Water Quality & Mining: A proposed copper-nickel sulfide mine in Minnesota’s headwaters is moving through environmental review, with a public comment period running through Sept. 14—an issue that matters for downstream clean water and Tribal resources, especially since sulfide mining can be notoriously hard to contain in watery landscapes. Tribal Youth & Governance: Turtle Mountain Band Chairman Jamie Azure urged youth engagement and better planning to break from “old politics,” describing a youth-driven strategy that’s shaped the tribe’s long-term goals. Wildlife Health: North Dakota reported its first West Nile virus death of the year, and the state also issued a harmful algal bloom advisory for Blacktail Dam—keep people and pets out of affected water. Drought Watch: Drought and abnormal dryness expanded across parts of the central and south-central U.S., with some dryness continuing along the North Dakota–South Dakota border. Policy & Air Quality: EPA proposed reversing parts of its earlier North Dakota regional haze decision, which could affect visibility rules tied to Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Funding for Resilience: NSF awarded more than $1.1M to North Dakota State University for graduate research on organismal resilience under changing environmental conditions. Wildlife & Hunting: North Dakota set a youth waterfowl weekend for Sept. 19–20, including a special military/veteran season.