Highway 89 has been closed due to flooding and road wash out between Cameron and Highway 160 southwest of Tuba City. Grand Canyon National Park remains open to the public. However, detours are in place, extending travel times to the park. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/hwy-89-closure-affects-travel-to-n-and-s-rim-of-grand-canyon-nat-pk.htm

The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) has reopened US 89 between Cameron and US 160 on the Navajo Nation. Traffic has been restored in both directions following damage caused Wednesday by heavy rains. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/highway-89-has-reopened-between-north-and-south-rim-of-grand-cyn-nat-pk.htm

The National Park Service (NPS) is seeking public comment on the Maswik South Rebuild Environmental Assessment (EA). The EA will be available for public review and comment for a 30-day period from October 25 to November 25, 2018. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/maswik-south-rebuild-ea.htm

Following a series of breaks in the Transcanyon Waterline earlier this month, Grand Canyon National Park now has enough water in storage to scale back to Level 1 basic water conservation measures. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/level-1-water-conservation-seasonal-trail-water.htm

A Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) was signed by Kate Hammond, Acting Regional Director for the Intermountain Region of the National Park Service for the rebuild of the Maswik South lodging complex and the construction of new roads near Maswik South at Grand Canyon National Park. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/fonsi-signed-for-maswik-south.htm

Visitor Fatality at South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/visitor-fatality-at-south-rim-of-grand-canyon-national-park.htm

On Wednesday, April 3, 2019 at approximately 11:30 am, Grand Canyon National Park rangers responded to a call reporting that someone had fallen over the canyon rim east of Yavapai Geology Museum. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/over-the-edge-fatality.htm

Starting on approximately April 8, 2019 Xanterra South Rim, L.L.C., a concessionaire within Grand Canyon National Park, will be fulfilling a contractual obligation to rebuild the Maswik South lodging complex and construct new roads near Maswik South. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/grand-canyon-rebuilding-maswik-south-lodge.htm

At 1:05 p.m. on April 23, 2019, Grand Canyon National Park rangers responded to a call reporting that a person needed help at rocky point west of Pipe Creek Vista. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/visitor-fatality-at-pipe-creek-vista.htm

The gate at the entrance to the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park will open on Wednesday, May 15 at 7:30 a.m. to mark the official opening of the North Rim for the 2019 season. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/north-rim-2019-season.htm

Grand Canyon National Park fire managers anticipate initiating prescribed pile burning this week as weather and fuel moisture conditions allow. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/grca-south-rim-piles-project.htm

From Tuesday, May 16 to Wednesday, May 17 the Grand Canyon National Park Division of Science and Resource Management (SRM) will apply minor spot spray treatments of herbicide around the Grand Canyon Lodge and campground in the North Rim Developed Area to aid in the control of an especially invasive grass species for which mechanical removal is ineffective. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/grca-apply-herbicide-on-nr-2019.htm

Grand Canyon National Park's summer season is set to begin in the next few weeks, plan ahead to make the most of your trip! https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/visitation-tips.htm

Beginning Tuesday, June 4, the National Park Service road crew will begin a three-week pavement preservation project to seal cracks in the older asphalt surfaces around the park. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/road-preservation.htm

On Tuesday, June 4 and Wednesday, June 5 staff from the Division of Science and Resource Management (SRM) will be applying herbicide to the traffic islands on South Entrance and Yavapai Roads to remove grasses that attract elk in these congested areas of the Grand Canyon Village. The intent of the removal is to minimize conflicts between wildlife (elk) and both visitors and residents along the road corridors. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/south-entrance-and-yavapai-herbicide-use.htm

Grand Canyon National Park fire resources completed ignition operations on the Long Jim Prescribed Fire. Crews will continue to patrol the unit and mop up any areas along the fires perimeter that may threaten the holding line. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/fire-resources-at-grand-canyon-complete-ignition-operations-on-long-jim-rx.htm

The National Park Service is conducting a missing person search within Grand Canyon National Park.  https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/missing-person.htm

The Ikes Fire continues to grow despite the minimal amount of moisture received from recent storms. Fire is estimated at 77 acres. Crews continue to prep the perimeter of the planned burn area. Road and Trail closures remain in place. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/ikes-fire-grows-to-58-acres-despite-monsoon-weather-08062019.htm

