Public News Service

More than 80 national park units, including Rocky Mountain National Park, sit next to public lands managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. (Adobe Stock)

Monday, May 6, 2024

New BLM rule could help protect America's national parks

As critics work to roll back new Bureau of Land Management rules, public lands advocates are defending the agency's move to put conservation uses on …

$A fracking operation is shown on Colorado's front range east of Denver. The state had more than 12,000 hydraulic fracturing well operations in 2023. (Adobe Stock)$

Film documents environmental battle with Colorado oil, gas industry

A new film documents the 2018 battle between Colorado environmentalists and the oil and gas industry over proposed fracking regulations. The film …

According to Colorado College's 2023 Conservation in the West Poll, 82% of voters in the Rocky Mountain West support a national goal of conserving America's lands and waters in the next decade. (Adobe Stock)

BLM finalizes rule to prioritize protection of public lands in CO, West

The federal Bureau of Land Management has released its long-awaited final Public Lands Rule, which aims to reconcile a perceived imbalance between …

The 1922 Colorado River Compact gives priority to Lower Basin states: Arizona, California and Nevada, for rights to Colorado River Water. (Adobe Stock)

Study: 90% of CO River irrigation water goes to cattle

As Colorado and other states grapple with shrinking Colorado River water levels, new research pinpoints how much water is being diverted for cattle …

Most of the USDA produce samples tested in this year's Dirty Dozen list from the Environmental Working Group were within the legal allowance for chemical pesticide residue. (Adobe Stock)

Strawberries top Dirty Dozen list of produce packed with pesticides

Nonorganic fruits and vegetables are loaded with chemical pesticides, including fungicides which can harm male reproductive systems, according to the …

Colorado is the fourth largest oil producing state in the country and eighth largest gas producing state. (Adobe Stock)

Study: Methane pollution from oil and gas production greatly underestimated

Data from new satellite-based technology show that the amount of methane pollution impacting communities living near oil and gas facilities is far gre…

Decades of policies like redlining, that forced people of color into neighborhoods surrounded by industrial polluters, have led to a host of negative health outcomes, including cancers and premature death. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado lawmakers eye ways to reduce pollution in vulnerable communities

In 2021, Colorado lawmakers took a first step toward addressing decades of toxic pollution disproportionately impacting low-income neighborhoods and …

Supporters of Colorado's House Bill 1379 said it will help protect Coloradans from flooding, help ensure safe and sufficient drinking water and help preserve fishing, boating, and other recreational opportunities across the state. (Adobe Stock)

Restoring protections for Colorado endangered waters and wetlands

Colorado lawmakers are considering legislation to restore protections to key waters and wetlands struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court last year in a …

Firefighters and veterans stationed at military bases for at least one year, and who have cancer or other diseases may be eligible to receive financial compensation from the companies that produced PFAS forever chemicals. (Adobe Stock)

New bill would expand PFAS ban for tampons, other consumer items

Colorado lawmakers want to beef up legislation that bans PFAS, so-called forever chemicals, by 2028. Yahn Olson is an associate attorney with …

A wide body of research has linked traffic pollution to premature death, lung cancer, asthma and other negative health impacts. (Adobe Stock)

Nurses, environmental groups welcome Biden's clean car standards

On Wednesday, the Biden administration announced new tailpipe pollution standards that will give automakers more time to ramp up production of zero-…

In November 2023, the Financial Times reported that Trump was

Report: Second Trump term would add 4 billion tons of climate pollution

As Coloradans begin to weigh their options in this year's presidential election, a new Carbon Brief analysis projects that a second Biden term would …

Wolverine fur is remarkably waterproof, which helps keep the animal warm in deep snow. (Adobe Stock)

Lawmakers could continue re-wilding Colorado with wolverine bill

Colorado may soon welcome back wolverines, an animal with a reputation for its ferocity and strength nearly wiped out by trapping, poisoning and …

