Letter to the editor

Your graphic about the Klamath was very informative (“What would a healthy Klamath River look like?” December 2021). I would like to point out a misconception regarding the N-15 isotope. The different isotopes of nitrogen do not have any impact on healthy forest growth; all isotopes of nitrogen can be used for growth. The N-15 […]

Citizens of the West would be well advised to remember the Hanford, Washington, nuclear waste products disaster (“No Easy Fix for our Nuclear Past,” December 2018).  Wind power and the rapid improvement in battery technology seem a far better match for the future electrical needs of Wyoming and the West (“New nuclear,” December 2021). One could employ […]

The December issue was the best I’ve seen in years of reading HCN. The topper was Lee van der Voo’s fabulous piece, “Betting the Ranch.” It was a complex and tremendously insightful story about the way big-shouldered meat distribution companies like Tyson Foods can outmuscle even giant ranchers and dominate the economics of the cattle-raising […]

I’ve read HCN frequently since moving to Montana in 2014 and have been a subscriber for the past few years. The December 2021 issue stands out to me as one of the best in recent years. The depth and breadth of topics, the engaging infographics, and the photographs and illustration brought life to the excellent […]

I just finished your article on changing racist place names (“Decolonizing Idaho’s road signs,” November 2021) and wanted to thank you for writing on this topic. I am a California-born Chinese-American, and I always feel a bit better about the suffering my people have undergone when I see things improving for others who have suffered even […]

Nick Bowlin’s article (“Teton troubles,” December 2021) singles out one particular instance of mountain town development but fails to mention the even larger issue we face in Teton Valley. Short-term rentals are eliminating the long-term rental market. Second homeowners and part-time residents see dollar signs and largely don’t care about the stresses it creates for […]

I was deeply moved by Brook Thompson’s article about the ongoing tragedy of the Klamath and her people (“The familial bond between the Klamath River and the Yurok people,” September 2021). I only wish that there could be a solution imminent, but I fear that the alienation of Western (European) “culture” from the natural world […]

Thank you for the amazing analysis of income disparity by Jonathan Thompson (“The wealth abyss,” December 2021). More unequal countries tend to have more teenage pregnancy, mental illness, drug use, obesity, prisoners, school dropouts, lower life expectancy and lower status for women. The more unequal a country is, the more likely the biodiversity of its […]

Jonathan Thompson’s graphic report on methane is excellent and should be widely shared (“What you can’t see can hurt,” November 2021). One subtext of his reporting is that cattle production produces more methane than the oil and gas industry — 36% (digestion plus manure) versus 30%. When you consider livestock industry methane pollution, along with […]

I read your article — “The White Sands discovery only confirms what Indigenous people have said all along” (November 2021) — and thought about a conversation I had with my 16-year-old daughter. She was livid and outraged about her American history class, because she wasn’t satisfied with what she’s being taught. She told me, “Native […]

“All my Relations” (December 2021) was an excellent story, full of facts and without “snarky” political overtones or condemnations of some sort. It was very thought-provoking, poignant and sad to read. Such governmental overlap and bureaucracy seem so frustrating. Jerry C. ReichCornelia, Georgia This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the […]

We gift an ongoing subscription to our local library in Homer, Alaska, and love that Alaska gets more and more coverage in HCN’s pages. You tell stories with great depth, which gives us a greater understanding all the way around. Thank you! Rika and John MouwHomer, Alaska This article appeared in the print edition of […]

High Country News always knocks it out of the park on infographics, and this is no exception. Thanks for making the importance of the Environmental Protection Agency and Bureau of Land Management’s efforts to cut methane emissions so clear. Jon Goldstein Via social media This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline […]

The means and manner in which the Hmong and many other cannabis growers are growing cannabis in Shasta Vista are highly toxic and an environmental disaster (“No choice left but to fight,” November 2021). The racist vitriol is unacceptable; the environmental impact should be the news here. Correct the laws for taxation and establish environmental […]

I enjoyed “Radioactive Neighbors” (November 2021) immensely and was not surprised to learn that the government is on the side of the company rather than seeking to protect the lives and livelihood of Native Americans. I take issue with one statement in the article. Archaeologists have been aware of — and pleading the cases of […]

Thank you for Wufei Yu’s article about the 1871 massacre of 19 Chinese Angelenos (“150 years ago, 19 Chinese Angelenos were murdered in California,” Oct. 22, 2021). We need to be reminded that unspeakable acts of violence occurred against different groups at different places and different times in our history. Perhaps we would, as a […]

I am writing to tell you how deeply moved I was by Brook Thompson’s article about the ongoing tragedy of the Klamath and her people (“The familial bond between the Klamath River and the Yurok people,” September 2021).  As a person who has always felt deeply connected to the land, water and sky, I can […]

As a nursing home administrator in Washington state, licensed since 1979 and concerned about the condition of and the political fronts that public health has weathered and is now facing, I read Jane C. Hu’s article with interest (“The Public Health Officer Emergency,” October 2021). The political infusion of right-wing folks who are abandoning science […]

I understand and applaud HCN’s effort to give Indigenous peoples a strong platform to express their views. You have had many fantastic interviews with Indigenous scientists that I have thoroughly enjoyed reading. However, the rant by Nick Martin regarding the White Sands footprint discovery was totally off-base. Oral history, while possibly suggestive of actual past […]

Thanks to Jonathan Thompson in the November issue for “What you can’t see can hurt.” I now understand that our natural gas distribution system is even more polluting than I thought. Hard ChunkBoulder, Colorado This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline What you can’t see can hurt.