UPDATE: On June 4, the Bureau of Land Management withdrew its opposition to H.R. 2181, the Chaco Cultural Heritage Protection … More
Author: Jonathan P. Thompson
Journalist, editor and writer focusing on the Western United States and its landscapes, communities, and cultures. Creator of Land Desk. Author of "River of Lost Souls: The Science, Politics, and Greed Behind the Gold King Mine Disaster" (Torrey House Press 2018), "Behind the Slickrock Curtain" (Lost Souls Press 2020), and the forthcoming "Sagebrush Empire: A journey into the heart of the public land wars" (Torrey House 2021).
Hire me!
I am currently taking on editing and writing projects on a freelance basis. Need a writing coach who can help … More
Go West, BLM!
Former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke — who has ridden off into the revolving-door sunset — had a lot of bad … More
‘Painting’
Several years ago, I hopped into the Silver Bullet (my old, trusty car) and headed down to northwest New Mexico … More
The Art from ‘Behind the Slickrock Curtain’ (and a special offer!)
A few weeks ago, when Eliza Santos left Malcolm Brautigan alone in the home she shares with her husband Peter … More
May 1 San Juan snowpack update
Snow levels have presumably peaked in the San Juan Mountains and, as expected, they look pretty darned healthy. That said, … More
Behind the Slickrock Curtain preview
I’m about to do something that may be a bit unconventional, unorthodox — maybe even uncouth: promoting a novel before … More
Gold King water treatment shutdown: Bad, but not catastrophic
Alarm bells went off throughout the Animas and San Juan River drainages this weekend when big storms and the historically … More
San Juan Snowpack ’19: The race to the top
Okay, okay, okay. A week ago, I pointed out that this year’s snowfall, while big, still did not measure up … More
The War for the Roads
This story by Jonathan P. Thompson ran in the Silverton Mountain Journal in winter of 2002. Given the historic avalanche … More
Jonathan P. Thompson 