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Outdoor recreation added $11.7 million to the Arizona economy in 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. (Adobe Stock)

Friday, April 19, 2024

AZ conservation groups pleased with Biden's move to protect public lands

Arizona conservation groups and sportsmen alike say they're pleased the Bureau of Land Management will now recognize conservation as an integral part …

Arizona is now among the top 10 states with the most electric vehicle registrations. (Adobe Stock)

Proposed EPA rule aims to increase EV sales

In Arizona, four in every 1,000 people have electric cars and a federal rule soon to be finalized could increase those numbers. It is gaining support …

Latinos represent just under 20% of the U.S. population but account for 24% of all car sales, according to Autoproyecto. (Adobe Stock)

Group helps AZ Latino communities achieve 'climate liberation'

The nonprofit organization Corazón Latino has been awarded $15,000 to help Latino communities in Arizona fight for what they are calling "climate…

The 2023 Arizona legislative session was the longest session on record, officially spanning 204 days and finally wrapping up on July 31. (Adobe Stock)

Environmental Report Card Released for AZ Legislature, Governor

Grades are in for Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs and the Arizona Legislature. The Grand Canyon chapter of the Sierra Club and Chispa Arizona this week …

Arizona ranks among the top five states in the nation for the total number of native bird, reptile and mammal species, according to the Arizona Wildlife Federation. (Adobe Stock)

Expert Wants Federal Investments to Help Ecological Health in AZ

Experts across the West have met to discuss the potential impacts of the Inflation Reduction Act as the one-year anniversary of the piece of legislati…

Joellen Russell says diesel buses emit fumes like formaldehyde and benzene, the same chemicals found in cigarettes. (Adobe Stock)

Expert: AZ's Dirty Energy Negatively Impacts Kids, Federal Dollars Could Help

April is Earth Month, and for many climate scientists and advocates across the world, it's a time to raise environmental awareness. In Arizona…

The EPA says if its annual standard for fine particulate pollution is lowered to nine micrograms per cubic meter from its current standard of 12 micrograms, it would prevent up to 4,200 premature deaths per year. (Adobe Stock)

EPA 'Soot Rule' Faces Pressure from AZ Clean-Air Advocates

Arizona advocacy groups said a new federal standard proposed for soot pollution is a step in the right direction, but are urging the Environmental …

Most voters in Arizona strongly support creating new protected national areas. (Adobe Stock)

Poll: AZ Voters Worried About Water, Support Cleaner Energy

The 13th annual 'Conservation in the West' poll shows Arizonans are seriously concerned about the state's water situation, and that they support …

La mayor�a de los votantes de Arizona apoyan firmemente la creaci�n de nuevas �reas nacionales protegidas. (Adobe Stock)

Encuesta: Votantes de AZ preocupados por el agua, apoyan las energías limpias

La decimotercera encuesta anual 'Conservation in the West' muestra que los habitantes de Arizona están seriamente preocupados por la situació…

Modelo tridimensional del proyecto Resolution Copper. Sus detractores afirman que consumir� 40, 000 acres-pies de agua al a�o, una cantidad comparable a la de la ciudad de Tempe, Arizona (Fotograf�a cortes�a de Henry C. Mu�oz, Sr.).

Proyecto de explotación minera cerca de Superior suscita oposición tribal y ecologista en AZ

Miembros de la tribu apache de San Carlos están planeando una marcha y otros actos esta semana para oponerse a lo que denominan un proyecto miner…

This is a three-dimensional model of the Resolution Copper Project. Opponents say it will use 40,000 acre-feet of water per year, comparable to the City of Tempe, Ariz. (Photo courtesy Henry C. Mu�oz, Sr.)

