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The latest environment news from The Texas Tribune.

  • TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

    By Evan Smith

    Aguilar on a change in law that affects applications for state-issued IDs, Galbraith on how the drought is taking its toll on wildlife, Hamilton on an outsider's attempt to lower the cost of higher ed, Murphy visualizes the partisanship of House members, Ramsey on who becomes Lite Guv if David Dewhurst takes another job, Ramshaw on life in the colonias and three stories about Rick Perry — Grissom on how his death penalty stance might play in a 2012 presidential race, Root on how he cemented his reputation as one of the state's most powerful governors and Tan on the growing demand for him to speak elsewhere: The best of our best content from July 4 to July 8, 2011. Full Story 

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    Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman

  • Lengthy Drought Takes Toll on Wildlife

    By Kate Galbraith

    It may be a bad year for hunters: The number of wild turkeys, quail and even squirrels will be down due to one of the worst droughts in state history. One bright spot is that feral hogs, a statewide nuisance, will also decrease. Full Story 

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    Credit: Dave Govoni

  • Wildfires, Burn Bans Rage Across Texas

    By Beth Brown and Ryan Murphy

    So far this year, the Texas Forest Service has responded to roughly 1,500 wildfires across Texas, the damage of which spreads across 2.5 million acres, according to our interactive map. And burn bans are spreading just as fast. Full Story 

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    Credit: Illustration by Ryan Murphy / Todd Wiseman / Colin Shackelford

  • TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

    By Ross Ramsey

    An Everybody-in-the-Pool effort on what's left to do in the special session, Ramshaw on a doozy of a congressional race shaping up, Aguilar on the debate over sanctuary cities and other immigration proposals, M. Smith on the state's used-up Rainy Day Fund, Grissom on efforts to kick the special interests out of an insurance fight, Dehn and Tan on whether the special session helps or hurts the governor's national ambitions, Galbraith and KUT Radio team up for a series on the long-term outlook for Central Texas water, Aaronson on government attempts to balance openness and privacy with data releases, yours truly on Amazon's run at a sales tax break, and Hamilton on an ethnic gap in higher education: The best of our best from June 20 to 24, 2011. Full Story 

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    Credit: Illustration by Ben Hasson

  • The Midday Brief: June 24, 2011

    By Thanh Tan

    House Speaker Joe Straus knocks down the TSA "anti-groping" bill. Are voters ready for another Texan in the White House? News of the "tepid" response to Perry's NALEO speech spreads inside the Beltway. Full Story 

    Texas Governor Rick Perry gestures during his speech to the NAELO National Assn. of Latino Elected Officials in San Antonio on June 23, 2011.
    Credit: Bob Daemmrich

  • Series Explores Central Texas' Water Supply

    By Kate Galbraith

    The Texas Tribune and KUT 90.5 FM are running a five-part series this week on water supplies in Central Texas, looking specifically at the long-term future of two key lakes that supply water to Austin and other growing cities, as well as to rice farmers a few hundred miles down the Colorado River. Full Story 

    Low water levels at Lake Travis because of drought; photo taken May 16, 2011.
    Credit: LCRA

  • In Austin, Growing Water Needs and Conservation

    By Kate Galbraith

    As Austin prepares to tighten its watering restrictions to once a week later this summer, trees and lawns — not to mention the water utility's revenues — are suffering. Long-term, Austin and nearby cities want to ensure the continued health of the Highland Lakes. Full Story 

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    Credit: Todd Wiseman

  • A Clash Over Water in Central Texas

    By Kate Galbraith

    The state's record dry spell has rice farmers, growing cities and a proposed coal plant competing for water from drought-stricken lakes. This is the first in a five-part print and radio series, "Water Fight," with KUT News. Full Story 

    Residents of Lake Travis have extended staircases and moved docks further out to accommodate lower lake levels. Some say the declining levels are bringing down property values.
    Credit: Todd Wiseman

  • TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

    By Evan Smith

    Aaronson and Murphy visualize what happened to the nearly 5,800 bills introduced in the 82nd Lege, Aaronson, Hasson and Swicegood interactively recap the budget battle, Aguliar on the surge in illegal re-entry cases prosecuted by the Obama administration, Galbraith on a coal plant that wants a water deal from the LCRA, Grissom interviews a man wrongly imprisoned and nearly executed — twice, Hamilton on a controversial UT regent who wants a do-over in the debate over higher ed reform, Ramshaw on the continuing fight over pre-abortion sonograms, Root on Rick Perry's newsmaking trip to NYC and M. Smith on whether cash-strapped school districts will raise taxes: The best of our best content from June 13 to 17, 2011. Full Story 

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    Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman