Omnibus 2008 Appropriations Bill (PL 110-161) signed by President Bush Dec. 26, 2007, ordered him to reopen EPA libraries shuttered by his administration and earmarked some $3 million to restore them.

Some new, sharper tools are available for reporters who want to investigate patterns of federal spending or specific cases of interest.

President Bush has signed into law a measure aimed at strengthening the Freedom of Information Act.

Feeling discouraged about the erosion of journalists' traditional role as watchdogs? Lighten up with the Spring 2008 issue of Nieman Reports, published by the foundation at Harvard University. Titled "21st Century Muckrakers: Who Are They? How Do They Do Their Work?" the issue includes nearly 50 articles chronicling the "Muckraker" tradition of American investigative journalism and documenting that muckraking is alive and well, even in today's digital age.

The media landscape is changing fast, sometimes in ways that can benefit environmental coverage and journalists.

Climate change, ecology and other environmental topics focus of AAAS sessions.

As the corpses of newspapers litter the American landscape, they seem to fertilize the sprouting of a bumper crop of new blogs devoted to environment and energy. If you are looking for environmental news, you are mostly likely to find it online.

Journalists' Freedom of Information Act requests will have more clout if they demand specific justification for each redaction. A new Justice Department guidance document makes clear this is mandatory for most agencies.

Tim Wheeler's final report as SEJ's president explains how his hope for the future of news stems from the commitment and incredible energy he sees in this organization devoted to promoting the quality and visibility of environmental journalism.