For two years, Bitterroot magazine brought you essential stories about the politics, economy, culture, and environment of the American West. Below are 20 features that exemplify the magazine created by Westerners, for Westerners.
Montana’s Grand Prairie Experiment
February 21, 2020 | The Nature Conservancy, local ranchers, and the American Prairie Reserve disagree on how best to save Montana’s grassland. But these groups have turned northern Montana into one of the most exciting conservation laboratories in the West.
Religion for the People: Ex-Mormons Embrace Populism in the Remnant
April 19, 2019 | Members of the Remnant, a populist offshoot of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, believe the church’s bureaucracy has deviated from founder Joseph Smith’s message. But the unruly collection of ex-Mormons doesn’t always obey its own rules.
Even Beyond the Border, Asylum Remains Elusive for Families and Children
September 6, 2019 | Long and difficult journeys, crowded border facilities, and possible family separation are just the beginning of the difficulties faced by those seeking asylum in the United States.
More Water or More Wild: The Decades-Long Struggle over the Gila River’s Fate
October 4, 2019 | Since he first saw it in 1983, M.H. “Dutch” Salmon advocated for a free-flowing Gila River. Salmon died in March 2019, but his allies are fighting a diversion proposal.
Sustainability Behind Bars: Washington Inmates Are Connecting with Nature
May 24, 2019 | The Sustainability in Prisons Project connects inmates with nature through science lectures and conservation programs. Those involved think it better prepares inmates for release, as well.
Salt Lake Fought Crime and Drugs for its Homeless Population, With Little Plan for Housing
August 23, 2019 | Over a two-year period, the state of Utah spent $67 million combating drugs and homelessness near downtown Salt Lake City. Now, advocates say attention must shift to the city’s lack of affordable housing.
New Mexico Failed Its Students. Now the State is Rethinking Public Education
May 17, 2019 | Hispanic, Native American, and low-income students have long struggled in New Mexico’s public education system. After a landmark court decision, the state will try to remake education in a way that prioritizes those students.
Climate Change Was Killing Northwest Oysters. Growers and Scientists Fought Back
December 13, 2019 | In the late 2000s, Pacific Northwest oyster growers saw millions of their hatchery larvae die. Since, they’ve developed numerous ways to mitigate the ocean acidification that caused the die-off. Their response is a lesson in climate resilience.
Ghost Cats: How the West is Learning to Live with Mountain Lions
May 29, 2020 | As the footprint of our cities expands into mountain lion territory, researchers say we must learn to live with the big cats — or they could go extinct in some areas.
The Marriner Doctrine: How a Utah Banker Tackled the Great Depression
June 19, 2020 | As chairman of the Federal Reserve and a confidante of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Marriner Eccles advanced New Deal policies that could help during our current economic crisis.
State and Federal Barriers Have Arizona DACA Grads Uncertain About College
June 21, 2019 | Advocates for undocumented students in Arizona are seeking state and federal action that provides these students equal access to higher education and paths to citizenship — both of which are uncertain for recipients of DACA.
With Buffalo, Native Americans are Restoring a Wildlife Economy
September 30, 2020 | Plains Native Americans were among the wealthiest people in the world before they lost access to bison. Fledgling herds like those on the Wind River Indian Reservation, though, represent one of the greatest active conservation efforts in the United States: the return of bison to Native American nations.
A Utah Researcher Seeks to Understand the West’s Suicide Mysteries
July 26, 2019 | Western states have the country’s highest suicide rates. Utah sociologist Michael Staley conducts psychological autopsies to better understand why people take their lives.
In Albuquerque, a Pollution Problem All Too Familiar to Communities of Color
May 31, 2019 | Superfund sites, air pollution, and noise harm the health of residents in Albuquerque’s San Jose neighborhood. Community activists there have faced an uphill battle for decades.
Into Ashes: Is Phoenix Ready for a Future With More Heat and Less Water?
October 28, 2020 | Climate change and sprawling development are dwindling Phoenix’s water supplies and exposing more people to heat-induced illness. The risk is obvious in mobile-home parks, where a recent study measured indoor temperatures of 111 degrees in one trailer.
The Coronavirus Recovery Needs a Green New Deal
July 3, 2020 | A Green New Deal that creates jobs, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and eliminates poverty would yield a more sustainable economy, particularly in disadvantaged neighborhoods. A Colorado academic has telegraphed how it can be done.
Native People on Love, Family, and Indigenous Identity
April 26, 2019 | When it comes to starting relationships and children — raising children as a single parent, being openly gay, reveling in the single life, choosing whether to stay or leave a community — there is no single experience that sums up the intersection of Native identity and family.
Rethinking My Hometown
January 12, 2021 | We Westerners like to move around, always have. Is that a good thing?
Workers Were Struggling Before the Pandemic. Is it Time for a Jobs Guarantee?
June 26, 2020 | Essential workers like grocery store clerks, bus drivers, and mechanics often make low wages, yet have faced increased exposure to the coronavirus. Ideas for a paycheck guarantee and large federal jobs programs could improve the standing of workers even after the COVID-19 pandemic.
A Proposed Copper Mine Has Arizona in a Battle for the Soul of the State
July 19, 2019 | Tribes, environmental advocates, and locals united to stop a proposed open-pit copper mine in Arizona. The project could have cost the region precious groundwater resources.
