As freshwater supplies shrink, interest in recycling water leftover from fracking is growing. Others aren’t so sure.
Articles
How an Indigenous filmmaker is challenging narratives and boundaries
Adam Piron’s film collective, COUSIN, pushes the needle in the Indigenous film ecosystem.
Do wilderness therapy programs really work?
The expensive treatments for troubled teens have been around for years — but researchers still aren’t sure whether wilderness makes a difference.
Tom Udall: It’s past time we confront the climate and nature crises
For our survival, we can look to my father’s vision as an alternative to our current path.
Trump administration slashes protections for migratory birds
The new rule would legalize the unintentional killing of birds by energy companies and other industries.
Trump administration manipulated wildfire science to promote logging
Emails show Interior appointees crafted a narrative that blamed forest protection efforts for wildfires.
Pay to play: Interior Secretary’s old clients spend big and profit bigly
‘Under Bernhardt, the Interior Department appears to have priced access to our nation’s resources at $30 million and counting.’
Carbon offsets work. But are they an excuse for big companies?
Some critics worry the programs provide cover for climate-harming practices.
Interior attorney gave false information to Congress about contact with Koch Foundation
Daniel Jorjani, the agency’s top lawyer, reached out to his former employer for advice in April 2017.
FEMA spent billions fighting California wildfires. Now, it wants victims to pay it back.
The agency is pushing bankrupt PG&E to reimburse the taxpayer money it spent on disaster relief.
The Trump administration’s plans for less public input, more pipelines
Proposed environmental rollbacks would gut NEPA, allowing federal agencies to ignore climate effects and expedite infrastructure permitting.
A novel idea for mental health care in rural Washington
In Dayton, population 2,500, behavioral health care is woven directly into primary care appointments.
What threatens the black-footed ferret?
Biologists are trying to understand why the species continues to disappear in the West.
Study finds 26,000 lives were saved by shift from coal to natural gas
“When you turn coal units off you see deaths go down.”
The modern West: a roundup of our best photos of the year
In 2019, photographers captured nuance in the people and places around the region.
Trump’s border wall threatens fish species
The U.S. is skirting conservation laws and withdrawing millions of gallons of groundwater.
Ten stories that got your attention in 2019
From racism to renewable energy to corruption, our reporting featured a variety of communities and perspectives from the West.
We get by with a little help from our friends
The future of journalism is collaborative. Read some of our favorite stories from HCN partners this year.
Enjoy a front-row seat at Diné Pride’s Christmas drag show
More than 200 people attended the event to raise money for scholarships.
What’s the best way to save California’s redwoods?
Scientists debate whether controlled burns and logging are really the best way to preserve the state’s iconic forests.
