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On the calendar today …
- PUBLIC MEETING:Beaver Restoration Project Proposal from 2pm to 3pm. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Beaver Restoration Program invites you to an informational meeting outlining the process for developing and submitting a Beaver Restoration Project Proposal. The meeting will be held virtually via webinar on Monday, May 12, 2025, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. This meeting is intended for landowners and land managers, including but not limited to Tribal, Federal, State, Local, or private, who are interested in receiving translocated beavers on their property for the purposes of re-establishing local beaver populations and facilitating restoration of the ecosystem. Click here for more information.
In California water news and commentary today …
Why a contentious project to raise California’s Shasta Dam could move forward under Trump
“Near the southern flank of Mount Shasta, springs and snowmelt converge to form the McCloud River. This Sacramento River tributary, held sacred by the Winnemem Wintu tribe, teemed with Chinook salmon before Shasta Dam, built in the 1940s, blocked their annual migrations. “The winter run was the main sustenance source for the Winnemem Wintu throughout history,” said tribal member Gary Mulcahy. “We consider them the grandfather of all salmon.” For several years, Winnemem Wintu leaders have collaborated with state and federal officials to reintroduce the critically endangered fish to this wilderness waterway in a historic effort to revitalize the McCloud and reconnect with their past. But a federal proposal to increase the height of Shasta Dam by more than 18 feet to provide more water to farmers now threatens the tribe’s land and could harm salmon runs. … ” Continue reading from Cal Matters.
Trade-offs in California water discussions
Jay Lund writes, “In policy and management, we should always be interested in performance, both overall effectiveness and efficiency of solutions, as well as trade-offs across objectives. These are often depicted on plots of Pareto-optimality, showing the relative performance of alternatives, the performance of efficient (Pareto-optimal) solutions, and trade-offs across these most efficient alternatives, often compared with current performance. Different policy and aspirational discussions seem to imply different views of what potential improvements exist relative to today’s performance (say for fish and money) … ” Continue reading at the California Water Blog.
Commentary: Costly, unnecessary infrastructure delays put California’s water supplies at risk
Jennifer Pierre, General Manager of the State Water Contractors, writes, “California’s climate is changing faster than our infrastructure can keep up. In the past five years, we’ve seen atmospheric rivers cause catastrophic flooding, prolonged drought has devastated agricultural communities and perpetuated a lack of access to safe drinking water, and inconsistent snowpack makes it difficult for water managers to plan for the future. This is our new norm. Yet, much of California’s water infrastructure was built for a climate reality that no longer exists. Right now, our lack of urgency is a massive gamble with a water system that is foundational to California’s position as the 4th largest economy in the world — and the odds are against us if we don’t act now. To meet our new climate realities, we need to flex a muscle that seems to have atrophied in California. We need to build — a lot — and take creative and decisive action to address our water supply challenges in new ways and on an unprecedented scale. This means investing in and prioritizing water infrastructure like the Delta Conveyance Project (DCP), updating and utilizing current regulations to ensure water managers have operational flexibility to adapt to an unpredictable climate, and implementing modern, science-driven regulatory updates like the Agreements to Support Healthy Rivers and Landscapes. … ” Continue reading this commentary.
Salmon Restoration Conference 2025: Entering a bold, new era of restoration with tools for measuring success
“The 42nd annual Salmonid Restoration Conference returned to the shores of Santa Cruz, California in 2025. Set along the hustle and bustle of the scenic Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, last week’s conference kept a busy pace. Over 100 speakers took to podiums, covering topics ranging from floodplains to salmon foodscapes, urban creek viability to rare salmonid monitoring methods, and central valley spring run monitoring to data driven policy decisions. This year’s theme, “Taking the Pulse: Measuring Restoration Success,” was complemented by concurrent sessions highlighting the importance of meadow restoration for water-fish-fire processes and how to navigate and evaluate the statuses of salmonids and their habitats after dam removal. Fittingly, many talks showcased studies and restoration projects in the upper Klamath basin following the dam removals of last year. … ” Read more from FishBio.
