EPA budget cuts threaten to slow a long-overdue cleanup.
Communities
Posted inSeptember 4, 2017: The Elwha, Unleashed
Latest: New Mexico’s landlocked wilderness may become reachable
Feds move to accept land that would open access to the Sabinoso Wilderness
Posted inArticles
Photos: An unexpectedly quiet eclipse viewing
In Lander, Wyoming, the promised eclipse hordes never materialized.
Posted inArticles
The view of the eclipse from the lenses of our readers
A collection of photos submitted by the High Country News community.
Posted inArticles
How the West experienced the solar eclipse
HCN readers watched from all over the country. Find out where.
Posted inAugust 21, 2017: Rooftop Revolution
A human head for a bear’s snack; lost in the wild; a dog returns home
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
Posted inAugust 21, 2017: Rooftop Revolution
In solar scuffle, big utilities meet their match
Solar advocates win a surprising victory in Nevada.
Posted inAugust 21, 2017: Rooftop Revolution
What a doctor learns after a life’s work
A pediatrician reflects on his work in Navajo Nation.
Posted inAugust 21, 2017: Rooftop Revolution
Hunting for feral figs
The gem-like fruit are best when found free in the urban wilds.
Posted inArticles
West Obsessed: On finding our way in the Anthropocene
How to confront hard truths about climate change and ecocide.
Posted inArticles
What I learned from Iraqi and Kurdish students in Montana
Seeing encounters between foreign students and rural Westerners was eye opening.
Posted inJuly 24, 2017: Down the Dark Mountain
A young hunter moves past death threats from afar
The Apassingok family reflects on a formative kill of a whale and the social-media backlash.
Posted inArticles
Why I obsess about the names of plants and animals
Naming things makes individuals out of a landscape of birds, trees and bumblebees.
Posted inArticles
A far-right rally meets backlash in Seattle
Violent clashes in Virgina over displays of Nazism set the stage for conflict in Washington state.
Posted inAugust 21, 2017: Rooftop Revolution
What would the rural West do without volunteer firefighters?
Small-town firefighters are often first responders to some of the biggest blazes.
Posted inAugust 7, 2017: Los Promotores
Amid California’s toxic dumps, local activists go it alone
They call themselves promotores, and they’re starting to see results.
Posted inAugust 7, 2017: Los Promotores
The West braces for a “cosmic traffic jam”
Hordes of travelers have filled up campsites and hotels in preparation.
Posted inAugust 7, 2017: Los Promotores
Recognizing California’s invisible activists
We are seeing a mounting intolerance toward undocumented farmworkers.
Posted inAugust 7, 2017: Los Promotores
A legal snarl in Idaho portends future conflicts over water
As the climate changes, dams face new challenges for water rights and releases.
Posted inArticles
No, God won’t take care of climate change
Conservationists and religious folk need to find harmony for a healthy planet.