Solar panels have more than proven themselves

I’d never heard of “net metering” until my electric bill hit $600 last February. Desperate for a way to reduce…
MoreRural Colorado county gets ready for wildfire

When La Plata County in southwestern Colorado needed a director of emergency management in 2021, they found a winner in…
Shawna Legarza Kennebec Trail Race 2024
MoreWhen reality weighs you down

A lot of us feel hopeless today. There’s the return of energy dominance as a federal goal, which places oil,…
MoreTrump’s policies put us in economic danger

Donald Trump’s platform was clear when he was running for president. He promised to make bold improvements—quickly raising revenue by…
MoreLos Angeles is a wake-up call for the West—especially Durango

After fierce winds whipped fire out of brush-covered hills on January 7, entire Los Angeles neighborhoods burned down. Within a…
MoreWhat westerners cared about in 2024

Writers on the Range, an independent opinion service based in western Colorado, sent out close to 50 weekly opinion columns…
MoreObservations of a fire lookout

The writers Edward Abbey, Gary Snyder and Norman McLean all staffed high-elevation fire lookouts in the West—their experiences rich fuel for their work. But Jack Kerouac’s reaction makes…
MoreImagine a river more fascinating than football

Imagine a best-selling, 900-page novel using “a sad, bewildered nothing of a river” as its centerpiece, connecting the earth’s geologic…
South Platte at 52 bridge image by Laura Perry, courtesy USGS
MoreHunting is a valuable tool in managing lions

Asking the public to decide if it’s a good idea to ban hunting mountain lions and bobcats is no way…
Mountain lion, courtesy Writers on the Range
MoreFreed wolves move into their old niche
What was it like for 10 captured Oregon wolves when Colorado Parks and Wildlife opened their crates on a December…
MoreLive rough and know the real world

Guides in the outdoor industry inevitably come up with collective nicknames for customers. On horseback they’re “dudes,” on the river…
MoreThe West has too many visiting hunters

Hunting may be losing popularity nationally, but in the West the number of hunters is climbing. According to the U.S….
Dan Vigueria, Paonia, Colorado, Grizzly Longbows LLC
More