Nine in 10 voters across eight Mountain West states including Colorado want oil and gas companies, not federal and state governments, to pay for cleanup and restoration costs. (Adobe Stock)

West's Latino voters want conservation over development on public lands

Voters, including 74% of Republicans, 87% of Independents and 96% of Democrats, would support candidates in elections who prioritize conservation on …

In 2015, more than 1,230,000 visits to areas of public lands now protected by the BLM for non-motorized recreation resulted in $54.3 million in spending to the local economy. This ultimately supported 693 jobs and generated $40.1 million in personal income. (Vitaliy_melnik/Adobe Stock)

Eastern Colorado BLM plan protects future oil and gas leasing on public lands

The Bureau of Land Management has released its final Eastern Colorado Resource Management Plan, which will guide the use and management of over 658,00…

Latinos account for 47% of agricultural field workers and 46% of construction laborers in the U.S. and face extreme summer heat threats due to climate change. (JackF/Adobe Stock)

Climate change challenging Latinos' health and heritage

As climate change makes extreme weather events more common globally, Latinos often face the most significant effects to their health, safety…

Old-growth forests, which provide crucial wildlife habitat, clean water and carbon sequestration, are under threat from the effects of climate change, magnifying drought, disease, insect damage and fire severity. (Adobe Stock)

Forest Service wants public comments on old-growth forest protections

The timber industry is pushing back against the Biden administration's proposal to limit commercial logging in the nation's last old-growth forests…

In December 2021, the Marshall Fire sparked conflagrations in Superior and Louisville, Colorado, destroying 1,084 structures and killing two people. (Adobe Stock)

Marshall and other wildland-urban fire disasters not actually wildfire problem

By David Calkin, Kimiko Barrett, Jack Cohen, Mark Finney, Stephen Pyne, and Stephen Quarles for the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.…

In 2019, Colorado adopted requirements for the state to cut climate-warming emissions in the near term at least 26% by 2025 and 50% by 2030. (Adobe Stock)

PUC scales back renewable electricity, adds new natural-gas plants

Even though 2023 was the hottest year on record, the Colorado Public Utilities Commission is adding more fossil fuel-generated power and scaling back …

Eight in 10 Coloradans agreed forests, farms, grasslands and wetlands naturally capture carbon pollution, the primary driver of climate change. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado poll shows broad support for voluntary private land conservation

Colorado voters said they support previous efforts to conserve the state's wild landscapes and open spaces, according to a new survey, and they …

The Gunnison sage grouse, known for its iconic mating dance, has lost 90% of its sagebrush-sea habitat to human development. (Larry Lamsa/Creative Commons)

Endangered Species Act marks 50th anniversary with key protections

In 2023, wolverines won federal protections, gray wolves were reintroduced in Colorado and the Bureau of Land Management announced a draft-management …

Oil and natural gas operations are the source of nearly 30% of all methane emissions in the United States. (Adobe Stock)

New methane rule promises public health benefits

Methane, the primary component of natural gas, has become a global target in efforts to blunt the worst impacts of climate change. The Biden …

As wolf population numbers in Colorado grow, some wolves are expected to migrate to establish new territories. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado begins program to reintroduce gray wolves in native range

It's been 50 years since Congress passed the Endangered Species Act, which is credited with helping wolves rebound from near-total extinction in …

Nearly half of people living in Alamosa, where Xcel Energy plans to build one of three new natural gas power plants, identify as Hispanic or Latino according to U.S. Census data. (Adobe Stock)

Environmental justice and Xcel plans for new fossil fuel power plants

Xcel Energy says its latest proposal before the Public Utilities Commission will help Colorado reach it's clean energy goals - by adding more wind and…

Around 11,900 acres of the historic Bohart Ranch east of Colorado Springs used by U.S. Air Force Academy cadets have been permanently protected. (Adobe Stock)

