It’s been a long, hot summer, but by the time this issue comes out, we’ll all be complaining that it’s almost over. If you’re an academic type, already contemplating the new semester, you might need an extra mood boost. And we have just the thing: the HCNU classroom program, which provides free subscriptions for you […]
HCN in the classroom
Posted inAugust 8, 2016: Line of Descent
Feds and states clash over Mexican wolf management
You don’t expect a report from the Interior Department’s inspector general to be interesting, let alone insightful, but the newly released Investigative Report of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Mexican Wolf Program manages to be both. The 17-page report was ordered by U.S. Rep. Steven Pearce, R-N.M., on behalf of Catron County, to investigate […]
Posted inAugust 8, 2016: Line of Descent
Columbia River ‘shadow tribes’ face a housing crisis
The feds have promised lodging at traditional fish camps — but haven’t delivered.
Posted inAugust 8, 2016: Line of Descent
California plans to log its drought-killed trees
Cutting down dead trees may not reduce wildfire risk.
Posted inAugust 8, 2016: Line of Descent
Bears Ears hubbub, GOP platform pushes state control and #BlackLivesMatter
HCN.org news in brief.
Posted inAugust 8, 2016: Line of Descent
Will a Colorado compromise end a water tug-of-war?
A controversial deal for diverting water across the Rockies faces scrutiny.
Posted inArticles
How to get a drug treatment that works into every medicine cabinet
State agencies are having success countering New Mexico’s overdose epidemic by increasing access to opiate antidotes.
Posted inArticles
Have farmers markets been spoiled by their own success?
People go to farmers markets for many reasons. The jovial, wholesome atmosphere makes people feel good about their communities and the hard work put in by area farmers. Sometimes, we even want to buy something. But actually purchasing food is becoming an increasingly rare act, according to a recent Washington Post article. As one grower […]
Posted inArticles
Will a bigger energy grid make way for renewables?
Utilities are embracing California’s bid to expand its grid, but states aren’t so sure.
Posted inArticles
Podcast: The backcountry ski boom comes with more risk
Avalanche deaths as well as backcountry skiing are up from 20 years ago.
Posted inArticles
Congress pushes Park Service harder on the agency’s legacy of harassment
Using documents obtained by High Country News, representatives look into discrimination investigation from 2000.
Posted inArticles
Why does the outdoor recreation community ignore horseback riders?
We love and make use of our public lands, but we get no respect.
Posted inArticles
How purple bacteria could help save amphibians in the Rockies
A Colorado researcher is using boreal toads’ microbiomes to help them ward off a deadly fungus.
Posted inAugust 8, 2016: Line of Descent
Latest: Obama administration to continue Navajo Nation uranium cleanup
The EPA has already spent $100 million to remediate decades of mining.
Posted inAugust 8, 2016: Line of Descent
Latest: California moves ahead on Bay Delta tunnels plan
Governor Jerry Brown wants to secure water for the drought, but will it leave enough for wildlife?
Posted inAugust 8, 2016: Line of Descent
Sometimes, the West must be protected from itself
Today, we need to listen more carefully than ever to the ideas of Western historian, Bernard DeVoto.
Posted inArticles
How my adopted daughter made peace with the outdoors
If our daughter couldn’t tolerate nature, how would we integrate her into our world?
Posted inArticles
How Shelton Johnson became the Buffalo Soldiers’ champion
The Park Service’s best-known ranger is determined not to let the African-American soldiers fall into obscurity.
Posted inArticles
New restrictions on Oregon floodplain development
Some see the changes as reform of a troubled program, and others as an example of bureaucratic overreach.
Posted inArticles
The Colorado River’s unexpected carbon footprint
Flooding a dry riverbed restored vegetation, but released significant amounts of methane and carbon dioxide.