Interests of a few hundred farmers are contributing to postponements in basin-wide plan.
Agriculture
Posted inArticles
Why Jon Kyl was chosen to replace John McCain
Amid a reshuffling of Arizona’s political deck, the state’s governor makes a water-driven decision.
Posted inArticles
Idaho’s economy depends on ‘foreign-born’ workers
Immigration raids threaten the $10 billion dairy industry in the Gem State.
Posted inArticles
Factory farms can lead to industrial-sized problems
A ‘livestock-friendly’ industry has massive problems, from groundwater contamination to greenhouse gas emissions.
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 thirsty bear; salmon snafu; gastropod wranglers
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
Posted inAugust 31, 2018: The Big Threat to Bighorns
How beavers make the desert bloom
‘I’m always looking for ways to keep water here, and the beaver do it for free.’
Posted inAugust 31, 2018: The Big Threat to Bighorns
See the influences behind Colorado’s wildlife commission
A powerful governing board gives agricultural interests the loudest voice.
Posted inSeptember 17, 2018: The Pioneer of Ruin
Republicans tout hemp’s potential
The crop could be a lifeline for struggling agricultural communities.
Posted inDecember 10, 2018: Critical Mass
The arresting quiet of a crane migration in Washington
Sandhill cranes, cattle and the surprising benefits of their coexistence in the West.
Posted inAugust 20, 2018: Where the West is Moving - and Why
Farmworkers face illness and death in the fields
‘The reality is that the machinery of growers is taken better care of than the lives of farmworkers.’
Posted inArticles
Rural railroads are more important than your new trails
Converting rails to trails can hurt economies and make it harder to battle blazes.
Posted inArticles
Holding onto home in rural North Dakota
A new documentary explores progress and place in fracking country.
Posted inArticles
Farmers should stand up for the immigrants they depend on
A farmer recognizes the ways undocumented workers sustain his community.
Posted inArticles
This farm bill deregulates the rich and polices the poor
A former farmer calls the legislation an attack on family farms and the environment.
Posted inArticles
The Colorado valley at stake in Trump’s oil boom
After coal waned, a community redefined itself. Will new leases turn back the clock?
Posted inJuly 23, 2018: Pay for Prey
California’s rural-urban divide blurs in crucial House race
Water and immigration are key issues as Democrats seek to unseat an incumbent.
Posted inJune 25, 2018: Little Weed, Big Problem
GMO grass is creeping across Oregon
Missteps by agribusiness giants allowed the invasion. Now they’re off the hook for cleanup.
Posted inArticles
A hops harvest that grows bigger each year
Washington’s Yakima Valley supports many of the craft breweries in the U.S.
Posted inJuly 23, 2018: Pay for Prey
After Malheur, side effects of the Bundys’ extremism linger
But in Harney County, Oregon, collaboration around public lands grows.