Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY)

Can States Divvy Up the Shrinking Colorado River Water Supply?

The vast Colorado River, recently in the news over a troubled drought deal, is at the heart of numerous environmental problems in the American West, where water is scarce and the legal complexities of water rights voluminous. The latest Issue Backgrounder offers an explainer on the story, which involves at least seven states, the federal government, Native American tribes, a hornet’s nest of irrigation districts and even Mexico.

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April 23, 2019

Energy, Salmon, Agriculture & Community: Can We Come Together?

The Andrus Center for Public Policy at Boise State University is convening this one-day event to support current discussions with leaders and groups from Oregon, Washington, Montana and Idaho regarding a long-term plan to address energy, salmon, water, agriculture, and community needs.

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October 9, 2019 to October 13, 2019

SEJ's 29th Annual Conference, Fort Collins, CO

Environmental Journalism 2019 will take place in Fort Collins, Colorado, hosted by Colorado State University. Colorado simultaneously boasts and suffers from a population explosion in Denver and other cities. This purple state is fertile ground for both clashes and collaborations among parties vying for rights to land, water and air, whether to preserve it for wildlife and human recreation or to exploit it for energy extraction. And it is fertile ground for stories! Visit the conference website. See the draft agenda, find a hotel and roommates or sponsor, advertise or exhibit.

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Climate Scientist Canned, SCOTUS To Rule on Chemical ‘Secrets’ and Army Corps Sued Over Permit Info

A scientist contracted to report on climate impacts for the National Park Service was caught up in a fracas over attempted censorship of her findings. Now she’s been fired. That, plus a FOIA case before the Supreme Court and an enviro group sues the Army Corps of Engineers over info on a permit for a new plastics plant in Louisiana. Read the latest on freedom-of-information issues in this month’s WatchDog TipSheet.

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Many Environmental Court Disputes Will Make News in 2019

U.S. courts will be a key venue of environmental conflict in 2019, as the Trump administration pushes back against an extensive array of long-standing environmental law. This special edition Issue Backgrounder looks at seven key legal disputes, including cases involving climate change liability, intergenerational equity and policy, as well as conflicts over maintaining national monuments, defining which waters are subject to anti-pollution rules, disposing of coal ash and extending offshore drilling.

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Oversight on EPA FOIA Screening,  Covering Pipeline Protests, Feedlot Air Emissions, Data on Illegal Fishing

The new year will likely mean subpoenas on EPA’s FOIA response policies, as a Democrat takes the chair in the House Oversight Committee amid charges the agency is choking off politically sensitive record requests. And are new laws in a dozen states making coverage of pipeline protests a felony? That, plus air emission exemptions for animal feedlot operators and data on illegal fishing. All in the latest issue of the WatchDog.

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In 2019, Watch for Aggressive Energy-Enviro Oversight By Democratic House

As Democrats take charge of the House of Representatives next month, they’ll be wielding powerful congressional oversight powers over environment and energy matters. Watch for oversight drama in 2019 as committees take a closer look at natural resource policy at the Interior Department, the rollback of climate policy, attacks on climate science and more. All in our latest Issue Backgrounder.

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