SOAR aims to conserve open space, military readiness

The skies above the historic 48,000 acre Bohart Ranch and a remote airfield on the property serve an important role for the United States Air Force Ac…

Farms are in a unique position to slow global warming by reducing methane emissions, which are more than 80 times more potent at trapping heat in the atmosphere than CO2. (Adobe Stock)

Removing barriers and making space for next generation farmers

As Congress drafts the next Farm Bill, the National Young Farmers Coalition is calling on lawmakers to tackle climate disruptions and racial equity …

Harmful chemicals including lead, particulate matter, pesticides, and phthalates added to plastics, impair brain development in children. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Toxic chemicals stealing kids’ future potential

Children of color and from low-income families in Colorado and across the nation are not only exposed to more dangerous toxic chemicals - including le…

Solar canopies are expected to produce nearly 10 million kilowatt-hours of electricity a year, and eliminate 70,000 metric tons of climate pollution over the next decade. (Adobe Stock)

Solar canopies throw shade on Colorado school parking lots

Colorado schools are joining the struggle to hold off the worst impacts of climate change and lower their energy bills by installing solar canopies on…

New maps and data are giving communities, planners and people who live in Colorado's wildland-urban interface best-in-class models to help them prepare for wildfire. (Adobe Stock)

More than 1 million Coloradans live in areas with elevated wildfire risk

A warming planet and decadeslong drought are expected to spark bigger and more destructive wildfires across the Mountain West, and new data from the …

The Freshwater Challenge aims to restore 300,000 km of degraded rivers and 350 million hectares of degraded wetlands globally by 2030 and to protect intact freshwater ecosystems. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Water crisis threatens $58 trillion in food security, sustainability

The world's water and freshwater ecosystems, with an annual estimated economic value of $58 trillion, are in a downward spiral - according to a new …

September marked the planet's fourth-hottest month in a row, and 2023 is on track to be the hottest year on record. (Adobe Stock)

Surge in renewables keeps hopes of averting worst climate impacts alive

Record growth in wind and solar energy, battery storage and electric vehicle sales have kept the goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 within …

For every $1 invested in conserving Colorado's prime wildlife habitat, lands along streams, lakes and rivers, and farmlands -- such as the Avant Vineyards in Palisade -- through tax credits, Coloradans receive up to $12 in economic benefits. (Colorado West Land Trust)

Colorado land trusts get $1 million in lottery proceeds for conservation

Great Outdoors Colorado, the lottery-funded program to preserve natural resources, has awarded a second $1 million grant to fuel conservation efforts …

Data show people in rural communities are more likely to live in poverty, have higher mortality rates, and have higher rates of incarceration. (Adobe Stock)

Rural America Organizes to Create More Opportunities

Overall, Colorado has been on the rebound since COVID-19 affected supply chains and shook economies across the globe. But many of the state's rural …

Regulation 28 is a result of a Colorado law aiming to reduce climate pollution from buildings by seven percent by 2026, and to reduce energy use by 20% by 2030. (Adobe Stock)

CO Targets Apartment, Commercial, Industrial Building Climate Pollution

Colorado wants to reduce climate pollution from apartments and commercial buildings 50,000 square feet and larger, but there is growing concern …

Most signage throughout Eagle Valley, on roadways and at trailheads, is English-only. (Iniciativa EVOM)

Eagle Valley Works to Make Outdoor Recreation More Accessible

Eagle County is one of Colorado's most prized outdoor recreation destinations, drawing visitors from across the globe. But 20% of the county's …

So far, 283 projects in Colorado have been identified as priorities under the Inflation Reduction Act. (Adobe Stock)

IRA Funding Set to Boost Colorado's Clean Energy Economy

This month marks one year since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, the nation's first significant investment in addressing climate change…

Queer Bike Brigade participants are among approximately 3 million LGBTQ+ people estimated to live in rural America. (Ilana Newman)

