Items by Steve Hinchman

Greens, as usual, are easy to bait
Recreational user fees would do harm by introducing the profit motive to natural resource management.
Private boaters unite
The new group, the Grand Canyon Private Boaters Association, seeks to unite private river runners as effectively as the professional boaters.
The West's grazing war grinds on
Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt's grazing reform compromise opposed by ranchers all over the West; but Babbitt, with some Congressional and gubernatorial support, may stand firm.
Self-reliant homes
Review of The Independent Home: Living Well with Power from the Sun, Wind and Water by Michael Potts.
The Forest Service sells out
In Colorado, Tom Chapman trades West Elk Wilderness inholding for land near Telluride, bilking the Forest Service of millions of dollars.
Wilderness developer accused of fraud
Tom Chapman hoped to force Forest Service into swapping for his West Elks Wilderness land, former Chapman business associate says.
Indians and water
Indian Water Rights: Negotiating the Future reviewed.
Grazing reform: A plan to chew on
Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt's new proposal gives ranchers and environmentalists key roles in grazing reform.
Grazing talks split both sides
Both environmentalists and ranchers doubt usefulness of consensus process.
Turmoil on the range
Bruce Babbitt endorses a consensus grazing reform proposal developed in Colorado.
Methane creates an explosive situation in Colorado
Residents of methane-polluted residential areas blame the problem on natural gas companies.
Some in West want Bruce Babbitt's head
A group of ranchers calls for Bruce Babbitt's resignation, charging misconduct and dirty politics.
Babbitt seeks local approach to grazing reform
A group of Colorado ranchers and environmentalists tell Bruce Babbitt they can solve grazing reform gridlock.
Senate dukes it out with Babbitt
Western senators and ranchers are trying to kill Babbitt's grazing reform package.
Agency leans toward a controversial land trade
Developer Tom Chapman strikes a deal with the Forest Service on a controversial land swap.
Two Utah counties flee water project
Two Utah counties, frustrated with the cost of the Central Utah Project, decide to pull out.
The blurring of the West
Governors of eight Western states begin work on a strategy to protect the region's world-class air before it's too late.
Oil firms commandeer badlands
Duncan Energy Inc. builds an illegal road through national grasslands while the Forest Service and the U.S. Attorney's office bicker.
Oil leases head for Court
Proposed oil and gas leasing on National Forest lands comes under fire.
Animas-La Plata: The last big dam in the West
A showdown between enviros and water project proponents nears over the Animas-La Plata water project.
Colorado is likely to get a so-so wilderness bill
A Colorado wilderness bill abandons the 1964 Wilderness Act and compromises on water rights.
High on hemp
A review of The Emperor Wears No Clothes, by hemp crusader Jack Herer.
Colorado mining industry strikes again
According to the EPA, bonds from the Summitville Consolidated Mining Co. don't cover hazardous waste cleanup costs.
Idaho may go to court to save salmon
The battle to save the endangered Snake River salmon from extinction heated up this month, as Idaho Gov. Cecil Andrus threatened to sue the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other federal agencies responsible for salmon recovery plans.
Glen Canyon law may draw foes together
Two days after Bill Clinton's election, an unlikely group met in Farmington, N.M., to talk about radically changing how decisions are made in the West. The conspirators were long-time enemies who came together to see if they could cooperate on one of the region's most contentious battles: the operation of Glen Canyon Dam.
In Utah, pavers hit speed bump
In yet another chapter of the Sagebrush Rebellion in southeastern Utah, two rural counties are trying to a force the federal government to allow construction of the Book Cliffs Highway across some of the state's wildest land.
Developer builds in a wilderness
Pulling his horse up short, U.S. Forest Service District Ranger Steve Posey turns to watch a helicopter fly overhead with another load of concrete and building materials dangling from its belly ...
PacifiCorp bets on coal, and against efficiency
One of the West's largest utilities may be betting that the future lies with coal-fired power plants rather than efficiency and alternative fuels.
Pressure builds to reform the West's power establishment
The region's electric system was built on vast resources, federal subsidies and freedom from environmental regulations. Now, the industry may be forced to change its strategy -- but not without a fight.
High Country News Classifieds
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    Trustees for Alaska is the only nonprofit environmental law firm founded and based in Alaska. We are seeking a Legal Director, full-time based in Anchorage....
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    The Fund for People in Parks seeks leader to identify, develop, fund, and facilitate high-impact projects in western National Parks. Remote position with some travel....
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    Great Old Broads for Wilderness is a women-led national grassroots organization that engages and inspires activism to preserve and protect wilderness and wild lands. The...
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    We would like to invite you to participate in a 60-minute focus group to help us enhance the New Mexico Courts website (https://www.inside.nmcourts.gov/). Our aim...