Indigenous spiritual leaders say the Vatican’s observatory is searching for something it doesn’t understand.
Public lands
Posted inSeptember 1, 2021: Where Wolves May Tread
Tree DNA thwarts black market lumber
How the genetic code of flora helped catch timber thieves.
Posted inArticles
How yellowcake shaped the West
The ghosts of the uranium boom continue to haunt the land, water and people.
Posted inAugust 1, 2021: A Mega-Dairy Comes to the Desert
A quest for Alaska oil sparks a fight over tribal sovereignty
An energy company with a history of environmental violations is conducting exploratory drilling in the Yukon Flats.
Posted inArticles
The return of the endangered Mexican wolf
A program that places captive-born pups into wild dens is helping North America’s rarest wolf subspecies reclaim its native territory in the Southwest.
Posted inJuly 1, 2021: An Urban Greenspace Revolution
How a trail in rural Oregon became a target of far-right extremism
To understand the state’s urban-rural divide, start by looking at Yamhill County’s proposed walking trail.
Posted inArticles
A reality check on Biden’s ‘30 by 30’ conservation plan
The plan has lofty ambitions, but what’s happening on the ground tells a different story of how it might play out.
Posted inArticles
The threat of wildfire in the West arrives alongside tourists
In Mammoth Lakes, California, residents are still anxious from the 2020 fire season.
Posted inArticles
Can the sun solve New Mexico’s energy conundrum?
The state is dependent on oil and gas, but Carlsbad has opportunity to become the epicenter of renewable energy.
Posted inJuly 1, 2021: An Urban Greenspace Revolution
Crowds swarm the public lands
Land managers and gateway communities struggle to keep up.
Posted inArticles
Why I changed my mind about Bears Ears
The benefits of a national monument in San Juan County outweigh the costs.
Posted inJuly 1, 2021: An Urban Greenspace Revolution
Mining for lithium, at a cost to Indigenous religions
In western Arizona, the push for EVs threatens the Hualapai Tribe’s religious practices.
Posted inArticles
Bringing wild bison and an endangered ecosystem back
A cross-border effort aims to return herds to the Great Plains and restore biodiversity and the land.
Posted inArticles
Massive drilling project on Alaska’s North Slope given go ahead
Critics say the lease is at odds with President Biden’s pledge to combat the climate crisis.
Posted inArticles
Petroglyph vandalism is not a victimless crime
Indigenous archaeologists say more protective measures and education are needed to prevent future vandalism.
Posted inArticles
Klamath Tribes want beavers back in the Beaver State
Reintroducing the species creates important habitat for First Foods. But state laws don’t work in the animal’s favor.
Posted inArticles
The battle over Point Reyes’ tule elk
The needs of the ungulate and cattle supported by California’s Point Reyes National Seashore have different needs and created a years-long conflict.
Posted inMay 1, 2021: Beauty and Biodiversity in the Borderlands
See the first-ever survey of the Atascosa Highlands
An ecologist and a photographer teamed to document and build a living archive of the Borderlands’ biodiversity — before it’s too late.
Posted inMay 1, 2021: Beauty and Biodiversity in the Borderlands
So you want to acknowledge the land?
Some notes on a trend, and what real justice could look like.
Posted inArticles
What’s the value of tracking recreation in the West?
Fast-growing Western communities face a paradox of increased visitors.