Grand Canyon tram proposal sparks ire, awe from Navajo Nation to Germany

PHOENIX – As a child, Renae Yellowhorse chased birds through the sagebrush on the Navajo reservation along the edge of the Grand Canyon.


Controversy spikes as Scottsdale plans Desert Discovery Center

SCOTTSDALE – A controversial, $75-million desert center in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve is moving forward after two decades of wrangling, despite preservation activists' attempts to stop it.

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Latinos back national monument status for areas near Grand Canyon

WASHINGTON - Anakarina Rodriguez traveled from southern Arizona to Washington with a message for President Barack Obama: designate 1.7 million acres around the Grand Canyon as a national monument.

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Workers cite harassment, retaliation in ‘toxic’ national parks

WASHINGTON - National Park Service employees continue to suffer from a "toxic" work culture that has allowed for rampant sexual misconduct and a culture of retaliation, park workers told a House committee Thursday.

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Some Navajo join lawmakers opposing Bears Ears national monument

WASHINGTON - Navajo Nation locals joined Utah lawmakers Wednesday to express opposition to any attempt to designate land around the Bears Ears site in southeastern Utah as a national monument.

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Mud turtle creeps to endangered status, as springsnail outlook improves

WASHINGTON - Federal officials denied endangered status to a southern Arizona snail Wednesday after unexpectedly finding far more than were thought to exist, but moved to protect what one advocate called the "very imperiled" Sonoyta mud turtle.

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Hummingbird migration in Arizona helps unlock mysteries of climate change

[gallery type="slideshow" ids="37214,37217,37218,37219,37220,37221,37222,37223,37224,37225"] SIERRA VISTA - Dozens of hummingbirds congregate near a house in southeastern Arizona, delighting families who interact with the birds and the specialists who believe the creatures' migration may help solve the mysteries of environmental health.


Electric car owners in Arizona hope to jolt interest in vehicles

WASHINGTON - When Valley gearheads line up Saturday night at the McDonald's at Scottsdale Pavilions to show off their cars as they have for more than 20 years, Brian Perkins will be there to help showcase 19 cars.

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Make money by conserving water in Arizona’s Verde Valley

VERDE VALLEY – The valley is tucked south of the red rocks of Sedona, lush with greenery and alive with wildlife that flock to the banks of the river running through it.


Hualapai say proposed water deal could benefit tourism in the state

WASHINGTON - The chairman of the Hualapai Tribe told a Senate committee Wednesday that a proposed 70-mile, $173 million water project would lay the groundwork for expansion of Grand Canyon West and increased tourism in the state.


Gallego, Reid call for more protection for federal lands, not less

WASHINGTON - Western lawmakers joined Olympic pentathlete Margaux Isaksen Thursday to warn against attempts to move federal lands into state or private hands and to call on the president to use his authority to expand national monuments.


Native American tribes, Grijalva lead move to conserve Gila River land

PHOENIX – Native American tribal leaders, archaeologists and Congressman Raúl Grijalva are seeking to designate more than 84,000 acres curving along the Gila River as a national monument.