Maintenance issues abound, a new Civilian Conservation Corps could lend a hand.
Politics
Posted inArticles
Reckoning at Standing Rock
Want to understand the pipeline protests? Start with the Founding Fathers.
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A tax on carbon pollution faces surprising opposition
Some environmental groups and social justice advocates are fighting a proposed emissions tax in Washington. What gives?
Posted inDecember 26, 2016: Obama and the West
Will a twice-burned county change its ways?
Don’t count on wildfires to alter how counties plan development in fire-prone zones.
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Getting over the ‘taboo’ in a gun-rights conversation
In Montana, the gap between gun rights supporters and opponents begins to shrink.
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At least 15 counties have left the American Lands Council
But that doesn’t mean Western counties have backed down on land transfers.
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Trump met with a leader of the land transfer movement
A Nevada county commissioner says the Republican nominee was receptive to the idea of forcing the feds to turn over public lands.
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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West Obsessed: How Trump is recoloring the West’s politics
Listen to the writers and editors of the magazine discuss the backlash to Donald Trump’s run for president.
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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.
Posted inArticles
Replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day isn’t enough
To better honor their history, activists want “justice, not gestures.”
Posted inOctober 3, 2016: Purple Rain
Dark money is re-shaping Arizona’s energy fights
The 2010 Citizens United decision is affecting elections on the ground.
Posted inOctober 3, 2016: Purple Rain
How the West’s populist politics play out at the ballot box
Voter-driven ballot initiatives are a powerful force during the Western election season.
Posted inOctober 3, 2016: Purple Rain
Why Utah’s Mormons waffle on this year’s GOP candidate
Trump sparks a conflict between morality and political belief.
Posted inOctober 3, 2016: Purple Rain
Lies and damn lies: What to believe on the campaign trail
HCN sorts truth from fiction on the campaign trail.
Posted inOctober 3, 2016: Purple Rain
The Western races to watch
Democrats hope to nab vulnerable Republican seats.
Posted inOctober 3, 2016: Purple Rain
This election season’s unexpected power players: undocumented immigrants
Donald Trump’s rhetoric is sparking a movement to mobilize Hispanic voters.
Posted inOctober 3, 2016: Purple Rain
Meet Denise Juneau, who hopes to be the first Native American woman in Congress
Indian Country votes will help determine whether this seat flips to blue.
Posted inOctober 3, 2016: Purple Rain
In Arizona’s shift toward purple, a backlash to Trump hastens the pace
Democrats hope increased Latino turnout will upset Republican dominance in the state.
Posted inArticles
Where the Clean Power Plan will have the most impact
The federal rule would intensify an existing trend toward clean energy.