An unusual winter sends ripples through the West's water
and wildlife systems, and leaves scientists wondering whether
global warming is the cause.
Magazine
April 18, 2005
Scientists are struggling to understand winter in the West: the effects of the unusual weather on water and wildlife, and whether the changes are linked to global warming Also in this issue: Recently released e-mails show that federal employees falsified information about the safety of the proposed nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nev.
Feature
Sidebar
The Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies brace for a
fierce fire season, and desperately seek the resources to fight
it.
The Columbia River Basin's serious drought means a hard
choice between fish and hydropower
Editor's Note
This winter’s weird weather has everybody talking,
but nobody wants to tackle the big question: Is global warming
finally hitting the West?
Uncommon Westerners
Jeff Lee and Ann Martin of Denver are working to turn
their huge personal library into a "land-study" center and
residential library, the Rocky Mountain Land Library
Essays
The greatest wildflower bloom of a generation hits Death
Valley, and people come from all around in search of the beauty of
"Bloomstock"
Book Reviews
Maria Chabot – Georgia O’Keeffe:
Correspondence 1941-1949 tempts with its glimpse into the
life of a famous painter but finally fascinates with its portrait
of Chabot and her life in Abiquiu, N.M., during World War
II
In The Conquest of Bread, Richard
Walker takes a sweeping, skeptical look at the history of
agriculture in California
The World’s Water 2004-2005,
edited by Peter Gleick, is the fourth installment of an annual
report that covers water issues that span the globe
In Cronies, Robert Bryce takes on the
state of Texas and its enormous political power, tracing the
network of "cronies" that brought both George Bushes to the White
House
In The Western Confluence, Matthew
McKinney and William Harmon try to find practical ways to solve the
West’s endless struggles over water and resource
management
Writers on the Range
Montanans are rebelling against the federal government,
angry at the Recreation Enhancement Tax, the Patriot Act, and the
loss of their National Guard to Iraq
Heard Around the West
Strange tales from the California Highway Patrol; "Foo Foo
Coffee" vs. gas prices; tumbleweed chic; advice for migrants; dumb
laws; Gov. Dave Freudenthal is a colorful maverick
Dear Friends
Dave Foreman on "Nature’s Crisis" and what HCN is
doing wrong; kids these days; visitors; clarifications
News
EPA will investigate allegations that bunk science led to
approval of hydraulic fracturing; racketeering lawsuit against
environmentalist dismissed; ACLU sues over BLM’s decision to
Wyoming’s Martin’s Cove historic site to Mormon
Church
A recent study from the U.S. Geological Survey finds
traces of pharmaceuticals, pesticides and personal care products in
Colorado’s streams and groundwater
Ski resorts become a tool for real estate speculation and
development across the West.
The Friends of the Columbia Gorge, a small conservation
group based in Portland, Ore., has received a $4 million bequest
from Norman Yeon
A high-tech climate model will give farmers in
Washington’s Yakima Valley a kind of crystal ball for
predicting weather, choosing which crops to plant, and dealing with
drought and global warming
Preparations have begun to bring down a century-old dam on
Fossil Creek in central Arizona
In New Mexico, Alamogordo’s plan to build a
desalinization plant and tap the Tularosa Basin aquifer has area
ranchers and farmers worried
Recently released e-mails show that federal employees
falsified information about the safety of the proposed nuclear
waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nev.
Letters
Featured stories
-
YELLOWSTONE TREASURES: THE TRAVELER'S COMPANION TO THE NATIONAL PARK Dreaming of a trip to Yellowstone Park? This book makes you the tour guide for your group! Janet Chapple shares plenty of history anecdotes and...
-
OLIVERBRANCH CONSULTING Non-Profit Management Professional specializing in Transitional Leadership, Strategic Collaborations, Communications and Grant Management/Writing.
-
SAGE GROUSE CCAA COORDINATOR 
The Powder Basin Watershed Council, headquartered in Baker City, Oregon, seeks a full-time Sage Grouse CCAA Coordinator. This position is part of a collaborative effort...
-
MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER High Country News, an award-winning media organization covering the communities and environment of the Western United States, seeks a Marketing Communications Manager to join our...
-
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - OKANOGAN LAND TRUST Executive Director, Okanogan Land Trust Position Announcement Do you enjoy rural living, wild places, family farms, challenging politics, and big conservation opportunities? Do you have...
-
GREAT VIEWS, SMALL FOOTPRINT Close to town but with a secluded feel, this eco-friendly home includes solar panels, a graywater reuse system, tankless hot water, solar tubes, and rainwater...
-
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Powder River Basin Resource Council, a progressive non-profit conservation organization based in Sheridan, Wyoming, seeks an Executive Director, preferably with grassroots organizing experience, excellent communication...
-
COMMUNITY ORGANIZER- NORTHERN PLAINS RESOURCE COUNCIL Organize with Northern Plains Resource Council to protect Montana's water quality, family farms and ranches, & unique quality of life. Starts $35.5k. Apply now- northernplains.org/careers
-
BEAUTIFUL, AUTHENTIC LIVE YULE LOG CENTERPIECE - beautiful 12" yule log made from holly wood, live fragrant firs, rich green and white holly, pinecones and red berries. $78 includes shipping. Our...
-
CRAZY HORSE MEMORIAL DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS FOR THE INDIAN UNIVERSITY OF NORTH AMERICA
Crazy Horse Memorial, in the Black Hills of South Dakota, is currently accepting applications and nominations for the Director of Programs for The Indian University...
-
CRAZY HORSE MEMORIAL® MANAGER OF RESIDENCE LIFE FOR THE INDIAN UNIVERSITY OF NORTH AMERICA®
Crazy Horse Memorial is currently accepting applications for the Manager of Residence Life for The Indian University of North America. This position is responsible for...
-
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Are you an art lover who dreams of living in the mountains? Is fundraising second nature to you? Do you have experience managing creative people?...
-
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR The Public Lands Foundation, a non-profit organization supporting the multiple-use management of public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management, seeks an experienced leader...
-
COLD WEATHER CRAFTS Unique handmade gifts from the Gunnison Valley. Soy lotion candles, jewelry, art, custom photo mandalas and more. Check out the website and buy Christmas locally...
-
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR North Cascades Institute seeks their next Executive Director to lead the organization, manage $4 million operating budget, and oversee 60 staff. Send resume/cover letter to...
-
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF High Country News, an award-winning media organization covering the communities and environment of the Western United States, seeks an Editor-In-Chief to join our senior team...
-
LENDER OWNED FIX & FLIP
2 houses on 37+ acres. Gated subdivision, Penrose Colorado. $400k. Possible lender financing. Bob Kunkler Brokers Welcome.
-
HISTORIC LODGE AND RESTAURANT - FULLY EQUIPPED Built in 1901, The Crazy Mountain Inn has 11 guest rooms in a town-center building on 7 city lots (.58 acres). The inn and restaurant...
-
POLLINATOR OASIS
Seeking an experienced, hardworking partner to help restore a desert watershed/wetland while also creating a pollinator oasis at the mouth of an upland canyon. Compensation:...
-
ELLIE SAYS IT'S SAFE! A GUIDE DOG'S JOURNEY THROUGH LIFE by Don Hagedorn. A story of how lives of the visually impaired are improved through the love and courage of guide dogs. Available on Amazon.
