While consensus supporting a designation grew, many Utah politicians argued that the president’s action is an abuse of power.
Politics
How a federal land transfer could give California its key to secession
Fundamental changes in federal land ownership could become more politically feasible than ever.
House Republicans want to ‘repeal and replace’ the ESA
After attempts to chip away at the law bill by bill, Utah Rep. Rob Bishop says he’d rather scrap the Endangered Species Act altogether.
What to do if you’re angry about ‘our new corporate overlords’
Regard your wallet as your daily voting booth.
How Obama began to mend broken tribal relations
Native American leaders say Obama’s legacy is this: He listened.
The ‘chickenization’ of beef
Obama’s efforts to help small-scale ranchers competing against Big Ag were blocked and ultimately fell short.
Obama’s lasting legacies in the West
Under the 44th president, the West re-examined its relationship to energy and the climate.
Obama’s mixed impact on endangered species
The administration delisted more species, but ultimately weakened the act itself.
Who is Ryan Zinke, really?
Trump’s Interior secretary pick set high standards for himself, but his lofty promises to rural voters are a problem.
Through the years: Here’s what to read on Obama’s presidency
High Country News stories show how Obama wrangled the West.
Trump’s Interior pick confounds conservationists
Montana Rep. Ryan Zinke evokes Roosevelt, but his record has veered away from environmental protection.
How Oregon predicted Trump’s partisan politics more than a decade ago
Timber communities gave way to right-wing nostalgia and a wave of progressive populism.
What Trump’s Interior Secretary pick could mean for tribes
Rep. Ryan Zinke has long listened to Montana tribes, but environmentalists say he tilts in favor of extractive industry.
Trump’s Cabinet choices reflect deep Koch influence
A rundown of the people with ties to ALEC, the Koch brothers and federal land transfer legislation.
Can Trump undo Obama’s policies?
What the President-elect can — and can’t — do when it comes to water, coal and climate change.
Plans falter for West Coast coal terminals
Coal companies look to Asia, but face port challenges.
Tolerance in Trump’s America
Amid fear and despair, we’ll have to find ways to talk to each other.
In the decision on Standing Rock, ghosts from the past
The federal government’s decision on Dakota Access pipeline could signal a shift in U.S.-tribal relations.
The Northwest braces for its own Standing Rock
Tribes have been protesting a new British Columbia pipeline for years.
