Agency woes range from too many wild horses to not enough drilling inspectors.
Politics
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BLM’s new fracking rules strike middle ground
But they’re unlikely to resolve today’s fierce skirmishes over oil and gas development.
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Does Obama’s order on climate overlook a major source of greenhouse gases?
Energy extracted from federal lands accounts for nearly one-quarter of all energy-related emissions.
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Should the Bureau of Reclamation be abolished?
Former Reclamation Commissioner Daniel Beard tells how defunct water policy, and the bureau itself, contribute to drought.
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Jewell vows to make energy development on public lands cleaner
A long-delayed fracking rule will be announced within days.
Posted inMarch 16, 2015: Wild Ride
Governor Kitzhaber’s fall from grace
The peculiar and spectacular undoing of Oregon’s top official.
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Sportsmen’s bill aims to open inaccessible public lands
The bill’s prospects appear bright despite congressional gridlock.
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States give Senate an earful on EPA greenhouse gas plan
Wyoming critiques federal coal plant cleanup at Senate hearing.
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Jewell, Murkowski square off
The Interior Secretary and Alaskan Senator spar over money and the environment.
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Fish and Wildlife whistleblower retaliation case raises questions
A top Texas official reported political interference and scientific misconduct.
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An update on Nevada scofflaw Cliven Bundy
The rancher still has influence in some circles, and has seen zero repercussions for trespass cattle and unpaid fees.
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New state and fed efforts to protect sage grouse
Plans aim to keep the wide-ranging bird off the endangered list.
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How many more monuments will Obama create?
The recent designation for Browns Canyon has conservation groups ready for more.
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Westerners who prolonged the shutdown showdown
Congress narrowly averted shutting down the Department of Homeland Security, no thanks to these reps.
Posted inMarch 2, 2015: Unite and Conquer
The water czar who reshaped Colorado River politics
Las Vegas’ Pat Mulroy initiated an era of deal-making that may buffer against catastrophic drought.
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Demographic shifts and the Native voting block
In 1980, 20 percent of the U.S. population was minority; today, 37 percent is.
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Tribal sovereignty remains Alaska’s unfinished business
Do Alaska Native tribes posses sovereignty?
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Utah bill aims to force an end to the land transfer debate
Plus, a roundup of federal-to-state land transfer battles across the West.
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USDA announces new grants to reduce ‘grain drain’
With the average age of farmers still rising, grants to help out newbies don’t get to the root of the problem.
Posted inFebruary 16, 2015: Chainsaw Diplomacy
Chainsaw diplomacy
In southern Utah’s Escalante watershed, a river restoration group tries to cut through old cultural barriers.