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Nature and Environment

The StoryCorps trailer parked outside of Reid Park Zoo in Tucson, AZ.

StoryCorps invites you to join "The Great Thanksgiving Listen."

Nov 15, 2023 Also on Arizona Spotlight: Alejandro Canelos' short stories explore secrets of the desert; How Bisbee is supporting Arizona's pollinators; and the Arizona Wildlife Federation celebrates 100 years.
The San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area in Cochise County, Arizona.

Conservation windfall in Arizona: America the Beautiful Challenge funds key initiatives

Nov 15, 2023 Statewide grant recipients develop nature-based solutions

Stargazing marvel: Saguaro National Park earns Urban Night Sky certification

Nov 14, 2023 International Dark-Sky Association taps park to join its cosmic club
View of the San Pedro Valley from Montezuma Pass in Coronado National Memorial, on Wednesday, Oct. 18.

Reviving Montezuma Pass: Sky Island Alliance's bold initiative to rewild decommissioned roads

Nov 11, 2023 From roads to rivers: volunteers unite to transform old paths into thriving wildlife corridors
This photo distributed by NextEra Energy Resources shows the 100-megwatt Borderlands Wind Project, which entered service in late 2021. Its 34 turbines will provide enough energy for Tucson Electric Power to supply 26,000 average homes.

BLM halts SunZia Transmission Project in Arizona amid concerns over cultural impact

Nov 9, 2023 A temporary suspension sparks consultations as the Bureau of Land management responds to cultural concerns, impacting a segment of the transmission project
Sec. Stewart Udall vists Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming with Lady Bird Johnson on Aug. 16, 1964.

"Stewart Udall: The Politics of Beauty"

Nov 8, 2023 Also on Arizona Spotlight: How teachers are dealing with AI in classrooms; and a story of survival in plain sight from Children of the Holocaust.

Environmental groups raise concerns over proposed border road impact on endangered jaguars and critical habitat

Nov 8, 2023 Environmental groups say they want no new construction, in response to a proposed border road and its potential impact on endangered jaguars and other endangered and threatened species.
A solar array used by Tucson Electric Power to add renewable energy to the grid, August 2019

TEP's energy plan under review

Nov 7, 2023 Assessing Tucson Electric Power's path to carbon neutrality and natural gas debate
Ashton Johnson uses his drip torch during a prescribed burn operation in Kaibab National Forest on Oct. 5, 2023. Fire crews planned to burn around 2,300 acres of land that day.

Fighting fire with fire: How prescribed burns protect forests in northern Arizona

Nov 6, 2023 The prescribed burns in Kaibab National Forest are part of the U.S. Forest Service’s 10-year wildfire crisis strategy, which aims to combat wildfires in high-risk forest landscapes.
Since the 1980s Tucsonans have replaced their green lawns with decomposed granite and opted for plants like palo verde trees and cacti, which can endure long periods of drought and extreme heat.

That green lawn may not be so green: Gas-powered equipment are heavy polluters

Nov 5, 2023 Gas-powered lawn equipment in Arizona emitted 445,908 tons of carbon dioxide in 2020, the polluting equivalent of putting 98,162 cars on the road, a new report says.
Regional and local leaders came to celebrate the kick off event for the new University of Arizona Western Environmental Science Technical Assistance Center for Environmental Justice (WEST EJC) at the Pima County Abrams Public Health Center in Tucson, Ariz., on Wednesday, Nov. 1.<br/><br/>From left to right: City of Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, EPA Regional Tribal Operations Committee Co-Chair Laura Ebbert, Regional Administrator for EPA Martha Guzman, Chair of the Pima County Board of Supervisors Adelita Grijalva, Dean of the Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Iman Hakim, Pima County Health Director Theresa Cullen, Deputy County Administrator, Francisco Garcia.

University of Arizona leads the way in western environmental justice initiatives

Nov 3, 2023 Empowering communities and bridging gaps: UA's role in transforming environmental equity
The Pinyon Plain Mine shaft in Coconino County, on Wednesday, Aug. 30. In 2016, the mine shaft punctured a perched aquifer that contained natural levels of uranium, requiring the mining company Energy Fuels to pump water to the surface to an impoundment for treatment.

Navigating murky waters: how laws and regulations can hinder tribal initiatives

Nov 3, 2023 In this tapped episode, Katya Mendoza and Paola Rodriguez explore the intersection of preserving tribal heritage, defending precious resources and reforming mining laws.
These two Mexican gray wolf pups and siblings were born at the Wolf Conservation Center in New York. They are considered "neonatal" and less than 14 days old.

Biologists are keeping a close eye on a rare Mexican wolf that is wandering out of bounds

Nov 3, 2023 This marks the second time the wolf — identified as F2754 — has ventured north.

Cattle grazing is ruining the habitat of 2 endangered bird species along Arizona river, lawsuit says

Nov 2, 2023 The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Tucson targets seven grazing allotments spanning 15 miles along the Gila River.
From left to right: Congressman Juan Ciscomani, Administrator and CEO of Western Area Power Administration Tracey LeBeau, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs and Secretary of U.S. Department of Energy Jennifer Granholm at the Apache Generating Station in Cochise, AZ. October 30, 2023.

U.S. Dep. of Energy announced federal support of three transmission projects

Oct 30, 2023 The Southline Transmission Project is one of the three projects and will span from Hidalgo County New Mexico to Pima County in Arizona.
City of Tucson's council chambers in downtown.

The Buzz speaks with Tucson City Council candidates

Oct 27, 2023 Candidates see streets, crimes and homelessness as the city's top issues.

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