skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 20, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

'Woefully insufficient': Federal judge accuses Justice Department of evading 'obligations' to comply with deportation flights request; WA caregivers rally against Medicaid cuts; NM's state methane regulations expected to thwart federal rollbacks; Governor, critics call out 'boilerplate' bills from WY 2025 session.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

White House attacks the judge who moved to block deportation of Venezuelans. Ukrainian President agrees to a limited ceasefire. And advocates say closing CFPB would put consumers on the hook for 'junk' charges and predatory fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Cuts to Medicaid and frozen funding for broadband are both likely to have a negative impact on rural healthcare, which is already struggling. Plus, lawsuits over the mass firing of federal workers have huge implications for public lands.

Utah Leaders Tour Forest Management Projects

play audio
Play

Monday, July 24, 2023   

Last week federal, state and local leaders visited forest management projects in Utah to examine how land managers are addressing what some are calling the wildfire crisis.

Gov. Spencer Cox said it was a "great opportunity" to see how partners are managing Utah forests proactively, which not only improve wildlife habitat, but also helps to ensure better grazing and water quality. Cox noted Utah uses science behind their forest restoration techniques, which has caught the eyes of other states in the region. He argued forest management has become a bipartisan issue.

"The science is very clear on this one," Cox asserted. "We did get those pushbacks, because you are, you're going in, knocking down trees, you are cutting trees down. You are burning trees. It turns out that is exactly what these forests need."

Cox added many forests actually need disruption to ensure they stay healthy. If they are not, he contended, forests can experience overgrowth which can lead to what he called "catastrophic wildfires." He outlined the combination of mechanical treatments such as logging and prescribed burns end up protecting property, lives and air quality.

Mary Farnsworth, Intermountain regional forester for the U.S. Forest Service, said Utah's Shared Stewardship program is working. She explained it has granted agencies and partners the ability to communicate more effectively, noting it has facilitated federal, state and local cooperation.

Farnsworth added while the initiative was started to address the wildfire problem, it has managed to encompass other areas of focus.

"It's kind of a way of working instead of just these set agreements," Farnsworth observed. "I see us working on shared stewardship on all kinds of things, not just the wildfire crisis, but other things, too. Where do we need to have some communications about recreation management?"

Since the initial Shared Stewardship agreement in 2019, more than $20 million from state and federal appropriations has been invested in active forest management projects on a "cross-boundary and landscape scale." Leaders realized more can be done and would like to see more federal dollars to match state and local investments.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
PoliChic Engagement Fund says it's critical Texans make sure lawmakers are voting in their public interest. (JHVEPhoto/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Many Texans feel strongly, one way or another, about the proposed school voucher bill before state lawmakers. Gov. Greg Abbott has proposed a plan to …


Social Issues

play sound

As the Trump administration makes good on promises to abolish the U.S. Department of Education, educators and parents are raising concerns about the …

Social Issues

play sound

As Los Angeles starts to recover from the firestorm, people are looking for ways to harden their homes against future mega-blazes. Experts said the …


Research shows there is a direct correlation between unstable housing and food insecurity. (FamilyWorks Food Bank)

Social Issues

play sound

While affordable housing advocates across the state have been cheering on Washington's rent stabilization bill in Olympia, so have organizations …

Social Issues

play sound

Industry groups say Minnesota is short more than 100,000 affordable-housing units to meet demand, and project leaders have said the Trump …

A Lumina Foundation report ranks Wyoming 38th in the U.S. for the ratio of its workforce that has a post-high school credential and is making a "benchmark" salary, or 15% more than the national median. (Jacob Lund/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

The number of working-age Wyoming adults with college degrees or valuable credentials increased by over 18% between 2009 and 2023, according to …

Environment

play sound

The organization Practical Farmers of Iowa is helping urban crop growers use beneficial insects to control pests, boost soil health and increase …

Social Issues

play sound

Debates over academic freedom and diversity initiatives have intensified nationally and in Ohio. Senate Bill 1, known as the Advance Ohio Higher …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021