TheRepublic.com - Environmental conservation and preservation News

Wichita might fine residents over water use

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:37:27 -0400

WICHITA, Kansas - Wichita officials will consider imposing fines of $1,000 per month on residents and businesses that use too much water as part of a short-term plan to respond to dwindling water supplies.

2 brown bears rescued from captivity in Kosovo

Thu, 23 May 2013 11:12:04 -0400

MRAMOR, Kosovo - Two brown bears have been released into a special sanctuary after being held in a 20-square-meter cage almost their entire lives to amuse visitors at a Kosovo restaurant.

Mo. adds 40 to state elk population

Thu, 23 May 2013 05:08:15 -0400

JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri - Missouri conservation officials have added 40 elk to the state's population as part of a project to restore the animals to the state.

Man charged with selling African elephant tusks

Thu, 23 May 2013 03:04:45 -0400

PENSACOLA, Florida - A New Mexico man is facing federal charges in the Florida Panhandle after authorities say he sold two African elephant tusks.

Minn. lawmakers compromise on sand mining rules

Wed, 22 May 2013 21:23:17 -0400

MINNEAPOLIS - Critics of silica sand mining had hoped the Minnesota Legislature would adopt aggressive statewide rules to protect people and the environment. What finally emerged from the just-completed session, however, was a compromise that still leaves key decisions up to local governments.

National Aquarium expands role in conservation

Wed, 22 May 2013 17:27:27 -0400

BALTIMORE - The National Aquarium in Baltimore is hiring a new officer to oversee its expanded mission to lead conservation efforts for ocean preservation.

Wolf hunt referendum to go on 2014 Michigan ballot

Wed, 22 May 2013 17:24:37 -0400

LANSING, Michigan - Michigan's election board on Wednesday certified the signatures of a group seeking to ban wolf hunting and a referendum will be placed on the November 2014 ballot, but the outcome of the vote could be meaningless.

Utah, Nev., Calif. get water conservation grants

Wed, 22 May 2013 16:37:36 -0400

SALT LAKE CITY - The U.S. Interior Department has awarded more than $20 million in grants for water conservation projects in 11 Western states, including several in Utah, Nevada and California.

Video of man jumping on manatee investigated

Wed, 22 May 2013 16:12:19 -0400

MIAMI - Wildlife officials are investigating an online video that shows a man doing a cannonball onto two manatees in Florida.

Video of man jumping on manatee investigated

Wed, 22 May 2013 15:44:06 -0400

MIAMI - Wildlife officials are investigating an online video that shows a man doing a cannonball onto two manatees.

Homeowners sue NY over $4.6M in flood damage

Wed, 22 May 2013 14:55:22 -0400

ALBANY, New York - Some property owners along the Mohawk River have sued the state Canal Corporation, claiming the agency failed to adequately prepare for the flooding caused by Tropical Storm Irene in 2011.

Duke Energy's SC lakes plan in gets public airing

Wed, 22 May 2013 14:04:24 -0400

CLEMSON, South Carolina - Duke Energy is airing the deals the country's largest electric company has made with local groups to gain South Carolina support for a new dams operating license

Albuquerque gets nearly $1.9M for water treatment

Wed, 22 May 2013 05:08:03 -0400

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico - The federal government has awarded more than $15 million to water reclamation and reuse projects in California and New Mexico.

Scientists: Don't drop federal wolf protections

Tue, 21 May 2013 19:37:18 -0400

TRAVERSE CITY, Michigan - Groups of scientists are urging federal officials not to remove protections for gray wolves across the Lower 48 states.

Illinois House panel approves fracking regulations

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:30:08 -0400

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois - A groundbreaking deal to regulate high-volume oil and gas drilling in Illinois cleared a top House committee Tuesday, setting up a floor vote on a measure that supporters say would bring tens of thousands of jobs to struggling areas in the southern part of the state.

Utah Gov. Herbert rails against US Land management

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:43:03 -0400

WASHINGTON - Utah Gov. Gary Herbert told a congressional subcommittee on Tuesday his state does a better job than U.S. land managers and has a bigger stake than the bureaucrats in protecting the natural resources and rugged beauty that drives Utah's outdoor recreation and tourism industry.

Appeals court won't block Yellowstone bison hazing

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:16:10 -0400

HELENA, Montana - A federal appeals court denied a request to block the use of a helicopter to haze wild bison as officials in southwestern Montana wrapped up the annual drive of the animals back into Yellowstone National Park.

Oklahoma City residents asked to conserve water

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:14:34 -0400

OKLAHOMA CITY - Oklahoma City residents are being asked to help conserve water while power remains out at one of the city's main water treatment facilities.

Agency imposes new rules for Birds of Prey area

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:02:11 -0400

BOISE, Idaho - Federal land managers are imposing a ban on paintball warfare and rock climbing in and around a raptor sanctuary along the Snake River canyon south of Boise.

NY group preserves land along Hudson River

Tue, 21 May 2013 03:20:04 -0400

NEW BALTIMORE, New York - A waterfront parcel along the Hudson River offers new opportunities for kayakers, hikers and nature observers, thanks to the preservation efforts of Scenic Hudson.

Customs seizes elephant meat, dead primate in LA

Mon, 20 May 2013 21:10:19 -0400

LOS ANGELES - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Los Angeles have made some unusual seizures, including elephant meat, a dead primate and hundreds of handbags made from the skin of snakes, lizards and crocodiles.

Rare island fox rebounds on California islands

Mon, 20 May 2013 19:33:16 -0400

LOS ANGELES - A rare and tiny island fox is on the verge of making a comeback from near-extinction in the Channel Islands, a rugged and wind-swept chain off Southern California, officials said Monday.

NJ Senate panel OKs open space ballot question

Mon, 20 May 2013 16:35:43 -0400

TRENTON, New Jersey - A proposal to let voters decide whether to direct a fraction of sales tax revenues toward land preservation for the next 30 years cleared another hurdle Monday when a Senate committee signed off on legislation to put the question on the ballot this November.

High crop prices entice farms to expand planting

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:41:32 -0400

BIGGSVILLE, Illinois - Clark Kelly plans to spend a lot of time on the links this spring. The Illinois farmer is plowing the Hend-Co-Hills Golf Course near tiny Biggsville into a cornfield.

FWS to consider concerns about endangered fish

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:56:16 -0400

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service takes seriously the concerns of environmentalists that two East Tennessee mines are a threat to endangered fish, a spokesman says.