Local governments throughout the West are investing in wildfire defense. Here’s how to know if yours is one of them.
Erin X. Wong
Erin X. Wong is an editorial fellow at High Country News, covering clean energy and environmental justice. They actively report on informal recyclers, also known as waste pickers, in the U.S. and around the world. If you have tips or would like to speak on this topic, please email them at erin.wong@hcn.org or submit a letter to the editor. Follow them on Twitter at @erinxy.
Posted inAugust 2024: In the Wake of the Floods
A silicon revival in the West
Is the region ready to produce the world’s most advanced technology?
Posted inArticles
What a Kamala Harris presidency could mean for the West
Harris has prioritized protecting public lands and pursued accountability for polluters, but her track record on tribal affairs is mixed.
Posted inArticles
Project 2025’s extreme vision for the West
The demolition of public lands, water and wildlife protections are part of conservatives’ plan for a second Trump term.
Posted inArticles
Repeal of the Chevron doctrine will have profound consequences for federal rulemaking
Climate, public lands and tribal law regulations are now likely to face legal challenges.
Posted inArticles
Supreme Court curtails agencies’ ability to enforce regulations
The repeal of the bedrock Chevron doctrine throws climate and conservation laws into doubt.
Posted inArticles
An environmental justice coalition for all
How has Biden’s record on conservation served communities of color?
Posted inArticles
Meet the tree-sitters who occupied a ponderosa pine
The Oregon activists call attention to ongoing clearcuts in old-growth forests.
Posted inArticles
The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act is still a bipartisan unicorn
As a competing bill emerges, supporters defend RAWA as the ’gold standard.’
Posted inArticles
How Western ports anchor U.S. supply chains
The Baltimore bridge collapse highlights the nation’s dependence on the shipping industry.
Posted inApril 2024: Epic Journeys
The great solar build-out
Public-land managers ponder where to allow utility-scale solar projects
Posted inArticles
A proposed bottle-deposit bill in Washington would help the environment — and low-income communities
The legislation would add a premium for bottles returned by organizations supporting people who rely on deposit refunds.
Posted inArticles
Biden plan will earmark millions of acres of public land for solar development
Proposed updates to the Western Solar Plan would also close sensitive areas to utility-scale solar projects.