Items by Krista Langlois

The desert gets a biocrust skin graft
The desert gets a biocrust skin graft
Without its cover of living microorganisms, the desert is eroding.
Wildfire escape routes? There’s (almost) an app for that.
Wildfire escape routes? There’s (almost) an app for that.
Scientists are using crowdsourced data to help firefighters flee dangerous flames.
As citizen-led ballot initiatives soar, so have efforts to block them
As citizen-led ballot initiatives soar, so have efforts to block them
In Idaho, a struggle over Medicaid expansion exposes the limits of forcing change via ballot measure.
Tiny bits of plastic permeate our world
Tiny bits of plastic permeate our world
From alpine headwaters to city water supplies, the West is awash in microscopic pollutants.
Saving baby Jo from the smoke
Saving baby Jo from the smoke
A mother grapples with her decision to flee the 416 Fire with her infant daughter.
How whales converse with the world
How whales converse with the world
Arctic people have been speaking with cetaceans for centuries — and scientists are finally taking note.
In Alaska, wildlands lose out to roads and drill rigs
In Alaska, wildlands lose out to roads and drill rigs
An industry-friendly White House helps Sen. Lisa Murkowski score long-sought gains.
The protectors of British Columbia’s coast
The protectors of British Columbia’s coast
In the Great Bear Rainforest, Indigenous guardians enforce tribal and environmental laws.
Why the National Park advisory board imploded
Why the National Park advisory board imploded
An interview with board chairman Tony Knowles.
The price of a national park fee hike
The price of a national park fee hike
The proposed increase in entrance fees reignites old questions about who should fund the West’s open spaces.
Indigenous knowledge helps untangle the mystery of Mesa Verde
Indigenous knowledge helps untangle the mystery of Mesa Verde
Pueblo people and archaeologists work to understand the science of human migrations.
Farming in Alaska is increasingly possible
Farming in Alaska is increasingly possible
Longer growing seasons and food scarcity are turning more people to agriculture.
Down with the Glen Canyon Dam?
Down with the Glen Canyon Dam?
Activists claim that decommissioning the dam will save water and restore a wild canyon. Are they right?
Could the lure of trails salvage Alaska’s economy?
Could the lure of trails salvage Alaska’s economy?
A trail along the Trans-Alaska pipeline could be the start of a booming recreation economy.
 ‘Look for something white’
‘Look for something white’
Discovering the North through its most iconic birds.
Have we underestimated the West’s super-floods?
Have we underestimated the West’s super-floods?
Scientists warn that enormous floods may be more likely than we thought — and the Oroville Dam and others weren’t built to withstand them.
How Obama began to mend broken tribal relations
How Obama began to mend broken tribal relations
Native American leaders say Obama’s legacy is this: He listened.
What Obama can actually do about Standing Rock
What Obama can actually do about Standing Rock
According to tribal law experts, not much.
Alaska’s gas pipeline dreams
Alaska’s gas pipeline dreams
A decades-long plan to deliver the state’s gas reserves to the market remains in purgatory.
Burner of Land Management
Burner of Land Management
It takes year-round planning to host 70,000 people in one of the planet’s harshest environments.
Legislation revives Grand Canyon development question
Legislation revives Grand Canyon development question
Escalade bill leaves opponents scrambling for support, and tribal members divided.
How purple bacteria could help save amphibians in the Rockies
How purple bacteria could help save amphibians in the Rockies
A Colorado researcher is using boreal toads’ microbiomes to help them ward off a deadly fungus.
Why an outdoor group’s work is ‘more relevant than ever’
Why an outdoor group’s work is ‘more relevant than ever’
The founder of Outdoor Afro talks about racial violence and why we all need a dose of nature.
Salmon power
Salmon power
A historic legal victory could give Alaska tribes more control over their fish, wildlife and homelands.
Meet Utah’s first transgender candidate for US Senate
Meet Utah’s first transgender candidate for US Senate
Democratic candidate Misty Snow is progressive, transgender and, she says, increasingly representative of Utah.
Nature’s worth, through filmmakers’ eyes
Nature’s worth, through filmmakers’ eyes
A new wave of outdoor films encompass both conservation and adventure.
Meet the badasses bringing outdoor rec to the people who pioneered it
Meet the badasses bringing outdoor rec to the people who pioneered it
More groups are focused on getting Native Americans outside.
How a Utah county silenced Native American voters — and how Navajos are fighting back
How a Utah county silenced Native American voters — and how Navajos are fighting back
A series of lawsuits could help counteract decades of racist practices.
Rewilding the shortgrass prairie 
Rewilding the shortgrass prairie 
A scientist with ranching roots is trying to restore balance to degraded grasslands.
Trial by fire
Trial by fire
Women in the male-dominated world of wildland firefighting still face harassment, abuse and sexism.
High Country News Classifieds
  • 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.
  • 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.