Radio stories

Continuing coverage: Utah’s Supreme Court public lands lawsuit

U.S. Supreme Court squashes Utah’s public lands lawsuit

Biden administration says Utah's public lands lawsuit 'plainly lacks merit'

More states are backing Utah's landmark public lands case against the federal government

Utilities have shut off power to prevent wildfires. That can also cause problems - NPR

Utility companies have been sued to bankruptcy over downed power lines that caused deadly wildfires in Hawaii and California. A Colorado utility's power shutoff to prevent fire also caused problems.

Federal appeals court hears arguments over Utah monuments

Plaintiffs, including the state of Utah, two of its counties, a recreation group and a few individuals, are hoping the case will set limits on the century-old law used to protect large swaths of public land.

Supreme Court hears challenge to scope of environmental reviews in oil railway dispute

At question is whether the Surface Transportation Board is required to consider indirect environmental impacts of the Uinta Basin Railway, a proposed 88-mile rail expansion, in its review of the project. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires the government to examine environmental impacts of proposed actions and management decisions before signing off on them.

Japanese Americans object to proposed wind farm at WWII incarceration site - NPR

A proposed wind farm in Idaho that would be one of the U.S.'s largest is being opposed because it's close to a historic site — a former incarceration camp for Japanese Americans during World War II.

Continuing coverage: Endangered Species Act issues

The Biden administration calls for ending federal protections of gray wolves

Black-footed ferret recovery could face setbacks amid staff cuts

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposes new Canada lynx habitat protections in the West

Western public lands are key to Biden's clean energy goals. In Idaho, opposition is mounting

A proposal for a wind farm in southern Idaho is right in line with the Biden Administration’s goal to greatly boost renewable energy production on public lands to combat climate change. But an unlikely coalition of local groups is coming together in opposition: survivors of the Minidoka Incarceration Camp, ranchers and other who live in the nearby rural towns.

Farmers look to cut emissions but financial incentives are still catching up - NPR

A farmer who grows feed for dairy cows in Idaho is experimenting with soil health practices, and says the changes he’s making are saving money and water. He’s interested in participating in carbon markets to capitalize off of these innovations, but the markets are still in their early phases, so he’s unable to reap the extra monetary rewards at this point.

Why there's no national park in Idaho — and why that matters

Idaho is the only Western U.S. state without a national park and that's not accidental. This part series explores the place that’s come closest to the park designation —the Sawtooth National Recreation Area — at its 50th anniversary, and asks how it’s working and what its future holds.

Part 2: Advocates say one of the biggest threats to the Sawtooth National Recreation Area is outside its boundaries

Part 3: The balancing act of conservation easements in the SNRA