By Hunter Fore for Cronkite News.
Broadcast version by Alex Gonzalez for Arizona News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public News Service Collaboration

On an overcast November morning, volunteers got to work to restore local river flow.

Drought and decreasing water availability have been ongoing problems throughout Arizona. In Tucson, drought along with new land developments are causing decreases in vegetation and wildlife habitat.

Watershed Management Group is a Tucson-based nonprofit that aims to fix this problem. The group aids in local water conservation, land restoration and river flow. It holds regular events to help the environment such as cleanups, workshops, fundraisers and classes. The group has a club called the River Run Network, which includes a biweekly email with invitations to events like creek walks and family education days to help restore Tucson's heritage of flowing rivers.

Watershed Management Group worked to remove an invasive plant from a riparian area in the Tanque Verde community of Tucson on Nov. 18.

The species of grass Arundo donax, more commonly known as "giant reed," is an invasive species in Tucson's riparian ecosystem, the wetland area between a body of water and land. Invasive species in those areas are harmful to the ecosystem, wildlife and the city's groundwater supply.

"Arundo is one of the invasive species that we focus on removing," said Hannah Nuest, a program coordinator for the River Run Network. "It sucks up to three to four times the amount of water that native plants do, which affects groundwater levels and river flow."

Tucson's drinking water comes mostly from the Colorado River, which is experiencing decreasing water levels, and from groundwater. But those underground aquifers are fed with water from natural areas like riparian preserves, and invasive species like arundo compete for that water, cutting into Tucson's water supply

"Invasive species also cause problems for tree canopy coverage," Nuest said. "Trees like the cottonwood and the mesquite need water closer to the surface, so when that water's being used up, the number of trees can decrease, causing habitat loss, less shade, more pollutants and hotter temperatures."

Arundo removal also helps the local ecosystem with flood risk reduction, water quality improvement and increased river flow.

"Arundo comes from the Mediterranean and was brought to the Tucson area around the early 19th century for landscaping," said Jim Washburne, Watershed Management Group's senior project specialist.

When arundo grass is present, nutrients that usually travel downstream are blocked. This prevents other plants from growing along waterways, which increases flood risks and decreases habitat potential.

Complete removal of every arundo plant would be nearly impossible, but removing even a small amount is good for the ecosystem, Washburne said.

"We typically do this every week in Tanque Verde," Washburne said. "This is our most consistent environmental event. It's important for the community to get involved in taking care of the land they live on."

According to Tucson's One Water 2100 Plan, which is a new city plan to improve water delivery methods, riparian preserve restoration not only increases local tree canopy coverage but helps the local economy by helping with cooler temperatures, more trees and more diverse water delivery options.

"Riparian areas are integral to the health of Tucson's water supply and economy," Washburne said.


Hunter Fore wrote this article for Cronkite News.


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Greenpeace has been ordered to pay several hundred million dollars stemming from the Dakota Access Pipeline protests and some are saying the verdict leaves a chilling effect on free-speech matters.

Nearly a decade ago, protests in North Dakota captured worldwide attention as the oil pipeline project advanced, with Indigenous rights serving as a focal point. The events still reverberate today, including a civil trial where an affiliated energy company sued Greenpeace, accusing it of defamation and orchestrating illegal acts within the protests. The global nonprofit argued it had a limited presence.

James Wheaton, founder and senior counsel for the First Amendment Project, a public interest law firm, worries about the verdict's precedent.

"The problem is going to be that anybody who helps to organize a peaceful, lawful protest could face ruinous litigation," Wheaton pointed out.

He suggested activists might worry about being dragged into court versus expressing their First Amendment rights. Greenpeace said it will appeal and has warned a large civil penalty could force it to cease operating in the U.S.

The company behind the case, Energy Transfer, said the outcome is a win for Americans who "understand the difference between the right to free speech and breaking the law."

A broader aspect of the case is what's known as a SLAPP lawsuit, with experts noting these are sometimes brought by corporations against people or nonprofits speaking out on various issues. Even if the plaintiff does not win, the defendant is saddled with mounting legal costs.

