Regional News

In addition to a lack of snow, warmer temperatures have thwarted snowmaking.

The older generation passes the torch to a new one as up-and-coming cowboys compete for a shot at a world title in the Indian National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.

The personhood designation for the riveris part of a broader "rights of nature" movement that aims to bestow new legal protections on threatened natural resources around the globe.

Warmer temperatures in November meant that less snowpack accumulated. But storms did increase soil moisture in the Upper Colorado River Basin, making future precipitation more likely to run off slopesides and boost rivers and streams.

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.

At a conference of western governors in Arizona last week, the region's energy future dominated the conversion as populations and the AI data center industry continue to grow and drive up demand.

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.

Wyoming ranchers are testing GPS collars to help manage the movement of their livestock.

The Healthy Lungs for Heroes Act was introduced by Democratic California Senator Adam Schiff and Republican Utah Senator John Curtis. If passed, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other federal officials would have one year to develop a plan to make “commercially available appropriate respiratory personal protective equipment for wildland firefighters and supporting staff in settings in which smoke exposure surpasses covered permissible exposure limits.”