Mountain West News Bureau

Cold temperatures have settled over much of the Mountain West this winter, but precipitation has been harder to come by, leaving large parts of the region unusually dry for late January.

Electric vehicles are becoming more common across the country. But in the Mountain West, long distances, rural roads and wide-open spaces can make switching to electric more challenging.

Federal land managers are reopening their environmental review of a massive transmission line proposed across Nevada, a move conservation groups say could reshape how energy infrastructure is approved on public lands across the West.

Several states in the Mountain West received a passing score on the GIFFORDS Law Center’s Annual Gun Law Scorecard. But others flat-out failed.

Public radio and television stations in rural areas may soon be contending with big cuts. President Trump is expected to sign a so-called “rescissions” measure from Congress that will take back $1.1 billion in funds previously allocated to support the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which helps fund NPR, PBS and member stations.

A new interactive story map shows many of the nation’s dams are aging. That poses a threat to downstream communities, including dozens in the Mountain West.

Federal officials say many parts of the West continue to see “massive” drought improvements, with some of the most significant changes in the Mountain West.

For 40 years, the Jemez Pueblo in New Mexico has been working to access the water they feel they’re owed by the federal government. And those efforts are more urgent than ever as climate change and development continue to affect their water supplies.

A new report shows public land conservation lagged in some Western states over the past decade, but the number of acres protected in the Mountain West varies widely by state.

A new database reveals the rates of firearm deaths in each state, and some of the highest levels are in the Mountain West.