Environment
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission promotes conservation education in schools
With more than $680,000 in grant funding available this year for Arkansas schools and the launch of a volunteer program to help students complete new graduation requirements, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has brightened its spotlight on conservation education. Both efforts help to build long-term support for conservation, which is one of the parameters […]
With bold investments in transit, we can rapidly cut emissions — and make life better for all of us
In June, we witnessed the earliest ever category 5 hurricane to form in the Atlantic Ocean. The storm caused more than 1 million people to lose power for more than four days and caused deaths as far away as Vermont. In just the first 10 days in July, more than 28 people died from […]
Officials identify goals for Arkansas Water Plan, estimate $3.3 million completion cost
Environmental officials — who one year ago were tasked with updating a comprehensive plan that informs water policy in Arkansas — recently announced goals, future plans and an estimated completion cost of $3.3 million for the Arkansas Water Plan. The most recent iteration of the Arkansas Water Plan was published a decade ago, and while […]
Nebraska, Iowa AGs part of 11-state push for EPA rule on farm chemicals
OMAHA — Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers and Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird joined two farmers and state agricultural officials Wednesday in drawing a line in fertile soil. The two ag-led states were among 11 states urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to stop a patchwork of state labeling efforts on farm chemicals. Attorneys general […]
Coal power plants cost Americans millions when they didn’t have to, study says
Utility companies in Louisiana saddled in- and out-of-state customers with $340 million in unnecessary costs over the past three years by choosing to run outdated, inefficient coal plants when cleaner, more affordable energy sources were available, according to a recent study an environmental group commissioned. The Natural Resources Defense Council, a coalition of environmental lawyers, […]
25 states file emergency appeal to U.S. Supreme Court to halt EPA’s carbon rule
Attorneys general in 25 states, including Arkansas’ Tim Griffin and Montana’s Austin Knudsen, have sent an emergency appeal to the United States Supreme Court asking it to immediately halt a Biden administration rule that they say threatens to shutter the country’s remaining fleet of coal-fired power plants. The emergency appeal to stay the Environmental Protection […]
Arkansas coalition receives $100 million in federal funds for energy, environment projects
Approximately half of Arkansas’ population is expected to feel the effects of a $100 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to reduce climate pollution. A coalition including Metroplan, Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission and the city of Fort Smith is one of 25 recipients of the nationally funded grants, according to a press release. […]
Arkansas search and rescue teams assist with New Mexico floods
Nearly 30 Arkansans from various fire departments and emergency teams across the state helped with search and rescue efforts in New Mexico, where deadly wildfires exacerbated the flood risk for communities. Danny Akines, a training and logistics officer from the Pulaski County Office of Emergency Management, was one of those deployed to monitor Las Vegas, […]
Tennessee Valley Authority faces a push to get greener and more transparent
ASHLAND CITY, Tenn. — When he heard about the sale, Kerry McCarver was perplexed. In 2020, the mayor of rural Cheatham County discovered that the Tennessee Valley Authority bought about 280 acres of rolling farmland “in the middle of nowhere” in his county, which lies just west of Nashville and is home to about 42,000 […]
SBA administrator visits Northwest Arkansas business owners affected by tornadoes
When Daniel Sanchez’s family discovered the damage a tornado caused their small business in May, he said it was the first time he’d ever seen his father cry. “That really hurt, all the hard work he’s put in,” Sanchez said. Tortilleria La Popular — a tortilla factory, bakery and restaurant — has been a fixture […]
Governor appoints her campaign manager to Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
Chris Caldwell — a longtime friend to Arkansas’ first family, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ campaign manager and political adviser, and the chair of a group that opposes three ballot initiatives — was appointed to the state Game and Fish Commission Monday afternoon. Sanders announced Caldwell’s appointment at the Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center […]
Leaders in Arkansas water infrastructure hope for relief with latest federal funding
This story was updated at 10:12 a.m. on July 5, 2024 to distinguish between waitlisted projects and approved projects. Arkansas rural water systems are looking to $5 million in federal funds to help them improve aging pipes and other infrastructure, the CEO of the Arkansas Rural Water Association said this week. Dennis Sternberg, the association’s […]