MWNB

The Department of the Interior is giving at least 20 trails more signage and marketing. Many could be in the West.

Scott Allison could have taken the shortest route from Las Vegas to Reno. Instead, he drove nearly 50 extra miles through California. The detour wasn't for the scenery. It was for the chargers.

As the nation turns 250, a report takes a look at quality of life across the states. It shows that economics don’t always determine well-being.

The new chapter will cover about 650 workers at 12 park sites or offices in New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Arizona, Montana and other states.

As the iconic Route 66 turns 100 years old and the United States marks its 250th anniversary, a Pueblo-owned restaurant in New Mexico offers a different way to think about American history.

This year’s already strong El Niño is strengthening, a trend with potentially significant implications for the intense – and now tragic – fire season.

The U.S. is building more solar farms than ever. But as projects expand, they're also raising questions about where they belong. A new industry analysis suggests one of the biggest concerns — that solar is consuming too much prime farmland — may be overstated, especially in the American West.

Firefighters will now be able to use N95 masks on the fireline – building on a more limited, voluntary rollout of masking that started last fall. There will also be expanded access to showers, time for routine gear cleaning and so-called “clean air recovery periods” that can limit other risks.

They include analyzing aggregated cell phone location data, public social media and visitor surveys.

Local leaders in Grand Lake, Colorado, hope the workshop expands opportunities for locals and helps attract tourists year round.