As stewards of America’s natural resources, rural communities are often on the front lines of both environmental disasters and innovations. You can keep up with the latest environmental news from across rural America here.
45 Degrees North: The Flip Side of Gas Stoves
The holidays can be a great time to share family recipes, traditions, and perspectives on life that sometimes puzzle our loved ones – like the rural devotion to gas stoves.
More stories about the environment
Deer Season Is Here. “Zombie Deer Disease” Is too.
If we’re not careful, Chronic Wasting Disease can threaten our ecological health and one of rural America’s favorite pastimes.
Video: Lions, Tigers and Bears? Welcome Home, to Rural Colorado
The Wild Animal Sanctuary houses large animals from all over the world. They even rescued lions from “Tiger King.”
The Beaver State of Mind
A rural town in Oregon became an unlikely epicenter of global efforts to restore the semi-aquatic rodent. Starting in mid-November, the State of Beaver Conference will host beaver experts and conservationists from all over the world.
Getting a Rural Perspective on the Solar Eclipse
The October 14 solar eclipse was a spectacular event to witness and an economic boon for some of the small towns in its path.
A Journey to Salmon River
Climate change might be exacerbating Chinook Salmon decline, but the view of homecoming and spawning from Salmon River this weekend was surprisingly breathtaking.
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Government Shutdown Averted, Natural Disasters Continue
FEMA funding was in limbo during the near-government shutdown, underscoring the vulnerability of communities endangered by climate change.
Climate Change Is Affecting Rural Workers in Myriad Ways
Heat, smoke and financial uncertainty are among the top climate change-related factors weighing on workers.
Radically Rural: From Crisis to Consensus – Confronting Water Struggles in Rural Areas
In order to holistically tackle hydrological problems in rural America it might be helpful to think about water as a verb more than a noun.
Burning Man Was a Disaster
It’s something rural folks know well: not every place needs to be made a metropolis, not even temporarily.
2nd Round of Wildfire-Prevention Funding Will Have Tools to Help Rural Applicants
A report from Headwaters Economics showed that communities with fewer staff and less expertise were less likely to win grants from a federal wildfire-defense program. The Forest Service is trying two new tools to help these places, which tend to be rural, be more successful.
Thousands of Coal Miners Still Sick and Dying as Feds Consider Silica Dust Fix
A proposed rule to toughen restrictions on silica dust is being considered by the Mine Safety and Health Administration, but health experts question how effective the measures would be to mitigate risk to coal miners.
A World Without Sriracha
Drought-tolerant peppers used for Sriracha are in short supply as climate change makes it hard for even these heat-loving plants to survive. It tastes like bad news for everyone.
Requiem for the Joshua tree
Climate change threatens populations of one of the most recognizable plants in the American West – the Joshua Tree.
Video: Colorado Finally Got Heavy Rain. Now What?
June 2023 was the wettest month on record for many Colorado counties. But in a state accustomed to drought, all that water has to go somewhere.
Abandoned Uranium Mines on Rural Navajo Nation Proposed for Superfund Listing
Abandoned uranium mines that were never safely closed up might soon be listed under the Environmental Protection Agency’s Superfund List, which identifies polluted sites in need of a long-term cleanup plan.
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How Did the [Insert Wildlife] Cross the Road?
The U.S. Department of Transportation allocated $350 million for wildlife crossings, but experts say it’s not enough to mitigate the harm caused by transportation.
Q&A: Fallow Agricultural Lands with Non-Native Grasses Are Hawai’i’s Tinder Box
A fire scientist in Hawai’i says the scale of the Maui fires should be a wake-up call for the state.
Rolling Fork Residents Forge Ahead With Rebuilding After Mississippi Tornadoes
Months after a storm system swept through the Mississippi Delta and devastated the small town of Rolling Fork, some locals are slowly piecing their community back together. But many others have decided to leave the area for good.
Maui Wildfires Highlight Rural Firefighting Dilemma
The deadly fire that flattened Lāhainā did not surprise wildfire experts who have watched climate change and invasive grasses significantly increase Hawai’i’s wildfire risk in recent decades.
‘Oppenheimer’ Discourse Leaves Out Downwind Communities
The blockbuster film, and the buzz it’s attracted, overlook the tens of thousands of rural people living within 50 miles of the first nuclear blast.
Colorado River Drought Behind Rural-Urban Tensions in the Centennial State
Interstate negotiations on the Colorado River water allotments have added to tensions around the state’s limited water resources.
Wells Are Running Dry in Rural Communities of Color. Is a Fix in Sight?
Many rural communities of color lack access to safe drinking water. This year’s Farm Bill could finally change this.
Eagles on a Web Cam Make a Small Town Take Off
A live broadcast online of an eagle family created a community of followers extending far beyond the small town of Decorah, Iowa.
‘East Kentucky Flood,’ Some More of the Stories: Help Our Fellow Man
In Breathitt County, Kentucky, long hours, long nights, and lessons on being a neighbor.
The World’s Small Farms Need More Support to Confront Climate Change
Small-scale farmers in developing nations and U.S. are on the front lines of climate change. They need more support, says Root Capital.
‘Prove It or Lose It.’ How Tribes are Forced to Fight to Secure Senior Water Rights.
A 1908 Supreme Court ruling requires Congress to reserve enough water for Indian reservations, but tribes are now having to fight for this right as climate change fuels water scarcity throughout the American West.
California Is Spending Millions to Compensate Ranchers for Living Near Wolves
A California Fish and Wildlife program compensates ranchers working in wolf country for lost livestock, predator-deterrent tools, and most recently, the stress effect on cattle living near wolves that results in reduced weight and breeding problems.
Video: As Wolves Return to Colorado, a Rancher Turns to Man’s Best Friend
With wolves back on the landscape in this part of northern Colorado, domestic dogs might prove to be one of this rancher’s most valuable tools.
Report: Central Appalachia Could Be a Safe Haven for Climate Change Migrants
Researchers found that the region could see a wave of climate-related migration. Early findings point to the need for robust infrastructure investments to support potentially growing population.
In an Arizona Coal Mine, One Man Recalls the Retired Navajo Miners Suffering from Black Lung
Retired coal miners across the Navajo Nation are suffering from black lung disease and other health problems as a result of exposure to coal mine dust. Alex Osif, a retired coal miner himself, is helping people find out if they’re eligible for federal black lung benefits.
Rural Communities Find Unique Solutions to Protect Against Wildfire Smoke Exposure
Rural communities in the western United States are no stranger to the dangers of wildfire smoke, yet little has been done to mitigate its health risks to rural people. Now, new solutions to address these risks are cropping up in several states.
Solar Farms in Colorado: Fossil Fuel-Free Energy Comes With Controversies
Residents of Montezuma County, Colorado, mostly support the development of solar farms. But as coops build out solar farms, concerns about farmland loss, wildlife, and quality of life for residents crop up.
A Landmark Investigation Brings Environmental Justice to Rural Alabama
Public health officials refused to develop a sanitation system in a predominantly Black region of rural Alabama. The federal government found the state guilty of neglect and discrimination.
Killing Fish to Save Frogs
During World War II, lakes in California’s Sierra Nevada mountain range were populated with trout that rapidly transformed the region’s ecosystems. Now, a poison is being used in some lakes to kill off the invasive fish.
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