When snow runoff is low, so are our spirits
At this time of year in Western Colorado, my friends and I watch rivers. We’re eagerly anticipating a bruising spring…
With fellow paddlers back in the day of heavy runoff, Auden Schendler, right, celebrates after running a river, courtesy Auden Schendler
MoreThe West heads for wildfires unprepared
The West is staring down a dangerous wildfire year. A dry winter and historically low snowpack have set the stage…
Calwood Fire outside Boulder Colorado, courtesy Malachi Brooks on Unsplash
MoreDismantling the U.S. Forest Service harms public lands and communities
When I led the Bureau of Land Management under President Biden, the hardest part of my job was reassembling the…
San Isabel National Forest, Nathrop, Colorado, Dave Marston photo
MoreA Colorado town waits for a water crisis
Right now, Durango has 10 to 30 days of water stored in its Terminal Reservoir, which holds 267 acre-feet. That’s annual water consumption for about 600 households; Durango has over 9,000 households
Lake Nighthorse, near Durango, Colorado on May 26, 2023. Thanks to lighthawk.org for the aerial support. ©Mitch Tobin Usage rights are granted for editorial and nonprofit purposes only. No commercial or re-sale rights are granted without permission of the photographer. https://waterdesk.org/multimedia/license/
MoreEvery kind of Thanksgiving
On a recent walk through the woods of southern Oregon, I found myself thinking about my feelings of gratitude as…
MoreThe push is on to strip big trees from our national forests
It didn’t get much notice, but President Trump has turbocharged logging on public lands in ways that are likely to…
MoreThe West is on fire as Washington fans the flames
This summer, millions of Americans are hiking, camping, fishing and making lifelong memories in our national parks, forests and other…
MoreProtect the firefighters who protect our homes and forests
You probably don’t see wildland firefighters on the job because they usually work in remote areas. But with wildfires moving…
Federal firefighters digging a fire line, photo courtesy National Interagency Fire Center
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
MoreWe see the climate change in New Mexico
Here in New Mexico, our growing season has lengthened since the 1970s, even as stream flows have decreased. Fire season…
MoreBeware the Trojan Horse targeting public land
Sometimes when I drive past the little house my wife and I bought when we first married, 30 years ago,…
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…
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