Scientists issue dire warning as dramatic shifts leave iconic species stranded: ‘We will not see them return’
“New research by the University of Western Australia shows that California’s wild salmon population is at risk because of climate-driven environmental shifts, and scientists warn the impact could be permanent if extreme drought conditions continue. The study, led by the University of California and published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that the state’s salmon are losing access to their traditional spawning streams as water flow decreases because of climate shifts. Salmon typically migrate from the ocean back to the rivers where they were born to spawn. But during California’s record-breaking drought from 2011 to 2014 — described as a “one-in-a-thousand-year” event by study co-author and associate professor Sally Thompson — many rivers didn’t begin flowing until months later than normal. … ” Read more from The Cool Down.
Press release: The urgent need for groundwater management in the Indian Wells Valley
The Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority writes, “Groundwater is the only source of water for the city of Ridgecrest, the U.S. Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, and the farms and businesses located throughout the Indian Wells Valley. At current pumping rates, this basin will likely run out of water within 40 years. That may seem like an issue for future leaders. Yet the longer the problem is ignored, the more difficult it will be to solve. And this problem has been ignored for decades. This situation is not exclusive to the Valley — aquifers around the world, in places ranging from Spain and Chile to Iran and China, are among those experiencing rapidly dropping groundwater levels. But according to recent research published in the science journal Nature, the Indian Wells Valley Basin is one of a handful of California regions experiencing some of the world’s most rapidly declining aquifers. In a 2024 interview with CalMatters, Scott Jasechko, co-author of the study and an associate professor of hydrology, water resources and groundwater at UC Santa Barbara, said, “The rates of groundwater level decline occurring in California really are some of the highest in the world. It’s a sobering finding.” This is not an unsubstantiated opinion. It is a fact — and a reality those of us living or working in the Valley neglect at our own peril. … ” Read more from the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority.
Helping birds and floating solar energy coexist
“From a small California winery to a large-scale energy project in China, floating photovoltaics — or “floatovoltaics”— are gaining in popularity. Commonly installed over artificial water bodies, from irrigation ponds and reservoirs to wastewater treatment plants, floating solar projects can maximize space for producing clean energy while sparing natural lands. But where there is water, there are waterbirds. Little is known about the impacts — positive or negative — floating solar projects may have on birds and other wildlife. A paper from the University of California, Davis, published in the journal Nature Water, is among the first to outline key considerations to better align renewable energy and biodiversity goals. Birds face many threats — from habitat loss and climate change to pollution and avian influenza — and many populations are in decline. “That’s why it’s so important to understand how waterbirds are going to respond to floating solar and if there is the possibility for conservation concessions at new floating solar facilities,” said corresponding author Elliott Steele, a postdoctoral scholar with the UC Davis Wild Energy Center within the Energy and Efficiency Institute. … ” Read more from UC Davis.
Solar canal pilot may one day help California achieve its ambitious climate, energy goals
“As you drive through the Central Valley, it is hard to miss the iconic California Aqueduct, which moves millions of gallons of irrigation water through a large canal in the middle of the state. The canal is visible because it’s open on top — a fact that also allows a sizable percent of the water to evaporate, as the region now faces increasingly high temperatures for much of the year. A few years ago, scientists began asking: What if we covered the canal with solar panels? Now, that question has prompted a pilot project. In late March, the first-ever solar canal — known as Project Nexus — was connected to the grid in Turlock. The $20 million state-funded project, which began in 2022, consists of two canopy-shaped sections of solar panels that are just 700 feet long and 20 feet wide. Together the sections have the capacity to produce over a megawatt of electricity. … ” Read more from Stocktonia.
