Kirk Siegler
Stories
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National
Summer fire season nears as many wildland firefighting jobs are vacant
The forecast for a hotter-than-normal summer has Westerners on edge, especially with up to a quarter of all U.S. federal wildland firefighter jobs currently unfilled.
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National
Biden ending new leases in America's top coal region
Citing climate change, federal land managers are moving to end new leasing for coal in the country's top producing region.
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Biden's National Monument expansion applauded by allies, but big obstacles loom
President Biden dramatically expanded two national monuments in California. But there are growing concerns that federal land managers are struggling to manage existing monuments designated since 2016.
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National
Oil industry could help the Biden administration tap 'invisible' green energy
The White House wants a twenty-fold increase in geothermal energy production to fight climate change and it's counting on the oil and gas industry for help.
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National
Man admits racial harassment of Utah women's NCAA basketball team
Prosecutors in northern Idaho say they won't bring charges against a man who admitted to using a racial slur against University of Utah women's basketball players.
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National
What biologists see from the shores of the drying Great Salt Lake
Half of the Great Salt Lake in Utah has now dried up but scientists say there's still some time left to reverse its decline.
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Farmers accused of drying up the imperiled Great Salt Lake say they can help save it
Environmentalists are suing Utah to force water cutbacks to farmers to save the Great Salt Lake. Farmers call the blame unfair and say that would have its own environmental and economic consequences.
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National
Federal appeals court revokes Obama-era ban on coal leasing
A U.S. appeals court struck down a judge's 2022 order that imposed a moratorium on coal leasing on federal lands.
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National
Wildfire managers, trying to staff up for this year's season, face many issues
A mild and dry El Nino winter in parts of the West is stirring anxieties about wildfire season, just as federal agencies are struggling to fill firefighting jobs.
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National
2023 was a tragic and bizarre year of wildfires. Will it mark a turning point?
Unusual and tragic are two words that might describe the 2023 wildfire season which experts say might end up being a game changer for U.S. fire policy.