The coming failure of Glen Canyon Dam
As Colorado River negotiations build toward a Feb. 14 deadline, few are talking about design flaws in the dam that holds back Lake Powell.
New Mexico demands fix for federal nuclear waste management
The state will also fine the Department of Energy millions for violating groundwater standards.
Cote
A poem by Vanessa Stauffer.
How Breckenridge reserved almost 75% of its full-time housing for workforce
The iconic ski town is aiming to keep locals local.
These meatpacking workers may be deported. They voted to strike anyway.
The largely immigrant workforce at JBS’s flagship U.S. plant, in Greeley, Colorado, is refusing to back down after accusing the company of poor working conditions.
As the planet heats, insurance premiums rise
Charting the extreme weather-driven insurance crisis.
Trump’s call for deep-sea mining off Alaska raises Indigenous concerns
“Whatever happens in the ocean, it really does affect our way of life.”
What tumbleweed can teach protesters
Learning from a reviled and inspiring weed.
Wise-guy wolves, trekking in drag, talented tarantulas and Bigfoot takes a bow
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
Where giant kangaroo rats — and other critters — thrive
Thanks to concerted conservation, California’s Carrizo Plain is once again home to rare wildlife.
Ansel Adams in the age of ICE
The beloved photographer kept both beauty and injustice in the frame.
See the West’s rich geologic past
An illustrated timescale of Earth focuses on the region’s landscapes, flora and fauna.
The AI Age perpetuates fossil fuel burning
Ancient energy sources power the future.
An EPA proposal would make it harder for tribes to protect their water
The agency’s plan would narrow water quality reviews and eliminate one of the few ways that tribes can their enforce treaty rights.
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High Country News Classifieds
- Sierra Club Wyoming seeks a new Chapter Director to oversee the Chapter's priorities across programs, conservation, climate justice, legislative, equity & inclusion, fundraising, financial management and more. We are particularly looking for a candidate who has experience in operationalizing equity […]
In This Issue
February 2026: The Recording Artists
Our February issue swings from the rich musical and social history of Black people in Portland, Oregon, to the ongoing conflict between imperiled sage grouse and cattle grazing on the sagebrush steppe of the Western U.S. Colorado’s wolf reintroduction program is running into problems because…
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Water
‘We’re basically slitting our own throat’: Montana rolls back water-quality standards
Skimpy snow makes life worse for skiers — and everyone else
Top Interior Department official has ties to Thacker Pass lithium mine
Wildlife
Would you pay 1% more for wildlife?
Alaska’s public lands are a political battleground
How pronghorn outran the ice age
Public Lands
The nation’s trails are disappearing
Congress passes environmental funding without Trump’s deep cuts
6 takeaways from our public-lands grazing investigation
Indigenous Affairs
What does ‘time immemorial’ really mean?
We need to talk about the pretendians in our midst
Colorado cannot heal until it confronts Sand Creek honestly
Communities
‘My history is a blip’
Digging out in the Palisades Fire burn zone
A year after the Eaton Fire, permit delays keep Black families from returning
Books
Three books explore deep time and help us look forward
National parks aren’t just for tourists. They’re an essential home for wildlife.
The fallout from Ruby Ridge
In the News
An age-old monument faces modern threats
Scientists say Grand Staircase-Escalante isn’t reaching its full research potential.