University researchers predict improved water yields after forest thinning
“Thinning of forests, generally undertaken to reduce dangers from wildfire and restore the forest to a more natural state, also can create more mountain runoff to mitigate drought effects in the central Sierra Nevada region that relies on snowpack. In fact, researchers from the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources at the University of Nevada, Reno found that the quantity of additional water produced by thinned forests can be so significant that it might provide further incentive for forest managers to undertake prescribed burning or tree-removal using heavy equipment and hand crews with chainsaws. Water yields from thinned forests can be increased by 8% to 14% during drought years, found the study undertaken by Adrian Harpold, an associate professor in the Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Science, and Elijah Boardman, a doctoral student in the Graduate Program of Hydrologic Sciences. Harpold, who also conducts research as part of the College’s Experiment Station, is principal investigator of the study funded by the U.S. Forest Service and recently published in Water Resources Research. … ” Read more from UNR.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Chris Rogers’ Klamath water bill clears Assembly hurdle
“A bill aimed at retaining water flows in two Northern California rivers passed through the state Assembly earlier this week. The vote was 56-17 along party lines, with 6 absences. Assembly Bill 263, authored by Chris Rogers (D-Santa Rosa), would maintain existing minimum flows for the Shasta and Scott rivers, which were established as part of an emergency drought declaration four years ago. If enacted, the regulations would be kept until 2031, or whenever the State Water Board sets permanent rules. The rivers are major tributaries to the Klamath River and host spawning grounds for fish. Rogers aims to keep the flows in place for fish, the people who catch them, and to remedy long-excluded tribal input on water rights. On the Assembly floor, Rogers pointed to fish populations on the Klamath River starting to be restored in the past two years as a positive signal these temporary flows should be maintained. … ” Read more from the Eureka Times-Herald.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Golden mussels found in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta leads to strengthened Lake Tahoe procedures
“Boaters and paddlers are being encouraged to stay up to date with the strengthened procedures at Lake Tahoe this summer to protect the lake from the spread of aquatic invasive species. The Lake Tahoe watercraft inspection stations, boat launches, and marinas are opening for the 2025 boating season, and now is the time to be informed of new and mandatory procedures before heading to the water this year. Changes this year include mandatory decontaminations and additional processing time for motorized boats traveling from other areas, as well as more roving non-motorized inspectors at popular recreation areas. … ” Read more from South Tahoe Now.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Supervisors to hear presentation on water control (Yuba-Feather FIRO project)
“Revisions to California’s Water Control Manual are taking place this year between the California Department of Water Resources and the Army Corps of Engineers. The Butte County Board of Supervisors is set to hear a presentation on these changes during its meeting on Tuesday. Last year, the board penned a letter to the Army Corps of Engineers, essentially asking that the update reflect changes that favor safety for the public in Butte County. Supervisor Bill Connelly, backed by Chairman Tod Kimmelshue, asked that a presentation be given at a later date. The presentation from the Feather River Recovery Alliance is expected to be informational only with no vote by the board taking place, though the board could make staff requests based on the information. … ” Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record.
Fewer boats on Folsom Lake as quarantines continue due to invasive golden mussels
“California State Parks is trying to keep invasive golden mussels out of Folsom Lake. On April 14, mandatory inspections and a 30-day quarantine of boats not already in the water went into place. Temperatures reached the 90s Saturday, but Folsom Lake boat launch ramps were empty. Boaters who have already gone through the inspection process have just a few more days to wait until they can get their boats back in the water. “The golden mussel sounds like a nasty thing, so I hope it doesn’t make its way into Folsom because I heard it can take over entire ecosystems,” said boater Bobby Clements. The invasive golden mussel was first spotted in the Port of Stockton back in October. Now, officials want to keep them out of our waterways because they can drive out native species and clog up engines. … ” Read more from CBS News.
