KJZZ is an associate partner of the Mountain West News Bureau, a regional newsroom exploring the issues that define our region — from land and water to urban growth to culture and heritage. The bureau is a partnership with NPR and public media stations that serve Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.
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The narrowed pool of waters receiving federal protection under the rule could be severe for critical wetlands and streams in the arid West, many of which are seasonal or fed by groundwater. -
DHS Secretary Noem praises workers for their dedication -
Senators characterized the agency's decision-making process as "rigid" and "slow," and said they want states to have a bigger role. -
The Healthy Lungs for Heroes Act was introduced by Democratic California Senator Adam Schiff and Republican Utah Senator John Curtis. If passed, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other federal officials would have one year to develop a plan to make "commercially available appropriate respiratory personal protective equipment for wildland firefighters and supporting staff in settings in which smoke exposure surpasses covered permissible exposure limits." -
Union leaders for federal employees said they're glad the shutdown is over, but morale remains low. -
The Bureau of Land Management's Public Lands Rule put conservation on equal footing with grazing and energy production. The Trump administration is trying to roll it back. -
In January, the world watched in horror as fires marched through multiple Los Angeles neighborhoods, leaving behind blocks of smoldering foundations. A recent report tried to calculate how much it would cost to rebuild the structures lost to better withstand the next blaze. -
Wyoming lawmakers wonder if more fuel management on ranches will help in the face of high insurance costs. -
Steve Pearce is known for his support of energy development. He could oversee 10% of land in the U.S. -
Because of drought, mandatory water cuts are nothing new in Utah. But the potential of large-scale reductions across the Colorado River Basin would present a steep challenge.
More about Mountain West Bureau
The Mountain West News Bureau has six managing partner stations — Boise State Public Radio, KANW in New Mexico, KUNC in Colorado, KUNR Public Radio in Nevada, Nevada Public Radio, and Wyoming Public Media. Colorado Public Radio in Denver and KJZZ in Phoenix are associate partners and nearly a dozen other stations are affiliate members.
The bureau also produces “Our Living Lands,” a weekly radio segment exploring how climate change affects Indigenous communities, in partnership with Koahnic Broadcast Corp. and Native Public Media.
The Mountain West News Bureau was formed in 2018 and joined NPR’s network of regional newsrooms in 2025. It receives funding from Eric and Wendy Schmidt and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Managing Editor: Michael de Yoanna