Proposed Mine Near Superior Draws AZ Tribal, Environmental Pushback

Members of the San Carlos Apache Tribe are planning a march and other events this week to oppose what they're calling a destructive mining project sla…

According to the Bureau of Land Management, there are more than 200,000 abandoned mine sites in Arizona, about 20,000 located on public land. (John Chandler Media/Adobe Stock)

Report: Reclaiming Abandoned, Degraded Lands Benefits Economy, Climate

A new study found reclaiming abandoned mines and other degraded lands could bring hundreds of millions of dollars to the U.S. economy, fight climate …

Petroglyphs and other rock formations dot the landscape in the Great Bend of the Gila, which could become a National Conservation Area. (Dawn Kish/The Wilderness Society)

Bill Would Give Tribal Leaders Stake In Managing AZ Conservation Lands

A bill to make tribal governments equal partners with the federal government in managing a pair of Arizona land preserves advanced in the U.S…

U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., addresses an Earth Day rally at the Arizona State Capitol. (EDF/Adriana Zehbrauskas, Moms Clean Air Force)

Environmental Groups Want Earth Day Message Heard Year-Round

Since its inception, Earth Day has been an occasion to advocate for a cleaner planet - but in 2022, climate change is bringing a higher level of …

More than half of the border-wall construction since 2016 has been along Arizona's southern border with Mexico. (Scott Griesel/Adobe Stock)

Film to Document Environmental Damage Along AZ Border Wall

Conservationists say the 400 miles of walls recently built along the U.S.-Mexico border are causing significant ecological damage and blocking the mi…

Turbines, used to generate power from natural gas, are a common way many utilities make electricity. (Adobe Stock)

AZ Regulators Back Community Over Power Co. Expansion Bid

A group of small-town activists who challenged a power company over its plans to use fossil-fuel generators to expand capacity got a win this week…

Solar energy would have been used to replace carbon-based power sources under Arizona's proposed clean-energy plan. (andreiorlov/Adobe Stock)

Regulatory 'No' Vote Sends AZ Back to Square One on Clean-Energy Plan

Frustrated environmental and clean-energy advocates say after four long years of debate and compromise, regulators sent Arizona back to the starting …

Arizona environmental and political leaders are pushing state legislators to pass measures that would move the state's power grid to renewable sources of energy. (andreiorlov/Adobe Stock)

AZ Groups Outline Environmental Goals for 2022 Legislature

An alliance of environmental groups and lawmakers has released an ambitious, wide-ranging set of goals for the 2022 Arizona Legislature. The …

A sign warns of radioactivity near an abandoned uranium mine in the Horseshoe Mesa area near the Grand Canyon. (Deep Desert Photo/Adobe Stock)<br />

Tribes Urge Congress to Make Grand Canyon Mining Ban Permanent

Members of native tribes living in or near the Grand Canyon are calling on Congress to make a provisional ban on uranium mining near the park permanen…

A new report is calling for major changes to America's fossil fuel-based transportation system, which it says pollutes the environment, causes unnecessary deaths, harms the public health, and contributes to climate change. (Flickr)<br />

Report Calls for Major Changes to AZ's, Nation's Transportation System

PHOENIX, Ariz. -- An analysis of the nation's transportation infrastructure calls for policymakers to lay the groundwork now for a sustainable…

Climatologists say an increase in the number of destructive dust storms - sometimes called haboobs - that develop during Arizona's hot, dry summers are a product of climate change. (Mdesigner125/Adobe Stock)

State Officials: Biden's Climate-Change Policies Will Benefit Arizonans

TUCSON, Ariz. - President Joe Biden signed executive orders this week aimed at tackling climate change, curbing pollution, conserving natural …

The United States is the only major world power to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accords, but President-elect Joe Biden says America will rejoin the movement after he is inaugurated. (Dmitrios/Adobe Stock)

Arizonans Working Toward Goals Outlined in Paris Climate Accords

PHOENIX -- A coalition of Arizona conservation groups, local governments and environmental justice advocates are using the 5th anniversary of the …

William Perry Pendley on a visit to BLM field offices in Colorado last month. Pendley was nominated in July to become permanent director of the agency, but opposition forced the Trump administration to withdraw his name. (BLM)

Court Order Removes Pendley as Acting Head of BLM

WILLIAMS, Ariz. -- The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) begins this week without a director. In a win for conservation groups and a number of Western …

Whitewater kayaking is one of dozens of activities outdoor enthusiasts participate in on public lands in states in the Mountain West. (VAIR PRO/Adobe Stock)

Conservationists Aim to Make Public Lands a 2020 Ballot-Box Issue

PHOENIX -- Conservationists say as the Trump administration continues its assault on public lands, they are looking to rally members of what is …

