Mexican American lands were taken upon annexation into the U.S., part of a history that is too often ignored.
Public Lands
Posted inMay 1, 2022: New Ways of Seeing the West
There are millions of acres of ‘failing’ rangelands, data shows
54 million acres of federal land managed by the Bureau of Land Management aren’t meeting the agency’s own land-health standards.
Posted inArticles
Congress meets with Native leaders to discuss co-management of federal lands
Staving off attempts by Republican officials to talk about Russia, tribal leaders spent the morning in D.C. highlighting the benefits of co-management plans and tribal sovereignty.
Posted inArticles
5 questions you asked about trespassing through airspace
We recently wrote about four hunters charged with trespassing even though they didn’t touch private land. What the heck?
Posted inMarch 1, 2022: The Cloning Conundrum
Why 4 hunters in Wyoming were charged with trespassing on land they never touched
A checkerboard pattern of parcel ownership complicates public land access in the West.
Posted inArticles
What’s getting more expensive? Everything but grazing fees.
Fees to ranch on public lands will remain the same despite dizzying inflation felt by consumers.
Posted inArticles
What does the Bureau of Land Management need? More money.
A lot more money — and its new, nonprofit foundation is here to help.
Posted inArticles
The dizzying scope of abandoned mine hazards on public lands
As many as 500,000 abandoned mine features litter federal land, many posing environmental or physical safety hazards that especially threaten Native communities.
Posted inArticles
Conservation groups should be able to lease land to protect it
‘Use it or lose it’ rules can bias public-land management in favor of extraction.
Posted inArticles
Interior devotes billions to plugging old oil wells. Is it enough?
The agency under-counted abandoned wells by more than half, which means the effort covers only a fraction of the cost.
Posted inArticles
Biden’s ‘herky-jerky’ first year on Western issues
The new president sacrificed bold executive action to try to win over Congress.
Posted inJanuary 1, 2022: Water Rights and Responsibilities
Gold country: A precious metal, a mining mega-corp and a captive workforce
In 2019, two gold-mining giants joined forces, with huge consequences for the Northern Nevada community and economy.
Posted inArticles
Harry Reid’s legacy will be remembered on the land
A reflection on what endures after the death of the longtime senator from Nevada.
Posted inJanuary 1, 2022: Water Rights and Responsibilities
Religious gatekeeping in red-rock country
A resort capitalizes on a nearby Yavapai-Apache religious site despite having no meaningful relationship with the tribe.
Posted inArticles
Two Democrats kill chances of reforming outdated hardrock mining law
The nearly 150-year old law allows mining companies to extract resources like copper and lithium royalty-free.
Posted inArticles
The Westiest programs in Biden’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
The act is the New Deal redux, with a splash of ecosystem restoration.
Posted inJanuary 1, 2022: Water Rights and Responsibilities
The Park Service buried its own study on harassment
The agency promised transparency and action. Instead, it kept the audit confidential.
Posted inArticles
The hunt for critical minerals in Colorado raises critical questions
When Earth MRI began surveying, residents grew concerned about the prospect of mining.
Posted inDecember 1, 2021: Visions of Wildness
Bears Ears is back — but don’t celebrate just yet
Regina Lopez-Whiteskunk unpacks the deeper implications — and limitations — of Biden’s monuments proclamation.