Mountain West News Bureau

The American Lung Association’s annual air quality report shows that some of the most polluted air is in the areas around Las Vegas, Phoenix, Denver, and Salt Lake City, but some of the cleanest is in the mountain areas in Wyoming, Colorado, St. George, Utah, and Prescott Valley, Ariz.

A group called the Free Land Holders fenced off more than 1,400 acres of national forest land in southwest Colorado this week and released a proclamation declaring ownership of the tract. Community members quickly showed up and began removing miles of the barbed wire fence.

The U.S. Forest Service has historically faced demands that exceed its budget and workforce capacity. And now, looming congressional budget cuts are only putting a finer point on this. That likely means looking for creative solutions for maintaining these public lands, which is nothing new for the third largest forest in the lower 48 – the Bridger-Teton. They’ve worked closely with a nonprofit to fill in some critical gaps. It’s a relatively novel concept in the forest world.

In places with some of the harshest winter conditions in the lower 48, people are insulating their houses with straw. The alternative material is a way to lower carbon footprints and is surprisingly resilient.

Air pollution can be two to five times worse indoors compared to outside, and it’s especially concerning for children, who tend to breathe in more air than adults in relation to their body weight.

According to recent reporting, shelters are at capacity, especially on reservations with underfunded infrastructure. And climate change is compounding the problem.

According to a National Bureau of Economic Research study referenced by Climate Central, for every increased degree in heat, a student's learning ability decreases by nearly 1%, and that air conditioning can limit these impacts.

The plan opens up 31 million acres of public lands to solar development across 11 western states.

Conservation groups say they intend to sue the federal government if it doesn’t take steps to protect the world’s smallest rabbit, which is found across the Mountain West.

According to a survey of nearly 1,000 election workers this year by the Brennan Center for Justice, one out of 3 election workers say they’ve personally experienced threats, harassment, or abuse.