In a win for environmental groups and three Native American tribes,, a federal appeals court has upheld a ruling that halted the long-controversial Rosemont open-pit copper mine in the Santa Rita Mountains about 30 miles southeast of Tucson.... Read more»
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»
A 20-plus year drought – coupled with decades of fire-suppression policies and relentlessly rising temperatures – are behind much of the change in Arizona's forests, calling into question how forest health can be restored.... Read more»
Rosemont Copper's move to expand its operations in the Santa Rita Mountains south of Tucson faces a new challenge after the Tohono O'odham Nation, Pascua Yaqui Tribe and Hopi Tribe asked a federal court to block the company from grading the slopes and dumping fill material in dry washes. ... Read more»
Led by Center for Biological Diversity, environmental groups filed a notice of intent—a prelude to a federal lawsuit—against Rosemont Copper, arguing the company violated federal law.... Read more»
A federal court rejected claims by tribal and environmental groups and ruled Tuesday that the Pinyon Plain uranium mine near the Grand Canyon can operate, even though it sits on 1 million acres that the federal government has declared off-limits to new mining. ... Read more»
A prescribed burn in the Southwest portion of the Galiuro Mountains sent a plume of smoke over the Catalina Mountains that was visible from Tucson on Tuesday. Burns in the area are expected to continue until the end of the month. ... Read more»
Amber Ortega, a Southern Arizona border activist facing two federal charges for protesting the construction of the border wall near Quitobaquito Springs, was found not guilty by a judge on Wednesday. ... Read more»
The Biden administration will announce Tuesday it is using $3 billion from last year’s infrastructure law to revamp the federal approach to wildfire management, introducing a 10-year plan to deal with the large swaths of the West scientists consider most at risk of destructive blazes. ... Read more»
The Alexander Lofgren Veterans in the Parks Act was named after Alexander Lofgren, an Afghanistan veteran who was working for U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva when he died in a hiking accident, and became law on Monday after President Joe Biden signed it into law with the National Defense Authorization Act. ... Read more»
A federal judge agreed to reconsider ruling over how a law intended to protect religious freedom may shield a Southern Arizona border activist from prosecution after she was arrested last year while protesting the construction of the border wall near Quitobaquito Springs.... Read more»
The popular 4FRI forest maintenance program is back on track after a two-month pause to sort out challenges with a more focused, “more realistic approach” that appears to have government, industry and environmental officials in rare agreement.... Read more»
The Build Back Better plan being debated in Congress would provide $2.5 billion to improve and maintain urban tree canopy - unshaded areas suffer from a heat island effect and trees help filter air pollution and absorb stormwater runoff - with focus on underserved communities.... Read more»
The banks of the Salt River are home to about 440 wild horses in the Tonto National Forest, and they depend on the river for food and water - now, advocates again are worried the Salt River Project is jeopardizing that food source by reducing releases from Saguaro Lake. ... Read more»
The main lesson gathered from how the fires that have ravaged the West the past two years is that forest fuels reduction projects are our best tools for mitigating wildfire impacts under a changing climate, and not nearly enough of them are being done.... Read more»
Amber Ortega, a Southern Arizona border activist arrested last year protesting the construction of the border wall near Quitobaquito Springs, cannot use a federal law protecting religious freedom as her criminal defense, a judge ruled Thursday.... Read more»
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