Ryan Heinsius
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News Director & Managing Editor @AzPubRadio. Reporting @NPR
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Articles by Ryan Heinsius
Kelly leads push for additional Grand Canyon recovery funds
Sen. Mark Kelly along with the rest of Arizona’s Democratic congressional delegation are asking Congress for additional funding to help Grand Canyon National Park recover from a series of disasters in the past year. On Aug. 29 a flash flood tore through Bright Angel Creek. It killed three hikers and destroyed park infrastructure including part of the Transcanyon Waterline. The pipeline supplies water to the heavily visited South Rim, which remains under stage four water restrictions.
Time traveler: Dom Flemons’ musical fire burns across the ages
After the success of his album Black Cowboys singer-songwriter Dom Flemons set out to retool his rootsy sound. What he found was a more electrified style that touched on contemporary themes like climate change and global uncertainty. The resulting album, Traveling Wildfire, was also more personal. Flemons spoke with KNAU’s Ryan Heinsius ahead of his performance at Pickin’ in the Pines Bluegrass Festival this weekend.
State officials approve increased environmental protections for Upper Verde River
Arizona officials have given final approval to boost environmental protections for parts of the Upper Verde River and Sycamore Creek in northern Arizona. The Governor’s Regulatory Review Council on Tuesday endorsed a rule to give Outstanding Arizona Waters status to nearly 35.93 miles of the Upper Verde River from the Granite Creek confluence to Sycamore Creek. The council also voted to give added protections to 11.71 miles of Sycamore Creek from Cedar Creek to its confluence with the Verde.
Forest Service announces intent to repeal Roadless Rule
The U.S. Forest Service has proposed the elimination of federal guidelines that have blocked road construction on nearly 45 million acres of public lands for decades. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins made the announcement Tuesday and says the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, first established in 2001, blocks wildfire risk reduction work in national forests. “Our forests can’t afford another decade of inaction,” she said in a press release.
Remains of renowned Grand Canyon hiker ID'd
Officials say the remains of a Grand Canyon hiker missing for almost 15 years have been found positively identified. Bill Ott disappeared in May 2012 while on a solo trek searching for ancient rock-art panels in the remote western portion of the canyon, according to a 2017 Canyon Commentary by KNAU contributor Scott Thybony, who took part in the initial search.
Wildfire triggers evacuations north of Parks; new wildfire near Tusayan; Pocket Fire update
Coconino County emergency managers have ordered evacuations for an area north of Parks because of a wildfire first reported Saturday afternoon. Residents of the Pumpkin Center area were given the Go order along with visitors in an around the Kendrick Mountain area.
Three hikers die of heat-related causes in Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon National Park officials say three hikers have died of heat-related causes over the last week. On Friday, June 12 a 72-year-old man was hiking on the South Kaibab Trail when he succumbed to the heat. Then on Tuesday, June 16 a 67-year-old man and a 68-year-old woman died from what officials believe was heat-related illness on the North Kaibab Trail. An investigation into that incident is still ongoing.
An art exhibit reveals the hidden history of northern Arizona’s Black lumberjacks
Chip Thomas stands in front of a black-and-white photo taking up an entire wall in the Riles Building on Northern Arizona University’s north campus. The faces of two-dozen or so men stare back in solemn silence from another time. “If you look at this image, it states ‘The Arizona Lumber Mill, hiring Negroes since 1891.’ So we know that African Americans were working here in the lumber mill since the late 1800s,” he says.
Researchers urge Congress not to scrap Grand Staircase-Escalate management plan
Scientists and organizations are urging Congress and U.S. Department of the Interior not to overturn the Resource Management Plan for the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in southern Utah.
Navajo Nation Council speaker announces run for tribal president
Navajo Nation Council Speaker Crystalyne Curley has announced she’ll run for tribal president. She’s the most high-profile candidate to challenge President Buu Nygren, who’s running for a second term in this year’s election. Curley was first elected to the Navajo Council in 2022 to represent the Tachee/Blue Gap, Many Farms, Nazlini, Tselani/Cottonwood, Low Mountain communities in the central portion of the Navajo Nation. The next year she was elected council speaker.
‘Two steps back’: Navajo leaders condemn SAVE America Act
The SAVE America Act would require voters to prove their citizenship in person to register to vote. Supporters like President Donald Trump say it would crack down on illegal voting by undocumented immigrants—something that’s very rare and already against the law. But tribal leaders say the legislation would create barriers to voting for Indigenous populations. KNAU’s Ryan Heinsius spoke with Navajo Nation Council Speaker Crystalyne Curley who’s spearheaded a measure to oppose the legislation.
Federal appeals court rejects challenge to Arizona national monument
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has rejected an attempt by Arizona Republicans to nullify a nearly million-acre national monument near the Grand Canyon. The panel of judges wrote that the arguments brought by the Arizona Legislature and Treasurer Kimberly Yee along with the governments of Mohave County, Colorado City and the Town of Fredonia were too speculative. As a result, none of the plaintiffs had standing in the case.
