On a cold Tuesday in January, when the Malheur occupation was in full swing, I marched alongside demonstrators in Portland to support the ousting of the Bundys and their armed militia. We were pretty much a hodgepodge group of birders, conservationists and nature-loving pacifists. There were no guns in sight; instead, demonstrators held signs high, […]
Nonviolent protest: A lesson for the occupiers at Malheur
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To save their homeland, 25 tribes unite in the Southwest
Native peoples in the Southwest take the long view. They have lived in the redrock canyons of the Colorado Plateau for 12,000 years and have shown astonishing resilience in the face of devastating change in the last 500 years. Now, they bring this ancestral perspective to the management of public lands in the canyons and […]
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The science behind Yellowstone’s bison cull
Some wildlife biologists say the cull makes sense — but not because bison can spread brucellosis.
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Invasive plants beat natives in climate adaptation race
In California, native and endemic plants are slower to shift their ranges in response to climate change, a study shows.
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Will this desert community survive its water overdraft problem?
Borrego Springs, California, was founded on the promise of endless water. Now they must conserve — or else.
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Dispatch from Nevada’s cowboy poets confab
An older generation of artists looks for a younger set to take over the tradition.
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Western states react strongly to Supreme Court stay of Clean Power Plan
Some states stop all work on cutting greenhouse gases but others forge ahead.
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California Coastal Commission fires its executive director
The decision exposes the quintessential coastline to damage, development and closures.
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Can we make sense of the Malheur mess?
A writer finds camaraderie and despair inside the Oregon standoff.
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Analyst: FBI let Malheur militants save face to end occupation
Emotional negotiations with a like-minded Nevada state legislator may have helped FBI operation.
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Livestream from the Oregon occupation
The remaining occupiers and their supporters speak live as FBI closes in on the Malheur wildlife refuge.
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Potty-mouths have a long history in Western politics
Donald Trump is just the latest politician to resort to vulgar language.
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Should this national monument become a national park?
An Idaho town hopes changing Craters of the Moon to park status will boost its economy.
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New leader steps up for the American Lands Council
Montana lawmaker takes over lands transfer group, as a new tendril of the movement emerges.
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A new and more dangerous Sagebrush Rebellion
At first, as the armed occupation in Oregon’s High Desert unfolded in January, it looked like a widescreen version of the flare-ups we’ve seen in the West ever since the Sagebrush Rebellion erupted in the 1970s. Recall the so-called “oppressed ranchers,” their anti-federal rhetoric and the sight of cowboy-hatted heroes riding to their rescue. But […]
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Ranch Diaries: Should we name the animals we raise to eat?
The point of our company is good food but it’s bittersweet to see our calves go.
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Four charts that show how public land is good for rural areas
A study finds that personal income is rising faster in counties with more public land.
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Should coyote hunting contests be banned?
The debate over organized kills and whether they actually impact population, via a new podcast.
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On the Klamath, a surprising win for river advocates
Dam removals on the Oregon-California border move forward without water deals for irrigators.
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Montana tribe’s water deal clears major Senate milestone
Blackfeet have waited decades to resolve their water claims but Congress is in no hurry.