Land exchanges serve the wealthy

In 2017, the public lost 1,470 acres of wilderness-quality land at the base of Mount Sopris near Aspen, Colorado. For…
Old growth Ponderosa pine on public land that would be transferred to private ownership in proposed Valle Seco land trade, photo courtesy of Colorado Wild Public Lands
MoreBackcountry adventurers know they’re taking chances

Six people have died in avalanches in the United States since the snow started to fly this fall. Every year,…
Five backcountry skiers cross a avalanche path while hiking outside of Jackson Hole Resort, Wyoming.
MoreBanning books is for bullies

By Crista V. Worthy Some people have become so alarmed by what children might read in school or in libraries…
Image courtesy of Rediscovered Books, Caldwell, Idaho
MoreIt’s never too late to save a river

An old river-running motto says, “Old boaters never die, they just get a little dinghy.” And some never lose their…
Zachary CollierFollow New Melones Lake This section of the Stanislaus River is normally impounded by New Melones Lake. The California drought in 2014 allowed us the opportunity to kayak this famous section of river.
MoreBuilding strong communities could be a team sport

I got to thinking about some of my small-town neighbors when I read that the Denver Broncos football team, which…
This Walmart replaced the shuttered Walmart in Talen, OR, where writer Matt Witt is from
MoreBusiness as usual for the Colorado River

It seemed inevitable that the dwindling Colorado River would be divvied up by the federal Bureau of Reclamation. On June…
Winterhaven, CA, Imperial Dam, where 90% of the Colorado River is desilted and sent to numerous irrigation districts in CA and AZ. Courtesy of Bureau of Reclamation
MoreIdaho is a difficult state

There’s something different about the state of Idaho that’s beyond the adjective “quirky.” My husband and I may have lived…
Photo credit: Idaho Potato Commission
MoreTrailer park residents hope to buy the land beneath them

Just outside Durango, Colorado there’s a trailer park called Westside that I’ve been driving by all my life. Yet residents…
MoreTwo Western states act to control methane

Gated methane vent pad in Sunshine Roadless area above Paonia, CO. Methane originates in active Arch Resources coal mine. This collection of vents makes Arch the third biggest greenhouse gas polluter in Colorado.
MoreBillionaire mine owner leaves a tiny town in the lurch

“..a visitor to the town notices abandoned cars parked willy-nilly and piles of junk that look as old as the town itself. “
Photograph Courtesy of Somerset Water District website
More“Look at me” culture leaves too many marks

“The pioneers endured drought, famine, disease, and death in order to reach the West and scratch their names on the wall.”
Photograph by Lloyd Bunk, courtesy of Unsplash
MoreConservative Republican has a personal mission

“I’m living proof of why people should not trust their government with the death penalty”
Photograph by Damir Spanic, courtesy of Unsplash
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