Aging culverts block salmon migration between freshwater streams and the Pacific Ocean.
Endangered Species
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After more than 50 years in captivity, will Tokitae ever get justice from Seaquarium?
A new USDA report finds further mistreatment of the exploited Washington orca.
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California oil spill contaminates restored wetland
The Talbert Marsh is refuge to at least 90 species of shorebirds, and now it’s slicked with oil.
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Klamath River issues explained
Confused about what’s happening on the Klamath? Dams, salmon, irrigation and more.
Posted inSeptember 1, 2021: Where Wolves May Tread
The effort to save Upper Klamath Lake’s endangered fish before they disappear
Another dry year pushes tribal nations, federal agencies and irrigators to find long-lasting solutions.
Posted inAugust 1, 2021: A Mega-Dairy Comes to the Desert
Expletive hot; lemur spotting; teacher cams
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
Posted inAugust 1, 2021: A Mega-Dairy Comes to the Desert
Can Puget Sound’s orca and salmon survive Seattle’s dams?
Federal regulators are reassessing the ecological impacts of the Skagit River dams.
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The once-perennial Gila River ebbs to an uncertain future
‘We are in uncharted territory.’
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Why the poaching of one gray wolf in Washington matters
Losing one of the state-endangered species can mean the pack not only loses pups, but dissolves entirely.
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The return of the endangered Mexican wolf
A program that places captive-born pups into wild dens is helping North America’s rarest wolf subspecies reclaim its native territory in the Southwest.
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Will history repeat in a dry Klamath Basin this summer?
This year’s drought is worse than in 2001, when political and environmental tensions exploded into the national spotlight.
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On the Klamath River, agricultural interests are pitted against the needs of tribes and endangered species
Due to severe drought, irrigation allotments were decreased to lowest amounts in history.
Posted inJune 1, 2021: Once and Future Fires
Species conservation is a human problem
Writer Michelle Nijhuis synthesizes the story of modern-day conservation in her new book ‘Beloved Beasts.’
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A Colorado county provides a model for saving the West’s open spaces
A sales-tax funded program pays ranchers and farmers to not develop their land or sell their water rights.
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Threatened species and how we might save them
Michelle Nijhuis details history’s successes as a road map for today’s conservationists in her new book ‘Beloved Beasts.’
Posted inMarch 1, 2021: The Rough Road Ahead
New Mexico judge revokes protected lands for jaguars
Conservation groups vow to fight the ruling to help the cats reclaim their historic habitat.
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Idaho Congressman proposes bold dam removal project on Snake River
The $33.5 billion plan seeks to restore salmon while funding new energy projects and compensating farmers.
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Biden halted border wall construction. Now what?
Environmental and human rights advocates hope to steer the administration toward a new vision at the border.
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Diverted, drained and dwindling: What’s the fate of New Mexico’s Rio Grande?
Century-old water rights and climate change means the river may never flow through many communities year-round again.
Posted inFebruary 1, 2021: End of the Line
The Washington, D.C., siege has Western roots and consequences
History and the growing power of right-wing extremism point to a volatile future for the West during the Biden presidency.