HELENA, Mont. -- Legislation in Montana that will create some of the highest registration fees for electric vehicles in the nation awaits Gov. Greg Gianforte's signature.

The measure will add $375 to the annual registration fee for electric SUVs and light trucks, making it the highest for these types of vehicles in the country. It would add $195 to standard electric cars, the nation's third-highest fee.

Conor Ploeger, clean energy program director for the Montana Environmental Information Center, said the increases run counter to the electric vehicle trend.

"If that's what customers want to purchase, then they shouldn't have to be punished in any way for wanting to choose that over a gas-powered vehicle," Ploeger argued. "Especially if that's where the market is heading, and that's what the more available option may be throughout this decade."

Car companies are making plans to increase their electric vehicle sales. General Motors has announced it plans to stop selling gas-powered cars by 2035.

Supporters of the Montana measure say it's a way to ensure that electric vehicle owners are paying their fair share of taxes to maintain roads, since they don't pay the taxes at gas pumps.

Ploeger agreed electric vehicle owners should contribute to highway revenue, but said the fees are too high. He thinks it should be a flat fee across vehicle types.

Michigan is the only other state that has different fees for SUVs and light trucks.

Ploeger noted Montana already lags behind neighboring states on adoption and wants the Legislature to send more encouraging messages to potential electric car owners.

"Montanans need to hear that the Legislature supports them purchasing an electric vehicle," Ploeger contended. "That the Legislature is going to look into other things, such as electric vehicle infrastructure, such as charging stations, things like that. So I think, in general, this is just a very bad first step."

Nearly a thousand Montanans own electric vehicles, according to a fiscal note attached to the bill. It estimates about 200 new electric vehicles will hit the state's roads each year, with the new fees adding nearly $330,000 to highway revenue in fiscal year 2025.

DENVER -- Few people spend as much time in the wilderness and outdoors as hunters and anglers, and a new report aims to be a springboard to bring those conservationists and their knowledge into discussions of combating climate change.

The report, titled A Hunter's and Angler's Guide to Climate Change, touches on a variety of landscapes throughout the country used by sportsmen and women that face environmental threats. Among them are the country's forests and rivers.

Aaron Kindle, director of sporting advocacy at the National Wildlife Federation and the report's author, said in Colorado, heat waves, droughts, and forest fires are hurting outdoor recreation in the state.

"If your elk hunt is canceled because the unit that you were going to hunt in is burning down, that's clearly an impact on the ability to hunt," Kindle remarked. "We saw historic closures this year in Colorado. Many rivers closed because of too hot of temperatures for trout, so those are the kinds of things we're seeing, that are really meaning, our ability to hunt and fish is under threat."

Colorado had its first 200,000-acre forest fire in 2020. The report showed natural infrastructure can offer some level of protection for these areas. Wetlands, forests and floodplains in particular can prevent flooding and help purify water.

Kindle said some immediate actions hunters and anglers can take to start contributing to the fight against climate change include taking part in reforestation efforts. But a big part of finding environmental solutions is by advocating for resources on the state and federal level.

"We are a community of storytellers," Kindle reflected. "We talk about the hunt. We talk about fishing. We talk about the seasons and how they've changed. And hunters and anglers have such a crucial narrative that would help shape those pieces of legislation into a better form."

Among the federal support named in the report is the REPLANT Act, which would quadruple investments in reforestation in national forests. It also suggested relaunching the Civilian Conservation Corps, a 1930s public-works program, but with a focus on addressing climate change.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- October is usually the best time of year to see the bright, changing leaf colors that ring in autumn in Pennsylvania, but researchers say the wet, warm weather of the last few months may result in muted fall foliage.

When the days get shorter and the temperature drops, chlorophyll, which creates leaves' green pigment, breaks down, while anthocyanin, which causes the red coloring, is produced. The ideal conditions for this are moist summers and drier fall seasons.

Pennsylvania saw one of the wettest summers on record this year and an unseasonably warm fall so far, which has led to a delay in the changing leaf colors.

Marc Abrams, professor of forest ecology and tree physiology at Penn State University, said when fall foliage is late, it can lead to a shorter peak period for viewing.

"We might have a sudden frost come about at any time, and when that hits the green or just slightly changing leaves, it will turn them brown rather quickly," Abrams explained. "All those things could either truncate or be a further negative factor for fall colors this year."

This summer was the seventh hottest and 11th wettest on record for Pennsylvania, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Abrams pointed out in central Pennsylvania, peak coloration is occurring about half a week later than it did about 40 years ago.

Among the types of trees in Pennsylvania appearing most impacted by the extreme weather are sugar and red maple, both major color-producing species, suffering from a leaf fungus. Even though the foliage has been disappointing so far, Abrams is holding out hope colder temperatures in the next few weeks will create stunning landscape views.

"Fall color can be really resilient and actually overcome a lot of these negative factors," Abrams noted. "I still encourage people to get out there. Keep an eye on when things are starting to change in your area and take nice drives into wooded areas and try to seek out these really good colors."

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources also offers weekly statewide reports showing where and when Pennsylvania leaves are at their peak.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Some West Virginia families are calling on Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., to support President Joe Biden's climate action plan.

Manchin continues to oppose key elements of the Biden proposal to develop a carbon-free energy sector by 2035 and reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Manchin also insists Biden's $3.5 trillion spending plan be whittled down to $1.5 trillion, and include tax breaks for the coal and natural gas industries.

Lucia Valentine, West Virginia field consultant for Mom's Clean Air Force, met recently with the senator's staff. She said she takes Manchin at his word, who asserted he is listening to West Virginians affected by the extreme weather events of a changing climate.

"I think that the climate impacts in our state are too consequential to ignore," Valentine contended. "I live along the Potomac River, and my family has been displaced by flooding recently that has only worsened over, you know, my time living in West Virginia."

Research shows in coming decades, West Virginia will likely see more frequent and extreme weather events. An analysis of flood risk by the nonprofit First Street Foundation found one in five homes in the state is at high risk of flooding.

This summer, Gov. Jim Justice declared a state of emergency for all 55 counties due to flood threats from the remnants of Hurricane Ida.

Valentine believes the well-being of West Virginia's next generation depends on reducing the pollution from carbon emissions.

"We're in this moment," Valentine stressed. "And we have this opportunity for Manchin to really step up and support our nation and our state, by allowing these investments."

One 2019 West Virginia University study found the Appalachian region could experience a 10-degree Fahrenheit jump in average temperature by the end of the century due to global warming.