Wheaton helped start the movement to usher in anti-SLAPP laws around the country. He explained how they work.

"The court can freeze the case in its tracks at the very beginning and test whether it has enough merit to be allowed to go forward or should be dismissed immediately," Wheaton outlined.

Dozens of states have such laws on the books, but North Dakota is not among them. Critics of anti-SLAPP laws said they make it too easy for a court to quickly dismiss a case. But Wheaton feels they do not prevent plaintiffs from having their day in court, and he would like to see more states adopt them.


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A local event that brings students face-to-face with outdoor habitats is serving to ignite a lifelong passion in some that go on to pursue "green jobs." The Wisconsin Envirothon is an environmental science competition for middle and high school students hosted by the Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation Association. The one-day event immerses participants in hands-on activities in wildlife, aquatic ecology, forestry, soils/land-use and a current environmental issue.

Gregor Willms, a past participant, said the event helped to change his mind about a topic he never would have imagined embracing.

"The first time I competed in the soils part, I absolutely despised soils and I didn't know anything about it, and I was so frustrated. So it is a little bit ironic that I would go on to graduate with a soil-science degree and now have a really deep appreciation for soil science," he explained.

Wilms is a land-use and sanitation specialist for Dodge County, and added that Envirothon was a catalyst for him pursuing a career in environmental science and he's now a volunteer for the event.

Environmental specialists from across the state volunteer their time to advise and judge the competition. The winning high school team goes on to compete at the National Conservation Foundation Envirothon, the largest high school educational environmental program in North America. Kim Warkentin is the youth education director for the association and says the event helps students to understand the importance of taking care of their natural resources.

"They are the future. And so providing this opportunity for them to really gain a true understanding of our ecosystem across the state gives them a real opportunity to learn it and live it and experience it," he concluded.

Katie Schlicht, a science teacher at Cedarburg High School and an advisor for the competition, said her team competed in the state event for the first time last year and won. In many ways, she was learning alongside her students.

"I know one of my students last year graduated and she's in a college program now and is really saying, 'You know, this is stuff that I learned at Envirothon.' So, I feel like having this program has been crucial to having that leg up when they get to a secondary college or secondary program," she explained.

Twenty-two teams will compete in this year's state competition which takes place on April 11th at Lions Camp in Rosholt.

A new report highlighted efforts to restore Pennsylvania's wildlife habitats and called for stronger conservation to protect native species.

With Pennsylvania ranking among the top five states for animal-vehicle collisions, more than more than 1 million animals are killed on roads annually.

Stephanie Wein, clean water and conservation advocate at the PennEnvironment Research and Policy Center, said the report provided recommendations to enhance wildlife corridor projects and protect the state's diverse species, from bobcats and black bears to migrating songbirds. She added an infrastructure project along a Pennsylvania Interstate is keeping both wildlife and drivers safe.

"One example is in State College, Pennsylvania," Wein pointed out. "I-99 has a bunch of underpasses that allow black bear and deer and bobcat, geese and blue heron to get under that highway that was crossing through some of the biggest stretches of Pennsylvania wilderness."

Wein noted there is bipartisan support for wildlife corridors in Pennsylvania. House Resolution 87 passed with strong backing from both parties. At a Wednesday news conference, lawmakers will share goals of protecting wildlife, preserving nature and improving driver safety.

Wein emphasized wildlife corridor projects can be as simple as adding fencing along roads. She underscored a case study in the report about fencing on U.S. Route 522 near Mount Union, where the road was built over vital nesting grounds, helps female map turtles along the Juniata River to stay off the roadway.

"In that first season, over 50 nesting females of this threatened species were killed on that road," Wein reported. "Local conservationists working with PennDOT, they actually got a fence installed that stops them right at the road's edge."

The report recommended Pennsylvania agencies try to keep securing federal funds to address habitat fragmentation. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 created a $350 million Wildlife Crossings Program for safer roads. PennDOT secured a 2023 planning grant and should continue seeking funding to protect wildlife and drivers.


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