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Rockies today

Report: Idaho has at least 843 wolves, 94 packs
The Idaho Fish and Game Department released its status report on the state's wolf population on Friday, that said there are at least 843 wolves in the state, 94 wolf packs in the state, and another 20 that roam the territory between Idaho and its bordering states.
Spokane Spokesman-Review; March 13
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Interior Dept.'s annual report on birds adds threat of climate change
In its annual State of the Birds report, the Interior Department said nearly a third of the nation's 800 bird species are in decline, endangered or threatened, and for the first time, the department added climate change to the list of factors affecting bird populations.
New York Times; March 15
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USDA pledges $16M for sage grouse work in 11 Western states
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Friday that it will provide up to $16 million in funds to farmers and ranchers in 11 Western states to protect sage grouse and the species' habitat.
Casper Star-Tribune (AP); March 13
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Colorado researchers track effect of humans' noise on wildlife
Increased population has fostered more traffic and more noise on the landscape, and is having a wide range of effects on wildlife, according to a new study published by Colorado researchers in this month's Trends in Ecology and Evolution.
Aspen Times; March 15
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Nevada begins workshops on water rights to clarify murky order
A Nevada Supreme Court decision issued in late January that validated a decades-old mandate that water-rights applications had to be acted upon by the state engineer's office within a year of filing threw many water rights into murky territory, and the state engineer's office will begin holding workshops to find a resolution to clarify the issue.
Reno Gazette-Journal (AP); March 15
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Wyoming panel sides with ranchers in CBM water dispute
The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality Council sided with Marge and Bill West in a coalbed methane water discharge permit dispute with Stephens Energy Company, finding that the Wests lost 100 acres of haymeadow and 200 cottonwood trees due to salt buildup from the water flowing across their Powder River Basin property.
Casper Star-Tribune (AP); March 15
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Federal water talks in Arizona aren't all about snowmaking
Secret negotiations between the federal government about using groundwater to make snow on Arizona's Snowbowl isn't just about quieting tribes' concerns about using treated wastewater to make snow on the San Francisco Peaks, but is more about water supplies for communities in northern Arizona.
Arizona Daily Sun; March 15
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Opinion

Idaho lawmaker's urban-renewal reform bill makes sense
Twin Falls Rep. Leon Smith's legislation that gives the public and cities a firmer hand on the reins of urban renewal agencies without gutting their ability to carry out their intended missions, and the bill deserves serious consideration.
Twin Falls Times-News; March 15
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Jon Marvel a dedicated conservationist who is his own worst enemy
Jon Marvel's Western Watersheds Project has done the lion's share of reworking the environmental aspect of grazing, but his outspoken, take-no-prisoners way of furthering the agenda has earned him a lot of animosity. A column by Rocky Barker.
Idaho Statesman; March 15
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Beyond the region

Commercial beekeepers add R&R to pollinators' schedule
A national panel has yet to pinpoint the cause of colony collapse--the sudden disappearance of entire hives of bees--and commercial beekeepers are trying different options to keep their hives happy--including one who plans to give his pollinators some time off in the Georgia woods between their work in the California almond orchards and the East Coast's apple orchards.
Washington Post; March 15
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President to propose changes to 'No Child Left Behind'
President Obama will provide details of changes he wants made to the federal No Child Left Behind program, including one that changes funding from a formula-based system to one that uses competitive grants.
Christian Science Monitor; March 15
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