"RJ Laverne’s childhood home in Detroit had a big elm out front. In fact, the whole neighborhood was lined with them: great, graceful trees whose branches spread across the street to create a shady canopy. Elms were so widely planted in cities and suburbs in the 19th and 20th centuries that they became known as the “Main Street tree.” Then, in the 1930s, Dutch elm disease began to ravage them, and by 1989, most of America’s 77 million mature elms were dead."

"Scientists say their work on fires and climate change could be lost as the agency moves its headquarters to Utah from Washington and shuts 57 research stations."

"The Trump administration said Friday it is combining two agencies that were separated in the aftermath of the 2010 Gulf oil spill. The Interior Department said the overhaul would increase efficiency and speed up permitting for offshore oil and gas drilling."

"The administration moved to block endangered species protections in the Gulf of Mexico, but few see a real threat to oil production."

"A long-term project to remove or modify dams may clear the way for endangered wild Atlantic salmon to swim freely up to the Sandy River. But it faces opposition from business and lawmakers."

"Thousands of dead fish are washing ashore and people are falling ill too, as officials investigate possible sources of contamination."

"A federal judge on Monday partially ruled that the first Trump administration erred when it weakened aspects of the Endangered Species Act.

The ruling (attached below) was heralded by environmental groups, saying it underscored that “federal agencies must use the best available science when assessing harm to species, they cannot ignore incremental harm to critical habitat, and the agencies must firmly commit to any measures relied upon to reduce harm to imperiled plants and animals.” (Emphasis added—ed.)

"Interior Secretary Doug Burgum can convene the Endangered Species Committee, or “God Squad,” on March 31 to approve the Pentagon’s request to exempt all Gulf of Mexico oil and gas operations from the Endangered Species Act because of national security needs, a judge ruled Friday."

"The United States has spent nearly a year pursuing deep sea mining without cooperation from the rest of the world. Now, Japan has said it will help out." "The arrangement could signal a fracture in the decades-long effort among nations to reach consensus on how to mine the ocean floor while protecting ecosystems."

"It’s the best of times in recent memory for Chesapeake Bay oysters. It’s just the opposite, though, for the Maryland and Virginia watermen who make a living harvesting them."