NAPA/SONOMA
Commentary: A critical moment for North Coast water
Janet Pauli, chair of the Mendocino County Inland Water and Power Commission, and James Gore, a Sonoma County supervisor, write, “Significant water supply challenges are upon us. PG&E’s intent to eliminate the Potter Valley Project and Lake Pillsbury means we need to act decisively to preserve our water supply. For over a century, communities in Sonoma and Mendocino counties have benefited from water diversions from the Eel River watershed. These diversions have sustained agriculture, drinking water supplies and local economies. But our reality is changing as PG&E moves forward with plans to decommission the Potter Valley Project and take out its dams. We find ourselves at this critical junction because PG&E made the irrevocable decision to surrender its license and decommission the hydropower project. Once PG&E withdrew its intent to relicense and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ordered it to submit the surrender and decommissioning plan, the only option became surrender and decommissioning. Furthermore, PG&E put the Potter Valley Project up for auction but received no bids from private or public entities due to the liability of the dams and annual operating losses. … ” Read more from Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
Windsor delays vote on proposed water, sewer rate hikes; residents have until May 21 to protest
“Windsor residents and business owners now have until May 21 to weigh in on a proposed hike to water and sewer rates — a delay prompted after two council members missed this week’s vote. The Town Council had been scheduled to approve the rate increases Wednesday but postponed the decision because members JB Leep and Tanya Potter were absent. The vote is now set for May 21. If approved, the new rates would raise a typical household’s monthly water bill by $3.24 and wastewater bill by $8.82, bringing average monthly totals to $38.85 for water and $94.07 for sewer service. Those estimates are based on single-family homes using about 6,000 gallons of water and 3,000 gallons of wastewater per month. … ” Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
BAY AREA
Bay Area weather whiplash: Rain, wind and cold returning Monday
“Monday will feel like someone slammed the brakes on spring. After a weekend that flirted with summer, with record-setting highs in Southern California and parts of the Bay Area soaring into the 80s and 90s, a sharp cooldown arrives Monday with wind, showers and a dash of instability. Scattered morning rain showers and gusty winds will mark the start of a broader spring reset, as temperatures will run about 10 degrees below normal. It won’t be a washout, but you’ll want a rain jacket or umbrella handy for the morning commute. The steadiest showers will move through between 5 and 8 a.m., with brief moderate bursts possible in parts of San Francisco, the East Bay hills and the North Bay. By late morning, the bulk of the organized showers will have shifted south and east, with some lingering spotty rain showers across the South Bay and Santa Cruz Mountains. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Bay Area environmental groups fear deeper cuts by EPA, what it can mean for Climate Ready projects
“There are concerns from environmental groups and others about expanding cuts by the Environmental Protection Agency, and what they could mean across San Francisco Bay. This could directly impact the work that keeps our ecosystems climate ready. As director of the nonprofit Climate Resilient Communities, Violet Saena works to protect East Palo Alto and other shoreline communities in the crosshairs of climate change. But now, she and her colleagues are finding themselves targeted, as the Trump EPA takes aim at millions of dollars in grants for Climate Justice programs, including an air pollution project the group had recently begun organizing for vulnerable members of the community. “We started planning for this project last year, and in February, when we received the notice that the program has been cut, we immediately went into dark. I didn’t know what is going on and what’s happening,” Saena said. … ” Read more from ABC Bay Area.
Restoration of Belmont Creek enters next phase
“Restoration work along the Belmont Creek watershed at Twin Pines Park is one step closer to completion, with the tree removal recently completed and the start of construction to begin soon. The construction is part of a broader effort to address erosion and mitigate increasingly intense stormwater flooding over the last several years, both within the city of Belmont and the nearby Harbor Industrial Area, which has seen some of the worst effects of the area’s most severe storms. The nearby Belmont Creek serves as a primary storm collector that feeds into the San Francisco Bay, and while its design capacity was meant for severe weather anticipated every 10 years, “more intense events currently exceed the capacity of the system downstream,” according to city reports. … ” Read more from the Daily Journal.
Pleasanton council clears the way for new water rate structure
“After going back and forth on different scenarios, the Pleasanton City Council unanimously accepted staff’s recommendation this week to advance the process to finalize changing the city’s water rate structure from a tiered system to a uniformed one where very low water users will see their bill more than double by the end of four years. According to the city’s bimonthly impacts reports for single-family customers with a 5/8-inch meter, average water consumers under the proposed rate structure can expect a nearly $20 bump to their current water bill by next year but by year four, that difference jumps to over $80. While none of the preliminary water rate increases discussed on May 6 were approved — that decision will occur in October — many on the dais expressed displeasure with the fact that the city has to do this process again following the contentious 2022 rate-setting process. But, according to public works director Siew-Chin Yeong, these increases are necessary. … ” Read more from Pleasanton Weekly.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Antelope Valley residents say they are fed up with rampant dumping, official inaction
