Mountain West News Bureau

Wild animals are protected within dozens of wildlife refuges across the Mountain West. But some of those areas are contaminated, because they used to be nuclear sites.

Since the Great Recession, personal income and jobs have grown across the country and throughout our region. But that growth is uneven.

Invasive insects and diseases are killing tree species in forests across the U.S., and in turn, weakening one of the planet's natural ways to fight climate change. That's according to a new report published in the journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Hate-related activities are on the rise nationwide, and our region is seeing a disproportionate amount of these incidents given our population, especially when it comes to white supremacy.

Federal officials have announced changes to the Endangered Species Act, which could have big impacts on wildlife and habitat throughout our region.

Wildfires are a common part of life in our region. According to new research, they can also give scientists valuable information about the climate effects of another potential disaster: nuclear war.

Much of the public lands leased for oil and gas in our region are acquired through a noncompetitive process with the Bureau of Land Management. A new report says that's not good for taxpayers.

Environmental activists are calling for a united voice in protesting the Department of Energy's recent shipment of nuclear waste through our region.

Earlier this month, the Department of Energy sent a shipment of nuclear waste from Tennessee to southern Nevada. The shipment was incorrectly labeled as low-level waste, but it was actually mixed with waste that needs treatment before disposal. Nevada officials accused the agency of trying to sneak the material into the state illegally.

New legislation that aims to significantly increase renewable energy utility projects on public lands is receiving strong bipartisan support.

Members of the House Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources were united in support of the Public Land Renewable Energy Development Act.

Proposed legislation in the Senate aims to reduce conflict between humans and predatory wildlife, with a $100,000 cash prize.

Wyoming Senator John Barrasso introduced the bill. The $100,000 Theodore Roosevelt Genius Prize would be awarded to the winner of an annual competition. The goal is to develop new or better nonlethal methods of reducing human-predator conflicts.