As fire seasons become longer and deadlier, communities turn to urban planning to combat dangers.
Oregon
Posted inJune 10, 2019: 'None of this happened the way you think it did'
On the Road to 50: Stitching the Northwest back together
The past, present and future of the West, and HCN’s coverage of the region.
Posted inArticles
Indigenous people face higher suicide rates in Washington jails
Native Americans are disproportionately more likely to be in Northwest jails.
Posted inArticles
Western forests have a ‘fire debt’ problem
Planned burns can reduce wildfire risks, but expanding use of ‘good fire’ isn’t easy.
Posted inArticles
Greyhound passenger sues Border Patrol over Spokane interrogation
Comedian and asylee Mohanad Elshieky was called a lying ‘illegal’ while being questioned about his citizenship status at a bus stop.
Posted inMay 27, 2019: Public Pushback
Fire-starting ranchers get a new blessing from BLM
The agency hopes the Hammonds’ cows will reduce fire risk in eastern Oregon.
Posted inApril 15, 2019: Scene of the Crime
As citizen-led ballot initiatives soar, so have efforts to block them
In Idaho, a struggle over Medicaid expansion exposes the limits of forcing change via ballot measure.
Posted inArticles
A silver lining to sage grouse rollbacks?
While there’s less protection overall, a few Western states restore regulations that match or surpass original plans.
Posted inApril 29, 2019: A History of Violence
As oil trains roll into Portland, city residents keep watch
Without state oversight, activists step up to monitor the traffic in their own backyards.
Posted inMarch 4, 2019: El Nuevo Movimiento
Wintery resurrections; a coyote that cried wolf; drug bust
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
Posted inMarch 4, 2019: El Nuevo Movimiento
New bill leaves lands protected, lawmaking neglected
A bipartisan public lands bill punts on overhauling environmental policies.
Posted inFebruary 18, 2019: Barriers to Entry
Racist policing plagues Portland’s nightclubs
A reckoning is coming for Oregon’s white supremacist past.
Posted inFebruary 18, 2019: Barriers to Entry
An air crow; shutdown interlopers; coyote Happy Hour
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
Posted inArticles
Dead pines drive new herbicide rules in Oregon
A controversial weed-killer has split the state, and pit state regulators against feds.
Posted inFebruary 18, 2019: Barriers to Entry
Update: Western states move to limit trapping
Caught dogs and imperiled martens spur reforms for fur-bearer trapping.
Posted inMarch 4, 2019: El Nuevo Movimiento
The Green New Deal is already at work in one Portland neighborhood
How one community is building a green workforce to combat climate change.
Posted inJanuary 21, 2019: What Killed Washington's Carbon Tax?
What killed Washington’s carbon tax?
The curious death of 1631 and what it says about the future of addressing climate change.
Posted inDecember 24, 2018: Good news, bad news
As the ecosystem of news changes, will journalists adapt fast enough?
Blooms can still be found in the West’s news desert.
Posted inDecember 24, 2018: Good news, bad news
Where the news is drying up — and where it’s not
Rural areas can be hit hardest, but many small-town papers persevere.
Posted inArticles
Elk run the show on Oregon’s north coast
When humans and wildlife clash, sometimes an animal bites your minivan.