Jonathan Thompson is a contributor to Writers on the Range, writersontherange.org, an independent nonprofit dedicated to spurring lively conversation about the West. He is the editor of the Land Desk and a longtime Western journalist.
![](https://imgproxy.gridwork.co/_PEHkBsRunw--QSF_Olfx3Lg7_hs_8b7NJiJrtTaxh0/w:256/h:171/rt:fill/g:fp:0.5:0.5/q:70/el:1/aHR0cHM6Ly9zMy51cy1lYXN0LTEuYW1hem9uYXdzLmNvbS9pbi10aGVzZS10aW1lcy9BYmFuZG9uZWQtd2VsbC1Kb25hdGhhbi1UaG9tcHNvbi1pbWFnZS5qcGc.jpg)
ViewpointRural America
How Old Oil Wells Become Taxpayers' Problem
Nationwide, oil companies have abandoned more than a million oil and gas wells—and the cost of cleaning them up.
Jonathan Thompson
![](https://imgproxy.gridwork.co/q1a1IqzzSYImOUi-u5lMw5LsIvRm1Vay8gM6auaJYgw/w:256/h:171/rt:fill/g:fp:0.5:0.5/q:70/el:1/aHR0cHM6Ly9zMy51cy1lYXN0LTEuYW1hem9uYXdzLmNvbS9pbi10aGVzZS10aW1lcy90aG9tcHNvbi1yb2xsYmFjay10aGUtcm9sbGJhY2tzLmpwZw.jpg)
ViewpointRural America
On Environment, Biden Needs to Do a Lot More than Roll Back the Rollbacks
President Trump gutted almost 100 environmental protections. Here’s a list of the ones Biden should undo first and why he must not stop there.
Jonathan Thompson