To protect communities from environmental harms caused by corporate polluters, lax oversight, and poor enforcement of existing laws, an increased effort needs to be made at uncovering environmental crimes, and holding those responsible accountable.... Read more»
The U.S. government must restore Endangered Species Act protections for thousands of gray wolves in most of the lower 48 states because it failed to fully consider threats to the carnivorous mammal’s population, a federal judge ruled Thursday. ... Read more»
The Sonoran desert tortoise has been denied endangered species status by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for a second time after a 14-year battle waged by advocates to protect the “ancient, iconic species of the desert.” ... Read more»
Environmental groups sued the Bureau of Land Management on Wednesday for failing to monitor cattle grazing in Arizona’s Agua Fria National Monument, putting endangered fish and birds as well as critical habitat at risk. ... Read more»
The Joshua tree is an iconic symbol of the Southwest - and now, the Western Joshua tree is the first plant given protections under the California Endangered Species Act because of the effects of climate change. ... Read more»
A 90-day public comment process has begun on a proposal to allow more endangered Mexican wolves to be released into the wilds of Arizona and New Mexico, where, federal officials say, the animals are thriving. ... Read more»
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will have six months to come up with specific actions to address poaching of endangered Mexican gray wolves — actions that should have been included in a recovery plan published in 2017, a federal judge ruled Friday.... Read more»
Arizona projects got $110 million last year and will get another $159 million in the fiscal year that started this month, or more than 9% of all funding nationally under the Great American Outdoors Act for those two years. ... Read more»
Bartram’s stonecrop - a bright, sea-green succulent found in the Santa Rita Mountains in southern Arizona and northern Mexico - grows in an uncommon habitat where temperatures are lower than the surrounding desert floor, making this succulent extremely rare, and under pressure. ... Read more»
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Wednesday that it would be renewing their evaluation on the potential need for federal protections for wolves following a push from environmental groups to restore safeguards for the predators. ... Read more»
Federal regulators on Friday rejected a mining company’s request to reduce critical habitat for endangered jaguars in the Santa Rita Mountains on land that overlaps the footprint of the proposed Rosemont Copper Mine. ... Read more»
The increased rainfall from this year's monsoon stimulated the growth of essential food for tens of thousands of caterpillars frantically wriggling across Arizona, as they continue their mission to eat as much as possible before becoming white-lined sphinx moths.... Read more»
Federal officials said the endangered razorback sucker has made enough of a comeback for the Colorado River fish’s status to be upgraded from endangered to threatened, but critics call the proposal to “downlist” the fish premature, saying that current populations are not self-sustaining.... Read more»
At the urging of U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva, the GAO is launching a review the impact of border wall construction under the Trump administration. DHS "blatantly abused its sweeping and potentially unconstitutional authority" to waive environmental laws, he said. ... Read more»
The Biden administration – which paused border wall construction in January – faces a logistical, ethical and political quandary in determining the best way to proceed with the half-finished project that’s has introduced more problems than it fixed and is part of construction ordered by then-President Donald Trump.... Read more»
In the sky islands of southeastern Arizona, the Chiricahua leopard frog persists – a lofty feat only made possible by a team more than 200 miles away. ... Read more»
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