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☆ Storm blowing through California dumps snow in Sierra
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — Heavy snow fell in the Sierra Nevada as a winter storm packing powerful winds sent ski lift chairs swinging and closed mountain highways while downpours at lower elevations triggered flood watches Sunday across large swaths of California into Nevada. More than 250 miles (400 km) of the Sierra from north of Reno south to Yosemite National Park remained under winter storm warnings either until late Sunday or early Monday. The Heavenly ski resort at Lake Tahoe shut down some operations on Saturday when the brunt of the storm hit. The UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab reported Sunday morning that more than 43 inches (110 cm) had fallen in a 48-hour span. A stretch of California Highway 89 also was closed due to heavy snow between Tahoe City and South Lake Tahoe, the highway patrol said.

☆ 'Firmageddon': Researchers find 1.1 million acres of dead trees in Oregon
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Evan Bush | Evan Bush Is A Science Reporter For Nbc News. He Can Be Reached At Evan.Bush Nbcuni.Com. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

“We’re seeing forms of stress in all of our species of trees,” said Christine Buhl, a forest entomologist with the Oregon Department of Forestry. Trained observers peer outside both sides of the plane, looking for noticeable damage to trees. “You definitely have to have a stomach of steel.”This year, the aerial observation program flew over about 69 million acres of Washington and Oregon forest in about 246 hours. Oregon’s average temperatures have risen about 2.2 degrees Fahrenheit since 1895, according to a 2021 state climate assessment delivered to the state’s Legislature. “It was the combination of the high temperatures in the afternoon with the sun boring down,” said Chris Still, a professor in the College of Forestry at Oregon State University.

☆ Arizona Gov. Ducey ordered stacked shipping containers with razor wire to be used as a makeshift border wall over federal objections
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Doug Ducey has ordered shipping containers be used as a border wall. Governor-elect Katie Hobbs said the barrier is "not effective" and called for cooperation with the federal government. Doug Ducey has ordered empty shipping containers to be stacked on top of one another and topped with razor wire as a makeshift border wall, in the face of federal objections. In August, Ducey ordered the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs to use the containers to secure gaps along the state's southern border, particularly near Yuma, according to CNN. "I think what we need to do is look at how we can cooperate with the federal government on border security issues," Hobbs said.

☆ 'Significant storm' to batter west with high winds and heavy snow forecast
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Leila Sackur | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

A "significant winter storm" will dump heavy snow and make travel dangerous as it makes its way across the west of the country over the weekend, forecasters warned early Saturday. “High winds, heavy snow and heavy precipitation will reach the Pacific Northwest today, then impact California,” the National Weather Service said in a bulletin. More than 5 feet of snow is expected in the Sierra Nevada, resulting in “extremely dangerous travel, especially across mountain passes,” it added. “A winter storm with gale force winds, high intensity snowfall and feet of new snow accumulation may result in widespread avalanche activity in the mountains,” the Forest Service Sierra Avalanche Center said Friday. Elsewhere 1-3 feet of snow are expected across mountain ranges of the west coast, the NWS said.

☆ Border barrier of shipping containers snakes across Arizona wilderness
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Liliana Salgado | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SIERRA VISTA, Ariz., Dec 8 (Reuters) - A long, thin line stretches across the dusty Arizona landscape. It is a border barrier - but not the customary wall or fence. This is made up entirely of shipping containers stacked on top of each other. Border communities had been overwhelmed, he argued, saying the double-stacked containers would reach 22 feet (6.7 m) high. What we're here to do is enjoy our public lands in a strategic way that hinders the placement of further shipping containers," said Eamon Harrity, wildlife project manager at Sky Island Alliance.

