In this week's Indy Environment, we spoke with Jim Lawrence, who was recently named the acting director of the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

The approved regulation, also known as Clean Cars Nevada, implements California's Low Emission Vehicle (LEV) standards for tailpipe emissions. The regulation also adopted California's Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) program.

The Southern Nevada Water Authority, which serves the Las Vegas metro area, is tasked with implementing what its general manager said is probably "the most aggressive municipal water conservation measure that's been taken in the western United States."

Now, tribal leaders and advocates are focusing their energies on priority issues at the Legislature, such as securing tuition-free higher education for Native students and protections for culturally sacred and environmentally sensitive areas.

An investigation into the destruction of a rare plant species, found only in Nevada and at the center of a heated regulatory proceeding, answers some questions but raises many more. People want a clear narrative, but this is not a story of definitive scientific conclusions.

Across the West, projects ranging from new oil rigs to new pipelines trample on and fragment habitat for the Greater sage-grouse, an imperiled bird that has come to symbolize the tension between conservation and development. Although the Trump administration removed rules that require developers to offset — or mitigate — their impacts, Nevada has kept them in place.

For firefighters, efforts to contain the coronavirus — advisories against travel, social distancing, business closures — present a unique set of potential challenges heading into fire season. In some cases, the same first responders, charged with fighting fire, are being enlisted to respond to coronavirus cases or organize regional efforts in minimizing the spread of the coronavirus.

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Governor's Office of Energy released a joint statement Friday criticizing the Trump administration's decision to undo Obama-era vehicle emission standards.

This week's Indy Environment looks at recreation areas closing as the state puts measures in place to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. The newsletter also looks at a letter state regulators sent to the company responsible for the Anaconda Copper Mine and projections that the solar industry might see job losses in the wake of the pandemic.

This week's Indy Environment newsletter looks at the state's decision to temporarily halt new housing developments that rely on groundwater in a valley north of Reno. The newsletter also looks at a Southern Nevada solar project and things to watch in 2020.

State officials have determined that Assemblywoman Heidi Swank is ineligible to lead Nevada's newly formed outdoor recreation office, despite announcing the lawmaker's appointment last month.