Zinke calls for a review of conservation plans.
State government
Posted inJune 12, 2017: The Big Swing
The Big Swing: Why a blue Colorado county voted for Trump
How a wave of retirees and a changed economic landscape reshaped rural politics.
Posted inJune 12, 2017: The Big Swing
Eight lawmakers whose bills attack public lands
Who are the Westerners behind bills meant to weaken federal protections of land?
Posted inArticles
States commit to action in absence of climate accord
California and Washington form a coalition that will fight climate change even if Trump won’t.
Posted inArticles
The river-access lawsuit at the center of Montana’s House race
Will the state’s movement to protect public lands affect Greg Gianforte?
Posted inMay 15, 2017: Prison Town
‘If you don’t want us, tell us to go back’
The making of a California prison town.
Posted inMay 1, 2017: Change Comes to Short Creek
An end to Tucson’s growth wars
A conservation plan puts science ahead of politics.
Posted inMay 15, 2017: Prison Town
Public banking goes to pot
California activists turn to the cannabis industry to help launch the nation’s first public bank in nearly a century.
Posted inArticles
Jury deliberates in 2014 Bundy standoff trial
Cliven Bundy’s sway over his followers featured prominently in first of three trials.
Posted inArticles
Land transfer advocates steer their focus to monuments
A transfer movement moves to rescind monuments and weaken the Antiquities Act.
Posted inArticles
Across party lines, Western governors see a partner in Pruitt
A bipartisan group couldn’t get what they wanted from the old EPA.
Posted inFebruary 20, 2017: Overdosed
When private pain becomes a community problem
How a rural clinic sparked a small-town addiction crisis.
Posted inArticles
Lessons from the first week of the Bundy standoff trial
Checking in on jury selection and opening statements.
Posted inFebruary 20, 2017: Overdosed
Outdoor rec industry defends public lands
Utah’s delegation tries to roll back protections, riling a conservation-minded outdoors cohort.
Posted inArticles
In Wyoming, a cautious public lands victory
Grassroots efforts to fight land transfer bills have succeeded — for now.
Posted inArticles
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.
Posted inArticles
The other land transfer effort
After more than a century, some Western states receive school trust lands.
Posted inArticles
At least 15 counties have left the American Lands Council
But that doesn’t mean Western counties have backed down on land transfers.
Posted inOctober 3, 2016: Purple Rain
Dark money is re-shaping Arizona’s energy fights
The 2010 Citizens United decision is affecting elections on the ground.
Posted inOctober 3, 2016: Purple Rain
How the West’s populist politics play out at the ballot box
Voter-driven ballot initiatives are a powerful force during the Western election season.