This week on Regional Roundup, we hear how many of our beloved outdoor spaces are being loved to death as increasing numbers of tourists flock to the region. This show explores how local communities are grappling with the challenge of preserving their natural landscapes while sustaining their economies. From overcrowded trails to endangered ecosystems, this piece sheds light on the delicate balance between growth and conservation. This show is a collaboration between Clark Adomaitis, Maeve Conran, Gavin McGough, Lily Jones, and Hattison Rensberry.

- Show Notes -

• A feature about the impact of social media influencers on our outdoor spaces. (KDNK)

• A feature on a historic train in southwest Colorado switching from coal to oil. (from KSJD/KSUT)

• A feature on a the U.S. Forest Service's efforts to tally visitors on southern Colorado. (KHOL)

• A feature on the timed entry system at Rocky Mountain National Park (RMCR)

• A feature on the danger of spreading invasive species into delicate ecosystems. (KDNK)

On the News Reel today, we talk to Andrew Christiansen, reporter at the Times-Independent, about disagreements among commissioners on how the state’s audit of Grand County tourism funds was represented at a recent legislative meeting. We also discuss a report on National Park Service revenue in southeastern Utah during 2023. And we finish up with a story about Moab’s Taiko Dan group, which is celebrating 30 years of drumming with an event on Sept. 28.

- Show Notes -

• Commissioners clash over ‘misrepresentation’ at legislative meeting

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/commissioners-clash-over-legislative-meeting/

• Parks, monuments visitors spent nearly $400M in southeast Utah

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/parks-monuments-visitors-spent-nearly-400m-in-southeast-utah/

• Moab Taiko Dan celebrates 30 years of drumming

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/moab-taiko-dan-celebrates-30-years-of-drumming/

The annual paranormal conference Phenomecon took place in Vernal, Utah, last weekend. UFO spotters, Bigfoot enthusiasts, and Skinwalker believers convened for four days of lectures and presentations about supernatural occurrences in the Uinta Basin and beyond.

- Photo: Phenomecon attendees Audie Tackett and Gail Tackett show off a photo of what they believe are Bigfoot tracks spotted in the snow in Colorado.

For over a century, the world's fastest drivers have been coming to the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah every year to set speed records in their homemade hotrods. But the future of the sport is uncertain as conditions of the speedway deteriorate from decades of mining on the salt flats. What will that mean for the next generation of racers?

Photo: At 15 years old, Carson May is one of the youngest competitors at the World of Speed, an annual car race at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. He might not have his driver's license yet. But at speeds of over 170 miles per hour, he proves he knows what he's doing behind the wheel.

This week on the Regional Roundup, we hear an interview with the author of a new book, "The Western Horse: A Popular History of the Wild and Working Animal" by RMCR. We also hear a feature on the Churro sheep and its significance to the Navajo Nation, from the archives at KSJD/KSUT. Plus, a feature on Trumpeter swans in Wyoming, by KHOL. And an interview with the author of "Why Animals Talk: The New Science of Animal Communication" by KGNU.

KZMU News is on a break until early September. Tune in to KZMU News live every weekday at noon and 6:00 pm for regional news from our sister stations and rebroadcasts of some of our favorite stories from the past year. Talk to you in a couple weeks. Thanks for listening.

On the News Reel today, we talk to Doug McMurdo, editor of the Times-Independent, about former Salt Lake Tribune reporter Zak Podmore’s new book, Life After Dead Pool. We also discuss the state’s most recent precipitation report, which found below average rainfall in Utah this summer. And we finish off with a story about Grand County Commission Chair Jacques Hadler’s recent travels to Tanzania where he grew up.

- Show Notes -

• Is Lake Powell doomed? And if so, what comes next?

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/is-lake-powell-doomed-and-if-so-what-comes-next/

• July was arid throughout Utah

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/july-was-arid-throughout-utah/

• Moabite returns to childhood home in Africa

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/july-was-arid-throughout-utah/

Today on the Regional Roundup, we hear a two way on the impact of dehumanizing political rhetoric targeted at immigrants from RMCR, a two way with the founder of the Rocky Mountain Welcome Center and its work with recently arrived Venezuelans from KDNK, a two way on the history of Buffalo Soldiers in the Rocky Mountain West from KRCL, and a feature on Diné Pride from RMPBS.

On the News Reel today, we talk to Doug McMurdo, editor of the Times-Independent, about the city’s plans to improve Main Street in Moab, possible updates to the Moab Area Travel Council Advisory Board, and law enforcement’s recovery of the body of a missing woman who was killed in a flash flood. Plus, we hear from Kenny Fallon, editor and publisher of the monthly newsletter, the Green River Observer. Fallon tells us about three house fires that occurred in Green River last month and the city’s request for proposals for a new recreation center.

- Show Notes -

• Moab’s Main Street could see safety enhancements

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/moabs-main-street-could-see-safety-enhancements/

• Potential changes to TCAB bylaws discussed amid ongoing tensions

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/potential-changes-to-tcab-bylaws-discussed-amid-ongoing-tensions/

• The Green River Observer

https://thegreenriverobserver.substack.com/

The mining company Energy Fuels transported its first shipment of uranium ore from the Pinyon Plain Mine near the Grand Canyon to the White Mesa Mill in Blanding, Utah, on Tuesday. The company plans to transport six or more truckloads of ore to the White Mesa Mill daily for the next two years. The shipping route cuts through the Navajo Nation, which banned the transportation of uranium on the reservation in 2012, and on Tuesday, Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren said that Energy Fuels is operating illegally on tribal land. Tribal laws don't apply to federal and state highways, which the company uses to transport, but President Nygren threatened to take Energy Fuels to court over the issue.