Trump administration to restructure Forest Service, move headquarters to Salt Lake City
The Trump administration plans to move the headquarters of the U.S. Forest Service to Salt Lake City. It comes as the U.S. Department of Agriculture says it’ll begin a sweeping restructuring of the agency to move leadership closer to forests and local communities. In a Tuesday press release, the USDA said the move makes sense because the lands it oversees are overwhelmingly located in the West.
Former US Poet Laureate Joy Harjo on the value of poetry as a social force
For decades Joy Harjo has challenged the definition of what it means to be a poet. She’s the author of numerous celebrated books but is also a prolific musician and multi-faceted storyteller. A member of the Muscogee Nation, Harjo frequently chronicles Indigenous identity and social justice issues. And she also served as the 23rd U.S. poet laureate—the first Native American to occupy the role.
Democrats, conservation groups call on Senate to reject BLM nominee
Numerous conservation groups and elected officials are calling on the U.S. Senate to reject President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Bureau of Land Management. Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego this week said he won’t support former New Mexico Republican Congressman Steve Pearce’s nomination. He instead called for BLM leadership that’ll “protect public access, respect tribal sovereignty, and understand that these lands are not for sale.
Grand jury indicts Flagstaff man on 60 felony charges in shootout and deadly helicopter crash
A grand jury in Coconino County has indicted a Flagstaff man on 60 felony counts related to a shootout and deadly helicopter crash in Flagstaff more than a week ago. Terrell Storey faces two first-degree murder charges in the deaths of Department of Public Safety pilot Robert Skankey and trooper-paramedic Hunter Bennett. They were aboard the helicopter that crashed during the Wed, Feb. 4 shootout in a Flagstaff neighborhood.
Arizona US senators to introduce bill expediting North Rim reconstruction
Arizona’s U.S. senators plan to introduce a bill designed to fast-track reconstruction on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park following last summer’s Dragon Bravo and White Sage fires. The North Rim and Kaibab National Forest Restoration Act would grant the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service emergency authority to quickly hire contractors and bypass common delays.
Arsenic in Williams drinking water exceeded EPA standards in 2025
For the last year the level of arsenic in the City of Williams’ drinking water was nearly double the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s safety standards. Officials say they’re working to fix the problem. “The city has switched water sources to treat surface water and the wells are not in service,” says Williams Public Works Director Aaron Anderson. “We are working on treatment options for the effected wells.
Navajo Nation Council calls on DHS, ICE to recognize tribal IDs
The Navajo Nation Council has unanimously passed a resolution that calls on the federal government to formally recognize tribal identification and the political status of its members. It comes as many tribal members are increasingly anxious about being impacted by immigration operations after Navajo citizen Peter Yazzie was detained by federal agents for four hours near Peoria last month.
Flagstaff students hold mass campus walkout to protest ICE
Hundreds of students from Flagstaff High and other schools cut their classes short Wednesday and marched to Flagstaff City Hall. They lined Route 66 chanting and waving signs blasting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Trump administration’s growing immigration crackdowns. Many say they were motivated by the intensifying clashes between federal agents and demonstrators in Minneapolis and the killings of two U.S. citizens this month.
Navajo Nation speaker calls on feds to respect tribal sovereignty after ICE arrest of citizen
The recent arrest and detention of a Navajo Nation citizen by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement sent shockwaves through tribal communities. Navajo leaders have condemned the arrest and called on federal officials to respect tribal sovereignty and their members. KNAU’s Ryan Heinsius spoke with Navajo Nation Council Speaker Crystalyne Curley. This interview has been edited for length. Click the audio button below to hear a longer version.
Louva Dahozy, ‘Mother of the Navajo Nation,’ dies at 99
Renowned Navajo community leader, matriarch and educator Louva Dahozy has died. The 99-year-old was called the Mother of the Navajo Nation. For seven decades Dahozy advocated for strengthening nutrition, education and economic opportunity on the Navajo Nation. She began working as a community educator in the 1950s and used her farming experience to create traditional food programs for Indigenous communities.
Navajo Nation leaders condemn ICE arrest of tribal member
Navajo Nation leaders are calling on federal immigration authorities to ensure U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers respect and recognize tribal identification during enforcement operations. It follows the arrest and detention of a Navajo citizen last week by ICE officers in Peoria.
Effort to speed up rebuilding the North Rim takes shape in Congress
Scores of northern Arizona businesses depend on the hundreds of thousands of tourists who visit the Grand Canyon’s North Rim every year. But the devastation caused by the Dragon Bravo Fire last summer continues to undermine local economies. KNAU’s Ryan Heinsius spoke with Republican Congressman Eli Crane who’s spearheading a push speed up the rebuilding process. Ryan Heinsius: What specific elements of the rebuilding process would be streamlined under this bill? Rep.
Yavapai-Apache Nation water rights settlement reintroduced in US House and Senate
Bipartisan bills introduced in the U.S. House of Representative and U.S. Senate would finalize a long-running water rights settlement with the Yavapai-Apache Nation. The legislation would allocate more than $1 billion to fund the Cragin-Verde Pipeline and a surface water drinking plant, and affirm the Yavapai-Apache Nation’s rights to 4,610 acre-feet of water per year. The bills would also support long-term protection of the Verde River.
