As fires grow larger, wildland firefighting poses new risks to bodies and minds.
On the fireline, emotional trauma is a hidden threat
The environmental consequences of Gov. Ducey’s rogue ‘border wall’
Slicing across Arizona’s Coronado National Forest, the barrier will stop more migrating mammals than humans.
On its 100th birthday, the Colorado River Compact shows its age
The foundational document was flawed from the start.
The history behind the New Mexico-Texas Rio Grande settlement
It’s taken 10 years for the states to reach an agreement, but it may not be the end of the water conflict.
Bighorn-lovers butt heads with Vail Resorts’ affordable housing
The ski industry giant wants to build workforce housing in wild sheep habitat.
The true stakes of the Indian Child Welfare Act
Allie Maldonado’s family was torn apart by removal. It was reunited by community — and ICWA.
When dams come down, fish come home
As dam removal nationwide accelerates, experts are learning just how quickly rivers and fish respond.
The Amah Mutsun tribe rallies to save sacred sites
A proposed sand and gravel mine threatens the heritage of the central California tribe.
After June’s floods, will the Yellowstone River be allowed to roam?
Rock walls called riprap constrain the river to protect property from erosion —but there are other options.
The nonprofits cleaning up the oil and gas industry’s ‘dirty little secret’
These organizations are tackling the vast problem of orphaned wells.
A California fire department forges a new generation of conservation practitioners
In wealthy, segregated Marin County, a pioneering recruitment program breaks down barriers to the firefighting profession
The future of large landscape conservation begins with Indigenous communities
In the Yellowstone to Yukon region, Indigenous peoples manage more than a quarter of protected lands.
How a rare butterfly returned
The revival of Fender’s blue illustrates the collaborative nature of survival.
Carving a future for the Tongass National Forest
In Southeast Alaska, youth help manage a forest and protect an ancient art.
Do bedrock conservation laws need a makeover?
Experts suggest needed upgrades in the face of modern crises.
From dominance to stewardship: Chuck Sams’ Indigenous approach to the NPS
The first Native national parks director talks tribal co-management, historical accuracy, harassment, and the fallacy of “wilderness.”
‘We cannot go backwards in time’
#iamthewest: Giving voice to the people that make up communities in the region.
Conservation is an ecosystem
To protect what needs protecting, repair our ties with one another.
A new chapter for HCN
The organization is putting its building up for sale but will remain in Paonia.
What can conservation learn from science fiction?
New works by Western authors explore the brighter futures of our swiftly tilting planet.
