Environment

Environment

In this July 27, 2018, the Dave Johnson coal-fired power plant is silhouetted against the morning sun in Glenrock, Wyo. A law signed April 6, 2021, by Republican Gov. Mark Gordon creates a $1.2 million fund for an initiative that marks the latest attempt by state leaders to help coal in the state that accounts for the bulk of U.S. coal production, which is down by half since 2008. Wyoming coal production, which accounts for about 40% of the nation's total, has declined as utilities switch to gas, which is cheaper to burn to generate electricity. CREDIT: J. David Ake/AP

Wyoming Doubles Down On Coal With Threat To Sue Other Western States, Including Washington

Last year, Wyoming and Montana — another major coal state — asked the Supreme Court to override a decision by Washington state to deny a permit to build a coal export dock on the Columbia River. The interstate lawsuit followed years of unsuccessful attempts by the dock’s developer, Utah-based Lighthouse Resources, to contest the permit denial in federal court. Continue Reading Wyoming Doubles Down On Coal With Threat To Sue Other Western States, Including Washington

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A male greater sage grouse struts its stuff on Bureau of Land Management land in this April 21, 2012, photo. Bureau of Land Management

‘It Sometimes Is Depressing’: Conservation Moves Forward, And Uphill, For Washington’s Sage Grouse

Sage grouse in the Columbia Basin are cut off from others in Oregon and southern Idaho, making them unique in their recovery. In 1998, Washington listed its sage grouse as threatened. They now occupy around 8 percent of their historic range in the state. Continue Reading ‘It Sometimes Is Depressing’: Conservation Moves Forward, And Uphill, For Washington’s Sage Grouse

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File photo, March 2, 2020: Farmer Ben DuVal with his wife, Erika, and their daughters, Hannah, third from left, and Helena, fourth from left, stand near a canal for collecting run-off water near their property in Tulelake, Calif. Federal officials announced in April 2021 that farmers who rely on a massive irrigation project spanning the Oregon-California border will get 8% of the deliveries they need amid a severe drought. CREDIT: Gillian Flaccus/AP

Epic Drought Means Water Crisis For Parts Of The West Coast, Though Much Of Northwest Is OK

Hundreds of farmers who rely on a massive irrigation project that spans the Oregon-California border learned Wednesday they will get a tiny fraction of the water they need amid the worst drought in decades, as federal regulators attempt to balance the needs of agriculture against federally threatened and endangered fish species that are central to the heritage of several tribes. Continue Reading Epic Drought Means Water Crisis For Parts Of The West Coast, Though Much Of Northwest Is OK

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Pygmy rabbits – the smallest rabbit in North America – are endangered in Washington. After a devastating fire season in 2020, biologists have found new burrows that give them hope for the species.

Hoping For Hopping: How A Tiny Rabbit United Friends And Conservation In Central Washington

Peter Lancaster has always had a love for rabbits. But when he first saw a pygmy rabbit – perhaps what would become the most influential animal throughout his life – he didn’t know what it was. That began years of work to try and save the species, now endangered in Washington. Continue Reading Hoping For Hopping: How A Tiny Rabbit United Friends And Conservation In Central Washington

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