PODCAST · society
High Country Observations
by HCO
High Country Observations examines the forces shaping land, water, wildlife, agriculture, infrastructure, law, and conservation across the American landscape.Through in-depth field notes, interviews, and long-form analysis, we explore the systems behind the headlines, from public lands and predator management to energy development, water rights, food production, environmental policy, and the future of the modern Landscape.Our approach is simple: aggressive in research, measured in conclusions, slow to accuse, and fast to understand.Protect Land. Protect People. Understand Systems.
Episodes
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HCO Episode: 022: Foreign Beef, Domestic Herds, and the Price of Temporary Relief
HCO Episode 022: Foreign Beef, Domestic Herds, and the Price of Temporary Relief Beef prices are high. The American cattle herd is historically tight. And the Trump administration is turning to more imported beef to provide consumers some relief at the grocery store. In August, the administration...
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HCO Episode: 021: The "Just Stop Growing Alfalfa" Argument
The “Just Stop Growing Alfalfa” Argument Agriculture uses most of the Colorado River’s water. Alfalfa uses a lot of that agricultural water. So why not just stop growing it? It’s an increasingly common argument in Western water policy, particularly as the Colorado River shrinks and states search...
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HCO Episode: 020: Data Centers on Trial
Data Centers on Trial: The Legal Fights Spreading Across the Country For the last several years, America’s data-center boom has largely been discussed as a technology story, but it is quickly becoming a legal one. Across the country, communities are confronting facilities that can require…
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HCO Episode: 019: THE COLORADO RIVER AFTER 2026
The Colorado River After 2026: The Rules Are Expiring. The Water Problem Is Not. For most of the last century, the Colorado River was governed around a basic assumption, that there would be enough water to divide. That assumption is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain. The Colorado River...
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HCO Episode: 018: Hemp: The Crop We Spent a Century Misunderstanding
Hemp: The Crop We Spent a Century Misunderstanding For most of American history, hemp wasn’t controversial. It was useful. It supplied fiber for rope, sails, textiles and other basic materials. Then cannabis prohibition changed its legal status, and for decades federal law largely failed to...
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HCO Episode: 017: Seed Oils in America
Seed Oils: What We Actually Know Seed oils have somehow become one of the biggest arguments in American food. Depending on who you listen to, they’re either poisoning us or there’s absolutely nothing worth worrying about. The evidence is more complicated than either side makes it sound. In this...
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HCO Episode: 016: The Last Year Without A Grizzly Hunt?
The Last Year Without a Grizzly Hunt Grizzly bears have been protected under the Endangered Species Act in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem for decades. But after years of population recovery, litigation, state management disputes, and fights over federal delisting, the legal landscape may…
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HCO Episode: 015: The U.S. International Horse Trade For Slaughter
The United States has prohibited domestic horse slaughter for human consumption for nearly two decades, yet thousands of American horses continue to enter the international slaughter market each year through exports to Canada and Mexico. In this episode of High Country Observations, we examine…
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HCO Episode: 014: THE PEACE ACT: Oregon's IP 28
Episode 14: Oregon’s PEACE Act (IP 28): A Legal and Policy Analysis Oregon’s proposed PEACE Act (IP 28) has become one of the most controversial ballot initiatives in the country. Supporters argue it would strengthen protections against animal cruelty. Opponents contend it would fundamentally...
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HCO Episode: 013: 250 Years of American Land and WildLife. Systems That Endured, Systems That Changed.
Episode 13: 250 Years of American Land and Wildlife. Systems That Endured and Systems That Changed. Stand with us on a high ridge as we mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence with a clear-eyed look at the living systems that have shaped America's landscapes, wildlife, and...
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HCO Episode: 012 MEGADROUGHT: AI Data Centers, Western Water Stress, and the Evolving Legal Landscape.
HCO Episode 012: MEGADROUGHT, AI Data Centers, Western Water Stress, and the Evolving Legal Landscape In the American West, water is life, and the systems governing it are under unprecedented strain. As megadrought conditions persist and artificial intelligence drives explosive demand for new…
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HCO Episode: 011 Cartel Cattle: Mexican Drug Cartel's Influence on America’s Cattle Industry and U.S. Biosecurity Risks.
HCO Episode 011: Cartel Cattle – Mexican Drug Cartels’ Influence on America’s Cattle Industry and U.S. Biosecurity Risks The return of New World screwworm to the United States is more than a parasite story. It is a systems story exposing vulnerabilities in the highly integrated North American...
