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Judge sides with Lombardo on conservation agency appointment
A Nevada district judge has sided with Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo over a recent controversial appointment that prompted a lawsuit from a conservation group. Earlier this year, the Center for Biological Diversity and a former state employee challenged the appointment of former Republican state Sen. James Settelmeyer as director of the Department of Conservation and […]
Reno-based geothermal developer set to sue Biden administration over toad’s endangered listing
A geothermal energy developer vowed to sue the Biden administration over its decision to list a rare Nevada toad as endangered. The endangered listing could potentially derail the company’s latest renewable energy project in Nevada. In a letter filed Wednesday, Reno-based Ormat Technologies Inc. announced their intention to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service […]
How NV tribes are saving Lahontan cutthroat trout from extinction
Thousands of captive-raised specimens of the largest cutthroat trout species in North America are released into Pyramid Lake every year, but despite the trout’s size and might, they are also one of the most threatened. Decades of overfishing, dam building, water diversion, and other human actions have set the Lahontan cutthroat trout up for unrelenting […]
Nevada treasurer applauds Biden veto of ‘anti-free market’ bill
Nevada State Treasurer Zack Conine praised President Biden’s first veto for a bill that would have repealed a rule allowing asset managers to consider climate change, social and governance issues in their investment decisions. “It’s unfortunate that extremists continue to support anti-competitive and anti-free market legislation at the expense of our retirees,” said Conine in […]
Biden makes it official, designates sacred site in Nevada a national monument
After decades of work by Native American tribes in the Southwest, a culturally significant and sacred swath of land in Nevada finally gained permanent protections Tuesday. During a White House summit on conservation, President Joe Biden will announce the establishment of Nevada’s fourth national monument: Avi Kwa Ame, fulfilling a commitment he made last year. […]
U.S. proposes ‘huge’ fee increase for most green card applications
Nearly 7,000 comments were submitted in response to a proposed increase in US visa fees, the majority, voicing fierce opposition and concerns. Last week, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) ended public comment for a proposed fee increase unveiled by the Biden administration in January. The deadline for public comment was initially set for […]
First NV gas plant in 15 years gets expedited approval, customers likely to get the bill
Nevada regulators have approved an NV Energy plan to build a natural gas-fired power plant they say will help address system reliability as weather grows more extreme and unpredictable across the region. The energy monopoly will build a 400 MW gas-fired combustion turbine – or “peaker plant” – on the site of the Silverhawk Generating […]
‘A very political little wildflower’ in danger of extinction in Southern Nevada
Like many deserts, lack of rainfall in the Mojave has pushed life to the furthest limits of adaptation, saturating the region with rare and unique species found nowhere else in the world. In fact, one-fourth of plant species growing in the Mojave Desert—the smallest of four major deserts in North America—are one of a kind. […]
Impressive snowpack notwithstanding, drought impacts persist in Nevada
Federal water managers are increasingly optimistic about Nevada’s water outlook due to a handful of storms that dropped several feet of snow, but warn that drought impacts have continued to persist. Winter is delivering an incredible snowpack to Nevada and surrounding states, setting the state in a good position to meet water demands in the […]
Lawsuit says feds dragging feet instead of protecting tiny rare Nevada fish
Federal wildlife managers face growing pressure to decide whether to protect a tiny rare fish unique to Nevada under the Endangered Species Act. The small 5-inch fish were once found at several isolated spring habitats in Esmeralda County but are now restricted to a single ranch spring in Fish Lake Valley due to habitat loss […]
Legislature proposes excessive heat protections for workers
Extreme temperature significantly affects workforce health during sustained high temperatures, and worker exposure to excessive heat has only increased in the last decade. Construction workers, car dealers, bakers, tire shop employees, delivery workers, trash collectors, and workers in dozens of other industries are at high risk of heat-related hazards in the state, according to the […]
Construction at Thacker Pass starts after judge rejects attempt to halt it
Construction of a mine over the largest known source of lithium in the United States started Thursday, after a federal court rejected an emergency request to halt work on the mine. The Thacker Pass mine — which has been wrapped up in a legal battle for two years — made its way to 9th U.S. […]