Grand Canyon National Park would like to invite the public to the eighth annual season of "Echoes from the Canyon". This living history event will feature day time and evening programs August 16 –19th. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/echoes-from-the-canyon.htm

Grand Canyon National Park is implementing its pilot bison reduction activities on the North Rim this month through live capture and removal of approximately 60-100 animals. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/grand-canyon-relocates-bison.htm

National Park Service staff closed the doors on livestock trailers yesterday, securing 31 bison inside to transfer them to the InterTribal Buffalo Council who will take them on the journey to join their new herd with the Quapaw tribe in Oklahoma. The transfer of the bison concluded the Grand Canyon National Park's pilot program for corralling and relocating bison from the North Rim. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/31-bison-from-the-north-rim-are-relocated-20190919.htm

Water connectivity to Grand Canyon's South Rim is restored. The park has removed water restrictions and resumed basic water conservation measures. A valve leak, which prevented water from being pumped between Indian Garden and the South Rim was identified and replaced by park staff. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/grand-canyon-np-s-rim-returns-to-normal-water-operations-2019-10-15.htm

Grand Canyon National Park's North Rim will begin day use operations on Nov. 1, 2019. Visitors exploring the North Rim after Oct. 31 should plan to be self-sufficient, bringing enough food and water for their stay, as services will not be available. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/grand-canyon-n-r-to-begin-seasonal-day-use-operations.htm

Grand Canyon National Park backcountry users can seek out shade and an opportunity to rest from the elements at the new Tipoff Shelter along the South Kaibab Trail. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/south-kaibab-trail-shelter-now-available-2019-11-04.htm

The National Park Service (NPS) is conducting a missing person search at Grand Canyon National Park for Martin Edward O'Connor, 58, of La Porte, Texas, last seen on Dec. 22, 2019, at Yavapai Lodge on the South Rim of Grand Canyon. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/missing-person-search-initiated-at-grand-canyon-2019-12-30.htm

The researchers from Queen Mary University of London say the discovery could lead to ground-breaking treatments with “a reduced chance of side effects.”

The post Antibodies Could Be ‘Radically Life-Changing’ New Treatment for OCD and Other Mental Disorders appeared first on Good News Network.

Thes plush scarves and face masks were designed to block out 95% of common contaminants that pose health risks—and 99% of germs that cause colds or flu.

The post N95 Scarf Filters the Air Around You – With Fashionable Sustainable Solution for Personal Protection appeared first on Good News Network.

Not only can the smart contact lenses monitor glucose levels, they can also release medication directly into the membrane of the eye.

The post New Contact Lenses May Soon Allow Diabetics to Monitor Glucose Levels With Just the Blinks of Their Eyes appeared first on Good News Network.

Iceland's two whaling companies have cancelled hunting for a second straight year as demand drops and the COVID-19 pandemic poses difficulties.

The post Harpoons Are Silenced: Iceland’s Whaling Boats Spend Second-Straight Season Tied Up in Port appeared first on Good News Network.

In addition to EV batteries being reused in 7-11 stores, their minerals can also provide many raw materials needed to run our world.

The post Old Electric Vehicle Batteries Can Be Recycled into New Sources of Energy—Even Used to Power 7-11 Stores appeared first on Good News Network.

In addition to the shoes being released in a soothing range of colors, they have also done away with shoelaces and complex attachments.

The post Now Children With Autism or Sensory Issues Can Buy Vans Shoes Designed Exclusively For Them appeared first on Good News Network.

Lowe’s is delivering $1 million worth of flower baskets to isolating moms and grandmothers in senior homes around the US for Mother’s Day.

The post Lowe‘s Sends Mother’s Day Love to Isolated Seniors With $1 Million in Flower Baskets Delivered From Local Growers appeared first on Good News Network.

Visibility in parts of southern Ontario, Canada, was severely affected as a snow squall blanketed areas of the province — including the town of Barrie — on May 9, reports said . A frost advisory notice was issued for the area by the Canadian government, warning that “near or below freezing temperatures” were expected through Wednesday, May 13. Reports said that the unseasonable snowfall can be attributed to a polar vortex sweeping over the region. Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield posted a video of snow falling outside his Ontario home, saying, “It’s May 9. Cut it out.” This video, filmed by local resident Tom Eves, shows a snow squall in Barrie, north of Toronto. “Well what can you do but laugh,” wrote Eves on Twitter. Credit: Tom Eves via Storyful

Welcome to the new world where global emergency collides with 21st century sloganism.

