Update from HCN staff, Oct. 23, 2015: Two days after this piece was published, the National Park Service reversed its decision and recommended that the U.S. Board of Geographic Names change the name of Coon Lake to Howard Lake, Glenn Nelson reports. “We recognize that our previous decision on this issue overlooked relevant information, and […]
Washington
Posted inArticles
A trail runner defends his right to public lands
One September morning, with huckleberry bushes burning a fierce red against a dusting of snow on the banks of the upper Nisqually River, I left Mount Rainier National Park headquarters on a pilgrimage. Twenty-seven hours later, depleted but filled with a near-religious sense of reverence and elation I’ve rarely felt since, I arrived back where […]
Posted inSeptember 14, 2015: Close Ties in Big Landscapes
Where agriculture and aesthetics go hand-in-glove
Former Seattleite and author Bryce Andrews writes and ranches in Montana.
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Mapping fish die-offs in warming waters
Help High Country News identify trouble spots for West Coast fish runs.
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Washington state sues feds over worker safety at Hanford
A watchdog group also filed, citing ‘toxic roulette’ for workers at the former nuclear facility.
Posted inAugust 31, 2015: Unlocking the Methane Mystery
Latest: Environmentalists regroup after Washington’s carbon plan fails
Green groups spent big in the last election in the Northwest.
Posted inAugust 31, 2015: Unlocking the Methane Mystery
Latest: Salmon, coast recovers after Elwha dams come down
Despite recovery, warm temperatures still threaten salmon spawning.
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Dispatch from a medic on the North Star Fire in Washington
What base camp and wildfire look like from one firefighter’s perspective.
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What we’ve lost in the Methow Valley wildfires
Three firefighters have died as fires continue to rip through Washington.
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A military proposal to use more public lands riles locals in Washington
Residents worry about helicopters landing regularly near trails, campgrounds and wildlife.
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Marijuana in Washington: The long road to legalization
Over a year later, officials are navigating thorny legal issues from taxes to licensure.
Posted inAugust 3, 2015: Outflanked
When the wildfire season never ends
As fire season gets longer, fire managers scramble to keep up.
Posted inAugust 3, 2015: Outflanked
As wildfires get bigger, is there any way to be ready?
After one record-setting wildfire, a Washington county prepares for more.
Posted inAugust 3, 2015: Outflanked
Plants that burn fastest in a wildfire
Lichen burns cool and quick, while spruce burns slow and hot.
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Climate showdown on the Willamette in Oregon
Activists target shipping hubs to influence fossil fuel development in Alaska.
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Hot times usher in early Northwest wildfire season
While Oregon and Washington broil, the Southwest and Southern Rockies enjoy a welcome reprieve of moisture
Posted inMay 11, 2015: The Wetland Wars
Wins for workers
Western cities lead the national movement for a higher minimum wage.
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Washington’s Swinomish sue to halt Bakken oil trains
Many communities fight transport of crude oil through their towns; some find legal footing to succeed.
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Drought persists in the Northwest, despite winter rains
Water supplies and drought outlooks are grim in most Western states.
Posted inMarch 16, 2015: Wild Ride
Latest: A Washington county puts the brakes on a new oil-train facility
In the wake of recent oil-train derailments, Skagit County wants Shell to do a full environmental review.