of Methow Valley build cross-country skiing to feed the economy.
Citizens held off big money for years
For 20 years environmentalists have fought developers in the Methow Valley.
Beauty eludes the beast
An unusual consensus may stave off development in Washington's Methow Valley.
Washington county splits in half over proposed dump
Water is main issue in fight over Hooper, Washington, megadump.
Earth First!ers experience Idaho-style justice
Environmentalists receive heavy sentences in Idaho courts.
Newspaper series unsettles the Northwest
The Spokesman-Review publishes a series about Forest Service mismanagement in five national forests in the Northwest.
Battle for wilderness takes a break
Earth First! and other environmental groups claim victory after preventing logging and slowing Forest Service road building efforts in the Cove-Mallard timber sale area.
Author of Eco-Warriors is jailed
The incarcerated author Rik Scarce says the First Amendment protects scholarly research, including his on the radical environmental movement.
High Country News Classifieds
  • 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...
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    Apply by Oct 18. Seeking collaborative, hands-on ED to advance our work building community through fresh produce.
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    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...
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    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...
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    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...
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    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....
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    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...
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    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,...
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    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...
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    Rural Community Assistance Corporation is looking to hire a CFO. For more more information visit: https://www.rcac.org/careers/
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    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.
  • LUNATEC HYDRATION SPRAY BOTTLE
    A must for campers and outdoor enthusiasts. Cools, cleans and hydrates with mist, stream and shower patterns. Hundreds of uses.