Natural Resources

GAO Safety Review of USFS Prescribed Fires Finds Gaps In Key Areas

"Two years after the U.S. Forest Service sparked what would become the largest and most destructive wildfire in New Mexico’s recorded history, independent investigators say there are gaps that need to be addressed if the agency is to be successful at using prescribed fire as a tool to reduce risk amid climate change."

Source: AP, 07/09/2024

Outrage After Biden NPS Reinstates ‘Barbaric’ Trump-Era Hunting Rules

"The Biden administration has reinstated controversial Trump-era rules allowing what critics say are “barbaric” hunting practices that target bears and wolves, including pups or cubs, on federal land in Alaska.

Source: Guardian, 07/08/2024

"Fight Over Seabed Agency Leadership Turns Nasty"

"Allegations of possible payments to help secure votes. Claims of abuse of agency funds by top diplomats. A possible job offer to entice a candidate to withdraw from a race. These are not the shenanigans of a corrupt election in an unstable country. Rather, they are efforts in the seemingly genteel parlors of a United Nations-affiliated agency, meant to sway decisions related to the start of seabed mining of the metals used in electric vehicles."

Source: NYTimes, 07/08/2024

"Advocates Decry Attempt To Halt New Silica Rule Meant To Protect Miners"

"A single line included in the proposed annual appropriations bill for the U.S. Department of Labor and other agencies could — if adopted by congress later this year — halt the implementation of a newly finalized rule limiting the amount of silica dust miners are exposed to while working underground."

Source: West Virginia Watch, 07/08/2024

Farm to Trouble: Curbing The Runoff Fueling The Gulf’s ‘Dead Zone’

"Flowing down the Mississippi River, the excess fertilizer that washes off vast swaths of farmland fuels a persistent “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico and threatens drinking water supplies upstream. Yet despite more than a quarter-century of federal effort and billions spent on potential solutions, experts say the watershed is “not even close” to its targets for fixing the problem."

Source: Mississippi R. Ag & Water Desk, 07/03/2024

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