With Trump’s blessing, cell towers are infiltrating protected public lands across the West.
Magazine
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March 4, 2020
This special issue is dedicated to winter recreation and asks who — and what —belongs in the backcountry. Our feature story investigates how telecom giants are pushing to build infrastructure on protected public lands. An essay considers the tension between the digitized West and exclusivity. From Colorado, we report on the effects that ski wax has on the environment. In Wyoming, a ski mountaineer changes the way she skis to protect wildlife. We report on the ongoing fight between snowmobilers, conservationists and wolverines in Idaho. In New Mexico, we share a photo essay on the last of the shovel racers. We also take a look at the ethics of shed hunting and review the 15th annual Backcountry Film Festival.
Feature
Reportage
Premium wax is affecting alpine food webs.
A world-renowned athlete stopped skiing in sensitive areas. Can she convince others to do the same?
As snowmobilers fight to preserve their pastime, scientists worry about the future of the species.
Scientists race to quantify winter recreation’s impact on Canada lynx, but technology outpaces them.
Editor's Note
In this increasingly digitized West, who is shut out?
Essays
People were excluded from the wild, historically, and in today’s rapidly digitizing West.
I long felt shut out of the season. Snowshoeing changed that.
As the West warms, hunting for snow becomes part of the adventure.
Photo Essay
After four decades, a ski resort drops a beloved tradition.
Perspective
A Utah conservationist weighs the hobby’s popularity with its moral stakes.
Review
The 15th annual film series unevenly grapples with the paradox of the winter rec industry.
Heard Around the West
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
Dear Friends
High Country News gets a new trail guide.
Editors take time to help student journalists understand the craft, and a photo editor joins the staff.
- Meet the gun-toting ‘Tenacious Unicorns’ in rural Colorado
- Diverted, drained and dwindling: What’s the fate of New Mexico’s Rio Grande?
- Indigenous fishers on the Columbia River confront new challenges
- The Gadsden flag is a symbol. But whose?
- The Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe reintroduces bighorn sheep on tribal lands
Featured stories
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GRAND CANYON DIRECTOR The Grand Canyon director, with the Grand Canyon manager, conservation director, and other staff, envisions, prioritizes, and implements strategies for the Grand Canyon Trust's work...
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ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Great Old Broads for Wilderness seeks a part-time Administrative Assistant to support the organization's general operations. This includes phone and email communications, office correspondence and...
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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...
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ONE WILL: THREE WIVES by Edith Tarbescu. "One Will: Three Wives" is packed with a large array of interesting suspects, all of whom could be a murderer ... a...
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PROGRAM DIRECTOR, SALAZAR CENTER FOR NORTH AMERICAN CONSERVATION The Program Director will oversee the programmatic initiatives of The Salazar Center, working closely with the Center's Director and staff to engage the world's leading...
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WILDEARTH GUARDIANS - WILD PLACES PROGRAM DIRECTOR Salary Range: $70,000-$80,000. Location: Denver, CO, Portland, OR, Seattle, WA, Missoula, MT or potentially elsewhere for the right person. Application Review: on a rolling basis....
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RIVER EDUCATOR/GUIDE + TRIP LEADER Position Description: Full-time seasonal positions (mid-March through October) Organizational Background: Colorado Canyons Association (CCA) is a 10 year old nonprofit organization fostering community stewardship of...
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BOOKKEEPER/ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Position Description: Part-time, year-round bookkeeping and administration position (12 - 16 hours/week) $16 - $18/hour DOE Organizational Background: Colorado Canyons Association (CCA) is a 10...
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LAND STEWARD San Isabel Land Protection Trust seeks a full-time Land Steward to manage and oversee its conservation easement monitoring and stewardship program for 42,437 acres in...
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Ventana Wilderness Alliance is seeking an experienced forward-facing public land conservation leader to serve as its Executive Director. The mission of the Ventana Wilderness Alliance...
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COMMUNICATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR The Quivira Coalition (www.quiviracoaltion.org) is a Santa Fe-based nonprofit that builds resilience on arid working lands. We foster ecological, economic, and social health through education,...
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GRANT WRITER "We all love this place we call Montana. We believe that land and water and air are not ours to despoil, but ours to steward...
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DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR The Development Director is responsible for organizing and launching a coherent set of development activities to build support for the Natural History Institute's programs and...
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WILDLIFE PROJECT COORDINATOR Founded in 1936, the National Wildlife Federation (NWF or Federation) is America's largest and most trusted grassroots conservation organization with 53 state/territorial affiliates and more...
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR The Cinnabar Foundation helps protect and conserve water, wildlife and wild lands in Montana and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem by supporting organizations and people who...
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TRUSTEE AND PHILANTHROPY RELATIONS MANGER, Come experience Work You Can Believe In! The Nature Conservancy in Alaska is seeking a Trustee and Philanthropy Relations Manager. This position is critical to...
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT FRIENDS OF CEDAR MESA -The Land, History, and People of the Bears Ears Region- The Bears Ears and Cedar Mesa region is one of the most beautiful, complex, diverse,...
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OLIVERBRANCH CONSULTING Non-Profit Management Professional specializing in Transitional Leadership, Strategic Collaborations, Communications and Grant Management/Writing.
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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...
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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
