Essays that unravel the mystique of the American West.
Alaska
Posted inMarch 4, 2019: El Nuevo Movimiento
New bill leaves lands protected, lawmaking neglected
A bipartisan public lands bill punts on overhauling environmental policies.
Posted inArticles
When conservation provides a cover for anti-Indigenous sentiments
A nation of laws cannot exist on stolen land.
Posted inFebruary 4, 2019: Nizhoni Girls
Seattle’s highway hell; crazy river questions; a sweet spill
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
Posted inArticles
The Interior Department’s deregulatory agenda
The actions taken by Zinke’s Interior Department have different levels of legal permanence.
Posted inJanuary 21, 2019: What Killed Washington's Carbon Tax?
The plight of the ‘snow oxen’
A biologist draws on his fieldwork to consider the world of muskoxen during climate change.
Posted inJanuary 21, 2019: What Killed Washington's Carbon Tax?
Mistaken identity; bizarre trees; chocolate grizlars
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
Posted inArticles
Why bulldoze one of the wildest places on Earth?
The Trump administration wants a road built through an Alaska wildlife refuge for medical needs – but commerce may be the real reason.
Posted inArticles
Marine mammals and turtles rebound after endangered species protections
A new study shows broad recovery but doesn’t dive into the problems that remain.
Posted inJanuary 21, 2019: What Killed Washington's Carbon Tax?
Feds to open most of Arctic refuge coastal plain to drilling
Despite ecological harm, energy development moves forward in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Posted inFebruary 4, 2019: Nizhoni Girls
It’s time to start eating roadkill
Salvaging meat in Alaska is commonplace. Can it catch on in the Lower 48?
Posted inDecember 24, 2018: Good news, bad news
Earthquake struck; the anti-baby boom; blowtorching spiders
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
Posted inDecember 24, 2018: Good news, bad news
Where the news is drying up — and where it’s not
Rural areas can be hit hardest, but many small-town papers persevere.
Posted inArticles
What the Violence Against Women Act could do in Indian Country — and one major flaw
Women from 228 tribes in Alaska and four in Maine still aren’t protected by the act.
Posted inArticles
Update: Court blocks old-growth logging in Alaska’s Tongass National Forest
Meanwhile, the Trump administration pushes to allow roads and more cutting.
Posted inArticles
Congress sends bill bolstering earthquake program to Trump
A quake near Anchorage highlights the importance of preparation and monitoring.
Posted inArticles
Offshore oil drilling could hamper Arctic aurora research
The risk of rocket parts falling on rigs and workers may limit launches.
Posted inNovember 26, 2018: Follow the fish
Life lessons learned on a dogsled
Hold tight and don’t let go.
Posted inNovember 12, 2018: Old Wests, and new
Fabulous flab; reefer madness; unsportmanslike conduct
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
Posted inArticles
What does wilderness sound like?
A photographer and audio researchers document the soundscapes of remote national parks in Alaska.