A federal safety review has recommended the nuclear power plant project near Kemmerer worthy of a construction permit. The Union of Concerned Scientists are worried about the design and the sped-up permit process.

Federal funding has been restored to Wyoming’s home heating assistance program, albeit delayed. More than 3,900 applications have been pending since the program ran out of money on Oct. 15.

The narrowed pool of waters receiving federal protection under the rule could be severe for critical wetlands and streams in the arid West, many of which are seasonal or fed by groundwater.

Senators characterized the agency’s decision-making process as “rigid” and “slow,” and said they want states to have a bigger role.

The zones are managed by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and make up more than 500,000 acres of land, with access to more than 200 miles of streams.

A new study in the Rocky Mountains has found a steep drop in the number of young American pikas — small, high-altitude mammals known for their distinctive squeaks and rock-pile homes. Researchers say the 50% decline could be an early sign of deeper ecological shifts as the climate warms.

Yellowstone National Park’s wolves have been contentious ever since they were reintroduced in 1995. Within the park, the roughly 100 canines are protected from hunting and trapping, and are a massive draw for tourists. But once they leave, those protections vanish, and the few wolves that venture out often die, quickly.

The new proposal has big implications for threatened and endangered species, and their critical habitat.

A new study in the journal Science suggests rivers in the arid American West may be doing something unexpected: absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The finding could reshape how scientists model climate change.

Data analyzed by the advocacy group Grassroots Wildland Firefighters shows that prescribed fires and other hazardous fuel reduction efforts have fallen by nearly 40% across the West this year.