
Items by Ray Ring

The Black Forest Fire highlights a political disconnect around the West

Western kids have fun -- and die -- motoring off-road, thanks to loose ATV regulations, a libertarian spirit and fun-loving parents.

In Wyoming's top resort town, the desire to protect the environment and the community's character kills big affordable housing projects.

An HCN editor reflects on the many changes around Coeur d'Alene.
And other oddities from Heard Around the West
And more oddities from Heard Around the West

Editor’s note for HCN’s second annual special issue on travel in the West describes some quirky personal trips.

Mining in British Columbia could have big impacts on parts of Canada -- and the U.S.

U.S. environmental groups like Rivers Without Borders, Conservation Northwest and Round River Conservation Studies work with First Nations in British Columbia to slow a mining rush.
A long overdue evaluation of the popular 1822 poem

Will the soul of wildlife biology survive in an era of remote monitoring technology?

The gadgets we attach to wild animals and fish include radio transmitters, microchips, acoustic tags, geolocators and accelerometers.

Environmentalists are trying to buy out oil and gas leases in national forests, including the Wyoming Range and Thompson Creek Divide, while the drillers often have their way in the desert and sagebrush.
You're welcome to add your observations

Races for seats on state commissions that oversee utilities are among the most important elections you’ve never heard of. They could decide the future of renewable energy in Montana and Arizona this year.

If Democrats succeed in an improbable coup -- winning a U.S. Senate seat in Arizona, and making the state competitive for Obama -- they’ll have Latino voters to thank.
Maybe or maybe not a trend, it's worth rooting for ...

Marshall Bloom, who heads up disease research at the Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Hamilton, Mont., discusses his work on deadly viruses and his passion for conservation.

A list of some of Republican Rep. Denny Rehberg's major policy differences with incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Tester.

Republican Rep. Denny Rehberg has exploited his family's long Montana history to get where he is today, but his current campaign for Democrat Jon Tester's Senate seat is raising questions about his record and that history.

When wandering newcomers and deep-rooted old-timers collide in the West, it gets difficult, especially in a place as culturally complex as northern New Mexico.

Ambitious schemes to build railroads and ports to ship Powder River Basin coal abroad will bring pollution and traffic to communities along the transport path, who are rising up in protest.
A caveman CEO and a frothing Range magazine also get dinged

A lot of places call themselves "gateway cities," but Reno, Nev., is truly the gateway to a lot of strange and amazingly gorgeous places.

Crimes committed by a fundamentalist sect on the Utah-Arizona border needs to be seriously investigated by both the Mormon Church and those states.

The state of Montana is leading the way in the fight to destroy the bizarre
legal fiction that corporations are people.

Maps, photos and text describe some of the federal and private, nonprofit work in Northwest Mexico to preserve imperiled landscapes and a rich diversity of plants and animals.
Featured stories
-
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...
-
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.
-
LUNATEC HYDRATION SPRAY BOTTLE A must for campers and outdoor enthusiasts. Cools, cleans and hydrates with mist, stream and shower patterns. Hundreds of uses.
-
LUNATEC ODOR-FREE DISHCLOTHS are a must try. They stay odor-free, dry fast, are durable and don't require machine washing. Try today.
-
WESTERN NATIVE SEED Native plant seeds for the Western US. Trees, shrubs, grasses, wildflowers and regional mixes. Call or email for free price list. 719-942-3935. [email protected] or visit...