William Perry Pendley, testifying before the House Natural Resources Committee in 2019, is a nominee for director of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. (BLM photo)

Conservation Groups Call On Senate to Reject BLM Nominee

MESA, Ariz. -- Conservation groups are calling on members of the U.S. Senate to block William Perry Pendley's nomination to lead the Bureau of Land …

Advocates say discriminatory practices historically have limited Latino access to America's parks and public lands, negatively affecting their overall health and well-being. (Monart/AdobeStock)<br /><br />

Advocates Urge Latinos to Support Conservation, Fight Climate Change

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Conservation and public health groups are calling on Latinos to take action to preserve public lands and combat climate change…

Because of the ongoing pandemic, most Earth Day events this year will be held online, but organizers plan to stay true to the event's goals of improving the climate, air and water on Planet Earth. (NASA/AdobeStock)<br />

Pandemic Moves Most Arizona Earth Day Events onto Cyberspace

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. -- The 50th anniversary of Earth Day is coming up this week, but Arizonans and others will not be marking the occasion in the usual …

Biologists says drilling for water to build the border wall in southern Arizona threatens to pollute and possibly drain the fragile Quitobaquito Springs, near the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. (Flickr)

Groups Ask SCOTUS to Review Waiver to Build Border Wall

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Conservation groups are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review the federal court rulings that waive environmental laws to build the …

As of 2016, the Navajo Generating Station was the 11th biggest producer of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. (Eflon/Flickr)

Navajo Travel to NY to Protest Coal Plant

PAGE, Ariz. – Members of the Navajo Nation are in New York City Monday to call attention to the fate of the biggest coal power plant in the …

Pesticide drift can reach unsafe levels even at 300 feet from a field�s edge, according to Earthjustice. (Andy Powell/Flickr)

Health, Labor Organizations Fight for Pesticide Ban

PHOENIX – Labor and health groups, along with seven states, are challenging the Environmental Protection Agency's decision not to ban a …

Doctors diagnose thousands of poisonings a year among agricultural workers. (Austin Valley/Flickr)

EPA Should Have Better Protected Farmworkers, Suit Says

PHOENIX, Ariz – A new lawsuit accuses the Environmental Protection Agency of putting farmworkers in Arizona, as well as other states, at …

The Santa Rita Mountains, south of Tucson, have cultural significance to Native American tribes. They also contain major untapped copper deposits. (Heather Zozaya/Flickr)

Three Arizona Tribes Sue to Stop Mining Project

TUCSON, Ariz. – For more than a decade, Native American tribes in Arizona have voiced their opposition to a proposed copper mine in the …

The site of the proposed Rosemont Mine in the Santa Rita Mountains is part of the watershed that replenishes the aquifer that serves Tucson. (Save the Scenic Santa Ritas)

Lawsuit Filed to Stop Open-Pit Copper Mine

TUCSON, Ariz. – A coalition of conservation groups is suing the U.S. Forest Service over its approval of an open-pit copper mine 30 miles …

A proposal to allow oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge has spurred competing legislation in Congress, and Arizonans are being asked to weigh in. (Micah Baird/Sierra Club)

Alaskan Tribeswomen Tour Arizona to Protect Their Arctic Heritage

PHOENIX – Alaska Natives are touring the Southwest this week, drumming up support for a bill in Congress to ban oil and gas drilling in parts …

Congress is reportedly planning a vote on reversing the BLM's Methane Waste Rule, which limits venting and flaring at gas wells drilled on public lands. (Environmental Defense Fund)

Methane Waste Rule Expected to Face a Challenge in Congress

PHOENIX – Conservation and clean-air advocates are concerned about negative effects to the environment - but also to taxpayers - if Congress vot…

Conservation and health advocates warn that Congress is working to gut environmental regulations that protect Arizona's air and water. (mmainco/morguefile)

Conservation Groups Protest Congressional Move to Gut Protections

PHOENIX – Public health and environmental groups warn that low-income Arizonans will be at greater risk for respiratory problems and heart disea…

Conservation groups are criticizing the Final Environmental Impact Statement on Glen Canyon Dam. (U.S. Bureau of Reclamation)

