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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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Welcome to High Country News

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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Communities

Posted inArticles

ICE in your community? Here’s what to know.

by Annie Rosenthal February 17, 2025February 14, 2025

Advocates say people who face less legal risk have an important role to play, from documenting raids to advocating for their neighbors.

Posted inIssues

A writer finds freedom in being unapologetically Indigenous

by Laureli Ivanoff February 1, 2025January 31, 2025

On strengthening roots in a new place.

Posted inArticles

Many renters are struggling after fleeing LA County wildfires

by Erin Rode January 31, 2025January 30, 2025

For many in the county, recovery requires a new lease, a new landlord, new schools and possibly a new state.

Posted inArticles

We must protect our sacred lands

by Clark Tenakhongva January 29, 2025January 29, 2025

To meet the crisis of our time and help address past wrongs, we need bold action from decision makers.

Posted inIssues

What happens after Utah’s coal-fired power plants close?

by Brooke Larsen January 23, 2025January 24, 2025

Department of Energy grants are helping eastern Utah plan for the energy transition.

Posted inArticles

With so many displaced by fires, Los Angeles County can’t accurately measure homelessness

by Erin Rode January 22, 2025January 30, 2025

The county was supposed to conduct an annual tally of people experiencing homelessness this month. Then disaster struck.

Posted inArticles

How communities, officials and developers can work together on renewable energy development

by Erin X. Wong January 21, 2025January 23, 2025

Researcher Katherine Hoff explains how negotiation and dialogue can smooth the energy transition.

Posted inArticles

The beautiful and awful Butte, Montana

by Katie Myers January 20, 2025January 24, 2025

The indelible history of mining poisons a town yet extracts something new.

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 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

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 inJanuary 2025: The West's Most Wanted

Tribal objects returned to the Northern Arapaho Tribe

by Jordan Dresser January 1, 2025January 3, 2025

After years of negotiation with the Episcopal Church, over 200 cultural items finally come back home.

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

The radical act of sharing Native literature

by Heather Hansman December 18, 2024December 18, 2024

NDN Girls Books Club is more than a big pink truck full of free books.

Posted inFebruary 2025: Immigrant Stories

Unhoused people pay a disproportionate price for the West’s deadly roads

by Erin Rode December 5, 2024January 30, 2025

People experiencing homelessness are more likely to die from transportation-related injuries than the general population.

Jade Stevens rests near Lake Putt on land in California’s Tahoe National Forest that is owned and managed by the 40 Acre Conservation League.
Posted inDecember 2024: Land as Reparations

Can land repair the nation’s racist past?

by Adam Mahoney December 1, 2024November 26, 2024

California’s approach to Black reparations shifts toward land access, ownership and stewardship.

Posted inDecember 2024: Land as Reparations

Can Farmington hide from its legacy of anti-Indigenous violence?

by B. ‘Toastie’ Oaster December 1, 2024December 2, 2024

It’s a reservation border town problem, not just a local one.

Covers from Exponent II over the years.
Posted inDecember 2024: Land as Reparations

The passion of the Mormon feminist

by Leah Sottile December 1, 2024December 4, 2024

For 50 years, ‘Exponent II‘ has made the LDS Church squirm. It has no plans to stop.

Posted inArticles

Western voters reject ranked-choice voting

by Erin X. Wong November 14, 2024November 19, 2024

The alternative electoral system has many benefits, but public opinion remains mixed.

Posts pagination

1 2 3 … 241 Older posts

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Most popular stories

  • People brace for impacts on land, water and wildlife after feds fire thousands over holiday weekend
  • Trump’s funding cuts leave the nation vulnerable to catastrophic wildfire
  • ICE in your community? Here’s what to know.
  • Bringing black abalone back from the brink
  • The Forest Service is cutting its seasonal workforce and public lands will suffer

Featured Stories

People brace for impacts on land, water and wildlife after feds fire thousands over holiday weekend

People brace for impacts on land, water and wildlife after feds fire thousands over holiday weekend

ICE in your community? Here’s what to know.

ICE in your community? Here’s what to know.

Trump’s funding cuts leave the nation vulnerable to catastrophic wildfire

Trump’s funding cuts leave the nation vulnerable to catastrophic wildfire

The West in Perspective

AI on public lands and Biden’s environmental legacy

by Jonathan Thompson

We must protect our sacred lands

by Clark Tenakhongva

Pay wildland firefighters a living wage

by Riley Yuan

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