“Eric Eller likes to ride his dirt bikes through the canyons, dry riverbeds and rocky outcroppings of the Antelope Valley in the high desert north of Los Angeles. Eller’s an off-the-grid kind of guy with a “Mad Max” vibe — living in a house on a remote plot of land next to a jury-rigged trailer where he tinkers with the remnants and pieces of gutted automobiles, motorcycles and other mechanical debris. But Eller’s isolation was obliterated last June when dozens of big dump trucks began snaking up the dirt road behind his house and discarding their loads into the nearby dry river canyon. The caravan of waste-haulers continued in the days that followed, often arriving after sundown or in the dark hours before dawn. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
A sewer in Malibu? January firestorm has coastal city pondering the once-unthinkable
“More than 30 years after Malibu residents formed a city, largely to block sewers and rampant development, leaders in the coastal community are talking about building a sewer system. The Malibu City Council has asked for a preliminary assessment of how to construct and finance a sewer line along Pacific Coast Highway, serving a nearly four-mile stretch of coast where 327 homes burned in the January wildfire. While Malibu’s leaders and citizens remain adamantly in favor of controlled growth, they believe there may be a way to build a sewer that does not open the way for wide-scale development, while also making it more likely that human waste won’t flow from homes into the ocean. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
SAN DIEGO
US one step closer to ‘100%’ deal with Mexico ending decades-long sewage crisis gripping vacation hotspot: EPA
“The U.S. and Mexico are one step closer to permanently ending a sewage crisis spewing from across the border into waters off the coast of San Diego, Environmental Protection Agency chief Lee Zeldin announced. “This week, EPA transmitted to Mexico a proposed ‘100% solution’ that would PERMANENTLY END the decades-old crisis of raw sewage flowing in to the U.S. from Mexico. Next, technical groups from both nations will be meeting to work through the details necessary to hopefully reach an urgent agreement,” Zeldin posted to X on Friday. Zeldin visited San Diego last month, where he announced talks with his government counterparts in Mexico to end the decades-long issue. The problem, blamed on outdated wastewater infrastructure, has persisted for decades, but has spiraled in recent years as Tijuana’s population skyrocketed. … ” Read more from Fox News.
Tijuana River sewage flow expected to temporarily increase due to repair project
“Sewage flow across the U.S.-Mexico border may temporarily increase in the Tijuana River Valley as part of a sewer line-repair project in Mexico starting this week. In a news release issued Friday, the county Air Pollution Control District announced the project could also increase pollution at South County beaches, as untreated wastewater is diverted south of the border. Now in its second and final phase, the project is expected to start Tuesday and take roughly one week to complete, APCD officials said. The existing line moves untreated wastewater to the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant in the U.S., and the San Antonio de los Buenos Plant in Mexico, according to the APCD. … ” Read more from Channel 10.
Along the Colorado River …
Colorado River bigwigs make ‘disturbing’ retreat from the public eye amid tense talks
“As tense negotiations about the future of the Colorado River are stuck at a standstill, the people in charge are retreating further into the shadows. A group of negotiators – one from each of the seven states that use Colorado River water – will not be speaking at a major water law conference in June. Those representatives have appeared together on a panel at the conference for the last few years, and rarely appear together in public otherwise. “The unwillingness to answer the public’s questions suggests that negotiations aren’t going well,” said John Fleck, who teaches water policy at the University of New Mexico. “I think it misses an important obligation in democratic governance of a river that serves 40 million people.” The event, the Getches-Wilkinson Conference at the University of Colorado, Boulder, is typically one of two times each year that the negotiators appear together in public. In recent iterations of the same conference, they all spoke on one panel. Occasionally, a state representative has fallen ill or sent a deputy in their stead. … ” Read more from KUNC.
SEE ALSO: Colorado River negotiators won’t be appearing at Getches-Wilkinson conference, from the Inkstain blog
Commentary: Do environmental groups targeting Colorado River water use have their priorities straight?
Mike Wade, Executive Director of the California Farm Water Coalition, writes, “Environmental groups want to limit Colorado River water going to Imperial Valley farms, saying it’s not of “beneficial” use. What is a more beneficial use of water than growing food (“Groups call on Trump administration to curb wasteful use of Colorado River water,” May 6)? In addition, no one has done more in the way of conservation on the Colorado River than Imperial Valley farmers. Since the implementation of the Quantification Settlement Agreement in 2003, they have saved over 8 million acre-feet of water with another half million-acre feet saved every year. California is also part of a three-state plan to save an additional 1.5 million acre-feet a year to help balance the Colorado River. The groups’ particular beef is with alfalfa, a foundational crop that feeds the livestock that bring us protein-rich foods like milk, cheese, meat, yogurt, ice cream and more. In this time of global uncertainty, do we really want to limit food production? … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Funding for water and wildlife conservation in Utah now on Trump’s list of budget cuts
“The Trump administration is recommending Congress cut hundreds of millions out of the government’s budget that helps fund the Central Utah Project, a massive system of water infrastructure and habitat restoration projects. It’s just one line item in the administration’s 46-page discretionary budget request, which slashes funding for a number of programs and agencies while boosting federal dollars for defense and border security. According to the White House, the Department of the Interior’s budget provides about $1.2 billion to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the Central Utah Project. Of that, the White House is proposing a $609 million cut. … ” Read more from the Kiowa County Press.
