Senators urged to step up after Supreme Court ruling on Navajo water rights
WASHINGTON - Witnesses told a Senate hearing the federal government has both a a legal and an ethical obligation to ensure water access for tribes. The Supreme Court this summer rejected a Navajo claim that the government needed to take steps to protect its water rights.
Tribal water infrastructure needs more than a one-time fix, senators told
The infusion of federal money for infrastructure projects is a welcome first step toward fixing deep problems with water systems on tribal lands, but it's only a first step, an Arizona official testified Wednesday.
SAG-AFTRA Arizona members rally as part of national strike for TV, film worker protections, higher wages
PHOENIX – The Arizona-Utah chapter of SAG-AFTRA held a rally in Phoenix on Sunday to support local actors, writers, and TV and film workers who are on strike. The national union has been on strike since July 14 in conjunction with the Writers’ Guild of America, which has been on strike since May 2. The strikes have stopped production on films and TV series.
Arizona added 2,374 clean-energy jobs in 2022, near pre-pandemic levels
WASHINGTON - Arizona added more than 2,300 clean-energy industry jobs last year, falling just shy of the state's pre-pandemic employment levels but matching the nation for job growth in the sector, a new report said.
Arizona snail found only in Quitobaquito Springs may be listed as endangered
PHOENIX – A snail native to Arizona may be listed as an endangered species after known populations dropped largely due to drought and border wall construction. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing the Quitobaquito tryonia snail, found only at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in Pima County, be listed as an endangered species.
Appeals court again shoots down attempt to ban hunters’ use of lead shot
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Forest Service cannot be required to prohibit the use of lead shot by hunters in the Kaibab National Forest, a practice that environmentalists say can poison and kill wildlife, including critically endangered California condors.
Sierra Club report card lauds environmental funding, laments climate inaction
PHOENIX - The Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter's fall 2023 Environmental Report Card for the Arizona Legislature and governor gave most of the state’s legislators negative marks for climate inaction, but it praised the state budget’s climate initiatives.
Water-short cities want to use every last drop – even if it used to be sewage
In the Western U.S., cities with finite water supplies are finding creative new ways to stretch out the water they already have. For some, that means cleaning up sewage and putting it right back in the pipes that flow to homes and businesses.
A Colorado River artist is helping demystify the West’s water problems
The laws that govern our region’s rivers and reservoirs can be tough to wrap your mind around. But art, as seen in one painter’s depiction of the Colorado River, can create an emotional connection that helps people understand what’s at stake.
Feds ease Colorado River cuts after positive forecast, but work remains
Federal officials are easing water restrictions after an unusually snowy winter in the mountains helped replenish the beleaguered river and its reservoirs and led to new Colorado River forecasts from the Bureau of Reclamation.
These cities coordinate to save water, a model for parched Western areas
TUCSON - Officials say no single solution will solve the region’s long-term water security issues, so cities around Arizona are collaborating on water treatment plants and sharing data to better allocate water resources and adapt to a future with less Colorado River water.
As water regulations shift – again – advocates, officials work to cope
WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court's ruling this summer in the Sackett case was supposed to clarify Clean Water Act regulations, but has instead left officials waiting and wondering what's next as federal regulators work our new Waters of the United States rules, due by Sept. 1.
