Is California “dammed out?” Or could increasing reservoir capacity help the state ride out the new era of aridification? Continue readingDoes drought-prone California need another reservoir?
Historically and today, secessionist movements in the Northwestern US have had a particularly rural character. Here are a few recent examples.Continue readingSecessionists target low-population areas
Above: State of Jefferson themed merchandise for sale in a Colusa County restaurant. Aaron Anderer via Flickr By Felicity Barringer For decades, as some rural Californians living in the woodlands of the state’s far north have felt isolated, exploited, and oppressed by distant state and federal governments, a secessionist movement has simmered. In the 1940s,…Continue readingThe pandemic reignited rural secessionist movements and upended one county government
Officials in Wyoming, a state containing almost all of two national parks, want sole authority to manage species like elk, wolves and grizzlies. Can state agencies ensure conservation when hunters pay the bills and ranchers determine wildlife policy?Continue readingIn Greater Yellowstone, Wyoming seeks more control to improve hunting and eliminate predators
With grant support, a Klamath Falls, Oregon, newspaper sought “kernels of solutions” for a divided community’s problems with drought and resource depletion. The lead reporter reflects on his experiences.Continue readingAs the Klamath Basin’s water crisis worsens, local journalism explores a way forward
The state has gone from being an also-ran in the population sweepstakes to the country’s fastest-growing.Continue readingIdaho is increasingly a bullseye for Californian migrants
Despite persistent efforts by the U.S. government to eradicate Indigenous farming and ranching practices, they are regaining currency in an American West stressed by drought, diminishing resources and climate change. Continue readingNative agriculture never went away. Now it is on the rise.
In a new feature called “Up Close,” we survey a group of notable recent stories on California’s deep groundwater problems amid an ongoing drought.Continue readingCalifornia’s crisis is latest chapter of water flowing to power
Decarbonizing global transportation requires building a huge quantity of batteries so fleets can convert to electric power. This will mean more mining to supply the lightweight metal lithium. So far, most lithium has come from Australia, South America, and China, but eyes are turning to deposits in the United States.Continue readingCar batteries are the goal. Lithium is the quickest way to make them. Does a global good require local sacrifice in the Southwest?
Stanford Law School’s first Native American professor discusses the marginalization of tribal legal structures.Continue readingHow the U.S. legal system ignores tribal law: Q&A with Elizabeth Reese