Desert Environmental News, May 19, 2025

The Museum announced the passing of Pogo, their cherished resident coyote, at the age of 15 years and 3 months.

A man died Sunday after hiking for six hours on a trail in Arizona's Gold Canyon, near Phoenix, where temperatures reached 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

America's largest reservoirs face another tough year after new forecasts show lower-than-expected runoff into Lake Powell.

Cougars, also known as pumas, inhabit foothill and canyon areas throughout Utah, occasionally venturing into valleys during winter months when following deer to lower elevations. Population data shows cougar numbers in Utah have been increasing steadily in recent years.

The fire is estimated to be 19,000 acres and is burning near Greer in eastern Arizona. There is no containment.

A California federal court struck down an attempt from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to revoke protections for the Joshua Tree under the Endangered Species Act.

'Not all federal lands have the same value,' Rep. Celeste Maloy said earlier this month.

LECHEE, Ariz. — The Navajo Nation has gained a crucial resource since the closure of the Navajo Generating Station: access to one of Lake Powell’s water intakes.

The Salton Sea Management Program (SSMP) provided critical updates and addressed community concerns during a panel discussion on May 9.

A push to transfer public lands in Nevada is on the table again.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's pocket veto of a legislation prohibiting the slaughter of New Mexico’s free-roaming horses left horse advocates, ranchers and lawmakers perplexed and divided…

Nevada lawmakers had hoped to come up with a permanent funding source this session to build wildlife crossings. But the effort suffered a major setback after AB486, a bill looking to double the existing $1 fee the state charges on new tires and send the funding toward the projects, was gutted.

A popular hiking trail near Mount Charleston that closed in August 2023 after the U.S. Forest Service said it was heavily damaged during Tropical Storm Hilary is now accessible to the public.

The Brewster County Commissioners Court held its regular meeting on Tuesday in the commissioner’s courtroom at the Brewster County Courthouse. With all commissioners present, Brewster County Judge Greg Henington presided over a wide-ranging session.

As an anticipated reduction to the size of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments by the Trump administration looms, Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren is calling for the monuments to be kept at their current sizes in the name of efficiency.

In a recently published draft analysis, the U.S. Forest Service paints different scenarios in which South32 could potentially expand its mining operations into public land in Santa Cruz County.

Some Santa Cruz County residents are skeptical about whether a newly proposed transmission line is meant to boost support for South32’s mining operations.

Only 31 of the nearly 1 million migrants encountered by El Paso sector Border Patrol agents over three years were found carrying drugs; none were found with fentanyl.

Lake Powell is directly tied to Lake Mead, the source of almost all of Las Vegas’ drinking water.

Nevada’s congressional delegation, environmental groups, tribes and local officials see the late-night amendment to House Republicans’ budget reconciliation bill as a threat to the state's water resources, tribal sovereignty and public engagement.

Pipeline company touts helping the nation; letter writing campaign raises questions. Critic says, “Just pipe the natural gas.”

Arizona carbon injection wells oversight transferred to state control, officials celebrate while environmental groups fear groundwater risks

Tribal Co-Stewardship Shows Benefits for Public Lands and Native Communities

Federal Magistrate Miguel Torres said the government didn’t show that it had provided signs in “conspicuous and appropriate places” warning that migrants were breaking military regulations by crossing the border.

National Park Service announces retirement of Big Bend National Park Superintendent Anjna O'Connor.

At Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Nevada, a barebones crew of workers and volunteers are trying to keep this preserve thriving amid federal funding cuts.

Arizona’s most iconic resident might be the rattlesnake. Here's what months they're active and what to do if you're bitten or one gets in your house.

The plan sets forth how LADWP will manage water exports and stream releases in accordance with supply conditions, environmental priorities, and its amended water rights licenses.

Burn ban in Pahrump will remain in effect until late fall.

The environmental assessment for the project must be completed by the Bureau of Land Management in just 14 days — as opposed to the prior timeline of months or years.

Rebuffed by a federal judge, Republican state legislative leaders want an appellate court to give them a chance to void the decision by former President Biden to designate

Arizona’s largest electricity provider notched two huge financial wins in the 2025 legislative session with last week’s approval of new laws by Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs.

Prices will go up with the halt on Mexican cattle imports, but the border closure won't help eradicate the parasite.

From shower heads to Energy Star to LIHEAP, recent cuts and orders may rollback progress and put Arizonans at risk as summer looms.

The Trump administration continues its military buildup along the US-Mexico border even as migrant arrivals have dwindled to historically low levels.

Groups that aid homeless people who frequent Santa Rita Park have been critical of its closure during improvements, saying there's a lack of services for people who were forced out.

Custom homebuilders have worked with the National Association of Home Builders, the U.S. Green Builders Council and government agencies to find creative solutions that address current problems of e...

The wetlands of the Great Salt Lake produce millions of mosquitoes each year. Scientists use a wide range of techniques to keep them in check.

While the federal government protects animals listed under the Endangered Species Act, states are tasked with keeping the vast majority of other species out of the “emergency room.”