Something’s got to give in Central Valley farming. The only question is what.
California
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Invasive plants beat natives in climate adaptation race
In California, native and endemic plants are slower to shift their ranges in response to climate change, a study shows.
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Will this desert community survive its water overdraft problem?
Borrego Springs, California, was founded on the promise of endless water. Now they must conserve — or else.
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California Coastal Commission fires its executive director
The decision exposes the quintessential coastline to damage, development and closures.
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Should this national monument become a national park?
An Idaho town hopes changing Craters of the Moon to park status will boost its economy.
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Should coyote hunting contests be banned?
The debate over organized kills and whether they actually impact population, via a new podcast.
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On the Klamath, a surprising win for river advocates
Dam removals on the Oregon-California border move forward without water deals for irrigators.
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Above normal snowpack in some of last winter’s driest regions
Precipitation in recent months chips away at California drought, but the water deficit will be hard to overcome.
Posted inFebruary 2, 2016: Sagebrush Insurgency
Hope fades for Klamath River accords
Could the breakdown of the landmark water agreement imperil other collaborative deals?
Posted inFebruary 2, 2016: Sagebrush Insurgency
In ‘Gold Fame Citrus,’ the nascent genre of cli-fi looks to California
A new climate change novel predicts a dystopian West of sand and refugees.
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Massive leaks are an everyday occurrence in gas fields
California’s Aliso Canyon is a reminder that methane emissions are widespread, poorly regulated — and ongoing.
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How the feds can ensure Western states get more water in 2016
Key legislation failed in 2015. Will this year be any different?
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California relocates residents whose wells have gone dry
Residents explain why the new drought program may or may not work for them.
Posted inDecember 21, 2015: Secrets of the Deep
These are your state’s gun laws
In the wake of mass killings, a state-by-state look at Western gun policy.
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Slow-motion methane disaster
Aliso Canyon has leaked more greenhouse gases in two months than a coal mine does in a year.
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Is the West prepared for climate change?
A new report shows most states are vulnerable to future increases in extreme heat, drought, and flooding.
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Early season snowpack falls short across the West
Nevada and Idaho are the only Western states above their historic averages.
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Millions in debt, a community wonders if its water source will provide
This master-planned community must keep building to survive, despite the drought.
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Rants from the Hill: As winter looms, a final foray to close out the season
My annual transect of our neighborhood mountain takes a turn for the perilous.
Posted inDecember 7, 2015: Good Neighbors
Latest: California’s plan for conservation-minded energy development takes its first step forward
The Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan is intended to guide energy development, while protecting wildlife and recreation.