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Where have all the doctors gone?

By Katie Klingsporn

There’s never been enough doctors in rural Wyoming, where I live, but a shortage of obstetricians is now increasing the…

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Energy guru says energy gap can be bridged

By Dave Marston

The experts tell us an energy gap looms. Fossil fuels are phasing out, and solar and wind power can’t produce…

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A terrible dilemma faces the Great Basin

By Stephen Trimble

The long drive between Salt Lake City, Utah and Reno, Nevada on Interstate 80 feels endless, the landscape timeless. But…

Toquima Range from Monitor Valley, Nevada, Steve Trimble photo

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They struggle to come to America: One woman’s story

By Laura Pritchett

Exactly what causes people to leave their homeland and make a difficult trek of 3,000 miles? A young woman I’ll…

greg bulla–unsplash

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What did Westerners care about in 2023?

By Betsy Marston

This past year, Writers on the Range, an independent opinion service based in western Colorado, sent out 52 weekly opinion…

Arches National Park, image courtesy Writers on the Range

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Ski bum culture hits reality

By Heather Hansman

Nearly two decades ago, I moved to the mountains to be a ski bum, chasing snow. I was a stereotype—an…

Robson Hatsukami Morgan, via Unsplash

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a warning from the snowbirds

By Pepper Trail

No, this isn’t about those folks who spend their winters in Arizona or Florida. The snowbird behind this warning is…

Cristina Glebova; courtesy Unsplash

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Outrage in Wyoming erupts over public land auction

By Savannah Rose

There’s a 640-acre parcel of magnificent, state-owned public land in Wyoming that’s set for auction unless the state changes its…

Pronghorn migrate through the Kelly Parcel, Wyoming, Courtesy Savannah Rose

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What really affects hunting in the West

By Lesli Allison

A disgruntled hunter wrote a Writers on the Range opinion recently about Westerners getting fed up with the many out-of-staters…

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Live rough and know the real world

By Jacob Richards

Guides in the outdoor industry inevitably come up with collective nicknames for customers. On horseback they’re “dudes,” on the river…

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Pulling thistles, sowing hope

By Susan Marsh

For the past few years I’ve participated in “Thistle Thursdays,” targeting a popular trail near Jackson, Wyoming. The weekly weed…

musk-thistle-bloom

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Farewell to two radicals with a common goal – changing the West

By Ernie Atencio

The West lost two larger-than-life conservationists this year, and while I considered both friends, they couldn’t have been more different….

Sid Goodloe and wife Cheryl

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What others are saying See More

The Daily Sentinel of Grand Junction, Colorado places a premium on content that examines management of public lands and natural resources. We’re big fans of Writers on the Range. The contributors come from all walks of life, but their column always hit home with our readers, for whom access to public lands is an important part of the lifestyle in western Colorado. Cutbacks to the newsroom have seriously hampered our coverage of the environment. Most often these stories are best told by people who have first-hand experience dealing with a particular challenges — from loving favorite trails to death to rebuilding coal communities or threats to the sagebrush sea. Writers on the Range consistently identifies problems and solutions in a thorough and engaging way. We need more of this kind of advocacy journalism on our opinion pages because it fosters understanding and dialogue about the unique living conditions in the American West.

Andy Smith, Opinion Page Editor
Grand Junction Sentinel, Grand Junction, CO

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