Breaking Barriers for LGBTQ+ in the Outdoors

By Ilana Newman for The Daily Yonder.Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Colorado News Connection for the Public News Service/Daily Yonder Collabora…

U.S. oil producers are projected to hit an all-time high output, rising by 850,000 barrels per day, reaching 12.8 million barrels a day in 2023. (Adobe Stock)

BLM Rule Challenged by Oil Allies in Congress

Two bills making their way through Congress could throw out more than 216,000 public comments on the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's new Public …

Greenhouse gas emissions from homes and buildings are responsible for an estimated 20 percent of the nation's total energy-related climate pollution, and are the third-largest contributor of emissions in Colorado. (Adobe Stock)

Xcel Plan to Reduce Emissions Includes Untested Technologies

In 2021, Colorado lawmakers required utilities supplying natural gas for heating homes and businesses to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 4% by 2025…

Colorado has been a leader nationally on protecting wildlife migration corridors, including vast tracts of grasslands key for wildlife connectivity. (Adobe Stock)

Impact of Lost Grasslands on Rural Economies and Carbon Sinks

More than 300 ranchers, tribal members, conservationists, researchers, federal and state agency officials gathered in Cheyenne last week to find ways …

Fossil fuel pollution needs to be cut by 45 percent by 2030, and reach net zero by 2050, to avoid catastrophic impacts of a warming planet. (Adobe Stock)

Methane Rule Sets Colorado on Course to Cash in on New Detection Tech

The Colorado Air Quality Control Commission has adopted a new rule requiring direct measurement of methane emissions at oil and gas sites, a move …

Credit unions are lending to households and small businesses to install solar and other improvements, which are costly up front, loans frequently considered too small by bigger banks. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado Credit Union Helping Decarbonize Homes

July was the hottest month in recorded history, and a Colorado credit union is finding creative ways for low-income and other vulnerable residents to …

In 2015, 1,230,000 visits to areas within the ECRMP planning area for non-motorized recreation resulted in $54.3 million in spending to the local economy and supported 693 jobs. (Adobe Stock)

BLM Plan for Public Lands Along Arkansas River Heads to Gov. Polis

The Bureau of Land Management's plan for managing 658,000 acres of public lands in central Colorado includes new protections called for by community m…

Some crops beneath solar panels only need watering every couple of days, compared with every few hours for those grown in direct sunlight. (Adobe Stock)

Solar-Farming Combos Reducing Water Usage

By Jane Palmer for Ensia.Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Colorado News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public News Ser…

Despite global promises to transition from fossil fuels to clean energy, oil and gas production is nearing record levels in the United States. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Health Costs of Oil, Gas Production $77B Annually

Air pollution from oil and gas production contributes to thousands of premature deaths and childhood asthma cases each year, according to new …

As of May, more than 5,500 vouchers toward purchasing electric-powered bicycles had been redeemed. (Adobe Stock)

Denver’s E-Bike Rebates So Hot They're Gone Within Minutes

By Whitney Bauck for Bloomberg News.Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Colorado News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Publ…

BLM investments will be used to restore 323,000 acres of public lands in the San Luis Valley and 170,000 acres in North Park, home to important big-game migration corridors. (Adobe Stock)

BLM Makes Big Investment in Colorado Public Lands

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is investing $161 million to restore public lands in Colorado and 10 other western states. Liz Rose, Colorado …

Parcels of land downstream of Ruybal Fox Creek Ranch have been subdivided into 35- to 50-acre large-lot tracts. (Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust)

Preserving Cultural, Environmental Legacy in Southern Colorado

Ruybal Fox Creek Ranch sits in a dramatic canyon in the foothills of southern Colorado's San Juan Mountains, right next to the Rio Grande National …

Building Solutions for 'Range Anxiety' Can Boost Electric Vehicle Transition

By Whitney Bauck for Reasons to be Cheerful and Nexus Media News.Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Colorado News Connection reporting for the Solu…

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CO: Environment