Western leaders demand probes into wildfire mitigation cuts
Several elected leaders from northern Arizona are calling on Attorney General Kris Mayes to determine if the Trump administration’s cuts to wildfire mitigation efforts are illegal. Coconino County Supervisor Lena Fowler, Tusayan Mayor Clarinda Vail and Flagstaff mayor Becky Daggett are among the 160 western officials who are concerned about the drop in federal fire preparedness in recent months.
Flagstaff rent stabilized in 2025 but remains persistently high
Housing costs in Flagstaff have stabilized over the last year but remain stubbornly high. According to Housing Solutions of Northern Arizona’s annual Rental Attainability Report, the average two-bedroom apartment in Flagstaff costs $1,955 a month. That means someone would have to earn more than $78,200 a year to afford it. And a renter who makes the city’s current $17.85 minimum wage would have to work nearly 85 hours a week to cover their rent.
Grijalva introduces bill to repeal Oak Flat land swap and block copper mine
Democratic Rep. Adelita Grijalva has introduced a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives that would repeal the federal land swap of an Apache Sacred site in central Arizona and halt one of the nation’s largest copper mines. The Save Oak Flat from Foreign Mining Act is the first bill Grijalva has introduced as a member of Congress. She won a special election in September but wasn’t sworn in until Nov. 12. The Oak Flat bill was first proposed by her late father, Rep.
Arizona senators urge more funding for wildfire recovery on federal lands
Senators Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly are among a group of Democratic lawmakers calling for additional funding for wildfire recovery on federal lands. Gallego and Kelly, along with New Mexico’s Martain Heinrich and Colorado’s John Hickenlooper, want assistance following numerous devastating blazes this year, including the Dragon Bravo Fire on the Grand Canyon’s North Rim.
Photographer Dawn Kish rediscovers Glen Canyon in new exhibit
In the 1950s, photographer Tad Nichols shot iconic images of Glen Canyon before the damming of the Colorado River. He died in 2000 but his photos remain the definitive account of the landscape now submerged by Lake Powell. Recently though as the lake's levels have dropped Flagstaff photographer Dawn Kish ventured into the reemerging canyon to shoot it again with Nichols’ own camera. A new exhibit features her images of Glen Canyon alongside his original work.
EPA begins uranium mine cleanup near Four Corners
The Environmental Protection Agency has begun the cleanup of uranium mine waste in the Lukachukai Mountains near Four Corners on the Navajo Nation. The $13 million effort is part of a Superfund site in Cove, Ariz., at the Mesa V complex that includes three former mines. “Removing mine waste at this Superfund site is a significant milestone in EPA’s work to clean up uranium contamination on the Navajo Nation,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Region Superfund Director Michael Montgomery.
Two injured in lightning strike on Humphreys Peak
Two people were injured in a lightning strike near the top of Humphreys Peak on Wednesday. According to Coconino County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Jon Paxton, one of the victims is from Flagstaff and the other is from Canada. He did not provide their names or ages. Paxton said a rescue helicopter was grounded because of adverse weather conditions on peaks.
Nygren delivers state of the nation speech in writing
On Monday Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren submitted his quarterly state of the nation address in written form to tribal lawmakers. It was the fifth time he did not deliver the speech in person during his tenure as leader of the tribe. The president says he opted not to appear at council chambers in Window Rock because of a lawsuit brought against him by Speaker Crystalyne Curley. It alleges the president’s recent firing of the tribe’s controller was illegal.
Major flooding washes out roads, strands residents on Navajo Nation
Numerous Navajo Nation chapters have been hard hit by flooding from recent tropical storms. Officials say between Oct. 10 and 12 heavy rainfall from the remnants of Hurricane Priscilla brought exceptional rainfall that overwhelmed drainage systems in the Dennehotso community in the far northeastern corner of Arizona. According to Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren’s office, it caused Laguna Creek to overflow and washed-out large sections of the Dennehotso Loop Road.
July 4 wildfire in Grand Canyon still burning, questions about response still unanswered
The Grand Canyon's remote North Rim seems like a world away from its more famous South Rim, only a sliver of the nearly five million people who visit the national park each year make it here. At 8,000 feet above sea level, the North Rim's broad plateaus that drop into the canyon are thickly forested with pine trees. Businesses of any kind are few and far between, making places like the Jacob Lake Inn a sort of beacon in the wilderness.
July 4 wildfire in Grand Canyon still burning, questions about response still unanswered
The Grand Canyon's remote North Rim seems like a world away from its more famous South Rim, only a sliver of the nearly five million people who visit the national park each year make it here. At 8,000 feet above sea level, the North Rim's broad plateaus that drop into the canyon are thickly forested with pine trees. Businesses of any kind are few and far between, making places like the Jacob Lake Inn a sort of beacon in the wilderness.
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