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Nature and Environment

A toppled saguaro in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument on December 21, 2019.

Groups allege attempted sale of saguaros from border wall; ask state to investigate

May 28, 2020 A letter calls on the state to look into a border wall subcontractor and documentation around cacti impacted by construction.
2019's Hurricane Dorian.

UA hurricane forecasters map summer season

May 28, 2020 The team has predicted 10 hurricanes for the North Atlantic, and drier summer for Southern Arizona.
In his book "At the Center of All Beauty: Solitude and the Creative Life", Fenton Johnson uncovers what role did solitude play in the lives of famous writers, thinkers and artists.

"At the Center of All Beauty": author Fenton Johnson on the connection between solitude and creativity

May 27, 2020 Also on Arizona Spotlight: How a DNA test revealed a sensitive family secret; and essays from two young women about the changes the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to their lives.
The bright sun sets behind some trees near Soleng Tom Elementary School on Tucson's east side.

Heat wave to hit the Southwest

May 26, 2020 The National Weather Service says some records may be broken or tied.
A court document submitted by federal attorneys May 20 eliminates funding for a stretch of border wall that would have crossed through tribal land.

Defense Department cuts funding for border wall section in Yuma

May 26, 2020 A court document pulls funding for a 7-mile stretch that would have crossed tribal land.
Looking west toward the San Rafael Valley and the Patagonia Mountains.

Groups say border wall construction threatens biodiversity of Arizona sky islands

May 18, 2020 Conservation groups say the animals rely on the ranges to travel between habitats in the U.S. and Mexico.
A view from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, next to the Kolb Studio, September 2018.

Grand Canyon National Park will start to reopen Friday

May 13, 2020 The National Parks Service said it is following guidance from federal and local health authorities.
Fire managers have restricted campfires in Arizona to limit the risk of human-caused fire following a wet winter.

Campfires, stoves, smoking banned on public lands for fire risk

May 11, 2020 Public land agencies are trying to limit human-caused wildfires this summer.
The Canyon Mine, about 15 miles south of the Grand Canyon, was approved in 1986 but has not produced any uranium, its owners say, in part because subsidized competition from foreign countries like China and Russia keeps prices too low.

Plan to ‘revive’ uranium mining called unneeded, unwanted by advocates

Apr 30, 2020 Environmentalists fear the removal of regulations on the industry, which they say has yet to address a toxic legacy.
A Pima County official says fewer people driving amid COVID-19 restrictions appears to be contributing to less pollution in the air.

With fewer cars on the streets, Tucson's air quality is improving

Apr 28, 2020 Pandemic restrictions are a factor in the air quality improvements, a county official says.
U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva speaks the the Pima County Democratic Party election night event, Nov. 6, 2018.

Lawmakers and advocates push back on wall construction during pandemic

Apr 25, 2020 Groups say project funding should be used on COVID-19 supplies and relief.
An image provided by the Center for Biological Diversity shows a group of construction workers at a site in the San Bernadino National Wildlife Refuge on April 8.

Continued wall construction puts border residents on edge amid COVID-19 pandemic

Apr 23, 2020 Residents of small border communities say construction workers don't practice safe social distancing on or off the job
Lake Mead outside of Las Vegas.

Report: Arizona's Colorado River water supply will hold steady next year

Apr 18, 2020 A state water manager says voluntary water reductions as part of the drought contingency plan are working in the short term.
Arizona Game and Fish said April 15 they found bald eagles nesting in a large saguaro near a central Arizona reservoir.

Bald eagles, eaglets found nesting in arms of saguaro

Apr 16, 2020 Officials said the last known mention of such a site was a 1937 record.
Madison is a 17-year old high school student with passion for bird watching.

Spring is NOT cancelled: backyard scientists contribute to "Nature's Notebook".

Apr 16, 2020 Also on Arizona Spotlight: Being a UA senior in a year without Commencement; how the Campus Pantry is increasing food security for students and staff; and a public health student fights COVID-19 misinformation on behalf of her family in Puerto Rico.
Traffic in Phoenix with the city's downtown skyline in the distance.

EPA won’t expand pollutant rule — ‘mistake’ during COVID-19, critics say

Apr 15, 2020 The agency said it isn't going to toughen air quality standards, which environmentalists say is "totally backwards."

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