A DNA archive critical to identifying missing migrants has itself gone missing
The database is no longer accessible after the organization that started it shut down.
How I found trans joy in backcountry splitboarding
Under an administration threatening my existence, I find self-love through movement.
War exposes the energy dominance lie
True energy independence comes from weaning ourselves from fossil fuels.
Bureau of Indian Affairs could face reorganization, deeper staff cuts
Tribal leaders say previous cuts have already impacted the government’s ability to carry out programs in Indian Country.
Utah’s new study aims to kill ‘as many cougars as possible’
Critics say the state’s attempt to boost ungulate populations lacks scientific grounding and transparency.
Public lands need less extraction and more rewilding
In the age of extinction, we need a new model for these landscapes and the communities that rely on them.
The West’s heatwave ‘virtually impossible without climate change’
Climate researchers found the region’s extreme weather is caused primarily by the burning of fossil fuels.
Congress contemplates sweeping investigation of Native boarding schools
What the Truth and Healing Commission Bill would — and would not — do.
In major reversal, Interior allows top official with close industry ties to work on grazing policy
Karen Budd-Falen, the agency’s associate deputy secretary, had previously recused herself from working on grazing matters.
The BLM wants to ramp up logging. Oregonians aren’t so sure.
People are grappling with the agency’s notice that signals a significant increase in timber harvesting across 2.5 million acres.
‘Music brings an uplifting spiritual experience’
#iamthewest: Giving voice to the people that make up communities in the region.
What can we learn from salt lakes?
A Q&A with Caroline Tracey about her new book, which documents the plight of one of our most unusual ecosystems.
Montana’s wild week in politics could have national consequences
What was shaping up to be a sleepy election year in Montana is now anything but.
Wildlife loves Wyoming’s ‘Golden Triangle.’ So do oil companies
How Trump’s oil-and-gas agenda threatens a critical, and little-known, ecosystem.
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High Country News Classifieds
- The Director of Development, Alaska (DOD) provides strategic and hands-on leadership for all philanthropic activities supporting TNC's Alaska conservation program. Reporting to the Alaska State Director and serving as a core member of the Alaska Leadership Team, the DOD partners […]
In This Issue
March 2026: The Uncertainty of Farming in the Colorado River Basin
HCN looks at several Western ecosystems and the various species that depend on them — including the human beings who rely on the drought-stricken Colorado River. How are farmers in the Colorado River Basin adapting to climate change, given the contentious politics around water use?…
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Water
A shrinking Colorado River is forcing farms to change
How Montana tribes are using sovereignty to restore their waterways
The Colorado River rift abides
Wildlife
How federal cuts are reshaping Alaska’s communities, research and species management
Badger signs: An essay from Terry Tempest Williams’ new book ‘The Glorians’
Coyotes and cougars and rats, oh my!
Public Lands
Black riders have always held the reins
Trump’s BLM is going all-in on resource extraction
Trump’s BLM nominee waffles on public land sell-off stance
Indigenous Affairs
Heavily contested pumped hydro-storage project gets federal go-ahead
LandBack advances across the West
What does ‘time immemorial’ really mean?
Communities
A champion Iditarod musher proved that caring and trust win races
How people are helping breeding frogs dodge cars
How community organizers are amplifying Oregon’s Black music history
Books
Three books explore deep time and help us look forward
We need to talk about the pretendians in our midst
National parks aren’t just for tourists. They’re an essential home for wildlife.
In the News
Markwayne Mullin is for Trump – and Indian Country
The Cherokee congressman, who is hard-right and white-passing, may not seem like an Indigenous lawmaker, but he’s no anomaly.