Some rural California communities have waited nearly a decade for state regulators to repair their tainted drinking-water systems.
Politics
Posted inArticles
How the West has changed since the last census
Population growth has slowed overall, but the West continues at a fast pace, adding three congressional seats.
Posted inMay 1, 2021: Beauty and Biodiversity in the Borderlands
Montana counties band together to reinvigorate passenger rail
The newly formed Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority aims to connect a rural and divided state.
Posted inMay 1, 2021: Beauty and Biodiversity in the Borderlands
Has Eugene, Oregon, found a ‘superpower’ for climate action?
The city’s eyeing changes to its natural gas contract to fund climate ambitions.
Posted inMay 1, 2021: Beauty and Biodiversity in the Borderlands
Geographer Diana Liverman explains how to tackle the climate crisis fairly
The first step? Don’t panic.
Posted inApril 1, 2021: Holding Fast
The Biden administration’s critical role in Indian Country
Four important decisions will impact the forests, lands and waters of tribal nations.
Posted inApril 1, 2021: Holding Fast
Idaho state lands could end up in private hands
How a developer’s proposed large land swap ignited a fight in small but growing McCall.
Posted inArticles
What tribal sovereignty means for Freedmen citizenship
Is Congress coercing the Choctaw Nation into doing away with discriminatory policies?
Posted inArticles
Western lawmakers lead a movement to protect natural hair
A recent wave of legislation fights for Black women’s right to wear natural styles and have safe hair products.
Posted inArticles
Should BLM be closer to Western communities or Congress?
After a messy move, Biden’s Interior Department faces tough questions about where the agency should be headquartered.
Posted inApril 1, 2021: Holding Fast
How to reverse Trump’s harmful legacy on conservation
President Biden is off to a good start, but there is much to be done. The Restoration Project has a blueprint.
Posted inFebruary 1, 2021: End of the Line
The Washington, D.C., siege has Western roots and consequences
History and the growing power of right-wing extremism point to a volatile future for the West during the Biden presidency.
Posted inJanuary 1, 2021: No Place Like Home
Offensive Montanans; a stubborn turkey; landlubber remembrance
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
Posted inJanuary 1, 2021: No Place Like Home
The battle for the Black Hills
Nick Tilsen was arrested for protesting President Trump at Mount Rushmore. Now, his legal troubles are part of a legacy.
Posted inJanuary 1, 2021: No Place Like Home
When COVID hit, a Colorado county kicked out second-home owners. They hit back.
How a group of nonresident homeowners tried to influence a rural Colorado election.
Posted inArticles
Trump’s impact on Indian Country over four years
From legal decisions to on-the-ground policies, Indigenous lawyers describe the administration’s tactics as an “onslaught” removing federal protections of land and wildlife.
Posted inArticles
Tribal leaders respond to the idea of an Indigenous Interior secretary
Representation is important, and so are policy decisions impacting tribes on the ground.
Posted inArticles
Deadline to spend COVID-19 relief funds has tribal nations on edge
In Oregon, tribal governments are left wondering how they’ll provide services next year without an extension.
Posted inArticles
New Mexico is on track to have the weakest methane emissions regulations in the nation
Laguna Pueblo Gov. Wilfred Herrera, Jr., urges the state to strengthen its proposed air quality rules.
Posted inArticles
Interior denies all of New Mexico’s proposed LWCF projects
The rejection is considered political retribution for criticism of the Trump administration.