U.S. senators from New Mexico, Colorado and Idaho introduced legislation Wednesday to increase funds for local partnerships to prevent water pollution and restore watersheds. … [The Headwater Protection act,] if passed, would triple the yearly funding for the Water Source Protection Program for the U.S. Forest Service in order to provide more than $30 million per year for farmers, ranchers, water utilities and local and tribal governments for restoring forests or cleaning up watersheds. The legislation would prioritize giving funds to projects to improve drinking water quality and harden forested areas to wildfire and climate change.

Related articles:

• Post Independent (Glenwood Springs, Colo.): Colorado Sens. Bennet and Hickenlooper make bipartisan pitch in Congress to boost funding for watershed protection programs
• KOB4 (Albuquerque, N.M.): NM US senator sponsors bill to protect water sources in national forests
• KTVB (Boise, Idaho): New legislation aims to bolster US forests and watersheds with increased funding