☆ Natural vs. artificial Christmas tree: Which option is better for climate?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Christopher Dilts/Bloomber/Getty ImagesIt’s easy to imagine that reusing an artificial tree year after year is the more sustainable option. The American Christmas Tree Association, a nonprofit that represents artificial tree manufacturers, commissioned WAP Sustainability Consulting for a study in 2018 that found the environmental impact of an artificial tree is better than a real tree if you use the fake tree for at least five years. “Planting, fertilizing and watering were taken into account for real trees, which have an approximate field cultivation period of seven to eight years.”What are the benefits of real trees? Nathan Howard/Getty ImagesOn average, it takes seven years to fully grow a Christmas tree, according to the National Christmas Tree Association. About 15,000 farms grow Christmas trees in the US alone, employing over 100,000 people either full or part-time in the industry, according to the National Christmas Tree Association.

Drone Amplified, a Nebraska-based startup, is using unmanned aerial technology to improve one of the oldest and most-effective methods of preventing wildfires: prescribed burns. “Then you have helicopters with a whole crew on board, flying really low and slow over the fire,” he added of other methods for prescribed burns. The drones allow firefighters to work at a distance from flames, according to Detweiler, and in areas that are difficult to reach due to terrain or visibility. Precision is a critical element when conducting prescribed burns, because it is crucial for preventing fire escapes. Two recent controlled burns in New Mexico escaped and led to the state’s largest wildfire on record.

☆ Grizzlies could roam wildest reaches of Washington state again, but first a mountain of red tape
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Evan Bush | Evan Bush Is A Science Reporter For Nbc News. He Can Be Reached At Evan.Bush Nbcuni.Com. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Threatened grizzly bears could roam again in the wildest reaches of Washington state. The National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service announced Thursday they have restarted the on-again, off-again process to reintroduce grizzlies to North Cascades National Park. Grizzlies haven’t been spotted with certainty in the North Cascades since 1996, the National Park Service said in a news release. People killed them,” said Jason Ransom, who leads the wildlife program at North Cascades National Park. The National Park Service has scheduled several virtual meetings to discuss the proposal.

☆ This California startup says it can predict where wildfires might start—it's using that power in a surprising way
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Nobody can predict the future, but a San Francisco-based startup called Kettle seems able to predict where wildfires could start in California. That means Kettle provides insurance for insurance companies. But Kettle's focus on reinsurance, rather than selling its software directly to insurance companies, is unique, Manning says. Most reinsurers predict wildfire risk through a decades-old technique that relies on historical data, Manning adds. In other words, reinsurance companies do benefit large insurers — but they also make sure you're able to get the money you're owed if disaster strikes.

☆ Washington state woman fended off black bear by punching it in the nose, official says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Dennis-Romero-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Dennis Romero | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

A Washington state woman was injured after a bear knocked her to the ground outside her home Saturday morning, a wildlife official said. The bear was ultimately killed in the same area later in the morning by Fish and Wildlife officers, it said. "Black bear mothers seldom attack people in defense of cubs," the U.S. Forest Service said in a primer on black bears. Washington hasn't had a fatal black bear attack on humans since 1974, Fish and Wildlife officials said. Each case involved a different species, including a brown bear in Alaska, a black bear in Connecticut, and a grizzly in Wyoming, officials said.

☆ Forest Service 'burn boss' arrested after prescribed fire torches private land in Oregon
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Dennis-Romero-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Dennis Romero | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

A U.S. Forest Service employee was arrested after the prescribed fire he was managing torched 18 acres of private land in Oregon, authorities confirmed Friday. The U.S. Forest Service did not respond to multiple requests for comment. In notifying residents about the fire this week, the Forest Service said in a statement that atmospheric parameters existed for a relatively safe prescribed burn, which had been planned at 300 acres. Christopher Adlam, regional fire specialist and assistant professor at Oregon State University Extension Service's fire program, said a prescribed burn hadn't torched private land in Oregon in 20 years until Wednesday. The arrest might not lead to more burn bosses in custody, but it could affect how officials work with prescribed burns, the scholar said.

