Wildfires, exacerbated by climate change, are ravaging the Great Plains with new intensity, according to a new study.
"The grasslands of U.S. Great Plains have seen one of the sharpest increases in large and dangerous wildfires in the past three decades, with their numbers more than tripling between 1985 and 2014," reports Chris Mooney.
Mooney is sharing findings from a study published in the Geophysical Research Letters journal, by lead author Victoria Donovan from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. The study found "that the average number of large Great Plains wildfires each year grew from about 33 to 117 over that time period, even as the area of land burned in these wildfires increased by 400 percent."
There's a critical layer of understanding this subject yields: other studies have documented shifts in large wildfires, but always in forested areas. According to the words of Donovan, as quoted in the article, "this is one of the first that documents a shift, at this scale, in an area characterized as a grassland."
Read the full story: Wildfires used to be rare in the Great Plains. They’ve more than tripled in 30 years
Wildfire Risks Make Southern California Development a Gamble
The Tejon Ranch development would bring thousands of homes to a highly fire-prone area in L.A. County.
Nearly a third of US housing is in the wildland-urban interface — and at growing risk of wildfire
As suburbs increasingly mingle with undeveloped land, homes face a higher risk from destructive fires.
80% of California homes built between 2020-2022 are in high fire risk areas
In 2020, California wildfires destroyed nearly a fifth of homes they came in contact with.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
Judges permit Denver to divert 77,000 acre feet from the Colorado River for reservoir expansion
Overuse and climate change have caused the Colorado River’s water levels to plummet.
NYC DOT wants faster, more permanent street upgrades
The city is examining ways to build more concrete infrastructure without getting entangled in 'decades-long' projects.
'Something we’ve never seen before:' rising utility rates could strain city finances nationwide
Data centers, climate change and other factors have caused utility rates in the United States to increase by 38% since 2020.
Trump to overrule local leaders, lease millions of acres of America’s Pacific Island territories’ seafloors to mining companies
International law says that the Indigenous people of America’s territories have a right to prior and informed consent regarding projects that impact their countries.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
KFH Group Inc.
Greater Baltimore Committee
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello