Environment

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland announced $103 million to bolster wildfire risk reduction efforts and address the health risks faced by wildland firefighters while visiting the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise.

Colorado River water managers are facing a monumental task. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has asked seven western states to commit to an unprecedented amount of conservation and do it before a deadline later this summer. This comes amid shrinking water levels in the nation's largest reservoirs.

Beavers create messy wetlands as safe places to live, and a new paper explains how their engineering is also a powerful tool in fending off the harms of climate change. Their dams, channels and ponds have positive side effects that reduce the damage caused by flood, drought and wildfire.

Climate change and outdated dams are shrinking fish populations across the Mountain West and beyond. That includes a species that a Native American tribe in our region used to rely on.

U.S. Senators talked about the West’s drought this week and what more they could be doing to address it. About $8.3 billion from the bipartisan infrastructure package is going to water systems, but as some lawmakers noted, water is drying up faster than some projects can get off the ground.

Yellowstone Superintendent Superintendent Cam Sholly said part of the park's major northern road will remain closed indefinitely, raising questions about how the park will manage summer crowds.

Idaho Matters sits down with the Executive Director of Zoo Boise to find out how they are protecting their birds from bird flu and what people can do to help.

Idaho Matters takes a look at the history of the Gem States wildflowers, from how they're discovered to what they can be used for.

Idaho Matters takes a look at efforts being made to help fish recovery and migration in the Mountain West.

The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for parts of Nevada, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona this weekend. These warnings usually last one to three days, and mean that any new wildfires could exhibit extreme behavior. If you see these warnings, take extra precautions to prevent wildfires, like make sure campfires are completely out and stop smoking.