Utah’s drought conditions could deteriorate even more as temperatures start to climb. NOAA’s latest seasonal outlook expects above-average heat through July.

In early May, St. George will build an electrical substation in a lot bursting with pieces of prehistoric fish, plants and dinosaurs. Paleontologists and volunteers are trying to salvage the fossils while they can.

All but one of Utah’s Mighty Five national parks had an increase in visitors from the previous year. At the same time, concerns linger about how federal job cuts might impact park crowds.

A federal forest grant that conservationists rely on to fund monitoring and removal of the invasive and tenacious Russian olive tree has been frozen by the Trump admin.

An estimated 1,000 National Park Service employees have been fired so far. That includes at least 20 rangers, by one unofficial count, from Utah’s popular and busy national parks.

The February mass firing of National Park Service employees has hit parks in southern Utah, including Zion and Bryce Canyon. That’s spurring worries about long lines and crowds as the parks’ busy season ramps up.

Drought conditions statewide are now the worst they’ve been in nearly two years, and local water leaders want to make sure that message sinks in with Utahns.