“Defending every drop” of our Colorado River water
“Marc Stilson, the principal engineer for The Colorado River Authority of Utah (CRAU) visited Carbon County Commission meeting on May 8, 2025. He came to update the commissioners on negotiations between states on water shares. He first started by explaining the significance of the Colorado River and its basins. The Upper and Lower basins span 250,000 square miles and support 40 million people. The river supplies water for seven states: Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, Nevada and California. It also supplies some water for Mexico. It is an economic powerhouse, annually providing $1.4 trillion in economic activity, $8 billion in agricultural economic value, 16 million jobs and supplies 5.5. million acres of farmland. … ” Read more from ETV News.
Commentary: U.S and Mexico must collaborate to manage water supply amid climate change
“The water treaty between Mexico and the United States has been in place since 1944. It has been a fundamental pillar in the shared management of transboundary water resources. However, the realities of the 21st century, marked by climate change, growing agricultural demand, and prolonged droughts, are putting its validity and adequacy to the test. The drought in northern Mexico has hampered compliance with the treaty during the current cycle, which ends on Oct. 24. It is worth mentioning that Mexico has not defaulted on deliveries but is delivering low percentages of the scheduled quota from the Rio Grande. This situation has generated diplomatic tensions, such as the United States’ refusal to supply Colorado River water to Tijuana, affecting border communities. … ” Read more from the Times of San Diego.
In national water news today …
Cuts at NOAA lead to new weather balloon technology at the agency
“A Silicon Valley weather startup will soon begin replacing National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather balloons with AI-powered alternatives, a cost-cutting measure brought on by severe budget cuts carried out by the Trump administration. WindBorne, founded in 2019 by a team of Stanford graduates, can provide valuable weather balloon data for a fraction of the cost by keeping the balloons in the sky for weeks using a combination of off-the-shelf computer parts and novel software. Traditional weather balloons operated by NOAA are only used for a single day before they pop and return to Earth. The move comes after Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency pushed for a roughly 25% reduction in the agency’s budget, forcing staff cuts and a shutdown of programs. … ” Read more from Semafor.
What’s the cost to society of pollution? Trump says zero.
“The White House has ordered federal agencies to stop considering the economic damage caused by climate change when writing regulations, except in cases where it is “plainly required” by law. The directive effectively shelves a powerful tool that has been used for more than two decades by the federal government to weigh the costs and benefits of a particular policy or regulation. The Biden administration had used the tool to strengthen limits on greenhouse gas emissions from cars, power plants, factories and oil refineries. Known as the “social cost of carbon,” the metric reflects the estimated damage from global warming, including wildfires, floods and droughts. It affixes a cost to the economy from one ton of carbon dioxide pollution, the main greenhouse gas that is heating the planet. … ” Read more from the New York Times.
A Republican push to sell public lands in the West is reigniting a political fight
“Congressional Republicans say their plan to sell potentially hundreds of thousands of acres of federal land will generate revenue and ease growth pressures in booming Western cities. Yet without clear details on how it will work, skeptics worry it could be a giveaway for developers and mining companies and do little to ease the region’s housing crisis. Legislation passed by the House Natural Resources Committee last week includes about 460,000 acres (186,155 hectares) in Nevada and Utah to be sold or transferred to local governments or private entities. The provision is part of a sweeping tax cut package and mirrors the Trump administration’s view of most public lands as an asset to be used, not set aside for preservation. Who should control such sites has long been a burning source of disagreement in the West, where about half the acreage is under federal control and cities that sprawl across open landscapes face rising demand for housing, water and other necessities. … ” Read more from the Associated Press.
