What happens when humans demand more from our rivers than those rivers can safely give? HCN dives into the problem, investigating the long, destructive story of how dredging turned the mighty Columbia — the great river of the Pacific Northwest — into a profitable shipping channel at the expense of its aquatic and Indigenous communities. Meanwhile, the overconsumption and drought that have depleted the Colorado River now threaten Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell. We also examine a new approach to riparian restoration that is currently underway on Oregon’s McKenzie River. In Ruidoso, New Mexico, residents confront the grim aftermath of wildfires and flash flooding. Will killing cougars really help Utah’s mule deer? The already-understaffed Bureau of Indian Affairs faces yet more staffing and budget cuts. Today’s conservative Rocky Mountain West has a surprisingly long and enthusiastic history of socialism. A newcomer decides to make friends with her neighbors, the native plant life. It takes a bit of nerve to kiss the beautiful but toxic sea anemone.
Lincoln County, New Mexico, wants to turn flood-prone properties into public land
Facing fires and floods, homeowners are considering buyouts designed to move them out of harm’s way.
Dredging the Columbia River at the expense of tribal and aquatic communities
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has transformed the estuary and robbed the river of sediment over the last century.
On walking away from it all
The best things in life are not things but places.
The climbers of HCN
Two staffers show tenacity on the wall and for our readers.
When the most aggressive-seeming greenery has a softer side
In Anchorage, a writer gets to know devil’s club and her other new botanical neighbors.
Bureau of Indian Affairs could face reorganization, deeper staff cuts
Tribal leaders say previous cuts have already impacted the government’s ability to carry out programs in Indian Country.
Utah’s new study aims to kill ‘as many cougars as possible’
Critics say the state’s attempt to boost ungulate populations lacks scientific grounding and transparency.