Madelyn Beck

Latest Stories (16)

How much water is in plants? The answer can be critical to forecasting wildfires.

Sep 13, 2022
"Fuel moisture" drives wildfires, and the metric can be used to better allocate firefighting resources.
Taylor Zarifis of the Bureau of Land Management in Boise, Idaho, plucks live leaves off  sagebrush to measure fuel moisture levels.
Madelyn Beck/Mountain West News Bureau

Yellowstone's gateway communities seeing economic impact from flooding closures

Aug 9, 2022
Some businesses are rebounding after historic flooding in the region. But others are still struggling.
The visitor's center in West Yellowstone displays part of a message tourists see all around town: Be patient, be kind, be cool.
Madelyn Beck/Mountain West News

Crews train in Boise in case wildfires require military muscle

Jul 4, 2022
The U.S. Forest Service has a military team it uses as backup to fight fires.
A military C-130 Hercules aircraft flies near Boise's airport, preparing to drop thousands of gallons of water as part of a firefighting training exercise.
Madelyn Beck/Mountain West News Bureau

Housing crisis pushes more people to camp on public lands

Jun 7, 2022
Officials who help oversee public lands say they are seeing a lot more families living in these spaces.
A vehicle parked on land managed by the Bureau of Land Management outside Boise, Idaho. BLM officers say this is a typical setup of those living on public lands.
Madelyn Beck/Mountain West News.

The ski wax industry is working to leave PFAS behind

Apr 4, 2022
Laws and regulations are changing to kick this harmful “forever chemical” off the ski hill.
Eric Straubhar buffs the wax on a child's ski in his Idaho shop. Bans on PFAS waxes haven't provoked pushback, he said. If they apply to everyone, "the playing field is level."
Madelyn Beck/Mountain West News Bureau

Could making fentanyl test strips more available curb opioid overdoses?

Feb 10, 2022
Some health officials and researchers say the tests could save lives. But many state drug paraphernalia laws make them illegal.
Packages of fentanyl test strips and instructions for their use. Some experts and officials say they can save lives, but they are outlawed in many states.
Gustavo Sagrero/Boise State Public Radio

As more people seek recreation outdoors, backcountry rescues are on the rise

Jan 26, 2022
Many volunteer rescue groups had an increase in calls last year.
Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue Unit volunteers extract a person portraying a lost snowshoer during a training exercise.
Madelyn Beck/Mountain West News

A boon for local butchers is a hurdle for hunters

Dec 27, 2021
Flush with demand, meat processors are walking away from wild game.
Northwest Premium Meats in Idaho. Manager Elliott Tolbert says he's seen strong demand for butchering services, but processing wild game isn't always worth the effort.
Madelyn Beck/Mountain West News Bureau

Prescribed burns can help reduce wildfire threat in the West

Nov 17, 2021
Managed burns take communication between federal officials and locals.
A U.S. Forest Service truck drives along a dirt road in the Albion Mountains in southern Idaho. Prescribed burns in the area can reduce overgrown vegetation that’s crowding out the iconic aspen tree.
Madelyn Beck/Mountain West News Bureau.

Will the Bureau of Land Management's new headquarters stay in the West?

Jul 12, 2021
The Trump administration moved the agency's headquarters to Colorado from Washington, D.C. in a controversial move that's still questioned.
The Bureau of Land Management is renting out space in this building near the airport in Grand Junction, Colorado.
Madelyn Beck via Mountain West News Bureau