From Russia with…Knapweed?

Grand Canyon National Park is home to over 1600 species of plants, demonstrating some of the greatest biodiversity of any national park. Unfortunately not all of these botanical residents were invited guests. Non-indigenous plants (otherwise known as “exotics”) have increasingly become a disruption to the park’s natural balance. Plants such as Russian knapweed and tamarisk have frustrated the parks vegetation specialists for years as they continue to spread despite concerted efforts towards eradication.

It was recently announced that the latest initiative to battle these non-native plants, including the use of herbicides, will be extended through the end of the year. With a little luck, the National Park Service Vegetation Program will gain the upper hand on a few of these unwelcome guests.

Find out how you can help by following this link
http://www.gcvolunteers.org/

Uranium Mines Proposed Within Sight of Grand Canyon

In recent years the mining industry has staged a dramatic comeback in the western states, driven primarily by rising oil prices across the globe. Natural gas exploration and drilling on public lands have perhaps garnered the most headlines, but the renewed hunt for uranium deposits holds the greatest consequences for the Grand Canyon region. A fifteen-fold increase in uranium prices in recent years has led to the filing of thousands of mining claims, many of which are within ten miles of the Grand Canyon itself. Environmentalists and like-minded politicians are mobilizing to exclude the lands adjacent to Grand Canyon from mining activities. The impending legal tug-of-war on the uranium issue has the potential to rival the high profile battle to prevent the damming of Marble Canyon in the 1950s and 60s. Read more by following this link, and let your voice be heard on the issue by contacting your congressional representatives.

http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/mar2008/2008-03-13-01.asp