Embracing the green economy: Making homes more energy efficient, renewable-energy industries could provide a threefold benefit to Montana, the Northwest
Nov. 6, 2009
Fact & Fiction offers a review of Timothy Egan's "The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire
That Saved America"
Nov. 12, 2009
Dec. 1-2: Small HydroPower Conference, Washington, D.C.
Dec.16-17: Western Governors' Association's Winter Meeting, San Diego, CA
Western states plant clouds with silver to increase snowfall
Idaho Power Co. is investing $1 million in its cloud-seeding program and several eastern Idaho counties and businesses are pooling funds for a cloud-seeding program in the Upper Snake River Basin; Wyoming, Nevada and Colorado also have aggressive cloud-seeding programs to increase snowpack in their states.
Idaho Statesman; 11/19/2009
Study: Water shortage looms for Wyoming city
A new study of water resources in Sheridan said if the city in northern Wyoming doesn't secure additional water rights or storage, the city could face a water shortage by 2054.
Casper Star-Tribune (AP); 11/16/2009
Utah governor says water talks with Nevada will slow down
Following a Nevada state district court decision that put an intrastate water transaction in question, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert said talks with Nevada over divvying up Snake Valley water would slow down, but he saw no need to suspend negotiations entirely.
Salt Lake Tribune; 11/17/2009
Utah joins the Food to School campaign
Utah is one of the last three states in the union to put a system in place that allows local farmers to provide locally grown food, meat and dairy products to schools.
Salt Lake Tribune; 11/17/2009
Federal gov't drops appeal of Army's expansion plan in Colorado
A U.S. Army spokesman said that the Army never wanted to appeal a federal court decision on its proposed expansion plan of its Pinon Canyon training site in Colorado, but that the Justice Department, which asked the appeal be dismissed on Tuesday, did.
Denver Post; 11/19/2009
FERC approves funding for Montana-Alberta transmission line
On Thursday, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved a $161-million loan from the Western Area Power Administration to Canada-based Tonbridge Power Inc. to build the Montana Alberta Tie Line, a 214-mile, 230-kilovolt power line between Great Falls and Lethbridge.
Great Falls Tribune; 11/20/2009
First Nations sue to stop power line in British Columbia
The Upper Nicola Indian Band and Okanagan National Alliance filed a lawsuit against three British Columbia ministers and B.C. Transmission Corp. to stop a high-voltage transmission project that crosses their lands.
Vancouver Sun; 11/16/2009
Northern Arapaho struggle to save their language
On the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming, only about 250 members of the 8,000-member Northern Arapaho Tribe are fluent in their native tongue, and educators and linguists are in a race with time to teach children Arapaho while there are still elders around to help.
High Country News; 11/13/2009
Montana agencies suspend funding for Little Shell tribe
After an audit questioned how the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians spent a grant designated for tobacco use prevention and a Montana agency questioned the tribe's accounting practices, several state agencies put a hold on $867,000 in grants and stimulus money for the tribe.
Great Falls Tribune (AP); 11/19/2009
Idaho settles grazing lawsuit with $50,000 settlement
Under the terms of a settlement of a lawsuit brought by an environmentalist who bid on seven grazing leases offered by the Idaho Board of Land but lost to ranchers who bid a lower amount, the Board agreed to pay Washington state businessman and environmentalist Gordon Younger $50,000 and promised to revise its rules to allow conservation groups to lease state trust lands.
Idaho Statesman (AP); 11/18/2009
USFWS settles wolf lawsuit in N.M., Arizona
Under the terms of a settlement reached last week between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and several environmental groups, the federal agency will terminate its "three-strike" policy against gray wolves in Arizona and New Mexico that allowed wolves to be removed if they killed three head of livestock.
Durango Herald (AP); 11/16/2009
Groups sue to stop uranium mine near Grand Canyon
The Center for Biological Diversity, Grand Canyon Trust and Sierra Club filed a lawsuit Monday against the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, alleging that the agency's reliance on a 21-year-old document that allowed a uranium mine north of the Grand Canyon in Arizona to be reopened violated a slate of federal regulations.
Arizona Daily Sun; 11/17/2009
Groups ask Utah mine board to stop proposed coal mine
The Utah chapter of the Sierra Club, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, the Natural Resources Defense Council and the National Parks Conservation Association filed a petition with the Utah Board of Oil, Gas and Mining to stop the state's first coal strip mine on private land near Bryce Canyon National Park.
Salt Lake Tribune; 11/20/2009
Federal judge nixes Utah bidder's 'choice of evils' defense
Tim DeChristopher, a University of Utah student who bid more than $1.8 million to win federal oil and gas leases in Utah with no intention of paying for or developing them, cannot use a "choice of evils" defense, the federal judge presiding over the case ruled on Monday.
