Winners
2017
Neena Satija, Ryan Murphy, and Kiah Collier, The Texas Tribune, Al Shaw, and Jeff Larson, ProPublica
“Hell and High Water”: A report looking at the city of Houston and the threat posed to it by hurricanes.
2016
Ian James, The Desert Sun, Steve Elfers, and Steve Reilly, USA Today
“Pumped Dry: The Global Crisis of Vanishing Groundwater”: An investigation into the dire consequences of groundwater depletion in the western United States and around the world.
2015
Jim Morris, Lisa Song, David Hasemyer, Susan White, and Greg Gilderman, The Center for Public Integrity, InsideClimate News, and The Weather Channel
“Big Oil, Bad Air: Fracking the Eagle Ford Shale of South Texas”: A 20-month joint reporting project exploring the tension between cheap energy and air quality in one of the most active oil and gas fields in the United States.
2014
Steve Ringman and Craig Welch, The Seattle Times
"Sea Change: The Pacific’s Perilous Turn": A series examining and illuminating ocean acidification, the lesser-known twin of global warming.
2013
Tom Knudson, The Sacramento Bee
"The Killing Agency": An investigative series exposing brutal methods used by a little known government agency that are leaving a trail of animal death.
2012
Emilene Ostlind and Joe Riis, High Country News
"Perilous Passages": A report that gave readers a close-up view of migration of the pronghorn antelope along a 120-mile route that is the first designated for protection by the U.S. Forest Service.
2011
Patrick Doyle and Natasha Gardner, 5280 Magazine
"Dry Times": Explanatory reporting on Denver's water challenges through engaging text and imaginative graphics. It was selected for its clear and compelling presentation of a many-layered story of geography, history, land use and policy.
2010:
Lewis Kamb, The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
"Chain Saw Scouting": A three-part series revealing how Boy Scout councils across America–whose mandate is to preserve and protect the environment–have logged or sold forestland.
2009
Hal Bernton, Justin Mayo and Steve Ringman, The Seattle Times
"Logging and Landslides: What Went Wrong?": A two-part series demonstrating how heavy logging caused a significant proportion of landslides in southwestern Washington.
2008
Anton Caputo, San Antonio Express-News
"Climate Change Hits Home": A five-part series describing how global warming is affecting the Gulf Coast and South Texas.
2007
Judy Pasternak, The Los Angeles Times
"Blighted Homeland": A four-part series documenting the poisonous legacy of military uranium mining on Navajo lands.
2006
Matt Jenkins, High Country News
"Squeezing Water from a Stone": An article describing Las Vegas' efforts to acquire more water to feed its exploding growth.
2005
Todd Hartman, Jerd Smith and Ken Papaleo, The Rocky Mountain News
"The Last Drop": A five-part series outlining the threat to Rocky Mountain rivers posed by urban development on Colorado's Front Range.