Mountain West News Bureau

KUNR Public Radio is a proud partner in the Mountain West News Bureau, a partnership of public media stations that serve Nevada, Colorado, Idaho, Montana and Utah. The mission is to tell stories about the people, places and issues of the Mountain West. 

Contributing stations include Boise State Public Radio, Wyoming Public Media, KUER in Salt Lake City, KRCC and KUNC in Colorado, and KUNR Public Radio. 

The editor for the Mountain West News Bureau is Kate Concannon, a long-time NPR regional editor. Noah Glick is the KUNR reporter for this partnership. 

The Mountain West News Bureau is supported in part by a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting Regional Journalism Center program.

USFWS Reinstates Protections For Grizzly Bears Near Yellowstone

By • Aug 1, 2019

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife service has reinstated Endangered Species Act protections for grizzly bears living near Yellowstone National Park.

 


First Congressional Field Hearing On Climate Crisis To Be Held In Mountain West

By • Aug 1, 2019

For the first time ever, a congressional committee will hold a field hearing on the climate crisis, and it's happening in Boulder, Colorado, Thursday, August 1.

Drone Infrastructure Flying Through Critical Urban Testing

By • Jul 31, 2019
Noah Glick

These days, drones are everywhere--from the ones you can buy at your local Costco to news drones giving birds' eye views of sporting events. Soon, you'll even be able to get your Amazon deliveries with the company's "Prime Air" drone fleet.

Environmental Groups Call For Unified Voice Against Nuclear Waste In Mountain West

By • Jul 30, 2019
Nathaniel Foong / Unsplash

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.

Bill Seeks To Boost Renewable Energy On Public Lands

By • Jul 26, 2019
American Public Power Association / Unsplash

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.

New Bill Offering $100,000 For Improved Tech To Avoid Wildlife Conflicts

By • Jul 26, 2019
Vincent van Zalinge / Unsplash

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.

92 Western Communities Are At Risk For Deadly Wildfires

By • Jul 25, 2019

A recent analysis by the news outlet Arizona Republic shows a number of communities across our region are at risk for deadly wildfires.

 


Oil And Gas Wastewater Can Cause Earthquakes Up To Ten Years After It's Injected Into The Ground

By • Jul 23, 2019

It’s well-established that injecting wastewater from oil and gas operations deep into the ground can cause earthquakes. New research shows that in some cases those earthquakes can keep happening long after an injection. 

Building Renewable Energy Alongside Wildlife

By • Jul 22, 2019
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

A solar project in our region is opening up conversations around building wildlife protection into renewable energy infrastructure.

EPA Approves Bee-Killing Insecticide

By • Jul 17, 2019

The Environmental Protection Agency is expanding the use of an insecticide that is toxic to bees. The move affects more than 17 million acres of farmland in our region.

 


BLM Headquarters Moving To Colorado

By • Jul 15, 2019

The Bureau of Land Management is officially relocating its headquarters to the Mountain West. That’s according to an announcement by Colorado Senator Cory Gardner.

 


BLM Proposes Ambitious Wildfire Reduction Measures

By • Jul 15, 2019
Washington State Department of Natural Resources / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

The Bureau of Land Management is proposing 11,000 miles of fuel breaks throughout our region to help combat the spread of wildfires.

Climbing Is A Growing Sport, Says New Report

By • Jul 12, 2019

More and more people are becoming rock climbers, and the economic effects are big in our region. That’s according to a new report from the American Alpine Club.

 


Nevada, Montana, Colorado Among States Pledging Clean Car Future

By • Jul 11, 2019
RedBoy [Matt] / CC BY-ND 2.0

On Tuesday, three of our region's governors joined 21 others to support a strong national standard for clean cars, called the "Nation's Clean Car Promise."

The agreement has three goals: reduce greenhouse gases, create regulatory certainty and preserve jobs in the auto sector.

New Podcast Looks At How Prisons Might Need To Treat Transgender Inmates

By & & Mountain West News Bureau • Jul 11, 2019
Boise State Public Radio / Mountain West News Bureau

Any day now, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals will rule on the case of Adree Edmo. She’s a transgender woman currently in prison in Idaho. She sued the state for sex reassignment surgery—and won.

The state appealed. And now the 9th Circuit’s decision on her case could have implications not only for her but for transgender inmates across the West and potentially the nation.

State Birds Imperiled By Grassland Habitat Destruction And Climate Change

By • Jul 10, 2019

Some state birds across our region are in peril, according to a new report on the condition of North American Grasslands.

Nevada Democrats To Offer 'Vote By Phone' Option For February Caucus

By • Jul 10, 2019
Mykl Roventine / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Nevada Democrats will have more options when participating in the state's first-in-the-West caucus next February. That's because party leaders are allowing people to vote early and by phone.

US Senators Drafting Legislation To Address Interior's Public Record Crackdown

By • Jul 10, 2019

Federal lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are working on new legislation that would curb the Trump administration’s efforts to clamp down on the release of public records. 

Could Colorado Bring Back Gray Wolves By Popular Demand?

By • Jul 8, 2019

The last place you might expect to find a wolf is inside a public library, a place that doesn’t even allow pets in the door. 

But on an early summer day, Shaya, a so-called “wolf ambassador” was pacing the 4th floor of the downtown library in Pueblo, Colorado, surrounded by an enthusiastic crowd.

Housing Development Planned To Encroach On Historic Black Settlement

By • Jul 8, 2019

Update posted June 26, 2019 at 5:48 p.m.: A spokesperson with Clayton Homes says the company has reopened conversations with the Black American West Museum & Heritage Center about the properties they own in Dearfield. "Our hope is to find a way to support their goals while moving ahead with plans to establish affordable housing in the area," said a statement.

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