Cutting timber on a billionaire’s land could boost the San Luis Valley’s economy.
Communities
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How rural New Mexico shares water during drought
Centuries-old traditions offer guidance for water managers seeking resilience in an uncertain future.
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Photos: The American town left behind in Canada
Point Roberts, Washington, is cut off from the rest of the U.S. by the Canadian border.
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Why doesn’t the West report its lead data?
Lead poisoning in children is underreported nationwide, and the West’s lack of data is particularly glaring.
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Video: Coal industry downturn rocks a Colorado mountain town
Former miners watch an iconic silo crumble, and discuss what it means for their community.
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The end of coal is bringing a wrenching transition
Mixed feelings from the anti-coal bandwagon as closures wreak havoc on small-town economies.
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A millennial mayor and his timber town
This young local is trying to transform Aberdeen, Washington, into a city for his generation.
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Can we learn from Europe’s approach to laid-off coal miners?
A more secure safety net for workers in transition means higher taxes, a tradeoff many Americans oppose.
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Can food hubs boost rural farming economies?
The Department of Agriculture is funding new initiatives to streamline local food systems.
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How the FLDS church consolidated power on the Utah-Arizona border
A recent lawsuit sheds new light on how the polygamist church and municipal leadership are deeply intertwined.
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Pain pill addiction has helped precipitate a rise in heroin abuse West-wide
Near Sacramento, California, nearly a dozen people died from opioids in recent weeks.
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In Washington, the Nooksack 306 fight to stay in their tribe
An internecine battle rages over tribal membership and identity.
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Will states find other revenue streams to weather the fossil fuel bust?
Powerhouses like Wyoming and Alaska are shrinking budgets, not looking for new sources of income.
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Photos: The costs of air pollution in Bakersfield, California
In the Central Valley, oil and agriculture both support and harm communities, making air pollution a complex problem.
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This is what an oil bust looks like
Low prices have energy companies and communities reeling as rig counts plummet and unemployment climbs.
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In southern Utah, a ranger is jailed under questionable circumstances
The region has a history of sheriffs butting heads with federal land agencies.
Posted inMarch 21, 2016: Making Sense of Malheur
Meet the caribou hunter of Arctic Village, Alaska
Photos of this winter’s hunt and a community’s subsistence way of life.
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Recent criminal justice reforms by state
California has led the way for other states to reduce prison populations.
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Forest Service rejects Grand Canyon luxury village
The setback is just the latest in a 30-year push to develop the rim.
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Can food hubs make small farms economically feasible?
A new effort near Tahoe, California, brings farmers and food buyers together to buck the system.