Photographers, migrating animals, and cultural histories all share a reliance and admiration for one thing: clear, dark, starry skies. But the preservation of dark skies is threatened by development, including growing cities and the infrastructure needed for oil and gas production. Our partners at KSJD report that southeast Utah is just one of the places where advocates say mitigation for light pollution is often ignored. And later, athletes are working to make rock climbing more welcoming to all. Plus, states in the Colorado River Basin are ready to begin negotiating policies to govern the critical water source.

Photo: Hovenweep Towers/Daniel Rayzel