A final environmental assessment weakens drilling restrictions on millions of acres.
Carl Segerstrom
Posted inArticles
Settlement forces Oregon to update water pollution permits
In 2017, the state had the worst backlog of expired permits nationwide.
Posted inArticles
How to prepare for a wildfire
Some basic steps to stay safe if you live near Western wildlands.
Posted inArticles
Can big data help save endangered species?
A new tool could improve rare species recovery — or justify letting some species perish.
Posted inNovember 12, 2018: Old Wests, and new
Ode to a mountain
A duo pay a heartfelt tribute to Albuquerque’s Sandia Mountain.
Posted inArticles
Oil and gas leasing delayed in sage grouse habitat
Federal court rejects Interior’s ‘intentional decision’ to limit public comment.
Posted inOctober 29, 2018: When your neighborhood goes BOOM
A fresh face and folks in the field
Fall brings a change in the weather, a new staffer and visitors.
Posted inNovember 26, 2018: Follow the fish
Tossing salmon for science
A decades-long experiment demonstrates how the iconic fish help trees grow.
Posted inArticles
Vicki Christiansen to stay on as head of Forest Service
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue appoints a permanent Forest Service chief.
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Interior Department issues order to avoid settlements
Critics say the decree will slow down the implementation of enacted laws.
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Zinke announces mining ban near Yellowstone
Locals and some conservationists applaud; others cry favoritism by the Montanan.
Posted inOctober 15, 2018: Nature Retreat
Latest: Wildfire smoke deaths could double by century’s end
New research shows fire-polluted air could kill up to 44,000 people per year by 2100.
Posted inArticles
Land-transfer advocates seek authority instead of ownership
The Trump administration isn’t giving land to states, but it is giving states more control over public lands.
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Time is running out (again) for conservation’s bank account
An important source of public lands funding is set to expire at the end of September.
Posted inSeptember 17, 2018: The Pioneer of Ruin
As the West burns, a town fields its own amateur firefighters
The community of Dufur, Oregon, bands together to douse the flames.
Posted inAugust 31, 2018: The Big Threat to Bighorns
A meeting of the minds in Gunnison
The editorial staff of High Country News converges to plot the future of the magazine.
Posted inAugust 31, 2018: The Big Threat to Bighorns
Photos: The elusive & iconic American mountain goat
A biologist documents the natural history and lives of the North American quadrupeds.
Posted inAugust 20, 2018: Where the West is Moving - and Why
Truckers take on human trafficking
‘Our idea was to turn a passive audience into a disruptive force.’
Posted inAugust 31, 2018: The Big Threat to Bighorns
As ethics questions swirl, Zinke knows how to work a crowd
The Interior secretary woos conservatives with logging, drilling, public access.
Posted inArticles
Imperiled wildlife are caught in a political tug-of-war
The proposed bills and rule changes that would reshape the Endangered Species Act.