The Western movement to transfer federal lands scores an early victory in the new Congress.
Public lands
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West Obsessed: Obama’s region-wide legacy
The staff of High Country News discuss the 44th president’s impact on the West’s land, energy and the environment.
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Bears Ears a go — but here’s where Obama drew the line
The designation’s concessions are unlikely to appease ardent opponents.
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A tribal coalition wins a monument for Bears Ears
While consensus supporting a designation grew, many Utah politicians argued that the president’s action is an abuse of power.
Posted inDecember 26, 2016: Obama and the West
The ‘chickenization’ of beef
Obama’s efforts to help small-scale ranchers competing against Big Ag were blocked and ultimately fell short.
Posted inDecember 26, 2016: Obama and the West
Obama’s lasting legacies in the West
Under the 44th president, the West re-examined its relationship to energy and the climate.
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Trump’s Interior pick confounds conservationists
Montana Rep. Ryan Zinke evokes Roosevelt, but his record has veered away from environmental protection.
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Trump’s Cabinet choices reflect deep Koch influence
A rundown of the people with ties to ALEC, the Koch brothers and federal land transfer legislation.
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Second round of Malheur defendants face conspiracy charges
Federal prosecutors are moving ahead, despite the first trial’s acquittal.
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How we investigated the National Park Service’s history of sexual harassment
A methodology of our yearlong series about how the agency treats women.
Posted inDecember 12, 2016: How the Park Service is Failing Women
How the National Park Service is failing women
The agency tasked with safeguarding our greatest public lands has neglected to protect its workers.
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It’s not the Wild West anymore. Look before you shoot.
Carrying a gun in the backcountry isn’t the issue—responsible use is.
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The other land transfer effort
After more than a century, some Western states receive school trust lands.
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Feds to send conciliators amid tensions over Dakota Access
In Bismarck, officials describe a chaotic mix of law enforcement and protesters.
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West Obsessed: Trump’s cross-purposed energy policy
The staff of High Country News discuss the inherent paradoxes in the president-elect’s campaign promises.
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Bears Ears: Correcting an off-base argument
In the debate over a national monument, don’t be swayed by myths.
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Obama’s rush to the end
Keeping track of rulemaking, policy decisions and other last actions before the Trump administration’s inauguration.
Posted inNovember 28, 2016: A Weird and Perfect Wilderness
How to love a weird and perfect wilderness
A desolate Oregon landscape offers lessons on the modern wild.
Posted inNovember 28, 2016: A Weird and Perfect Wilderness
How Ammon Bundy got acquitted in Oregon
At the Malheur trial, Bundys were acquitted, but what will happen in Nevada?
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More books essential to understanding the American West
Readers tell us their favorites from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries.