Trump vs. Biden on the climate
The next presidential election will have huge ramifications for the planet.
This Montana school solved its teacher shortage by opening a day care
On-site day cares are being used as a recruitment tool. Turns out, they help more than just the teachers.
The end of a frontier dream amid the Unabomber’s reign of terror
An excerpt from ‘Old King,’ Maxim Loskutoff’s latest novel.
A wildflower is teaching the non-Native public about food sovereignty
Oregon’s third Camas Festival highlights the joys and responsibilities of tending the iconic northwestern plant.
Cancer is killing firefighters. So this city is going PFAS-free.
San Francisco is the first major American city to ban the substance from protective gear.
The West’s wetlands are struggling. Some have been overlooked altogether.
Wetlands are carbon-storage powerhouses — and many are unmapped.
When school lunch is free
New programs that provide free meals to all students are gaining popularity.
Lake Mead’s illegal road network is growing
People have created hundreds of miles of unofficial roads trying to reach the water as levels decline. Federal officials want funds to address the issue.
Caminos ilegales alrededor del Lago Mead plantean nuevo peligro para el medio ambiente
La gente ha creado caminos no oficiales para llegar al agua a medida que los niveles disminuyen. Funcionarios quieren fondos para atender el problema.
Denver’s new immigration plan, explained
The new program caps shelter stays for all new immigrants but expands services for 800 asylum seekers.
Denver lanza programa de asistencia para solicitantes de asilo
El nuevo programa busca brindar apoyo a 800 recién llegados, pero cortará recursos para los demas.
Can carbon capture transition California’s oil fields?
In Kern County, the community searches for an economic alternative to a fossil fuel industry. Will it be any fairer than the old one?
Federal grazing lands fail their checkup
Fifty-seven million acres of BLM land fall short of health standards.
Killing one owl to save another
Is it ever the right thing to do? Two ethicists weigh in.
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In This Issue
May 2024: A River Returns
The West is always in motion, a place of constant change and contradiction. Condos rise as dams fall: Latino immigrants journey thousands of miles to build houses for millionaires in Montana, while Northwest tribes take the lead on restoration as dams come down and the…
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Water
What’s next for the Owyhee Canyonlands?
When dams come down, what happens to the ocean?
Cattle are drinking the Colorado River dry
Wildlife
When is it appropriate to call out bad trail etiquette?
Audio: The Joshua tree-yucca moth link
Undamming the Klamath
Public Lands
Will changes at San Gabriel Mountains National Monument serve LA’s communities of color?
An environmental justice coalition for all
As national monuments multiply, Bears Ears forges forward
Indigenous Affairs
Art without the mask of Native identity
Wildlife habitat and tribal cultures threatened by Washington’s largest wind farm
Tribes turn to the U.N. for help intervening in gigantic Arizona wind project
Communities
Desert Subdivision: The paradox of naming a development after Edward Abbey
Bozeman’s boom depends on immigrants but struggles to support them
Los motivos ocultos de la prosperidad de Bozeman
Books
History, addiction and community in Tommy Orange’s latest novel
The Boldt Decision and where the rule of law held
Reflections on Barry Lopez
In the News
Save public lands: Put solar on Walmart!
Parking lots and big-box store roofs could generate oodles of clean power.