Powerhouses like Wyoming and Alaska are shrinking budgets, not looking for new sources of income.
State government
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Uncertain future for Wyoming’s laid off coal miners
There’s some state support available but many workers face tough choices.
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How much do Western state budgets rely on extractive industries?
Resource-reliant states feel pinch as fossil-fuel revenue dwindles.
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In southern Utah, a ranger is jailed under questionable circumstances
The region has a history of sheriffs butting heads with federal land agencies.
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How progressives are taking a page from ALEC’s playbook
Conservatives push agendas through a centralized state network; progressives are building one of their own.
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Interactive timeline: Livestock grazing in the West
Whether grazing on public land is a ‘right’ or a ‘privilege’ is one of the region’s most contentious issues. Here’s why.
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West Obsessed: What the heck is a Sagebrush Sheriff?
Behind a lot of anti-fed sentiment, you’ll find ‘constitutional’ peace officers. Here’s why that’s worrying.
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New leader steps up for the American Lands Council
Montana lawmaker takes over lands transfer group, as a new tendril of the movement emerges.
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No, federal land transfers are not in the Constitution
Legal scholars debunk arguments about how founding documents support local control of all lands.
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Malheur arrests, as they happened on social media
As the Tuesday’s confrontation unfolded, key information came out on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
Posted inDecember 7, 2015: Good Neighbors
Ending the murrelet malaise
After decades of declines, Washington state finally has a plan to preserve the bird’s habitat.
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Wyoming seeks compromise on wildlife migration corridors
Migration science has advanced, and the Game & Fish Commission is looking to reassess land use.
Posted inNovember 23, 2015: Water Hustle
Why are Western attorneys general going rogue?
Attorneys general sue the federal government, despite state governors’ objections.
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Jeb Bush outlines plans to limit federal control of Western lands
The presidential hopeful would move Interior Department from Washington to the West.
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Public-land transfer proponents may have violated lobbying laws
Colorado puts the American Lands Council on “notice” for ethical missteps.
Posted inOctober 12, 2015: The Rise of Lisa Murkowski
How 2013’s Front Range floods changed the face of the region
Two years after floodwaters swept through, many immigrant families are still struggling to rebuild.
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Is Fish & Wildlife under the thumb of political influence?
73 percent of agency scientists say political interference is too high.
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Groups sue Wyoming over ‘data trespassing’ law
The laws make it a crime to collect data on open land if the collector lacks certain permissions.
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How crowded are private prisons in the West?
A riot in Arizona puts the spotlight on for-profit incarceration.
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The counties that actively oppose a federal lands transfer
Commissioners fear states could reduce county power and remove public access.