Desert Environmental News, July 8 2025

The hysteria around gray wolves across the United States, and Mexican wolves in particular, needs to be addressed urgently. First, the wolf named Ella was found murdered on ancestral Hopi lands near Mount Taylor. A few weeks later, a collared wolf, Asiza, likely pregnant, was “mistakenly” murdered by Arizona Fish and Game in Greenlee County, also ancestral Hopi lands.

Northern Arizona is being invaded by Russians and Siberians. That is, Russian Olives and Siberian Elms. The invasive species can negatively impact native ecosystems and agricultural lands.

The Center for Biological Diversity sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today seeking Endangered Species Act protections for the Tecopa bird’s beak, a rare desert wetland wildflower that grows in Nevada and California.

U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) introduced legislation this week to remove the Mexican gray wolf from the endangered species list, which would effectively end recovery efforts for this unique, highly imperiled subspecies.

County Commissioners voted 3-to-2 to allocate money that was initially part of a $59 million certificate of obligation bond the county issued in early 2023.

An off-duty Metropolitan Police Department officer died while biking in Summerlin, causing officials to plan the new trail.

The saguaro cactus is the iconic plant of the Arizona borderlands, and in June and early July, its thorn-covered small fruit ripens.

Provisions to revive and expand Radiation Exposure Compensation Act are in the Senate's version of Trump's “big, beautiful bill.”

IID Board of Directors has taken a formal stand against the continued expansion of solar projects on farmland, approving a resolution June 1.

El Centro resident Judy Guerrero says she was heartbroken to see a group of ducks struggling in the heat after the pond at Bucklin Park had been drained.

When a drone is spotted in a wildfire area, all aerial firefighting operations must be shut down immediately. This can delay efforts to contain the fire and puts firefighters, nearby communities, and natural resources at greater risk.

An aggressive hatch of Douglas-fir tussock moth caterpillars is threatening trees, both in national forests and in Santa Fe.

Las Vegas doesn’t have any lead water service pipes, officials said.

Las Cruces public land activists praised the failure to pass a controversial proposal to sell millions of acres of public land across the U.S. The proposal caught the eye of the Senate …

Phoenix hit 100+ degrees for 30% of 2024, setting heat records as climate change worsens Arizona's extreme weather crisis

The park said they are acting to protect historic structures from the flooding concerns.

The Bureau of Land Management announced today that it has completed an “accelerated environmental review process” and approved the proposed expansion of the Wildcat Loadout Facility near Helper, Utah.

The Imperial County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved the latest change order to prepare the Lithium Valley specific plan and programmatic Environmental Impact Report

During the closure, almost all recreation areas, sites, and trails in Lamoille Canyon will remain open to the public.

At nearly 35,000 acres burned, fire crews battling France Canyon Fire near Bryce Canyon National Park have achieved 84% containment.

Though invisible on the surface of the desert, researchers have found in recent decades that mycorrhizal fungi are a vital part of ecosystems around the world, but especially in arid deserts like that in Saguaro National Park, where the land can be unforgiving.

Here’s why the recent Department of Justice opinion on national monuments is likely to fail.

Recent heavy rains across the Big Bend region have led to widespread flooding, flash floods, and hazardous conditions throughout the park.

Las Cruces Catholic leadership says it will continue to oppose a proposed border wall across Mount Cristo Rey in Sunland Park, as federal officials move to fast-track construction.

"Hantavirus is a disease we take very seriously."

A report published today by the Center for Biological Diversity exposes how the Trump administration’s plans for new border wall construction in southeast Arizona pose dire and immediate threats to the San Rafael Valley — one of the last remaining jaguar corridors between the U.S. and Mexico.

June brush fire is not likely to have large, long-term impact on Wetlands Park. They park should make a natural recovery.

Tucson is one of the cities in Arizona with a workplace heat ordinance, but similar statewide efforts have failed at the Legislature. And the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration

A group of community members in Corona de Tucson is teaming up with the University of Arizona to track air quality in anticipation of a major mining operation set to begin nearby.

The federal government will lead the clean up of pollution left by a dry cleaner in southeast Albuquerque.

A USPS spokeswoman confirmed Monday the Henderson Main Post Office had resumed full operations after roughly half a tablespoon of mercury was discovered by employees.

Gail Kocourek can be found on the Arizona side of the border wall two to three times a week, her arms waving high as she yells “Somos amigos,” meaning “We are friends.”

Environment Department Cabinet Secretary James Kenney will be tasked with making a decision on whether to issue the permit.

A pair of relocated beavers are helping restore disappearing wetland habitat along the San Pedro River in a new project by Arizona Game and Fish.

Firefighters have achieved 51% containment of the Forsyth Fire as of Tuesday morning. The lightning-caused wildfire has burned through 14,241 acres.