Trump’s Interior secretary pick set high standards for himself, but his lofty promises to rural voters are a problem.
Department of Interior
Posted inArticles
Trump’s Interior pick confounds conservationists
Montana Rep. Ryan Zinke evokes Roosevelt, but his record has veered away from environmental protection.
Posted inDecember 12, 2016: How the Park Service is Failing Women
Can Trump undo Obama’s policies?
What the President-elect can — and can’t — do when it comes to water, coal and climate change.
Posted inDecember 12, 2016: How the Park Service is Failing Women
How the National Park Service is failing women
The agency tasked with safeguarding our greatest public lands has neglected to protect its workers.
Posted inNovember 28, 2016: A Weird and Perfect Wilderness
How Ammon Bundy got acquitted in Oregon
At the Malheur trial, Bundys were acquitted, but what will happen in Nevada?
Posted inDecember 26, 2016: Obama and the West
Where will the West’s next national monument be?
Bears Ears isn’t the only local effort to get Obama to designate protections before he leaves office.
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Jury finds occupiers of Oregon wildlife refuge not guilty
The ruling could galvanize more anti-federal actions on public lands.
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Comb Ridge parcel sold to highest bidder
The privatized parcel within the proposed Bears Ears national monument could be a sign of things to come.
Posted inOctober 31, 2016: A Monumental Divide
The bid for Bears Ears
The tribal push for a Bears Ears monument raises thorny questions of homeland and sovereignty.
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Malheur occupation impacts linger throughout the West
Sagebrush Rebellion flareups cooled off after Bundy arrests but the standoff’s effects ripple out.
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The Bundys go on trial
Following Oregon occupation and Nevada standoff, a family that refuses to accept the federal government will have its day in court.
Posted inSeptember 5, 2016: When the Doctor is Out
Time to make peace with invasive species?
A conversation with climate science director Stephen Jackson about why and where we should tolerate non-native invaders.
Posted inArticles
States propose scaling back safeguards for grizzlies
New information surfaces about how Idaho, Wyoming and Montana would manage the bears after a delisting this fall.
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Emotions run high over monument designation in Utah
Battle lines over a proposed Bears Ears monument are blurred, dividing tribes and towns.
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Federal coal leasing needs a major overhaul
The winds of change are blowing hard across our Western coalfields. Competition from cheaper fuels such as natural gas, wind and solar has dampened domestic demand for coal. This trend ‒ plus a bust in export markets after a brief boom ‒ has driven five major coal companies into bankruptcy court. There, they seek protection […]
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Judge strikes down BLM fracking rule
Enviros hope for a successful appeal, but the path could be long and windy.
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Arizona Rep. Grijalva targets extremism on public lands
Dozens of high-profile former federal employees sign a letter urging Congress to address Sagebrush Insurgency threats.
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Protests against drilling on public lands are escalating
In Colorado, another showdown at a government auction for oil and gas leases.
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National Park Service chief expands sexual harassment probe
Upcoming survey to determine if misconduct at the Grand Canyon represents a widespread problem.
Posted inApril 4, 2016: A Land Divided
Can a legal victory make Indian Country whole again?
For over a century, federal law has split Native American land holdings into tiny pieces. A settlement unites some of the splinters, but at a steep cost.