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A toppled saguaro in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument on December 21, 2019.

Groups allege attempted sale of saguaros from border wall; ask state to investigate

A letter calls on the state to look into a border wall subcontractor and documentation around cacti impacted by construction.
2019's Hurricane Dorian.

UA hurricane forecasters map summer season

The team has predicted 10 hurricanes for the North Atlantic, and drier summer for Southern Arizona.
In his book "At the Center of All Beauty: Solitude and the Creative Life", Fenton Johnson uncovers what role did solitude play in the lives of famous writers, thinkers and artists.

"At the Center of All Beauty": Author Fenton Johnson on the connection between solitude and creativity

Also on Arizona Spotlight: How a DNA test revealed a sensitive family secret; and essays from two young women about the changes the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to their lives.
A court document submitted by federal attorneys May 20 eliminates funding for a stretch of border wall that would have crossed through tribal land.

Defense Department cuts funding for border wall section in Yuma

A court document pulls funding for a 7-mile stretch that would have crossed tribal land.
Looking west toward the San Rafael Valley and the Patagonia Mountains.

Groups say border wall construction threatens biodiversity of Arizona sky islands

Conservation groups say the animals rely on the ranges to travel between habitats in the U.S. and Mexico.
Fire managers have restricted campfires in Arizona to limit the risk of human-caused fire following a wet winter.

Campfires, stoves, smoking banned on public lands for fire risk

Public land agencies are trying to limit human-caused wildfires this summer.
The Canyon Mine, about 15 miles south of the Grand Canyon, was approved in 1986 but has not produced any uranium, its owners say, in part because subsidized competition from foreign countries like China and Russia keeps prices too low.

Plan to ‘revive’ uranium mining called unneeded, unwanted by advocates

Environmentalists fear the removal of regulations on the industry, which they say has yet to address a toxic legacy.
A Pima County official says fewer people driving amid COVID-19 restrictions appears to be contributing to less pollution in the air.

With fewer cars on the streets, Tucson's air quality is improving

Pandemic restrictions are a factor in the air quality improvements, a county official says.
An image provided by the Center for Biological Diversity shows a group of construction workers at a site in the San Bernadino National Wildlife Refuge on April 8.

Continued wall construction puts border residents on edge amid COVID-19 pandemic

Residents of small border communities say construction workers don't practice safe social distancing on or off the job
Traffic in Phoenix with the city's downtown skyline in the distance.

EPA won’t expand pollutant rule — ‘mistake’ during COVID-19, critics say

The agency said it isn't going to toughen air quality standards, which environmentalists say is "totally backwards."
Cars moving through Tucson.

Want to delay your emissions test in Arizona? Only if you're 65+

ADEQ says they're working to reduce risk during emissions testing, and that clean air helps us all, including those with COVID-19.
A view of the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area.

Environmentalists sue BLM over grazing in San Pedro conservation area

Groups say allowing cattle grazing to continue harms the San Pedro's riparian landscape.
A construction worker works on installing 30-foot bollard fencing along Arizona's border with Mexico in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, February 2020.

Lawsuits challenging border wall funding can move forward, judge rules

A U.S. District Court judge last week ruled two lawsuits brought by environmental groups will be allowed to continue.
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's patrol ship M/V Farley Mowat in the Sea of Cortez in September 2019.

Group suspends efforts to protect endangered vaquita during pandemic

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society says it will resume operations to protect the small porpoise in the Gulf of California as soon as it's safe.
The Environmental Protection Agency lashed out against critics of its decision to ease enforcement of some reporting requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying the policy had been distorted by opponents. But environmental groups were not convinced, saying it creates a “catch me if you can” situation for polluters.

EPA defends plan to ease compliance requirements in face of coronavirus

Environmentalists have repeated charges that the policy creates a "catch me if you can" situation for polluters.
A construction worker works on installing 30-foot bollard fencing along Arizona's border with Mexico in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, February 2020.

Environmental advocates say planned border construction threatens jaguar corridors

CBP announced plans to build more than 90 miles of border wall in an area advocates say is predominantly remote wilderness.

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