It’s not clear what will happen with seasonal hires such as wildland firefighters.
Public lands
Posted inArticles
What Obama gave the West
Our 44th president proved to be a true champion who pushed many conservation measures over the finish line.
Posted inArticles
Meet Trump’s Interior, EPA and Energy picks
What we know from the confirmation hearings for Ryan Zinke, Scott Pruitt and Rick Perry.
Posted inJanuary 23, 2017: For Which it Stands
Latest: GOP House rules loosen land transfer regs
The rule would let the feds transfer land without accounting for costs.
Posted inJanuary 23, 2017: For Which it Stands
Was the Bears Ears designation a victory?
Despite compromise, the controversial monument’s opposition is riled up.
Posted inArticles
Go ahead, wander your way
Glamping, Pokémon Go and selfies. There’s no wrong way to do wilderness.
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With more monuments, Republican backlash mounts
A proposed bill moves to weaken executive power of the Antiquities Act.
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For tribes, new designations are culturally monumental
Obama created national monuments at Bears Ears and Gold Butte, sites with huge significance to Native Americans.
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U.S. House changes its rules to ease federal land transfers
The Western movement to transfer federal lands scores an early victory in the new Congress.
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West Obsessed: Obama’s region-wide legacy
The staff of High Country News discuss the 44th president’s impact on the West’s land, energy and the environment.
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Bears Ears a go — but here’s where Obama drew the line
The designation’s concessions are unlikely to appease ardent opponents.
Posted inArticles
A tribal coalition wins a monument for Bears Ears
While consensus supporting a designation grew, many Utah politicians argued that the president’s action is an abuse of power.
Posted inDecember 26, 2016: Obama and the West
The ‘chickenization’ of beef
Obama’s efforts to help small-scale ranchers competing against Big Ag were blocked and ultimately fell short.
Posted inDecember 26, 2016: Obama and the West
Obama’s lasting legacies in the West
Under the 44th president, the West re-examined its relationship to energy and the climate.
Posted inArticles
Trump’s Interior pick confounds conservationists
Montana Rep. Ryan Zinke evokes Roosevelt, but his record has veered away from environmental protection.
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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.
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Second round of Malheur defendants face conspiracy charges
Federal prosecutors are moving ahead, despite the first trial’s acquittal.
Posted inArticles
How we investigated the National Park Service’s history of sexual harassment
A methodology of our yearlong series about how the agency treats women.
Posted inDecember 12, 2016: How the Park Service is Failing Women
How the National Park Service is failing women
The agency tasked with safeguarding our greatest public lands has neglected to protect its workers.
Posted inArticles
It’s not the Wild West anymore. Look before you shoot.
Carrying a gun in the backcountry isn’t the issue—responsible use is.