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The seven states that use water from the Colorado River have proposed competing plans for how it should be managed after 2026. Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming have one plan in mind. California, Arizona and Nevada have a different idea. The states primarily disagree about the how to account for climate change and how to release water from Lake Powell.
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The Environmental Voter Project is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that surveyed at voters in 18 states to see which ones prioritize climate change or environmental issues. The report found that voters 65 and older are the second-most concerned group when it comes to the environment.
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Many farmers across the Mountain West grow alfalfa, which is dried into hay and fed to beef and dairy cattle. But it requires a lot more water than most crops. Now, researchers are working on new technologies to reduce the amount farmers use. Still, some say allowing them to grow such a thirsty crop in the arid West is the problem.
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The Forest Service’s recently released “Strategy to Expand Prescribed Fire Training in the West” document is blunt: “The prescribed fire implementation environment continues to grow in complexity, IT READS, whereas the ability of practitioners to practice and hone their expertise has lagged, particularly in the Western United States.” The newly established Western Prescribed Fire Training Center is a major effort to address that workforce issue.
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Dendrochronologists found that high temperatures in the 21st Century make the current drought unprecedented compared to other dry periods around the Colorado River across the past 500 years.
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New research shows less snow is falling in many parts of the U.S., including the Mountain West, a region that relies heavily on snow.
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The CO2 Coalition was given an almost two-hour platform to speak during the legislative session, creating division within the state Republican party and spreading misinformation. The lead-up to it was contentious – with Committee Chair Cheri Steinmetz (R-Lingle) saying it was an official legislative event, but leadership in the Senate and House saying it wasn’t. Ultimately, it was labeled as an official legislative event, but President of the Senate Ogden Driskill (R-Devils Tower) still denounced it.
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Poll: Latinos in the West are among the most concerned about environment, supportive of conservationThe results of the 14th annual Conservation in the West Poll were released last week, and they again showed deep, bipartisan support for a number of pro-conservation policies, as well as concern about a range of serious environmental issues. This year, there was a separate presentation on findings among Latino respondents, which showed they are often among the most concerned about those issues, and supportive of efforts to address them.
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A new study reveals how climate change and irrigating crops are affecting river flows in the Western U.S.
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The latest edition of the State of the Rockies poll again shows widespread support for public lands, conservation and concern about environmental issues like habitat loss and climate change.