The recent year-end fund drive for High Country News concluded with resounding success, underscoring the enduring commitment of its readership to independent, in-depth journalism focused on the Western United States. Subscriptions and generous donations collectively constitute three-quarters of HCN‘s operational revenue, directly funding its dedicated writers and editors and ensuring the continued functioning of its vital Paonia, Colorado, office. This outpouring of support reflects a profound appreciation for the publication’s unique voice and its critical role in the regional media landscape, a sentiment that deeply humbles and gratifies the entire team.

However, like many non-profit organizations and news outlets worldwide, High Country News remains susceptible to the prevailing economic pressures and evolving dynamics of the global media industry. A confluence of rising operational costs and a challenging economic climate necessitated difficult decisions in late 2025, leading to the departure of three valued employees. This reflects a broader trend observed across the media sector, where newsrooms, regardless of their non-profit status or regional focus, are grappling with the sustainability of their operations amidst inflationary pressures and shifting revenue models.

Among those who departed was Michael Leveton, HCN‘s community outreach manager, whose corporate communications background proved instrumental in forging innovative partnerships with social media influencers. His efforts were pivotal in extending HCN‘s reach to diverse audiences traditionally less engaged with long-form magazine journalism, a strategy increasingly vital for publications seeking to broaden their impact in the digital age. Leveton’s distinctive sense of humor and his fascinating nocturnal pursuit as a luchador in the vibrant Lucha Libre tradition are keenly missed by his former colleagues.

Carol Newman, a dedicated member of the fundraising team for over six years, also concluded her tenure. Her meticulous work involved dispatching thousands of personalized thank-you notes, a testament to the importance of direct donor engagement and the human touch in cultivating philanthropic relationships. Beyond her invaluable contributions to HCN, Newman is an accomplished artist whose vibrant mosaics are frequently exhibited in local galleries, a creative spirit she often shared with fellow staffers during virtual meetings.

Rounding out the departing team was Jess Kiernan, a critical member of the customer service department. Her responsibilities included the meticulous processing of reader checks, managing subscription renewals, and handling new and gift subscriptions – tasks essential to maintaining the operational backbone of any reader-supported non-profit journalism enterprise. Kiernan, a former pastry chef and mother to an adorable toddler named Sunny, exemplified the diligent, behind-the-scenes work that underpins the public-facing mission of independent news.

In response to the evolving media landscape and a renewed commitment to its core mission, High Country News is embarking on an ambitious new initiative: the Western Environmental Reporting Collaborative, or WERC. This groundbreaking project exemplifies HCN‘s long-standing journalistic philosophy of collaboration, recognizing that complex regional issues, particularly environmental ones, demand shared resources and diverse perspectives. HCN‘s reporters and editors have historically partnered with other publications to deliver impactful stories, and WERC represents a significant escalation of this collaborative spirit.

The collaborative is being launched in partnership with Report for America, a national non-profit organization renowned for placing emerging journalists in local newsrooms across the country to strengthen community reporting. This strategic alliance will enable HCN to establish a West-wide corps of environmental reporters, strategically deployed to local newsrooms with a specific focus on serving rural and Indigenous communities. These communities, often marginalized and underrepresented in mainstream urban and national media, face unique environmental challenges that demand dedicated, localized journalistic attention. The WERC initiative seeks to bridge this critical information gap, empowering residents with the knowledge necessary to advocate for their environments and futures.

High Country News will serve as the central hub for WERC, providing essential coordination, offering workshops, and creating other educational opportunities for aspiring journalists entering the field. This central role ensures a consistent standard of reporting, facilitates resource sharing among partner newsrooms, and fosters a robust network of environmental journalists dedicated to the Western U.S. The project consciously acknowledges and apologizes for its acronym’s similarity to WORC, the storied Western Organization of Resource Councils, a nod to the deep-rooted community organizing history of the region.

The inaugural cohort of WERC partners is slated for announcement in the coming months, with an ambitious goal to expand collaborators across all 12 Western states by 2028. This expansion will also include additional reporters tasked with rigorously monitoring the activities of Congress and various federal agencies, ensuring comprehensive oversight of environmental policy and implementation. A hallmark of the WERC model is that all content produced by its reporters will be freely available for publication by all participating newsrooms, maximizing reach and impact across the region. This innovative approach to content sharing is a powerful antidote to the fragmentation of local news, fostering a more informed citizenry across the vast and diverse American West. The initial stages of this transformative project have already garnered significant support from dedicated patrons, whose early contributions have been instrumental in getting WERC off the ground.

Beyond its immediate journalistic endeavors, High Country News recently joined many across the nation in mourning the passing of Betty Reid Soskin, an inspiring American whose life embodied a living bridge across centuries of U.S. history. Soskin, who served as the oldest active park ranger at the National Park Service until her retirement at 100, was a profound educator at the Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, California. Her work there illuminated the often-overlooked experiences of African Americans and women on the home front during World War II, offering invaluable perspectives on a pivotal moment in American history.

Wayne Hare, a former park ranger himself and a distinguished former member of HCN‘s board of directors, eloquently articulated Soskin’s unique significance in an email newsletter for his Civil Conversations Project. Hare described her not merely as a park ranger, but as a "living historian" – a testament to her direct, generational connection to America’s complex past. Born in 1921, Soskin was raised in the South by her father and great-grandmother, the latter having been born into slavery in the 1840s. This extraordinary familial lineage meant that Soskin’s own family experienced, discussed, and transmitted a direct historical narrative spanning from the infamous Dred Scott decision – which denied citizenship and humanity to enslaved people – through the Civil War, the Emancipation Proclamation, the long struggle for civil rights, and culminating in the historic inauguration of America’s first Black president.

Hare’s reflection underscores the profound power of such first-person accounts. "History is not only informative, but it’s just downright interesting," he concluded, "But from a first-person account? Someone who was there? It’s amazing." Soskin’s life and work served as a poignant reminder that history is not a distant, abstract concept, but a vibrant, lived experience that continues to shape contemporary society. Her passing marks the end of an era, but her legacy of truth-telling and historical preservation will undoubtedly continue to inspire future generations to engage deeply with the narratives that define the American experience.