“If I can bring something beautiful to them, it tells them they matter,” said music thanatologist and Zion National Park artist-in-residence Catharine DeLong. “It tells them that they are alive.”

“Anytime we have to ground resources because of unauthorized drones in a wildfire area, it delays the containment of that fire longer,” said one fire management officer. That can put nearby communities and firefighters at risk

A booming population and changing climate have strained water supplies in St. George. The bet is that recycled wastewater can keep the city's taps flowing.

The Temple of Sinawava dam, built in 1957, kept native fish like flannelmouth suckers pinned downstream on the Virgin River.

Zion National Park’s staff numbers haven’t kept up with rising visitation, and the Trump administration’s federal hiring freeze hasn’t helped. Park officials say visitors should help prevent search and rescue operations by planning ahead.

The amendment proposed by Utah Rep. Celeste Maloy would have sold more than 10,000 acres of federal land near St. George to local governments.

“This major excavation of soil that is happening right now to create luxury developments, to create golf courses — that is also creating tremendous dust exposures,” said University of Utah epidemiologist Katharine Walter.