High Country News https://www.hcn.org/ A nonprofit independent magazine of unblinking journalism that shines a light on all of the complexities of the West. Wed, 21 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://www.hcn.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/cropped-HCN_Logo-Monogram_White_Sq-2-32x32.png High Country News https://www.hcn.org/ 32 32 229054741 ‘We come from people who work the land’ https://www.hcn.org/issues/58-10/we-come-from-people-who-work-the-land/ Wed, 21 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000 https://www.hcn.org/?p=347292

#iamthewest: Giving voice to the people that make up communities in the region.

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]]> 347292 Arizona joins Nevada to fight federal Colorado River plan https://www.hcn.org/articles/arizona-joins-nevada-to-fight-federal-colorado-river-plan/ Tue, 20 Oct 2026 14:00:00 +0000 https://www.hcn.org/?p=347838

The Grand Canyon State is suing over Trump administration rules that would sharply reduce the amount of water Arizona receives from the river.

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]]> 347838 The future of wolf protections in the West hangs on the Ninth Circuit https://www.hcn.org/articles/the-future-of-wolf-protections-in-the-west-hangs-on-the-ninth-circuit/ Tue, 20 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000 https://www.hcn.org/?p=347827

An appeals court hearing could determine whether feds reconsider Endangered Species Act protections for wolves across the West.

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]]> 347827 How climate change is messing with the West’s weather https://www.hcn.org/articles/how-climate-change-is-messing-with-the-wests-weather/ Mon, 19 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000 https://www.hcn.org/?p=347635

Record fires, floods and weather whiplash makes for a region of extremes.

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]]> 347635 What my dog taught me about how to live https://www.hcn.org/issues/58-10/what-my-dog-taught-me-about-how-to-live/ Fri, 16 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000 https://www.hcn.org/?p=347280

The luck we don’t know we have.

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]]> 347280 Will Coloradans choose the ‘right to hunt’? https://www.hcn.org/articles/will-coloradans-choose-the-right-to-hunt/ Thu, 15 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000 https://www.hcn.org/?p=347641

A constitutional amendment on the November ballot asks who should choose how to manage the Centennial State's wildlife.

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]]> 347641 Utah’s coal country pushes back against data centers https://www.hcn.org/articles/utahs-coal-country-pushes-back-against-data-centers/ Tue, 13 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000 https://www.hcn.org/?p=347605

Carbon County is getting 456 small nuclear reactors and a giant gas plant for data center complexes.

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]]> 347605 Watersheds near Río Frijoles bear the brunt of wildfire https://www.hcn.org/articles/watersheds-near-rio-frijoles-bear-the-brunt-of-wildfire/ Mon, 12 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000 https://www.hcn.org/?p=347593

In the aftermath of drought, wildfire and floods in northern New Mexico, residents who rely on a centuries-old irrigation system are concerned about water quality.

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]]> 347593 Meet the flower whose evolution is outpacing climate change https://www.hcn.org/issues/58-10/meet-the-flower-whose-evolution-is-outpacing-climate-change/ Fri, 09 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000 https://www.hcn.org/?p=347249

This common perennial blossom, beloved by hummingbirds and biologists, offers key insight on which plants might save themselves from climate stress.

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]]> 347249 OnlyMarms, dino doings, sailor cats and “Thank you, Jimothy!” https://www.hcn.org/issues/onlymarms-dino-doings-sailor-cats-and-thank-you-jimothy/ Thu, 08 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000 https://www.hcn.org/?p=347286

Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.

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