Author

Erika Bolstad
Erika Bolstad is a Stateline correspondent based in Portland, Oregon, and the author of Windfall, published by Sourcebooks in 2023. Previously, she wrote for E&E News, the McClatchy Washington Bureau, and the Miami Herald.
Big federal dollars for small state projects aim to get more cars off the roads
By: Erika Bolstad - October 16, 2023
A 60-mile pedestrian and cycling trail in Arkansas, an electric street sweeper in Oregon, and truck parking facilities in Florida don’t appear to have much in common – let alone any similarity with a conversion of California highways to toll roads or a roundabout in Michigan. But all of the projects will be paid for […]
Don’t poo-poo these states’ pleas to keep the parks pristine
By: Erika Bolstad - September 4, 2023
DENVER – Earlier this summer, Adam Ducharme made an unpleasant discovery while helping volunteers install signs telling visitors where to camp, park, or launch boats near Leadville, a mountain town surrounded by 14,000-foot peaks in central Colorado. “We were digging holes, putting in signs, and then backfilling the holes with rocks and sort of compounding […]
It’s time for buildings to stop using a third of US energy, some states say
By: Erika Bolstad - July 4, 2023
PORTLAND, Ore. – That building looming on the corner? With a few tweaks, it might help with climate change. States with big commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are beginning to require that the owners of large buildings track how much energy they use and improve their efficiency. It’s part of a state, local, and […]