Forests & Ag

Las Vegas is heating up faster than almost every other American city, but a new multi-year study may provide local governments some direction for effective heat relief.

According to a study published by the U.S. Geological Survey last week, Las Vegas and other cities in hotter, drier regions may be the biggest winners when it comes to the cooling effect trees can provide in sizzling temperatures.

In eight large cities across the country, scientists placed 80 to 100 sensors on trees in each city and measured hourly air temperatures for three months during the summers of 2016 to 2019. The study found that urban trees in arid cities amplified the cooling of local air temperature significantly more than in more humid locations, according to Nevada Current.

The report from the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management provides a much higher estimate than previously shown. The federal agencies were required to establish an inventory of trees in the country’s oldest forests. The next step is to craft and implement policies to …

CCLapplauds the inclusion of the Growing Climate Solutions Act in the omnibus spending bill expected to be passed this week. The legislation would help all farmers and foresters to access verified carbon credit markets and get paid for using climate-friendly practices that sequester carbon.