- Desert Environmental News
- Posts
- Desert News, 9/23
Desert News, 9/23
9/5
With Hotter, Drier Weather, California’s Joshua Trees Are in Trouble
In the Mojave Desert, rising temperatures, less rainfall, and more intense wildfires are killing off Joshua trees. California officials are working on a plan to protect the distinctive yucca tree and its desert ecosystem by establishing refuges and controlling development.
9/11
There’s Rabies In This Surprising Arizona National Park
Foxes, bobcats and raccoons in Saguaro National Park have bitten or attacked a few visitors over the years, and many of the animals are thought to have rabies.
9/18
Restricted Pesticide Allowed for Use in Imperial County
Neonicotenoids will be used to knock down sweet potato whitefly in California’s poorest county.
9/19
Nevada Lithium Mine Advances Toward Approval, Threatening Rare Wildflower
Tiehm’s buckwheat grows on just 10 acres within the footprint of the proposed Rhyolite ridge lithium mine. The buckwheat was protected under the Endangered Species Act in 2022, and 910 acres of critical habitat surrounding the species were protected. The mine plan would result in the direct destruction of 21% of the protected critical habitat, and significant degradation of the entirety of the critical habitat.
Thanks for reading Desert News! This post is public so feel free to share it.
Lawsuit filed over Utah's inland port projects
The inland port is designed to allow goods to be distributed more quickly across regions by road, rail and air. The project has been controversial since its inception with environmental and community groups raising concerns about increased pollution, traffic and other negative impacts to nearby communities.
Lithium battery truck catches fire near Indian Springs; 3rd such fire in recent months
A fiery crash involving a truck carrying lithium batteries and its aftermath shut down part of U.S. Highway 95 on Tuesday, the latest in a series of incidents involving lithium batteries that have caused fires and chaos for drivers.
9/20
Finding missing migrants along the U.S.-Mexico border, the world's deadliest land migration route
“It was the third search that a grassroots group of volunteers known as the Armadillos had embarked on this summer with the hopes of finding José Salinas Pineda, a 21-year-old Mexican migrant who had been missing since early June. Back in their homes in southern California, the volunteers are construction workers, gardeners and cablemen. Like the people they look for, most are also immigrants. But in the desolate Arizona desert, the volunteers share a humanitarian mission: to offer some closure to distraught families by finding the remains of their loved ones.”
Officials say algal blooms still possible at Nevada lakes
Cyanobacteria are slowing down their production of nerve and liver toxins as the weather cools, but it’s still a good idea to avoid swimming in areas with lots of green pond scum — and that’s especially true for pets.
‘They are blanketing everything’: Solar plan a threat to Nye County, officials say
In the wake of the release of the federal Western Solar Plan, Nye County in Nevada is feeling singled out.
9/22
Arizona is a step closer to its 1st urban national wildlife refuge. Here's what's next.
Southern Arizona residents, activists and organizations are teaming up with federal government officials to designate a portion of the Santa Cruz River as Arizona's first urban national wildlife refuge.
Independence Creek Preserve in Terrell County TX Designated as National Natural Landmark
A nearly 20,000-acre preserve owned by the Nature Conservancy, about 90 miles east of Fort Stockton, won the status in August. Independence Creek is a tributary of the Pecos River.