Round 5 in fight over highway widening through redwood trees

Activists stand their ground against destruction of trees Staff Report A contentious proposal to widen U.S. Highway 101 through redwood groves in Humboldt County, California is once again facing a court challenge from conservation groups and local residents, who say the state transportation agency failed to adequately review and disclose environmental impacts. This is the

Can ‘supersites’ anchor coral reef protection efforts?

Study says 90 percent of all predatory fish species have been lost from Caribbean coral reefs Staff Report Not all Caribbean reefs are created equal, say researchers with the  University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who recently identified reef areas they are calling “supersites”that could help restore populations of predatory fish needed maintain an

Study says road threat to carnivores is underestimated globally

Findings to help guide conservation strategies Staff Report The threat of roads to carnivore species around the world has been seriously underestimated, according to a new study that looked at the issue on a global scale. After looking at 232 carnivore species around the world (out of a total of about. 270 existing species) and

Court ruling may help California sea otter recovery

Federal judge backs USFWS decision to end a ‘no otter’ zone in Southern California Staff Report California sea otters may have a better chance of expanding south along the coast after a federal judge last week backed a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decision to end a program that removed otters from areas south of

Anglers invited to join citizen science effort

TroutBlitz helps conservation and restoration efforts Staff Report FRISCO — It’s not always easy to gather good scientific data, especially in an era when political ideology drives policy, resulting in budget cuts that hamper government agencies. That’s where citizen science can help, and Trout Unlimited wants anglers around the country to help record evidence of

Feds promise $50 million for Western water conservation

Smart water management and conservation can help reduce drought pressure in the West Staff Report FRISCO — Efforts to conserve water in the drought-stricken Colorado River Basin and across the West got a major boost from the Obama administration this week. Federal resource managers this week announced a $50 million investment to  improve water efficiency

Study shows how mitigation boosts sage-grouse nesting

Scientists tout adaptive management approach to sage-grouse conservation Staff Report FRISCO — When it comes to greater sage-grouse nesting areas, no disturbance is best, but carefully planned mitigation measures can help boost nest survival. Minimizing disturbance to sagebrush is important, and the single biggest factor found to boost nest survival is locating wastewater treatment facilities

Not much love for endangered species in Obama’s budget

Funding for entire endangered species program is less than the cost of a single F-35 fighter jet Staff Report FRISCO — The Obama administration talks a good green game, but when it comes to putting money toward endangered species protection, it’s business as usual. In fact, according to environmental watchdogs, the total amount of money

Denver signs on to urban bird treaty

Deal with feds brings funds for conservation, education Staff Report FRISCO — Long before Denver sprawled into being, migratory birds passed through the area on their from breeding grounds in Canada to winter habitat along the Gulf Coast, Mexico and Central America. The eastern base of the Rocky Mountains is part of one the great

Southwestern bird populations in steep decline

Report shows that even many common species are dwindling Staff Report FRISCO — Bird populations are dwindling all over North America, especially in the Southwest, where some species have declined by as much as 48 percent since the late 1960s, according to the 2014 State of the Birds report released last week. In Utah, Arizona