To save the greatest number of species, should we focus on the most common?
Genetic research lays foundation for bold conservation strategies
Posted inJune 8, 2015: Tree of Life
Citizen pseudoscience
Wyoming Sen. Mike Enzi’s legislation to mandate use of local, county, state and tribal data in Endangered Species Act decisions (“Sagebrush bureaucracy,” HCN, 5/11/15) sounds like a reasonable idea, citizen science at its very grassroots. The more information that’s included, the better the decision, right? The devil, of course, is in the details. I have […]
Posted inJune 8, 2015: Tree of Life
Western cities ranked by most polluted air
Los Angeles and Fresno are worst, Prescott and Bellingham best.
Posted inJune 8, 2015: Tree of Life
Can leasing irrigation water keep Colorado farms alive?
Farmers try to stop “buy and dry” by pooling water rights to supply growing cities.
Posted inJune 8, 2015: Tree of Life
Big cat cruelty in Utah and the first recorded California condor in New Mexico
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
Posted inJune 8, 2015: Tree of Life
A bull trout reintroduction in Oregon proves what’s possible
The ambitious effort brings a threatened predator back to the Clackamas watershed.
Posted inArticles
Focusing in on arthropods of the West
Up-close portraits of jumping spiders, beetles, Mormon crickets and other creepy-crawlies essential to our ecosystems.
Posted inArticles
Scarcity and survival reign in ‘The Water Knife’
A conversation with Paolo Bacigalupi about climate fiction, the power of water and his new novel.
Posted inArticles
The fight for dirty water
On May 27, the Obama administration published a rule that restores the Clean Water Act’s intent and most of its teeth. Both had been extracted by the previous administration. This rule comes after meticulous vetting by lawyers, scientists and interested parties. Eighty-seven percent of the 1 million public comments were in favor of it. Nonetheless, […]
Posted inArticles
Senate considers legislation to help the West store and conserve water
Twelve Western states have declared drought emergencies.
Posted inArticles
I have seen the future, and it looks like Mad Max
How a post-apocalyptic action movie can help us ward off ecological disaster.
Posted inArticles
A rocket scientist saved my farm
If I tell you details about how a rocket scientist saved my farm, it would probably just distract you, even though it’s true. Equally true is the fact that almost all farms can be saved and are worth saving, despite what you read about water-wasting agriculture. Like my father and grandfather before me, I’m a […]
Posted inArticles
Ranch Diaries: Turning a mustang into a willing partner
What it’s like to start a horse who has a fear of ropes and an unhealthy sense of his own strength.
Posted inArticles
Drilling is down, driving is up in wake of low petroleum prices
Demand increases, but rig counts plummet and workers continue to get laid off.
Posted inArticles
Rants from the Hill: The adventures of Sir Rantsalot in the dead tree forest
On the virtues of cutting and burning wood.
Posted inArticles
Weather dispatch from Wrangell, Alaska: Drought in the rainforest?
As Southwest states were pummeled with rain, Southeast Alaska dries out.
Posted inArticles
Why is Montana giving its bison specialist the boot?
The state blames budget cuts as it demotes a longtime wildlife biologist.
Posted inArticles
More waterways likely protected under new EPA rule
The controversial Clean Water Act rule protects tributaries with any sign of water, no matter the flow.
Posted inArticles
The Pleistocene and the present don’t compute
March 15, 2025, For Immediate Release: “Rest assured, Pleistocene Parks Inc. is doing everything possible to recapture our escaped ice age megafauna. Please back away slowly from any African lion you encounter. Keep pets and children away from cheetahs. Do not approach camels, as they may kick, spit and bite. Unless you are in a […]