Resource-reliant states feel pinch as fossil-fuel revenue dwindles.
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On becoming reacquainted with sandhill cranes
I’m on my way south to chase the first harbingers of spring in our High Plains desert home.
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The nation’s biggest coal mines lay off hundreds of workers
Cheap natural gas is the main culprit, but future job cuts will come from climate change policies.
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Ranch Diaries: Sustainability doesn’t always mean regenerative
How I came to terms with my subsistence upbringing, and have started to rethink it.
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Stop attacking pastoralists. We’re part of natural resource management, too.
A sheepherder speaks out about labor and environmental concerns.
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Rants from the Hill: After many years of essay writing, a wave goodbye
All good Rants must come to an end and this marks the final missive from the Ranting Hill.
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White-nose syndrome comes to the West
Researchers race to find solutions for deadly bat disease.
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Grand Canyon abolishes river district in response to sexual harassment allegations
The abrupt decision leaves the future of NPS river management up in the air.
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Desert tortoise militia occupies Bundy Ranch
Endangered reptiles stage heavily armored takeover of cattleman’s property.
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County by county, the West braces for rise in mosquito-borne diseases
As the climate warms, mosquitoes thrive, and communities try to figure out how to prevent disease outbreak.
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How Colorado is trying to get beyond zero-sum water wars
The new water plan represents an evolving moral algebra that transcends more primitive water law.
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Fracking linked to groundwater contamination in Pavillion, Wyoming
Contaminants that likely came from fracking were found in an aquifer that supplies drinking water.
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No, Ted Cruz, Westerners should not follow in Texas’ footsteps
The state’s public lands boondoggle was a historical accident.
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It’s inevitable. There will be bikes in wilderness.
It hasn’t happened yet, but one day, bicycles and baby strollers will be welcome in wilderness. That’s the goal of the nonprofit Sustainable Trails Coalition, which seeks to permit other forms of human-powered trail travel in wilderness areas, besides just walking. Congress never prohibited biking or pushing a baby carriage. Both are banned by outmoded […]
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Photos: The costs of air pollution in Bakersfield, California
In the Central Valley, oil and agriculture both support and harm communities, making air pollution a complex problem.
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The growing influence of Hispanic voters in the West
Latinos make up 21 percent of the region’s electorate, and election-day turn-out is on the rise.
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Oregon’s energy plan offers a glimmer of hope for biomass energy
Advocates hope the timber-rich state’s decision to ditch coal could help revive the struggling industry.
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It’s time to stop development and save the Rio Grande
The rattling trumpet call of sandhill cranes echoed throughout the Rio Grande Valley in central New Mexico this February. The flocks began to make their ascent into the sky, circling to gain altitude and then heading north. The cranes’ early departure — driven by climate change — reveals one of the many challenges of adapting […]
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This is what an oil bust looks like
Low prices have energy companies and communities reeling as rig counts plummet and unemployment climbs.
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Podcast: The last Nevada showgirl revue came to a close this year
Preserving showgirl culture, amidst lasting discomfort around the tradition.