BACKSTORYIn Alaska, federal and state officials have long clashed over the management of wolves and bears in national parks and preserves. State law requires sustaining abundant caribou and moose populations for food security, a goal that often entails killing off predators, while the federal 1916 Organic Act mandates keeping healthy populations of all wildlife species. […]
Wildlife
Posted inNovember 23, 2015: Water Hustle
The view from the top of the food chain
Today I hiked along a forest trail near my home. Squirrels scolded, a raven croaked. I moved steadily on. Startled at my approach, a deer bounded away, labored up the loose soil of the steep little canyon, and disappeared. I barely paused. There was nothing there for me to fear, nothing for me to attend […]
Posted inNovember 23, 2015: Water Hustle
Why are Western attorneys general going rogue?
Attorneys general sue the federal government, despite state governors’ objections.
Posted inNovember 23, 2015: Water Hustle
Latest: Investigation proves wild horses were sent to slaughter
Management of the West’s wild horses have proved controversial for decades and spawned rumors of maltreatment.
Posted inArticles
Ducks Unlimited fires writer over stream access fracas
An axed journalist accuses a billionaire of playing fowl with sportsmen’s rights.
Posted inArticles
Where’s the middle ground on wolves?
Note: the opinions expressed in this column are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of High Country News, its board or staff. If you’d like to share an opinion piece of your own, please write Betsy Marston at betsym@hcn.org. Eighty-one — that’s how many gray wolves were confirmed to be living in Oregon […]
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Oregon delists wolves, but protections remain
As in Washington, reactions to the predator reflect deep east-west divides in the state.
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How do you sex a beaver? Squeeze and sniff
Unlocking the secrets of rodent scent glands could help restore Western watersheds.
Posted inNovember 9, 2015: The Campaign Against Coal
The beaver whisperer
A biologist figures out how to keep beavers alive on Western landscapes.
Posted inArticles
Rants from the Hill: Fall brings a new bird to the neighborhood
A Northern Mockingbird stops by, its varied song a reminder of October’s restless nature.
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BLM mulls energy development in sage grouse habitat
Feds may restrict hardrock mining and put oil and gas leases on auction block.
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Alaska’s wolves and bears get new protections
New regulations help wildlife on federal lands. But they’re still no match for state predator control.
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Find a way to travel in the wilderness, without carrying a gun
Hiking the Mad Creek Trail north of Steamboat, Colorado, one day this fall, I glanced back at another hiker, who was accompanied by two yelping dogs. I was taken aback to see the man wore a pistol in a holster on his hip. He fell into step for a while with my daughter, Greta, who’s […]
Posted inOctober 26, 2015: Clean Energy's Dirty Secret
Fish and Wildlife and integrity, a rental crisis, California homelessness and more.
Hcn.org news in brief.
Posted inOctober 26, 2015: Clean Energy's Dirty Secret
Green energy’s dirty secret
Industrial solar and wind endanger wildlife but are getting more support than ever.
Posted inOctober 26, 2015: Clean Energy's Dirty Secret
Will the Migratory Bird Treaty Act survive in the modern era?
One of the nation’s oldest wildlife laws is fighting for its life in the courts.
Posted inOctober 26, 2015: Clean Energy's Dirty Secret
Washington welcomes wolves back — across deep political divides
The state’s emphasis on non-lethal control is saving livestock and wolves, but rural residents are still leery.
Posted inArticles
To save Washington’s Yakima Basin fish, just add water
A drought plan in one of the West’s most forward-thinking watersheds reconciles salmon and agriculture.
Posted inArticles
Mexican wolves seem targeted for extinction
This fall, for the second time, the New Mexico Game and Fish Commission rejected a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposal to release two adult Mexican wolves with pups, and up to 10 captive-born wolf pups, into the Mexican Wolf Recovery Area in southern Arizona and New Mexico. An important part of the release, which […]
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Legal challenges over Exxon Valdez sputter to an end
Lingering oil remains and ecological monitoring will continue. But Alaskans are moving on.