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HCO Episode: 010 Drone Hunting and the Future of Fair Chase
Episode 010: Drone Hunting and the Future of Fair Chase Drones are transforming agriculture, ranching, conservation, and wildlife management across the American West. Now they're forcing hunters, wildlife agencies, and conservationists to confront a difficult question: What happens when…
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HIGH COUNTRY OBSERVATIONS Episode: 009 THE FARM BILL AND THE STRUCTURE OF CONTROL
Subsidies, Regulation, and Who Shapes American Land Use Most people never think about the Farm Bill. Yet behind one of the largest and least understood pieces of legislation in America sits a system that quietly shapes crop decisions, insurance structures, conservation programs, subsidies, land…
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HIGH COUNTRY OBSERVATIONS Episode: 008 WHO ACTUALLY CONTROLS PUBLIC LAND?: Power, Authority, and the Limits of Federal Land Management.
People talk about “federal land” like ownership and control are simple. They’re not. Across the American West, public land debates shape everything from grazing and wildlife management to energy development, recreation, mining, wildfire policy, and local economies. But behind every argument sits…
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HIGH COUNTRY OBSERVATIONS Episode: 007 GLYPHOSATE: Preemption and The Power of The Label
Glyphosate is everywhere right now. In the courts. In Congress. On farms. In forests. And increasingly, in the public conversation itself. In this episode of High Country Observations, we break down the legal, ecological, agricultural, and political battle surrounding the most widely used…
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HIGH COUNTRY OBSERVATIONS Episode: 006 STRAINING THE SYSTEM: Capacity, Policy, and the Future of the Forest Service
Today is National Arbor Day. And at the same time, you’re seeing headlines suggesting the United States Forest Service is “shutting down.” This episode looks at what’s actually happening. Forests in the United States are not just natural systems, they are managed systems, shaped by law, policy,...
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HIGH COUNTRY OBSERVATIONS Episode: 005 HOLDING THE LINE Fire Risk & the Limits of Control
Wildfire in the American West is not just a natural event, it is shaped by law, policy, and the limits of institutional capacity. From the Big Burn of 1910 to the Yarnell Hill Fire, this episode examines how the modern wildfire system developed, how it operates today, and where it fails under...
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HIGH COUNTRY OBSERVATIONS Episode: 004 BOUNDARY WATERS A Line Drawn in the North
The Senate is voting on whether to reopen mineral leasing upstream of one of the most intact freshwater systems in North America: the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. This episode breaks down what that decision actually means. Not just headlines, but the structure behind the policy. From...
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HIGH COUNTRY OBSERVATIONS Episode: 003 ORIGIN AND CONSEQUENCE, MCOOL for Beef
Country of Origin Labeling sounds simple. Know where your beef comes from. But in practice, origin moves through a complex system, across borders, processors, and markets, before it ever reaches a consumer. In this episode of High Country Observations, we break down MCOOL as policy, not talking...
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HIGH COUNTRY OBSERVATIONS Episode: 002 RETURN OF THE WOLF
The gray wolf has returned to the American West, but not without consequence. Once nearly eradicated from the lower 48, wolves have become one of the most visible symbols of modern conservation success. From their reintroduction into Yellowstone National Park in 1995 to their controversial return...
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High Country Observations Episode: 001 CONFRONTING THE BEAR
Grizzly De-listing and the Future of Yellowstone Recovery The Greater Yellowstone grizzly bear has become one of the greatest conservation success stories in North America. From roughly 136 bears in 1975 to over 1,000 today, the population has rebounded under decades of federal protection through...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
High Country Observations examines the forces shaping land, water, wildlife, agriculture, infrastructure, law, and conservation across the American landscape.Through in-depth field notes, interviews, and long-form analysis, we explore the systems behind the headlines, from public lands and predator management to energy development, water rights, food production, environmental policy, and the future of the modern Landscape.Our approach is simple: aggressive in research, measured in conclusions, slow to accuse, and fast to understand.Protect Land. Protect People. Understand Systems.
HOSTED BY
HCO
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does High Country Observations have?
High Country Observations currently has 22 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is High Country Observations about?
High Country Observations examines the forces shaping land, water, wildlife, agriculture, infrastructure, law, and conservation across the American landscape.Through in-depth field notes, interviews, and long-form analysis, we explore the systems behind the headlines, from public lands and predator...
How often does High Country Observations release new episodes?
High Country Observations has 22 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to High Country Observations?
You can listen to High Country Observations on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts High Country Observations?
High Country Observations is created and hosted by HCO.
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