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Judge again rules against tribes’ effort to stop lithium mine
A Nevada federal judge ruled against three Native American tribes seeking to halt construction of the country’s largest open pit lithium mine, but will allow them to amend their complaint against the U.S. government. In the meantime, construction at Lithium Nevada’s mine near the Nevada-Oregon border will continue. Major construction on the lithium mine is […]
More solar, geothermal development planned on NV public lands — and likely some conflict too
Last week, the Department of the Interior announced it is advancing 15 renewable energy projects across the West, adding to a growing number of development projects on public lands in the region. The new projects will be scattered on public land throughout Nevada, Wyoming, Arizona, Utah, and Southern California. In Nevada, the planned projects include […]
El Niño may bring warmer, wetter winter – and big Colorado River basin snowpacks
For the next three months, climate scientists say Nevada can expect warmer winter temperatures and above average rain. Unusually warm waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean this year have created an El Niño weather pattern that can generate more storms and above-average precipitation across the Southwest. For Nevada, that could mean warmer temperatures during the […]
BLM plan to rip up thousands of trees in NV can move forward, judge rules
Federal land managers were given the thumbs up to remove trees from thousands of acres of pinyon-juniper woodlands in Nevada in an effort to reduce fire risk, a move environmental groups are calling a “scorched-earth plan.” Last month, a Nevada federal judge refused to block the Bureau of Land Management’s plan to clear more than […]
New NV transmission line will slash energy costs, says White House
Cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable electricity may be in Nevada’s future after the White House vowed to deliver the largest electric grid infrastructure investment in U.S. history. On Monday, the White House announced $1.3 billion in new federal funding to create three new, massive electrical transmission lines in the Southwest and New England. Three new […]
Feds say water cuts to 3 states are enough to protect Colorado River – for now
A robust water year for the Colorado River has given states that rely on the mighty waterway a few more years of stability as climate change takes its toll, federal officials said Wednesday. Last year, federal officials gave western states two options to protect the over-allocated Colorado River from the effects of a two-decade megadrought: […]
City of Las Vegas proposes tough regulations on sidewalk vendors
The City of Las Vegas has proposed strict regulations that would likely curb the presence of sidewalk vendors within its limits, despite the passage of state legislation earlier this year meant to remove systemic barriers facing the businesses. Under the city’s proposed ordinance, street food vendors would be banned from operating within 1,000 feet of […]
SOS announces appointments for sidewalk vending task force
Nevada Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar announced appointments for a task force to recommend regulations for sidewalk vendors on Wednesday. Earlier this year, state lawmakers passed a new law requiring cities and counties to establish a clear licensing process for street food vendors, who face barriers and rules that make it too difficult, time-consuming or […]
What a stalagmite from a Grand Canyon cave might tell us about climate change and groundwater
Summer monsoons in the Southwest are difficult to forecast with total accuracy, but the future of the temperamental rainstorms under climate change is an even bigger mystery. The North American Monsoon, a regional weather system ranging from Central America to the southwestern United States, is an important contributor to water budgets in regional deserts, when […]
Confronting ‘heavy hit’ of drought, 51 desert tortoises released in Southern Nevada
Desert tortoise numbers in Southern Nevada are on a steady decline, a trend wildlife managers hope to counter with the release of 51 juvenile desert tortoises into the wild. Last week, Clark County’s Desert Conservation Program in coordination with the U.S. Geological Survey released one of the largest batches of the federally protected species in […]
Clark County commissioners ban street food vendors on resort corridor
On Tuesday, Clark County officials unanimously voted to ban street food vendors from operating near resort hotels, event facilities, and convention centers. Street food vendors will be barred from working within 1,500 feet of a resort hotel or near a facility that can seat at least 20,000 people, among other areas. Enforcement of the new […]
ESA protections proposed for rare pond turtle found in NV
A rare pond turtle living in far western Nevada is now being considered for listing under the Endangered Species Act. On Friday, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a proposal to list both species of western pond turtle as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act— the northwestern pond turtle and the southwestern […]