Forests

"Oil executive Chris Wright, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Energy Department, has argued that climate change has not fueled more frequent and severe wildfires — a claim at odds with the scientific consensus."

"The growth of homes in areas primed to burn played a major role in the disaster."

"Struggling to keep track of fast moving wildfires and the latest evacuation zones, residents of Los Angeles are rushing to download a free app called Watch Duty."

"Posting on the social media site he owns, Mr. Musk blamed the fires on government. Scientists said a warming planet set the conditions."

"The Biden administration on Tuesday abruptly dropped its nascent plan to protect old-growth forests after getting pushback from Republicans and the timber industry."

"President Biden on Monday signed a bipartisan bill aimed at boosting outdoor recreation weeks after it cleared the Senate."

"Wyoming will sell a 1-square-mile (2.6-square-kilometer) parcel of pristine land bordering Grand Teton National Park to the U.S. government for $100 million after Gov. Mark Gordon signed off on a deal Friday that ends the state’s longstanding threats to unload it to a developer."

"The 39th U.S. president led the fight to preserve vast swaths of Alaskan wilderness. It forever changed the state and the National Park Service."

"Insurance companies that stopped providing home coverage to hundreds of thousands of Californians in recent years as wildfires became more destructive will have to again provide policies in fire-prone areas if they want to keep doing business in California under a state regulation announced Monday."

"Chhoeung Chheng, a journalist covering environmental issues for local online news outlet Kampuchea Aphiwat News, has died of his injuries after being shot in Siem Reap province on Dec. 4 by a suspected illegal logger."