Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
$300 fine for tracking mud on streets, dress codes for sheriffs, and more.
Posted inMarch 2, 2015: Unite and Conquer
Big dig, big disgrace
A new mega-tunnel won’t save Seattle from the tyranny of traffic.
Posted inArticles
Demographic shifts and the Native voting block
In 1980, 20 percent of the U.S. population was minority; today, 37 percent is.
Posted in2015
D.C. correspondent to expand HCN’s reach
“Elizabeth brings us incredible expertise on issues, a solid reputation in the D.C. journalism and environmental communities, and strong storytelling abilities,” says Jodi Peterson, managing editor for High Country News. “She’ll help inform our readers of critical Western issues surrounding public lands, energy, economic development and communities, and how they shape, and are shaped by, national […]
Posted inArticles
The riddle of the circle of ancient power
“Walk left,” the sign says, at the entrance to the roped-off site. It’s a place that hammers me in the chest. The world spills away, down into the Bighorn Basin, across Wyoming and north into Montana, a huge gallop of space. Brown miles stretch out veined with river courses, serrated with ridges and mountain ranges. […]
Posted inArticles
New hope for beetle-killed landscapes
Can native forest fungi combat the West’s bark beetle epidemic?
Posted inArticles
Utah’s public lands aren’t about to change hands
Plenty of ink has been spilled lately over Utah’s Transfer of Public Lands Act, the controversial law requiring the federal government to turn over 31.2 million acres of public land to the state of Utah – without even a token payment to the U.S. Treasury. But should the American public take this proposal seriously? The […]
Posted inArticles
Ranch Diaries: Why we manage our cattle horseback
Rough terrain and big country make horses an ideal way to manage for gentle cattle.
Posted inArticles
Tribal sovereignty remains Alaska’s unfinished business
Do Alaska Native tribes posses sovereignty?
Posted inArticles
Photographs of American histories
Sites where gruesome, beautiful and bizarre events have taken place in Western history and film.
Posted inArticles
Early start to wildfire season
Blazes in California and Utah have officials on alert, but what they spell for the coming season is unclear.
Posted inArticles
Utah bill aims to force an end to the land transfer debate
Plus, a roundup of federal-to-state land transfer battles across the West.
Posted inArticles
“Paradise” has turned a little grim
January glowed brightly around us as we hiked the ridgeline of Carbonate, the mountain flanking the Big Wood River on the edge of Hailey, Idaho. It’s a popular hiking spot, generally in late spring and fall. The entire trail is open to the sky, and switchbacks quickly unfurl views of the Smoky Mountains, Camas Prairie […]
Posted in2015
Ranch Diaries series follows what it’s like to get into cattle ranching today
Making a living in an industry that faces an ever-evolving host of obstacles like drought, climate changes, political forces, and a volatile cattle market, Schneider will give a peek into what it’s like to take on those challenges during the first year of Triangle P Cattle Company. Installments of the series will appear at hcn.org on […]
Posted inArticles
USDA announces new grants to reduce ‘grain drain’
With the average age of farmers still rising, grants to help out newbies don’t get to the root of the problem.
Posted inArticles
Pioneer women get the Hollywood treatment
Did any Western history buffs besides me see The Homesman? A hot box office ticket earlier this winter, it’s hard to find in theaters now, though the cast was impressive — Tommy Lee Jones, Hilary Swank, Meryl Streep — and most reviews were positive. Three pioneer wives have gone crazy in a small Nebraska community, […]
Posted inArticles
Ranch Diaries: A New Mexico cattle company is born
How we decided to start our own business on the Mescalero Apache Reservation.
Posted inArticles
How cold can it get in the Grand Canyon? Real cold
The first entries I made in my journal during a 23-day rafting trip on the Grand Canyon this winter were limited: “Day 1: Cold.” On the second day on the river, I mustered more creativity: “It’s freaking cold,” only I didn’t use the word freaking. The morning of Dec. 31, our 16-member crew woke in […]
Posted inArticles
The technique that’s revolutionizing aquatic science
Looking for brook trout? Try environmental DNA.