Tippets: Signs of Climate Change on Montana’s Rivers, Land and Water Conservation Fund, Beaver Populations an Ally for The West

June 13, 2018 By: Erin Block

  • Signs of climate changes are evident on the most famous rivers in Montana. In a recent article on High Country News, Meera Subramanian examines the politics of anglers and climate change, which “is having a profound influence on flyfishing, from the timing of insect hatches to the long-term survival of the fish that give this sport its meaning.”
  • The Land and Water Conservation Fund protects threatened access and opens new access to public lands and waters.  Now nearing the end of its three-year authorization, “If Zinke does not find the nerve to speak up publicly for the LWCF, or if Congress doesn’t intervene, the fund will lapse into its most meager state since its creation.” Read more from Elliot D. Woods via Outside Online.
  • Dwindling water supplies in the West are getting help from a surprising ally: beavers. “Beaver dams improve water quality, trap and store carbon—and in the aggregate could be a significant way of storing groundwater in dry climates,” writes Luke Runyon. Via KUNC.