Despite these Indiana neighbors being forced to stay isolated during the COVID-19 crisis, they have come up with a clever way of staying connected.

The post This Neighborhood Has Been Staying Connected During Social Distancing With Creative ‘I Spy’ Game appeared first on Good News Network.

United States unemployment has risen to its highest level since the Great Depression, with tens of millions of jobs wiped out in just one month.

Everyone in the community feels isolated at the moment, but that's the way AFL coaches feel most of the time.

Cofiring wood and coal at Fairbanks, Alaska, area electrical generation facilities represents an opportunity to use woody biomass from clearings within the borough's wildland-urban interface and from other sources, such as sawmill residues and woody material intended for landfills. Potential benefits of cofiring include air quality improvements, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, market and employment development opportunities, and reduction of municipal wood residues at area landfills. Important issues that must be addressed to enable cofiring include wood chip uniformity and quality, fuel mixing procedures, transportation and wood chip processing costs, infrastructure requirements, and long-term biomass supply. Additional steps in implementing successful cofiring programs could include test burns, an assessment of area biomass supply and treatment needs, and a detailed economic and technical feasibility study. Although Fairbanks North Star Borough is well positioned to use biomass for cofiring at coal burning facilities, long-term cofiring operations would require expansion of biomass sources beyond defensible-space-related clearings alone. Long-term sources could potentially include a range of woody materials including forest harvesting residues, sawmill residues, and municipal wastes.

There are two new sites, one in Cranleigh and the other in Farnham

Effectively addressing wildfire risk to communities on large multi-owner landscapes requires an understanding of the biophysical factors that influence risk, such as fuel loads, topography, and weather, and social factors such as the capacity and willingness for communities to engage in fire-mitigation activities.

In recent decades, dam removal has emerged as a viable national and international strategy for river restoration.

Landscape exposure to multiple stressors can pose risks to human health, biodiversity, and ecosystem services. Attempts to study, control, or mitigate these stressors can strain public and private budgets. An interdisciplinary team of Pacific Northwest Research Station and Oregon State University scientists created maps of the conterminous United States that indicate landscape exposure to concentrated wildfire potential, insects and disease risk, urban and exurban development, and climate change. The maps, which show where these stressors might occur and overlap, provide a valuable resource for regional and national land use, land management, and policymaking efforts by helping to guide resource prioritization.

Although burned trees are the most visible damage following a wildfire, a forest’s soil can also be damaged. The heat generated by a wildfire can alter the soil’s physical properties and kill the fungi and bacteria that are responsible for nutrient cycling and other ecosystem services. What isn’t well understood is the extent of the heating within the soil and how quickly the soil recovers.

Accurate measurements of natural resources are a prerequisite for resource assessment. Demetrios Gatziolis, a scientist with the USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station, and his colleagues with Washington State University developed and tested protocols for using structure-from-motion photogrammetry to obtain data that can be used to construct 3-dimensional (3-D) representations of trees, other vegetation, and down wood. This type of photogrammetry is a remote-sensing technique based on a sequence of digital images or video footage. Gatziolis and his colleagues focused on developing protocols for using it under the forest canopy. Their method can serve as a guide for others interested in obtaining inexpensive, precise 3-D data of trees in field plots. The researchers continue to perfect the technology so it can be reliably deployed by field crews with a minimal amount of training.

Diameter growth is seasonal in Douglas-fir, the evergreen tree found in much of western Washington, Oregon, and northern California. Initiation and cessation of diameter growth are both triggered by environmental cues. The tree responds to these cues to improve its chances of growing under favorable conditions. As environmental conditions change, however, land managers want to know how warmer summers and falls may affect diameter growth in Douglas-fir.

This publication describes the bird communities of major mainland rivers of southeast Alaska and is based on a review of all known relevant studies as well as recent fieldwork. We synthesized information on the composition, structure, and habitat relationships of bird communities at 11 major mainland rivers. Information on current management concerns and research needs are also included.

Old-growth forests provide unique habitat features and landscape functions compared to younger stands. The goals of many forest management plans in the Pacific Northwest include increasing the area of late-successional and old-growth forests.