KNAU update for May 31 — US Officials to Put Off Oil Leases Near Sacred Tribal Land

A few weeks ago, KNAU’s Poetry Friday segment highlighted the work of the late Flagstaff poet, Jim Simmerman, and the annual poetry contest for young writers set up in his memory. Today, we hear from the winner of this year’s contest, Aslihan Hadinoglu, a senior at Coconino High School. Learn more at KNAU.org.

The word pajarito means “little bird” in Spanish. That’s how the Pajarito Plateau in northern New Mexico got its name. But new research has found bird populations are crashing there—issuing a warning for the future of the Southwest. Learn more at KNAU.org.

U.S. Interior Secretary David Bernhardt has agreed to put off oil and gas leasing for a year on land that Native Americans consider sacred surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park in northwestern New Mexico. Learn more at KNAU.org.

An Oregon-based company received a grant from the U.S. Forest Service to study the feasibility of building a first-of-its-kind commercial plant in Northern Arizona that turns waste wood into a new kind of fuel. Learn more at KNAU.org.

Waymo announced Wednesday that its fully self-driving tractor-trailers will start driving on freeways this week and will expand to more routes over time. Learn more at KNAU.org