Conservation Groups Slam Glen Canyon Dam Proposal

LAKE POWELL, Ariz. – Conservation groups are slamming the feds' final proposal for fixes at Glen Canyon Dam at Lake Powell on the Colorado …

Conservation groups such as the Defenders of Wildlife are concerned about a lack of progress in reintroducing the endangered Mexican gray wolf into the wild. (JimClark/USFWS)

Group Says Efforts to Save Mexican Wolf Fall Short

TUCSON, Ariz. - It has been 40 years today since the Mexican gray wolf was listed as an endangered species, but conservationists are concerned about …

A 2015 spill at Colorado's Gold King Mine dumped 3 million gallons of mine waste and toxic substances into the Animas and San Juan rivers. (KaraGrubis/iStockphoto)

Tribes to Describe Toxic Spill Losses to U.S. Senate Panel in Phoenix

PHOENIX – The U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs holds an oversight field hearing today in Phoenix to examine the Environmental Protection …

Native Americans were among the hundreds of indigenous peoples represented at the United Nations Climate Change Conference. (robb/morguefile)

Native Americans Cite Progress in Paris Climate Treaty

TUCSON, Ariz. - Representatives of Native American tribes from Arizona, New Mexico and other U.S. regions were in Paris this month as part of an …

Navajo Generating Station in Page, Ariz., a coal-fired power plant. Credit: EX3N/iStock

Environmental Groups Slam Arizona's Decision to Join Lawsuit Against EPA

PHOENIX - Climate change groups are speaking out against Arizona's participation in a lawsuit to block the "carbon rule" section of President Obama's…

Bison in the Kaibab National Forest, part of the proposed Greater Grand Canyon Heritage National Monument. Credit: Michele Vacchiano/iStock

Bill Proposed to Create National Monument Near Grand Canyon

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - One-point-seven million acres adjoining the Grand Canyon's north and south rims would become part of a new national monument if a …

Arizona scientists say evidence from tree rings proves the 2015 snowpack in the Sierra Nevada Mountains was the worst in 500 years. Credit: nickpedersen/iStockphoto

Arizona Scientists: Snowpack Worst in 500 Years

TUCSON, Ariz. - It's no surprise to anyone watching the Northern California fire devastation this month: Arizona scientists say this year's snowpack …

President Obama has finalized the Clean Power Plan, creating new and tougher emissions standards for power plants. Credit: The White House.

Report: Clean Power Plan to Cut Costs for Arizonans

PHOENIX – The Clean Power Plan, which President Obama finalized Monday, is expected to help energy consumers in Arizona and around the country …

Young people from several Western states are gathering this week to learn more about the Colorado River's rich history and immense future challenges. Credit: Arizona Dept. of Water Resources.

Colorado River a Focus of Latino Conservation Week

PHOENIX - As part of Latino Conservation Week, young people from Arizona and several other Western states will come together to learn more about the …

Congress is considering legislation that could give Native American tribes new tax incentives for renewable energy projects. Credit: U.S. Air Force.

Grijalva Seeks Renewable Energy Tax Credits for Tribes

SACATON, Ariz. – Congressman Raul Grijalva of Arizona is sponsoring legislation that would amend the U.S. tax code to give Native American …

PHOTO: A public meeting in Phoenix tomorrow is focused on educating voters about the TPP trade agreement, as Congress prepares to vote on fast-track authority for the controversial and secretive trade deal. Photo courtesy of the Arizona AFL-CIO.

Congressman Raul Grijalva: Stop the TPP

PHOENIX - Arizona Congressman Raul Grijalva (D-Tucson) is holding a public meeting in Phoenix on Friday on the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership…

PHOTO: Arizona is challenging air quality rules put into place by the EPA when it determined the state's air quality plan wasn't sufficient to reduce polluted haze at places like Grand Canyon National Park. Photo courtesy U.S. Dept. of Transportation.

Arizona Challenges EPA Over Air Pollution at National Parks

PHOENIX - The state of Arizona is challenging the EPA in the U.S. Court of Appeals in a case with implications for air quality across the country…

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AZ: Environmental Justice