In science news this week: Forest fires accelerating snowmelt across western US:  “Forest fires are causing snow to melt earlier in the season, a trend occurring across the western U.S. that may affect water supplies and trigger even more fires, according to a new study by a team of researchers at Portland State University (PSU) , the Desert Research Institute (DRI), and the University of Nevada, Reno.  It’s a cycle that will only be exacerbated as the frequency, duration, and … Continue reading SCIENCE NEWS: Forest fires accelerating snowmelt across western US; Things are looking up: the 2018 salmon season; Using genetics to inform conservation of spring-run chinook salmon; and more …