The Apache trout, Arizona’s state fish, was removed from the federal endangered species Wednesday. It's the first trout and sportsfish to be taken off the list in U.S. history and, according to some, it’s a symbol of hope.
“Apache Trout are not write-off populations. They are harbingers of hope. They give us hope that we can actually take affirmative steps to make our landscapes more resilient to the effects of a changing climate," said Chris Wood, the president and CEO of Trout Unlimited, an organization he says has been helping Apache trout recovery efforts since the 1990s.
Now the fish occupies over 175 miles of habitat.
Arizona’s state lead for Trout Unlimited, Nate Rees, says now is the time to maintain the fish’s habitat so every kid has the opportunity to see thousands of golden Apache trout.

"It doesn’t mean we can throw up our hands and pat ourselves on the back. All this delisting means is that we work harder and keep prolonging the habitat for this species to thrive for future generations.”
A $5.1 million investment from the Biden administration will continue to support conservation efforts.
U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland traveled to Arizona for the announcement.
She credited joint efforts by federal, state and tribal officials along with federal investment. Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, White Mountain Apache Tribe Chairman Kasey Velasquez, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Deputy Director Siva Sundaresan joined Haaland.
-
A temporary exhibit featuring a little-known 1940s American art movement is nearing the end of its run at the Heard Museum in Phoenix. The show highlights the interconnection of Native and non-Native artists as they separately looked to redefine American and Native art.
-
After the recent federal funding freeze, a coalition of tribal organizations is calling for confirmation that recent executive orders won’t harm programs and services their communities rely on.
-
Former North Dakota Republican Gov. Doug Burgum is now officially Interior Secretary, with help from Arizona’s U.S. senators and a couple of its tribes.
-
A Navajo Nation official said the agreement with the company, which began the transports over objections by the tribe and local governments last year, was in in the tribe's "best interest" instead of a legal battle.
-
Colorado-based Energy Fuels will enhance some of its safety standards for shipping uranium from its mine near Grand Canyon National Park through the Navajo Nation, to its processing plant in southern Utah. It will also aid the tribe in cleanup of 10,000 tons of leftover material from mines abandoned during the Cold War.