Small farmers struggle as ag titans wheel water for profit.
State government
Posted inNovember 1, 2021: The Radioactive Waste Next Door
Decolonizing Idaho’s road signs
A new effort will add Indigenous history to historical markers across the state.
Posted inOctober 1, 2021: In The Graces of Grasses
Idaho denies proposed land exchange
The state found that the timber tracts offered in a proposed trade are worth much less than the land around Payette Lake.
Posted inArticles
California tribal colleges offer ‘sense of belonging’ for Native students
While the schools boost retention and graduation rates, they face funding and accreditation hurdles.
Posted inArticles
The fight over a 5,000-year-old burial site in California
How a state law to expedite affordable housing erased a tribe’s right to consultation.
Posted inArticles
Illegal marijuana grows are stealing from California’s scarce water
As drought grips the Golden State, water thefts have increased to record levels. The most common offender: illegal pot farms.
Posted inSeptember 1, 2021: Where Wolves May Tread
Supreme Court ruling fails to protect Indigenous voters
In Brnovich v. DNC, the court has made it harder for people of color — especially Indigenous populations — to vote.
Posted inAugust 1, 2021: A Mega-Dairy Comes to the Desert
Could casitas help prevent displacement in the West’s cities?
As the housing crisis worsens, advocates sound off on how to bring homes to the people.
Posted inArticles
California budgets $61.5 million for wildlife crossings
The state looks to protect both wildlife and drivers, as large animals cause 20 crashes a day on state highways.
Posted inJuly 1, 2021: An Urban Greenspace Revolution
How a trail in rural Oregon became a target of far-right extremism
To understand the state’s urban-rural divide, start by looking at Yamhill County’s proposed walking trail.
Posted inArticles
Still wild: A mining project divides a community
In Haines, Alaska, concern for a fragile ecosystem confronts the prospect of well-paying jobs.
Posted inArticles
Can New Mexico transition from fossil fuels?
Oil and gas revenue funds everything from campaigns to government functions, complicating promises of a greener future.
Posted inArticles
Klamath Tribes want beavers back in the Beaver State
Reintroducing the species creates important habitat for First Foods. But state laws don’t work in the animal’s favor.
Posted inArticles
Wyoming’s GOP considers the fall of Liz Cheney
‘I think there will be a reckoning in the party.’
Posted inJune 1, 2021: Once and Future Fires
How ‘sustainable’ is California’s groundwater sustainability act?
Numerous issues around equity and the plan’s rollout loom.
Posted inJuly 1, 2021: An Urban Greenspace Revolution
‘I’m scared of getting sick from the water’
Some rural California communities have waited nearly a decade for state regulators to repair their tainted drinking-water systems.
Posted inArticles
How the West has changed since the last census
Population growth has slowed overall, but the West continues at a fast pace, adding three congressional seats.
Posted inArticles
Megadrought: New Mexico farms face uncertain future
‘If they have an option to not farm, they should consider that option.’
Posted inApril 1, 2021: Holding Fast
Energy companies have left Colorado with billions of dollars in oil and gas cleanup
As the state tries to reform its relationship to drilling, an expensive task awaits.
Posted inApril 1, 2021: Holding Fast
Idaho state lands could end up in private hands
How a developer’s proposed large land swap ignited a fight in small but growing McCall.