HIGHLIGHT: NEW MEXICO

Albuquerque: Collecting piñon nuts has been tradition for Native American and Hispanic families in the Southwest for generations. But environmentalists are concerned that without the pinyon jay – a very social bird that essentially plants the next generation of trees by stashing away the seeds – it’s possible the piñon forests of New Mexico and other states could face another reproductive hurdle in the face of climate change, drought and more severe wildfires. The Washington, D.C.-based group Defenders of Wildlife filed a petition Monday with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect the bird under the Endangered Species Act, saying the once common species plays an integral role in the high desert ecosystem.

CHRISTINA M. SELBY VIA AP A pinyon jay flies over a juniper tree in northern New Mexico. Environmental groups want federal protections for the species.