Tribal Natural Resources News
Native American tribes around the West are making critical decisions regarding the management of their resources — land, water, fossil fuels and renewable resources. The Tribal Natural Resources Desk aims to produce objective reporting to tell stories of tribes empowering themselves through stewardship and decision-making around their resources.
The Interior Department, Arizona and Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT) signed a trilateral agreement along the banks of the Colorado River on Friday.
→ More from the Tribal Natural Resources desk
→ More from the Tribal Natural Resources desk
Apr. 27, 2024
For many of us turning on the tap or flushing the toilet is something we take for granted. But a report released Monday showed more than 2 million Americans live without these conveniences. And Native Americans are more likely to have trouble accessing water than any other group.
Nov. 18, 2019
Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez announced this week he is pulling the plug on the Navajo Transitional Energy Company's controversial purchases of three bankrupt coal mines in Wyoming and Montana last month.
Nov. 14, 2019
With the closure of the Navajo Generating Station, many questions remain for those who relied on the station to generate jobs and energy. Coal is dying across the country as cleaner energy options become a reality, and communities are left looking for alternatives.
Oct. 30, 2019
Data from the U.S. Interior Department shows fewer members of the Navajo Nation took part in a federal land buy-back program. In fact, the number of Navajo tribal members who decided to sell their land was among the lowest in the country. The program itself stems from a system known as fractionation.
Oct. 22, 2019
The Navajo Generating Station is shutting down, creating a ripple effect across the region, from the families left searching for jobs to the Grand Canyon where its absence may mean improvements to air quality. Utility reporter Ryan Randazzo has been covering the generating station and what will be left in its wake.
Oct. 15, 2019
The latest agriculture census was released earlier this year by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It details all the types of farms and farmers in America and breaks down the data by congressional district in each state. One district in Arizona has more Native American farmers than any other in the country.
→ Arizona Millennial Farmers Keep Industry Moving Forward
→ Arizona Millennial Farmers Keep Industry Moving Forward
Oct. 15, 2019
A federal judge has rejected the Trump Administration’s efforts to dismiss a lawsuit challenging its reduction of Bears Ears National Monument in Utah.
Oct. 8, 2019
A Phoenix-based company has proposed two dams on the Little Colorado River just a few miles outside Grand Canyon National Park. Environmentalists are worried about ecological and cultural impacts to the area.
Sept. 30, 2019
The U.S. Forest Service recently released an environmental impact review of the proposal. Resolution Copper wants to build an underground mine on land it would get from a land swap with the Tonto National Forest.
Sept. 7, 2019
The final trainload of coal was delivered to the Navajo Generating Station in northern Arizona this week. It signals the closure of the Kayenta Mine that feeds it, and spells the beginning of the end of the plant itself.
Aug. 29, 2019
The National Congress of American Indians and Four Directions will host a first-ever presidential candidate forum to address issues facing Native Americans on Aug. 19 in Iowa.
Aug. 15, 2019
Environmental groups have tried to hinder expanded coal mining on the Navajo Reservation that powers the Four Corners Power Plant. But the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals put a stop to their bid on Monday.
July 30, 2019
This week, the U.S. House Natural Resource Committee is considering a handful of bills that would ensure clean and sustainable water is delivered to tribal lands along the Four-Corner states.
June 27, 2019
As Peabody Energy lays off more Navajo workers, the tribe decides what to do with the old coal mine and power plant set to close in coming months.
June 11, 2019
The closures of the Navajo Generating Station and the Kayenta mine later this year will gut tribal government budgets in northern Arizona. That’s according to a report published Thursday.
May 31, 2019
The Navajo Nation Council is considering legislation that would authorize the tribe to conduct a hemp pilot project with New Mexico State University.
May 31, 2019
The federal government is loaning the Navajo Nation $94 million to complete a solar farm and help reduce customer’s electricity rates.
May 30, 2019
U.S. Interior Secretary David Bernhardt has agreed to put off oil and gas leasing for a year on land that Native Americans consider sacred surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park in northwestern New Mexico.
May 30, 2019
Utility crews from around the country are volunteering their time to install electricity on the Navajo Nation. Many Navajos today live without light, running water and the internet — things most anyone takes for granted.
May 24, 2019
A proposed mine in southeastern Arizona is pitting environmentalists and tribes against groups who say this would be a massive economic boon for the state.
May 23, 2019
