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High Country News

High Country News

A nonprofit independent magazine of unblinking journalism that shines a light on all of the complexities of the West.

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HCN has covered the lands, wildlife and communities of the Western U.S. for more than 50 years. Get to know the West better by signing up to receive HCN’s on-the-ground reporting and investigations in your inbox.

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Articles

Two AmeriCorps NCCC Forest Corps members participate in field training in California last summer.
Posted inArticles

The American Climate Corps fades away

by Kate Yoder January 20, 2025January 21, 2025

After just 8 months, Biden’s green jobs program shut down before Trump took office. What did it do?

Posted inArticles

EPA takes unprecedented step to remove uranium waste from the Navajo Nation

by Natalia Mesa January 17, 2025January 23, 2025

The decision opens the door for new ways to manage uranium pollution on tribal land.

Posted inArticles

How to solve local opposition to green development

by Erin X. Wong January 16, 2025January 23, 2025

Bespoke community benefits agreements can offer residents tangible gains in return for the disturbance of development.

Posted inArticles

How luxury real estate benefits from Montana’s agricultural tax code

by Nick Bowlin and Eric Dietrich January 15, 2025January 17, 2025

Key takeaways from our investigation revealing how expensive properties use a system meant to help farmers and ranchers.

Posted inArticles

Wildfires are too much for municipal water systems. In Los Angeles, firefighters tried anyway.

by Kylie Mohr January 14, 2025January 16, 2025

Water systems aren’t designed for unlimited demands during wildland-urban interface fires.

Posted inArticles

What it’s like to be an incarcerated firefighter 

by Natalia Mesa January 14, 2025January 13, 2025

Eddie Herrera, a formerly incarcerated firefighter, talks about the job and how he sees what’s happening in Los Angeles.

Posted inArticles

The EXPLORE Act is a blueprint for bipartisan conservation legislation

by Zoë Rom January 13, 2025January 10, 2025

Bipartisan support for the act highlights the outdoor industry’s growing political clout, but questions remain about its cultural and environmental impact.

A family of deer gather around burned trees from the Palisades Fire at Will Rogers State Park on January 9, 2025 in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.
Posted inArticles

What do the deadly Los Angeles fires mean for the city’s wildlife?

by Kylie Mohr January 10, 2025January 13, 2025

Wildlife biologist Miguel Ordeñana explains how blazes push animals into the unknown.

Posted inArticles

How to understand the West’s ‘forever wildfire season’

by Shaun Griswold January 10, 2025January 10, 2025

Amid California’s deadly fires, here are 10 High Country News stories to help you bring context to wildland blazes.

Posted inArticles

How the Park City ski patrol won concessions from Vail

by Brooke Larsen January 10, 2025January 10, 2025

As patrollers and management reach an agreement, other ski patrols are learning from Park City’s example.

Posted inArticles

Outgoing Bureau of Land Management director optimistic about public lands

by Kylie Mohr January 10, 2025January 10, 2025

Tracy Stone-Manning discusses the BLM’s achievements and talks about the future as we enter a new political era.

Posted inArticles

Montana’s ag tax slashes bills for thousands of million-dollar homes

by Nick Bowlin and Eric Dietrich January 6, 2025January 6, 2025

Properties classified ‘agricultural’ get a tax break despite no bona fide operations. Can lawmakers’ new proposals tighten qualifications?

Posted inArticles

Who’s against wind development in ‘The Crazies’?

by Ian Max Stevenson January 3, 2025January 2, 2025

Amy Gamerman’s new book examines attempts to block the energy transition in Montana’s Crazy Mountains.

Posted inArticles

Jimmy Carter’s mixed environmental record

by Jonathan Thompson January 3, 2025January 2, 2025

The former president emphasized conservation, protection — and coal mining.

Posted inArticles

Indigenous affairs stories you need to read

by B. ‘Toastie’ Oaster December 31, 2024December 30, 2024

Beyond HCN’s coverage, the beat is expanding, highlighting the complexity of Indian Country.

Posted inArticles

Culture that impacted our sense of the West

by HCN staff December 30, 2024December 26, 2024

Some books, happenings and other cultural endeavors that helped expand our sense of place in 2024.

Posted inArticles

What we learned about wildfire smoke in 2024

by Kylie Mohr December 27, 2024December 26, 2024

The list of wildfire smoke’s long-term health risks continues to grow.

Posted inArticles

Our imperiled public lands

by Jonathan Thompson December 26, 2024December 26, 2024

President-elect Trump, a Republican-dominated Congress and Utah launch an all-out assault on environmental protection.

Posted inArticles

How Utah’s Christmas Festival has buoyed a changing coal community

by Brooke Larsen December 25, 2024December 24, 2024

Thirty-five years ago, Helper was nearly a ghost town. Now, art and tourism are providing new paths forward.

Posted inArticles

2024’s biggest conservation wins for the West

by Kylie Mohr December 25, 2024December 23, 2024

There were glimmers of good news across the region, from restored habitats to growing wildlife populations.

Posts pagination

Newer posts 1 2 3 4 … 189 Older posts

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Most popular stories

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