California’s Park Fire rekindles trauma from previous blazes
‘The PTSD is horrible.’
Grabbing public land in the name of housing
Have politicians finally found a way to take public land out of the public’s hands?
Hiking in the heat
A conversation with the head of the preventive search and rescue program in Joshua Tree National Park.
What a Kamala Harris presidency could mean for the West
Harris has prioritized protecting public lands and pursued accountability for polluters, but her track record on tribal affairs is mixed.
Project 2025’s extreme vision for the West
The demolition of public lands, water and wildlife protections are part of conservatives’ plan for a second Trump term.
Will the Northwest Forest Plan finally respect tribal rights?
Tribal representatives are pushing the U.S. Forest Service to respect treaty rights and bring cultural fire back to the region’s forests.
When the end of the road brings a new beginning
Two accomplished new novels by Joe Wilkins and Willy Vlautin feature weathered protagonists called back from the brink.
Who is spouting violent rhetoric?
Reflections on this fraught moment in history.
Repeal of the Chevron doctrine will have profound consequences for federal rulemaking
Climate, public lands and tribal law regulations are now likely to face legal challenges.
In an era of dam removal, California is building more
Proponents say a new reservoir off the Sacramento River is environmentally friendly.
When grasshoppers attack
Is the cure for grasshopper outbreaks worse than the disease?
Fireworks trigger wildfires. Climate change may increase the risk.
Research found that twice as many wildfires were recorded on July 4 as almost any other day in the West.
Polluted air threatens the health of New Mexico infants
A new study finds a link between air pollution and low birth weight.
What happens to birds when it’s smoky outside?
A community science initiative along the West Coast is using volunteer observations to study the effect of wildfire smoke on birds.
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- Who We Are: The Nature Conservancy's mission is to protect the lands and waters upon which all life depends. As a science-based organization, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world's toughest challenges so that we can create a world […]
In This Issue
July 2024: Avian Influencers
This month, HCN goes bird-watching, checking up on the health of two fascinating birds. Can the Wilson’s phalarope help save Utah’s Great Salt Lake? And will the long-billed curlew find refuge on New Mexico’s ranchlands? In Idaho, the Nez Perce turn to solar power to…
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Water
A new documentary confronts water scarcity in the West
Supreme Court curtails agencies’ ability to enforce regulations
Audio: Undoing the dams
Wildlife
The California artists illuminating kelp
Deer 255 reaches the end of her journey
$350M in federal land sales likely to benefit Nevada public lands and wildlife
Public Lands
Voters from both parties want enduring public lands protection
What does the BLM Public Land Rule mean for tribal stewardship of public lands?
The theft of the commons
Indigenous Affairs
How the Nez Perce are using an energy transition to save salmon
In green energy boom, one federal agency made the Yakama Nation an offer they had to refuse
A wildflower is teaching the non-Native public about food sovereignty
Communities
Supreme Court gives cities and towns power to criminalize homelessness
What being a rural election official is like
Alaska’s capital plans to limit cruise ship tourists
Books
The end of a frontier dream amid the Unabomber’s reign of terror
Desert Subdivision: The paradox of naming a development after Edward Abbey
History, addiction and community in Tommy Orange’s latest novel
In the News
What we love will save us
In troubled political times, go to the mountains.