The revision would allow the agency to approve more projects without environmental review.
U.S. Forest Service
Posted inArticles
Job Corps program benefits communities, at-risk youth, disaster relief
Trump administration efforts to privatize and close centers met bipartisan pushback.
Posted inArticles
The rise of wildfire-resilient communities
As fire seasons become longer and deadlier, communities turn to urban planning to combat dangers.
Posted inJune 10, 2019: 'None of this happened the way you think it did'
On the Road to 50: Stitching the Northwest back together
The past, present and future of the West, and HCN’s coverage of the region.
Posted inJune 24, 2019: Losing Lake Coeur d'Alene
Mining laws have long been used for recreation
In Idaho, a law meant to boost mining actually allows for its end as recreation transforms the West’s economy.
Posted inJune 10, 2019: 'None of this happened the way you think it did'
Wildfire escape routes? There’s (almost) an app for that.
Scientists are using crowdsourced data to help firefighters flee dangerous flames.
Posted inMay 13, 2019: Atomic Tourists
Bears Ears’ only visitor center isn’t run by the feds
With the monument facing stripped-down protections and sky rocketing visitation, a local nonprofit built its own guerrilla visitor center to educate the masses.
Posted inMay 13, 2019: Atomic Tourists
Coyote diets; anaerobic digesters; poachers caught on camera
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
Posted inArticles
5 reasons to keep geotagging
Public lands face far greater threats than recreational overuse.
Posted inArticles
Western forests have a ‘fire debt’ problem
Planned burns can reduce wildfire risks, but expanding use of ‘good fire’ isn’t easy.
Posted inApril 15, 2019: Scene of the Crime
How a tiny endangered species put a man in prison
The Devils Hole pupfish is nothing to mess with.
Posted inArticles
Trump administration rubber stamps Arizona copper mine
An industry-friendly ruling contradicts years of concerns over potential damage to endangered species, water systems and Native American cultural sites.
Posted inMay 27, 2019: Public Pushback
Climate cases set the stage for oil and gas leasing reform
The decisions could curb greenhouse gas emissions from public lands.
Posted inApril 29, 2019: A History of Violence
Critics of the Green New Deal rail against socialism. We’ve seen this before.
In the 1930s, nationalizing forests was labeled ‘socialist.’
Posted inArticles
Mining companies pollute waterways. Citizens pay.
Nearly 2 billion pounds of toxic waste were dumped into western waterways in 2017, and taxpayers are left to clean up the mess.
Posted inArticles
Utah asks for exemption from Forest Service roadless rule
For two decades, the rule has protected nearly four million acres in Utah.
Posted inApril 15, 2019: Scene of the Crime
The Karuk Tribe fights a growing wildfire threat and a lack of funding
Surrounded by forests they often can’t manage without breaking the law, California tribes struggle to protect themselves from wildfires.
Posted inMarch 18, 2019: Arizona's Wild Horse Paradox
Commercial honeybees threaten to displace Utah’s native bees
Federal lands could offer hives a respite from pesticides.
Posted inFebruary 18, 2019: Barriers to Entry
As shutdown ends, rural Washington considers life without feds
‘We’re going down a road to bitterness.’
Posted inFebruary 4, 2019: Nizhoni Girls
Update: Forest thinning won’t stop destructive fires
Fire-proof structures can prevent homes from adding to fuel loads in wildfires.