☆ Oregon sheriff arrests Forest Service employee for controlled burn that spread
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Daniel Trotta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 20 (Reuters) - A county sheriff in Oregon has arrested a U.S. Forest Service employee on suspicion of reckless burning after a controlled burn escaped and scorched about 20 acres (8 hectares) of private land. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterRelations between New Mexico communities and the Forest Service were strained earlier this year when a controlled burn sparked a large wildfire. A Forest Service review found that pressure to meet objectives may have led the agency to ignore risks posed by a controlled burn. In Oregon, Grant County Sheriff Todd McKinley said in a statement on Wednesday his office arrested a 39-year-old "burn boss" after a controlled burn escaped and torched 20 acres belonging to a cattle rancher. Forest Service representatives did not respond to requests for comment.

☆ In the Pacific Northwest, summer-like vibes give rise to fire-weather fears
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-16 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Dennis-Romero-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Dennis Romero | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

The Pacific Northwest, known for its dreary, wet weather much of the year, is seeing summer-like weather as a high pressure system has pumped up temperatures and put first responders on alert for fires. A line of red flag warnings extends along the western slopes of the Cascade Mountains, from the California border with Oregon to the U.S. Border with Canada, according to the National Weather Service. “A lot of wildfire smoke is impacting air quality in the region,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Jeff Michalski. A Pacific trough could bring a chance of drizzle to the Portland area Monday and Tuesday, but summer-like weather could return Wednesday. Traditionally wet weather from offshore was possible next weekend for the Pacific Northwest, said Michalski, who’s based at the Seattle-area forecast office.

☆ Biden designates Camp Hale in Colorado as his first national monument
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Emma Newburger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks to reporters as he departs for Puerto Rico from the White House in Washington, U.S., October 3, 2022. President Joe Biden on Wednesday designated a World War II-era military site in Colorado as a national monument, a move that will protect the historic region's rare wildlife and plants from development. Camp Hale is best known as the location used by soldiers of the U.S. 10th Mountain Division to train for alpine warfare in the 1940s, according to a White House fact sheet. The Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument will protect more than 50,000 acres that provide critical habitat for wildlife such as elk, lynxes and songbirds. In addition to creating the new national monument, the administration also announced a proposed mineral withdrawal for Colorado's Thompson Divide, a large region of mountains, lakes and forests.

REUTERS/Fred Greaves/File PhotoCompanies PG&E Corp FollowSept 26 (Reuters) - Californian utility PG&E Corp (PCG.N) said on Monday it was cooperating with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) after the federal agency started a criminal investigation into the U.S. state's largest wildfire this year. The power company's equipment has been blamed for sparking numerous wildfires, including some of the state's most deadly and destructive. The Mosquito Fire, which is 60% contained, has destroyed 78 structures and damaged 13, as of Sept. 25. PG&E said the USFS had indicated to it that the fire began in an area of the company's power line on National Forest System lands. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Ruhi Soni in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'SilvaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Answering people's questions about RVs made $115,000 in a year. Here's how I turned niche expertise into easy income.
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-01 | by ( Chris Stokel-Walker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Randall Gibbons, 76, used to own an RV business, but now answers questions online about motor homes. This is how he got into answering questions online, as told to Chris Stokel-Walker. I thought that sounded like a great deal, so I went online, found a Buick guy, asked him a question, and he helped me fix my car. I said yes, because I already had what was basically a full-time job answering questions online. So I'd answer questions in my free time and make around $400 or $500 a month.

☆ Lesein Mutunkei: This teenager in Kenya is hoping to catch FIFA's attention -- but not for his football skills
▼ + stars: | 2022-07-26 | by ( Natalie Kainz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

When Lesein Mutunkei scores a goal, he plants 11 trees – one to represent each player on his team. That same year, Mutunkei started Trees4Goals to mobilize young athletes in his region to take up his pledge of planting trees every time they score. He leads into a football game, and ends with a tree planting session. “It was almost a race to plant the trees,” Mutunkei said. Mutunkei receives messages from young athletes across the globe, saying they read his story and took up the challenge of Trees4Goals.

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