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. Tue, 10 Nov 2026 09:00:00 +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 Is the Southwest’s flooding a harbinger of a wild winter? https://www.hcn.org/articles/is-the-southwests-flooding-a-harbinger-of-a-wild-winter/ Tue, 10 Nov 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://www.hcn.org/?p=348308

El Niño has implications for the region’s snowpack and ongoing drought.

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]]> 348308 What California owes for Native land https://www.hcn.org/issues/58-11/what-california-owes-for-native-land/ Mon, 09 Nov 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://www.hcn.org/?p=347711

In 1972, the state told Native families they would pay 47 cents an acre.

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]]> 347711 Chronicling the West’s hidden springs before they’re gone https://www.hcn.org/issues/58-11/chronicling-the-wests-hidden-springs-before-theyre-gone/ Fri, 06 Nov 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://www.hcn.org/?p=347738 Borehole Spring, Mojave Desert, California. A borehole exploration punctured a pressurized aquifer, creating an accidental oasis that attracts migratory birds and supports wildlife. Severe drought now threatens this wetland.

A photographer travels the Southwest to capture the rare lifelines of these hidden waters.

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]]> 347738 New bill slashes tribes’ role in projects that impact ancestral sites, water and wildlife https://www.hcn.org/articles/new-bill-slashes-tribes-role-in-projects-that-impact-ancestral-sites-water-and-wildlife/ Thu, 05 Nov 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://www.hcn.org/?p=348172

Native nations have come out against Senate permitting reform.

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]]> 348172 ‘Work, patience, repair’ https://www.hcn.org/issues/58-11/work-patience-repair/ Tue, 03 Nov 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://www.hcn.org/?p=347802

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

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]]> 347802 ‘Real fence is bullshit’ https://www.hcn.org/issues/58-11/what-it-takes-to-unfence-the-west/ Mon, 02 Nov 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://www.hcn.org/?p=347765 Lanie White gathers virtual fence collars to prepare collaring the cows at her family ranch near Two Dot, Montana.

Can virtual fencing transform ranching in the region?

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]]> 347765 Change comes to the Chiricahuas https://www.hcn.org/issues/58-11/change-comes-to-the-chiricahuas/ Mon, 02 Nov 2026 08:50:00 +0000 https://www.hcn.org/?p=347668

The sky island range in southeastern Arizona is a gathering spot for species from around the globe.

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]]> 347668 A fall gathering in the Rockies https://www.hcn.org/issues/58-11/a-fall-gathering-in-the-rockies/ Mon, 02 Nov 2026 08:40:00 +0000 https://www.hcn.org/?p=347720

A board meeting reminds us how far we’ve come.

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]]> 347720 Letters to the Editor, November 2026 https://www.hcn.org/issues/58-11/letters-to-the-editor-november-2026/ Mon, 02 Nov 2026 08:35:00 +0000 https://www.hcn.org/?p=347671

Comments from readers.

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]]> 347671 A top Trump appointee was ordered to remove an unauthorized cabin from the Sawtooths. Two years later, it’s still there. https://www.hcn.org/articles/a-top-trump-appointee-was-ordered-to-remove-an-unauthorized-cabin-from-public-land-two-years-later-its-still-there/ Fri, 30 Oct 2026 13:00:00 +0000 https://www.hcn.org/?p=348037

The Forest Service, which Michael Boren now oversees, appears to have abandoned any further enforcement action.

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