New York Times; 11/17/2009
Idaho governor, ranchers dispute slickspot peppergrass listing
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is expected to list slickspot peppergrass (Lepidium papilliferum), a rare flowering plant found in southwest Idaho's desert and other areas of the state, as threatened on Dec. 7, a decision that is being fought by Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter, and the Idaho ranchers who helped develop the state's "candidate species conservation plan" for the plant that received federal approval.
Idaho Statesman; 11/17/2009
Antennas help track salmon from Pacific coast into Idaho
Bonneville Power Administration bought large antennas, including one of the South Fork of the Salmon River in a rugged corner of Idaho wilderness, to help researchers track salmon from the West Coast through rivers and streams in Oregon, Washington and central Idaho.
Idaho Statesman (AP); 11/16/2009
Federal agencies buy key parcels in Colorado, Montana, Nevada
Using $11.7 million of money appropriated under the the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act, the Bureau of Land Management picked up a key parcel of private land in the Canyon of the Ancients National Monument in Colorado; the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service bought a parcel in Montana's Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge; and in Nevada, the U.S. Forest Service secured one parcel in the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and another in the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area.
NewWest.net; 11/17/2009
Montana judge reaffirms earlier ruling on grizzly bears
Montana U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy reconsidered his September ruling that ordered Yellowstone-area grizzly bears back under federal protection and ruled again that the bears should remain under federal protection.
Billings Gazette (AP); 11/20/2009
Grizzly bears push into the prairies of Montana
This past year was unprecedented in Montana for grizzly bears expanding their range from the Rocky Mountain Front into the prairies, with one bear nearly making it to the Missouri River, where miles and miles of remote, excellent bear habitat exists. An article by Jason D.B. Kauffman, guest writer.
NewWest.net; 11/20/2009
Idaho board votes to extend wolf hunt to March 31
At its meeting Thursday, the Idaho Fish and Game Commission extended the wolf hunt from Dec. 31st to March 31st in the Panhandle, Palouse-Hells Canyon, Selway, Middle Fork, Salmon, Southern, and South Idaho zones; wolf hunters have so far killed 110 of the 220 wolves allowed this wolf season.
Idaho Statesman (AP); 11/20/2009
Ted Turner's plan for Yellowstone bison is a good one
The proposal to send dozens of bison from Yellowstone National Park now held in quarantine to Ted Turner's Flying D Ranch in Montana appears to meet the long-term requirements of the relocation program, and it would be a shame if the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission bowed to public pressure and nixed the plan.
Casper Star-Tribune; 11/16/2009
Jarvis' appointment of Idaho scientist to NPS post a good call
Jon Jarvis, the new chief of the National Park Service, appointed University of Idaho's Gary Machlis to serve as the agency's first science adviser, a wise move given Machlis' track record of conservation. A column by Rocky Barker.
Idaho Statesman; 11/16/2009
Utah must soften blow of resumption of food tax
Given Utah's financial situation, the sales tax on groceries must be restored, but if, and only if, the state can come up with a plan to soften the impact of such a tax on the state's low-income residents.
Salt Lake Tribune; 11/17/2009
Treasury secretary should pick bison quarter for Yellowstone
U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has a full plate these days, but one task on his to-do list is a no-brainer: Pick the Yellowstone quarter that shows the bison and Old Faithful.
Billings Gazette; 11/18/2009
Colorado needs to exhale before taxing marijuana
Before Colorado legislators race to tax medical marijuana, there are several legal questions that need to be answered and state lawmakers must tread carefully to ensure they do not expand the measure that legalized medical marijuana into something voters did not approve.
Denver Post; 11/18/2009
Eight Utah businesses on ICE list for employment audits
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's new list of 1,000 businesses that will face an audit of records to verify employees' identity and employment eligibility contains eight from Utah.
Deseret News; 11/20/2009
Errors in reporting stimulus spending in Colorado corrected
Colorado has corrected and explained the errors on the federal web site that tracks stimulus spending that incorrectly indicated such spending occurred in federal congressional districts that don't exist in the Centennial State.
Denver Post; 11/19/2009
Idaho congressman wants more focus for federal training programs
Idaho U.S. Rep. Walt Minnick and other House Democrats are proposing legislation that would reform federal workforce training programs to focus on training and education that puts workers on paths to "careers in the 21st century economy."
Idaho Statesman; 11/18/2009
Senate passes Rural Veterans Health Care Improvement Act
Montana U.S. Sen. Jon Tester sponsored the Rural Veterans Health Care Improvement Act, which provides a slate of benefits to veterans in rural states such as Montana, and the bill passed Thursday in the Senate on a 98-0 vote.
Helena Independent Record; 11/20/2009
Idaho congressman's bill would reimburse veterans for travel costs
Idaho U.S. Rep. Walt Minnick wants the federal government to reimburse veterans for travel expenses if they have to travel more than 150 miles for treatment at a hospital or clinic operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Twin Falls Times-News; 11/19/2009
Montana governor puts pine beetle problem on WGA agenda
Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer is chairman of the Western Governors Association, and he said Tuesday, he intends to put the problem of the spread of pine beetles on the agenda of the Western Governors Association.
