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 […]
A new and more dangerous Sagebrush Rebellion
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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.
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No, federal land transfers are not in the Constitution
Legal scholars debunk arguments about how founding documents support local control of all lands.
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Did Colorado leave residents of the Raton Basin with bad water?
Regulators don’t link industry to contamination — but testing shows the pollution came after drilling.
Posted in2016
Rebellion Turns to Insurgency: Behind the Discontent in the West
Paonia, CO – Events like the January 2016 standoff at the Oregon Malheur Wildlife Refuge are becoming more commonplace in the West, amid hidden connections between the economic downturn, anti-government sentiment and a sprawling network of organizations, actors and movements. For the past six months, High Country News has been investigating this broader network, and has now issued […]
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Above normal snowpack in some of last winter’s driest regions
Precipitation in recent months chips away at California drought, but the water deficit will be hard to overcome.
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The surprising history of the Malheur wildlife refuge
The refuge’s creation helped support nearby ranchers.
Posted inFebruary 2, 2016: Sagebrush Insurgency
The rise of the Sagebrush Sheriffs
How rural ‘constitutional’ peace officers are joining the war against the feds.
Posted inFebruary 2, 2016: Sagebrush Insurgency
In ‘Gold Fame Citrus,’ the nascent genre of cli-fi looks to California
A new climate change novel predicts a dystopian West of sand and refugees.
Posted inFebruary 2, 2016: Sagebrush Insurgency
Sagebrush Insurgency connections
Connecting the dots within a vast right-wing network of militia members, state and local politicians, and others.
Posted inFebruary 2, 2016: Sagebrush Insurgency
Graphic: The hidden connections of the Sagebrush Insurgency
Where a sprawling network of actors find common cause.
Posted inFebruary 2, 2016: Sagebrush Insurgency
The exotic dancing boom in North Dakota goes bust
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region
Posted inFebruary 2, 2016: Sagebrush Insurgency
The BLM’s arms race on the range
The agency has armed up since 1978, but it’s still outgunned without local backup.
Posted inFebruary 2, 2016: Sagebrush Insurgency
Sugar Pine Mine, the other standoff
How a small-time mining dispute in Oregon readied a network of militias for the Malheur occupation.
Posted inFebruary 2, 2016: Sagebrush Insurgency
Risks and regulations
Wonderful trenchant article on the surface, but the real story lies just below ground (“Coal company bankruptcies jeopardize reclamation,” HCN, 1/25/16). The article mentioned the various methods that are used to ensure a mine site would be cleaned up in the future, i.e., surety bonds, letters of credit, cash deposits, etc. As a young bank […]