Conservation

Several bills that would protect public lands and waters around the Mountain West have recently been reintroduced in Congress, and two in particular seem to have a decent shot at reaching the president's desk.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, one of the strongest conservation laws in the world. It continues to have far-reaching impacts, especially in the Mountain West.

The Bureau of Land Management is proposing a new Public Lands Rule that would - among other things - clarify that "conservation is a use on par with other uses of federal public lands."

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is accepting applications for its Grassland Conservation Reserve Program, a voluntary program that pays landowners and agricultural producers to maintain grass habitats critical for local ecosystems.

The Interior Department announced about $300 million in new funding last week for conservation projects. The majority of the money comes from the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law, and many of the investments focus on ecosystems and water resources in the Mountain West.

Agriculture is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. But, managed properly, it also has the potential to remove climate-warming carbon from the atmosphere and store it in the soil. KUNC’s Rae Solomon wondered if backyard gardeners could do the same thing.

Fantasy author Lucas Zellers has partnered with the Center for Biological Diversity to make a manual for Dungeons & Dragons players that features real-life extinct species as fantasized monsters.

Bees, butterflies and other insects are not considered wildlife in many Western states, including some in the Mountain West. That can affect bugs – and humans.

President Joe Biden designated Avi Kwa Ame, a mountainous area in Nevada that’s revered by many tribes, as a national monument Tuesday.

The Parks and Wildlife Commission has agreed to nearly double the maximum amount the state will pay ranchers if wolves kill their livestock or guard dogs.