In this unusual issue, “Origin Stories,” we resurrect three High Country News stories on topics that continue to influence the West, sometimes in unexpected ways. “Rebels Revel in New Power, Polish” — from December 1980, when the then-newspaper was based in Lander, Wyoming — takes us back to the rise of the Sagebrush Rebellion and the election of Ronald Reagan, raising issues that are still relevant today. 1997’s “Beauty and the Beast” reckons with the tumultuous birth of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, and “A Cherokee for Trump” (December 2019) introduces us to Rep. Markwayne Mullin, years before the Oklahoma Republican became a controversial national figure. Elsewhere, we learn about the worsening problem of hail and meet the surprisingly climate-resilient scarlet monkeyflower. Can “The Montana Plan” curb out-of-control election spending? The evisceration of the Endangered Species Act threatens tribal conservation efforts. We find community with urban crows and remember a beloved family dog. 

This issue’s cover art features a selection of printed material from issues of Camping News Weekly and High Country News from the 1970s through the 1990s. Many ran without credit, except for the following: Botanical illustration by Jeff Clack, 1990. Goat HCN.org illustration and map by Diane Sylvain. Cresson Mine in Vietor, Colorado, photo by Barry Noreen, 1992. Butterfly illustration by Carol Snow, 1976.
This issue’s cover art features a selection of printed material from issues of Camping News Weekly and High Country News from the 1970s through the 1990s. Many ran without credit, except for the following: Botanical illustration by Jeff Clack, 1990. Goat HCN.org illustration and map by Diane Sylvain. Cresson Mine in Vietor, Colorado, photo by Barry Noreen, 1992. Butterfly illustration by Carol Snow, 1976. Credit: Cover collage art by J.D. Reeves

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