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The Sierra Nevada Ally
Small-Town Philanthropies Use the Great Wealth Transfer to Fund Rural Communities
Economists call it the Great Wealth Transfer. Although some experts worry the transfer might reinforce economic inequality if this fortune flows only to individual heirs, rural philanthropists are thinking about how people might invest this money to create healthier communities. “You can get your cup under this wealth that potentially...
‘Society of the Snow’ Shows Us How Far We’ll Go to Survive
This article was originally published in Keep It Rural, an email newsletter from the Daily Yonder. Stripped of our most basic needs — water, food, shelter — people become barbaric and inhumane, or at least that’s what the stories we tell each other say. This is what...
Why people think the economy is doing worse than it is: A research roundup
The U.S. economy is in good health, on the whole, according to national indicators watched closely by economists and business reporters. For example, unemployment is low and the most recent jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows stronger than expected hiring at the end of 2023. Yet news...
In small towns, book stores are thriving
“I love to spend my day in a bookstore,” said Amy Sweet. She lives in Red Lodge, Montana, and was explaining why she and her husband Brian opened Beartooth Books in her town of 2,300. “It was part of the life we wanted—to live in a small town, walk...
High pass openings deliver rewarding opportunities
As summer begins, crowds gather in popular Sierra destinations like Yosemite and Lake Tahoe. But the recent opening of high country passes means those in the know can access little-known gems. Rather than fight for a Yosemite reservation or a Lake Tahoe parking space, consider some of these lesser-known Sierra Nevada outings where you can stretch your legs without rubbing too many elbows.
On Representation and Resilience
This Interview is used with permission from Ernesto Aguilar. His newsletter can be found at OIGO. The message José A. Fajardo wrote back to me for this interview — he said it was better to email because his energy levels can vary — is one I’ll not soon forget.
Restoring Hope Amid Ecological Collapse
With an annual average precipitation of just 10.3 inches, Nevada is the driest state in the nation. That makes it challenging for water managers to monitor, restore and protect the state’s waterways for agricultural and industrial use, while still maintaining enough for recreation and ecological protection. Take central Nevada,...
Analysis: Rural Voters Don’t Wield Disproportionate Power in Senate, Electoral College
In a previous article, we addressed the inaccurate assertion that rural voters control a disproportionate share of the U.S. House of Representatives. Today, let’s address the common claim that rural voters wield an unfair share of power in the Senate and Electoral College. I won’t keep you waiting. They...
Try Tuolumne for crowd-beating Yosemite day hikes
Yosemite Valley visitors know that the park has a popularity problem, especially in summer when traffic and crowding hit their peak. But informed aficionados know that the park has abundant rewarding outings outside the valley that most visitors never see. For instance, summer and fall are excellent times to visit...
Upcoming Gold Hill NEWS Retrospective Celebrates the Comstock 1970s Era
“Did you read the ‘Pickles’ one?” one of my roommates asked. A copy of a 1974 Gold Hill NEWS was splayed out on the dining room table. The next day I heard his brother (my other roommate) ask, “Did you read the one about the pickles?”
Nevada Primary: Live Results
Follow along for results from select races from the 2024 Nevada Primary Election. All election results and winners are from the Associated Press. Noah Glick is an award-winning journalist, audio and podcast producer, and writer, whose work has been heard nationally on NPR, Marketplace, Here & Now, and more. He is a multiple regional Edward R. Murrow Award winner for his reporting on climate, energy, and housing.
Explained: What is a ‘Heat Island?’
2023 was the hottest year on record for the planet, and the fifth hottest for the United States. In fact, the seven warmest years for the U.S. have all occurred since 2012. Heat accounts for more weather-related deaths across the United States than any other cause. As the climate continues...
Report: Rural America Produces Greenhouse Gasses on Behalf of Urban and Suburban Areas
This article first appeared on The Daily Yonder and is republished here with permission. A new report shows that at least 36% of annual greenhouse gas emissions in the United States come from rural America, but they’re mostly used to produce energy and food for urban and suburban America.
Two Poems by Steve Lewis
In the timeless smirk of young boys, pinkie swears,. down the barrier island under a Carolina blue sky,. It’s not the years in your life but the life in your years that count. — Chinese cookie fortune (found in my grandson’s wallet) I. Sorry Lawrence, I’m walking away...
Oh, Henry! Family Heirloom Reveals 19th Century West
What if you could experience Yosemite free of traffic and crowds, as it was before automobiles roamed the country? This adventure will involve a horse-drawn carriage, rough dirt roads and no electronics or modern conveniences. But you get to travel with a like-minded relative to see “the most wonderful collection of waterfalls, precipitous cliffs, fantastic peaks and other scenic features anywhere in the world.”
The Big Release
I was up there, in the family’s face. They weren’t used to this, and acting kind of worried. But isn’t this what they wanted? It was the reason why they built their house so close to me. To take in the extra neutrons released from my rushing waters, to remind them that change is always happening.
Could the BLM’s new oil and gas rule lead to higher energy costs for Nevadans?
When the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced it was modernizing the leasing process for oil and gas drilling on public lands, it initially appeared the ruling didn’t carry significant implications for the state of Nevada. Although over 80% of land in Nevada is federally-owned and managed, there are few oil and gas reservoirs in the state.
Medicaid Unwinding Deals Blow to Tenuous System of Care for Native Americans
This story was originally published by KFF Health News and republished here with permission from The Daily Yonder. About a year into the process of redetermining Medicaid eligibility after the Covid-19 public health emergency, more than 20 million people have been kicked off the joint federal-state program for low-income families.
Mount Shasta challenges, inspires and teaches
In its early hours, my first climb on Mount Shasta bore a striking resemblance to my family’s previous effort 15 years earlier. On that occasion, my dad and uncle tried to take my older brother and cousin (ages 10 and 12) up the same route, Avalanche Gulch. But a fierce storm struck them in the night too. Dad’s tent broke in the wind and he and my brother had to huddle in my uncle’s shelter. Then the gusts swept the broken tent away, never to be seen again. The four suffered through a wet, sleepless and terrifying night. “I had my first serious conversation with God,” recalled cousin Peter. Their party made a strategic descent the next morning.
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The Sierra Nevada Ally is a nonprofit news organization that focuses on the environment/science, k-12 education, governance, and arts reporting relevant to northern Nevada and Tahoe Sierra.
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