KISU-FM (Pocatello, ID)

For many Indigenous communities, hunting is a key part of culture and subsistence. But tribal hunting rights are often misunderstood or not respected. That's why Kalela Reuben, who is Nimiipuu, founded Indian Country Hunts, a platform to share stories from tribal hunters. Our Living Lands producer Daniel Spaulding spoke to Reuben about the project.

A new NASA satellite is revealing major flaws in the computer models scientists use to understand rivers, including waterways across the American West. Researchers found serious modeling errors in nearly 10% of the river stretches they studied worldwide. But those errors often occurred in waterways that are especially important for managing water supplies, generating hydropower and preparing for climate change.

The memory of world-famous Grizzly Bear 399 is enduring almost two years after her death. This week, a film about her is premiering on Amazon Prime. Grizzly 399 lived to age 28. She was the oldest known reproducing grizzly in the area in and around Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks. She had 18 cubs, including quadruplets, which sparked worldwide fanfare. “It's not just the fact that she was known.

A former U.S. Forest Service chief is raising fire policy concerns as an intense season that has claimed a number of firefighters’ lives starts to wind down. In late June, a fast-moving blaze on the Colorado-Utah border ultimately took the lives of four firefighters. They perished in what’s called an entrapment, when firefighters are caught by flames. In August, Reuters reported on record entrapments this season.

A federal program that teaches trades to young adults is having a comeback. Enrollment plummeted at Job Corps campuses nationwide last year after the Trump administration tried — and failed — to shut them down. But now, enrollment numbers are back up, and students are returning to learn trades supporters say are “AI-proof.” That’s the case at centers throughout the Mountain West, including the Wind River Job Corps in Riverton, Wyoming. There, during a Sept.

Over 1 million people submitted comments on the federal government's effort to rescind the Roadless Rule, and despite holding no public hearings, an analysis from one group shows that over 99% of the approximately 400,000 published comments opposed the effort. The rule has been in place since 2001, intending to protect over 58 million acres of undeveloped public land — many in western states.

The Citizen Potawatomi Nation Eagle Aviary in Oklahoma is urging hunters to switch to non-lead ammunition after an eagle the tribe released likely died of lead poisoning in Colorado. The aviary is a rehabilitation center for injured bald and golden eagles, which play an important role in Potawatomi culture. “We believe these eagles help carry our prayers,” said Jennifer Randell, the aviary's director.

Mountain West states continue to roll out millions of federal dollars for electric vehicle charging stations, with an eye on gaps in remote areas. While states like Colorado have forged ahead funding chargers, others have been slow to roll out programs. That includes Wyoming, which — after several years of delay — is finally inching closer to getting chargers on the ground. The Cowboy State is now asking private companies to submit proposals to build charging stations and get 80% of costs covered.

Researchers analyzed more than 20 years of satellite and climate data from five major areas: the Upper and Lower Colorado River basins, the Great Basin, California and the Pacific Northwest, including parts of Mexico and Canada. Together, those areas provide water to more than 60 million people and vast stretches of farmland. The researchers found some of the strongest connections between California and the Great Basin — which includes most of Nevada and much of Utah.

Wyoming third in the nation for the carbon intensity of its electricity generation, behind only West Virginia and Kentucky. Utah ranks eighth, followed by Montana at 14th and Colorado at 16th. Further down the list are New Mexico at 28th, Arizona at 35th and Nevada at 36th. Idaho ranks 46th, with hydropower accounting for much of its electricity generation. Carbon intensity measures how much carbon dioxide is released for each unit of electricity generated.