The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation has awarded $3.1 million for 13 projects to reduce wildfire risk to communities and improve forest health. The funding money is part of the $15 million Montana Forest Action Plan, which takes a big-picture approach to reducing the risk of wildfires. Wyatt Frampton, deputy division administrator of forestry and trust lands for the Montana Department of Natural Resources, said the money will be used to foster fire-management cooperation between state and private landowners across 3,200 acres of forest. .
Advocates are urging Colorado lawmakers to make key improvements to a state program seen as critical to helping people fleeing domestic violence or experiencing homelessness get back on their feet. Aubrey Wilde, advocacy program director at the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, said people living on the streets frequently have their belongings stolen, confiscated or destroyed. And without a valid ID card, it can be impossible to access housing services, get a job or even fill a prescription. .
A new report found Connecticut might be better off without its film industry tax credit. The Connecticut Voices for Children report showed the film industry tax credit costs the state more than $60 million dollars a year, which means between 2007 and 2023, the state lost around $900 million. Patrick O Brien, research and policy director at Connecticut Voices for Children and author of the report, said it plays into the state s regressive tax system because it is not targeted to low and middle-income families. .
Virginia energy experts feel a recent push for solar energy legislation could have benefited the state. Senate Bill 697 would have removed a ban on solar energy installations, compounded by county-level moratoriums. Instead, localities could not ban solar projects until they hit 4% of their landmass. .
On Monday, Arkansans will have the opportunity to witness a once-in-a-lifetime event, a total solar eclipse. It will be visible along a narrow track and will briefly put parts of the United States, Mexico and Canada in complete darkness. Uta Meyer, center manager for the Little Rock Audubon Center and Audubon Delta, said her group is providing Little Rock residents with an observation form to track birds and other creatures activity throughout the eclipse. .