Missoulian; 11/18/2009
Arizona governor to call special session on more budget cuts
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer will call legislators back today for a special session to cut another $300 million out of the state's budget.
Arizona Republic; 11/17/2009
Gibbons' decision on federal stimulus funds angers Nevada legislators
Nevada lawmakers were incensed to learn that Gov. Jim Gibbons had doled out federal stimulus funds to 11 projects, saying that they thought they had an agreement that such decisions would be run through the Interim Finance Committee.
Reno Gazette-Journal; 11/20/2009
Law keeps Nevada out of 'Race to the Top' money
Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons said he might call a special session to get a 2003 state law that prohibits the use of student assessment data in evaluating teachers, because that law is keeping the state from competing for a share of the $4.3 billion "Race to the Top" federal education funding.
Reno Gazette Journal; 11/18/2009
Utah panel OKs bill to remove tax on restaurant meals
The Utah Revenue and Taxation Interim Committee on Wednesday approved legislation that will remove a local 1 percent sales tax on restaurant meals and another bill that would allow the release of the actual sale price of a house or other real property when it changes hand.
Salt Lake Tribune; 11/19/2009
Wyoming panel nixes legislation to tax wind-energy projects
At its meeting on Wednesday in Cheyenne, the Wyoming Joint Revenue Committee declined to sponsor two bills that would have imposed taxes on wind energy development.
Casper Star-Tribune (AP); 11/19/2009
Federal judge goes with Grupo Mexico's plan for Asarco
On Friday, a federal bankruptcy judge in Texas returned control of copper miner Asarco to Americas Mining Corp., a subsidiary of Grupo Mexico; the $2.2-billion plan to pay Asarco's creditors should be done by mid-December.
Denver Post (AP); 11/16/2009
- Asarco LLC, Arizona mull next step in light of judge's decision
After a federal bankruptcy judge awarded control of Asarco LLC to its parent company, Grupo Mexico, Asarco officials, as well as the state of Arizona, which viewed the proposal from India-based Sterlite Industries Ltd., as a more viable one, are contemplating an appeal of the judge's decision.
Arizona Republic; 11/18/2009
California company makes pitch for Montana manufacturing firm
California-based Applied Materials Inc. has offered shareholders of Semitool Inc., a Montana based company that manufactures equipment and tools to make microchips, a premium price for their shares; Applied will have to get two-thirds of Semitool's shareholders to approve the sale.
Flathead Beacon; 11/18/2009
B.C.-based Intrawest sells Colorado ski resort to Utah company
Intrawest ULC, the owner of Whistler Blackcomb, announced that it had sold its Copper Mountain ski resort in Colorado to Utah-based Powdr Corp.
Toronto Globe Investor; 11/18/2009
Chinese solar company to build Arizona production plant
China's largest solar-panel manufacturer, Suntech Power, announced it would build its first production plant in America in Arizona near Phoenix, with plans to open the plant by the third quarter of 2010.
New York Times; 11/17/2009
Unemployment dips a bit in Nevada
Nevada's unemployment rate took a tiny step backward in October, with the statewide jobless rate down from 13.3 percent in September to 13 percent in October, and Las Vegas' unemployment rate dropped nearly an entire percent--from 13.9 percent in September to 13 percent in October.
Las Vegas Review-Journal; 11/20/2009
New Alaska governor takes up fight over polar bear status
Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell, like his predecessor former Gov. Sarah Palin, is fighting the federal government's decision to protect the polar bear as a threatened species.
Seattle Times (AP); 11/16/2009
Review of 'green power' programs finds uneven results
About 2 percent of Americans participate in programs run by utilities to draw power from renewable energy resources, an indication that Americans support renewable energy in principle but not in pocketbook, due in part to just how the money raised by those programs is used.
New York Times; 11/17/2009
Gold prices climb further into record territory
The price of gold hit $1,143.45 per ounce early Wednesday morning.
National Post (Toronto); 11/18/2009
Senate bill would require new E. coli tests at slaughterhouses
New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's E. Coli Eradication Act of 2009 would require slaughterhouses to test for the deadly bacterium and would also require additional tests at grinder facilities that turn trimmings into hamburger.
New York Times; 11/19/2009
BLM, EPA battle stalls mine cleanup in Oregon
The Formosa mine in southern Oregon is the most polluted of the 140 abandoned mines in the state, but cleanup of the Superfund site has stalled because the Bureau of Land Management contends that contamination left behind by years of mining at the site originates on its land, but the Environmental Protection Agency says it does and won't proceed with the cleanup until the BLM promises to pay its fair share of the cost.
Portland Oregonian; 11/19/2009
Report: Nuclear power plants contaminate Canada's water supply
Tritium on Tap, a report to be issued today by the Sierra Club of Canada, said that radioactive emissions from the nation's nuclear power plant have contaminated Canada's water supply, and that Canada allows levels of tritium in the water that far exceed other countries' safe standards.
Toronto National Post; 11/20/2009
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