High Country News (HCN) is a media organization that reports on events in the western United States and advocates for environmentalist issues. ¹ It opposes nuclear energy projects and advocates environmentalist and conservation efforts and Native American land rights movements. ^{2 3}

In addition to environmental advocacy, HCN promotes for left-of-center social issues, including opposition to immigration enforcement. HCN writers have argued that immigration law is based on an historical effort to preserve “whiteness” that has resulted in an overly complicated system for obtaining legal immigration status. ⁴

Background

High Country News is a nonprofit media organization that was founded in 1970 by Tom Bell, a teacher and wildlife biologist, to promote the idea that there was “environmental destruction” occurring in the northern Rocky Mountains. ⁵ It reports on events taking place in the western United States and Alaska related to the environment and affecting Native populations. ¹

As of September 2025, HCN reported having 220,000 monthly readers whose subscriptions made up 75 percent of its revenue. Its sections include reporting on Public Lands, “Indigenous Affairs,” Water, Climate Change, and Arts & Culture. ¹

Opposition to Nuclear Energy

High Country News reports on nuclear energy projects in the Western United States and is critical of them for alleged environmental risks. It argues that most nuclear energy supporters are “Tech giants” that support nuclear power projects “to power their growing army of energy-guzzling data centers” as opposed “to alleviate misery” or “feed the hungry.” It supports nuclear energy for not emitting greenhouse gases in comparison to conventional energy sources but questions its reliability due to radioactive waste and the potential for accidents or terrorist attacks. High Country News criticizes nuclear energy because it requires uranium mining, milling, and enriching, which HCN claims is “damaging.” ²

Reporting

Land Conservation

HIgh Country News’s reporting on land disputes for native populations and on events discussing land use for mining projects include commentary from activists that oppose mining efforts in the name of protecting Native Americans’ land rights. HCN’s reporting opposes legislation that would change land ownership from public to private that would allow protected lands to be sold or leased to mining companies. It also includes commentary from environmentalist advocacy groups like the Sierra Club’s Grand Canyon Chapter supporting land conservation. ³

Immigration Enforcement Criticisms

HCN’s reporting often criticizes immigration enforcement for altering “the racial, religious and cultural makeup” of “affected communities” and for how immigration enforcement can affect political support when demographics change following deportations. It claims that deportations in small towns resulted in a rise of “nativism” and resulted in Donald Trump winning the 2016 presidential election. ⁴

HCN has partnered with the Food and Environment Reporting Network to review lawsuits, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaints, government investigations, and union statements to determine in what ways the meatpacking industry had created a “deportation-proof workforce” to “exploit” immigrant labor. It also opposes deporting workers in the industry to prevent disruptions in food supply and describes immigration law enforcement as “anti-immigrant.” ⁴

A September 2025 report from HCN in partnership with the Food and Environment Reporting Network on immigration enforcement argued, “For more than 80 years before the Swift Raids, the United States tried to limit immigration with the explicit intent of maintaining the nation’s whiteness.” It criticizes the enforcement of immigration law as a violation of refugee protections, claiming that many immigrants should receive immigration protections but are unable to legally obtain them, and that immigration processes that result in failed attempts to obtain legal status are due to a history of racism. ⁴

Funding

In 2024, the MacArthur Foundation announced a three-year $500,000 grant to High Country News under its “Climate Solutions” grantmaking program and stated the funds are for HCN’s “general operations.” ⁶

In 2024, the Ford Foundation announced a $250,000 grant for HCN for “general support.” ⁷

Leadership

As of 2025, Greg Hanscom was the executive director and as a publisher for High Country News. He previously worked as a senior editor for Grist Magazine, a left-of-center environmentalist news organization, from 2011 to 2015 and from 2019 to 2020. He has also worked as executive editor for Cascade Public Media and as editor-in-chief of Crosscut Public Media. ⁸

Financials

In 2023, High Country News reported $4.6 million in total revenue, including $607,880 from subscriptions. None of its funds came from government grants. ⁹ It reported $4.3 million in total expenses, including $2.5 million in salaries and compensation of employees and $636,279 in “freelance costs.” ¹⁰

1. “About High Country News.” High Country News. Accessed September 19, 2025. https://www.hcn.org/about/.
2. Thompson, Jonathan. “Is a Nuclear Renaissance Coming?” High Country News, April 1, 2025. https://www.hcn.org/issues/57-4/is-a-nuclear-renaissance-coming/.
3. Myskow, Wyatt. “Court Delays Land Transfer That Would Enable Copper Mine at Oak Flat.” High Country News, August 21, 2025. https://www.hcn.org/articles/court-delays-land-transfer-that-would-enable-copper-mine-at-oak-flat/.
4. Honig, Esther, and Ted Genoways. “How an Immigration Raid Reshaped Meatpacking – and America .” High Country News, September 15, 2025. https://www.hcn.org/issues/57-9/on-the-kill-floor-how-migrants-are-exploited-for-profit/.
5. “High Country News.” Colorado Gives Foundation. Accessed September 19, 2025. https://www.coloradogives.org/organization/HighCountryNews.
6. “High Country News.” MacArthur Foundation. Accessed September 19, 2025. https://www.macfound.org/grantee/high-country-news-10707318/.
7. “Tie-off general support for coverage of the American West, including Indigenous Affairs and the environment.” Ford Foundation. Accessed September 19, 2025. https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/awarded-grants/grants-database/high-country-news-151347/.
8. “Greg Hanscom.” LinkedIn. Accessed September 20, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-hanscom-82681414/.
9. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). High Country News. 2023. Part VIII.
10. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). High Country News. 2023. Part IX.