The 2014 disaster killed 43 people in one of Washington’s most active slide zones.
Lyndsey Gilpin
Posted inOctober 31, 2016: A Monumental Divide
Staffing, and a trip outside Paonia
At the end of September, High Country News staff and board traveled to Berkeley, California, for one of our annual meetings. We love these trips afield, where we get to connect with members of the broader HCN community. One highlight was a talk by Dave Rolloff, professor of recreation, parks and tourism administration at California […]
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A helping hand for migrant students
In the San Luis Valley, migrant workers build community around student success.
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The 10 most expensive wildfires in the West’s history
Why suppressing wildfires costs public land agencies so much money.
Posted inOctober 3, 2016: Purple Rain
Visits from students and an issue break
It’s starting to feel like autumn in Paonia. Breezes are getting crisper, ripe apples are dropping, and the aspen leaves are turning gold. The season has been busy here at High Country News headquarters, as we make some staffing adjustments. Tay Wiles, our former online editor, is moving to the San Francisco Bay area, where […]
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Yosemite’s superintendent retires after discrimination allegations surface
New allegations of harassment, discrimination crop up in Yosemite, Yellowstone.
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For the first time, U.S. and Mexico take stock of the underground water they share
The two countries have tried for years to thoroughly assess aquifers along the border.
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Is farming a public service?
To build a new generation of farmers, one nonprofit wants states to forgive student loans.
Posted inAugust 22, 2016: 100
William Henry Jackson’s history-making photos
See these rare color photographs of the early West.
Posted inAugust 22, 2016: 100
Latest: Officials open a criminal investigation of EPA’s role in the Animas river spill
Agency contractors were excavating debris at the old mining site when the river flooded with wastewater.
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The West’s ‘new normal’: Another long season of volatile wildfires
In California and across the region, drought and heat makes for big blazes.
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Congress pushes Park Service harder on the agency’s legacy of harassment
Using documents obtained by High Country News, representatives look into discrimination investigation from 2000.
Posted inAugust 8, 2016: Line of Descent
Latest: California moves ahead on Bay Delta tunnels plan
Governor Jerry Brown wants to secure water for the drought, but will it leave enough for wildlife?
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The Colorado River’s unexpected carbon footprint
Flooding a dry riverbed restored vegetation, but released significant amounts of methane and carbon dioxide.
Posted inJuly 25, 2016: Salmon Power
Latest: The BLM to study surgical sterilization of wild horses
As ever, changes to the agency’s wild horse policy have sparked controversy.
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A week of Black Lives Matter protests in the West
After last week’s police shootings, Americans use social media to call for police reform and racial justice.
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Congress members and activists call for ousting of Park Service director
Agency chief under fire after the release of a second investigation into sexual harassment within the agency.
Posted inJune 27, 2016: The New Advocates
See the vanishing rest stops of the American West
A review of “The Last Stop” and a look at iconic roadside waypoints.
Posted inJune 13, 2016: Water to Dust
Photos: Underwater wilderness in the Pacific Northwest
A review of David Hall’s “Beneath Cold Seas”
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Native American women still have the highest rates of rape and assault
A flawed tribal court structure, little local law enforcement and a lack of funding fail to protect women from violence.