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Fact & Fiction and the Bookstore at the University of Montana offer a review of Michael Punke's Last Stand:
George Bird Grinnell, the Battle to Save the Buffalo, and the Birth of the New West.
The New West, a new quarterly magazine produced by the same folks who produce NewWest.net, hit the newsstands this week. The print magazine covers the economy, development and change in the Rocky Mountain West.
May 15: High Country News hosts a panel discussion: "CRASH! What happens when an energy boom collides with an amenity boom?" at Mesa State College in Grand Junction, Colo. Read a preview.
June 4-6: Natural Resources Law Center's Shifting Baselines & New Meridians — Water, Resources, Landscapes and the Transformation of the American West," at the University of Colorado at Boulder Law School. Read a preview.
N.M. senator proposes bill to allow drilling for oil in Alaska refuge
A dozen other Republican senators joined N.M. Sen. Pete Domenici at a news conference on Thursday where he unveiled legislation designed to drive up domestic oil production in the United States that includes opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to energy development and mining oil shale deposits in Colorado and other Rocky Mountain West states. You may have to view an ad to read this article.
Albuquerque Journal; 05/02/2008
Traffic jams Western cities, states
Fast-growing cities in the Western United States, such as Boise, Denver and Salt Lake City, can't build highways fast enough or big enough to accommodate traffic flows, and with the price of construction materials nearly doubling over the past year, now they can't afford to build them either.
NewWest.net (The New West Magazine); 04/29/2008
Resource economy roars back into the Interior West
Growth has been one of the sustaining pillars of the economy of the Rocky Mountain West for the past decade, but now that sector hobbling along, and with rising demand for the region's natural resources, that sector is once again pumping revenue into the Western states' economies.
NewWest.net (The New West Magazine); 04/29/2008
Idaho landfill to get 6,700 tons of contaminated sand from Kuwait
Sand contaminated with depleted uranium and high levels of lead when spent ammunition in an Army warehouse in Kuwait caught fire during the first Gulf War is being shipped to American Ecology's landfill in Grandview; the 6,700 tons of sand will be hauled in railcars from the Port of Longview, Wash., to the Idaho disposal site.
Idaho Statesman (AP); 05/02/2008
Two Utah cities make American Lung Association's dirty air list
The American Lung Association issued its annual report on the state of the nation's air, and on the list of the worst cities in the nation for short-term, particle pollution, Logan was ranked sixth and Salt Lake City was ranked seventh; no other cities in the Rocky Mountain West made that list. Phoenix was ranked 19th for ozone pollution, but no areas in the Intermountain West were cited for year-round particle pollution.
Salt Lake Tribune; 05/01/2008
Census: Frost Belt loses young workers, Mountain West gains them
USA Today's analysis of Census data released today found that the Mountain West and the South gained the largest number of residents aged 25 to 44, lured by job availability and affordable housing, with Arizona reporting a 17.8 percent gain in the 25-44 demographic between 2000 and 2007; Idaho had a 11.1 percent gain; and Colorado a 4.1 percent gain.
USA Today; 05/01/2008
- Census: 1 in 4 children under the age of 5 is Hispanic
New Census data to be released today says that Hispanics are the fastest-growing minority group in the United States, with about Hispanics accounting for 1 in 4 children in the nation under the age of 5; in New Mexico more than half the children under the age of 5 are Hispanic; and in Arizona, Colorado and Nevada, about-one third of the children younger than 5 are Hispanic.
Washington Post; 05/01/2008
Montana county's Plan B for development focuses on rural living
The Ravalli County Planning Department released the second draft of its countywide zoning regulations last week, and the consultant hired by the Montana county to help with planning said the difference between the first draft and second was considerable, with Plan B more heavily weighted toward preserving the rural character of the Bitterroot Valley.
Ravalli Republic; 04/28/2008
Denver City Council OKs development limits in 2 northwest neighborhoods
After a year of wrangling and a 10-hour city council meeting, the Denver City Council approved rezoning proposals for two northwest neighborhoods in the Colorado city that will guide future development.
Denver Post; 04/29/2008
Documentary explores water situation in Southwest United States
Actress Jane Seymour is lending her voice to narrate a documentary about dwindling water supplies in the Southwest United States and the economic toll the lack of water is taking on the region.
Farmington Daily-Times; 04/29/2008
N.M. senators' bill would create fund to settle tribal water claims
Tribes have had varying degrees of success in getting water rights settlements approved by Congress, and New Mexico Sens. Pete Domenici and Jeff Bingaman have sponsored legislation that would create a permanent trust fund to be used to settle tribal water claims.
Indian Country Today; 04/28/2008
Efforts continue to remove 'squaw' from place names in the West
American Indians consider the term "squaw" offensive, and with 940 places in the country that incorporate the term into names, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names has been removing the term, with 16 requests granted last year, the most high-profile example of which was the renaming of Squaw Peak near Phoenix, Piestewa Peak, to honor a Hopi-Hispanic soldier who was killed in Iraq in 2003.
USA Today; 04/30/2008
Washington tribe reverses vote, OKs Columbia River fish pact
The Yakama Tribe approved a pact with the federal government and three other Washington state tribes that provides $900 million in fish restoration funds on the Columbia River in exchange for the tribes' withdrawal from lawsuits over dams operated by the federal government on that river.
Yakima Herald; 05/01/2008
Tribe shuts down jail on Montana reservation
Tribal officials said a lack of operating funds forced them to close down the jail on the Fort Belknap Reservation and transfer the 17 prisoners to other facilities in Montana.
Great Falls Tribune; 05/02/2008
Moratorium on grizzly bear hunt in Alberta extended to 2009
Concerns that the number of grizzly bears in Alberta may be much lower than originally thought led province officials to extend the hunting ban put in place three years ago another year to 2009 to allow DNA studies currently under way to be completed.
Calgary Herald; 04/28/2008
Interior moves forward with rule change on guns in national parks
A proposed rule change published Wednesday in the Federal Register would allow people with concealed weapons permits to carry loaded guns into national parks and wildlife refuges in states that allow firearms in parks; the rule change would allow loaded guns in Grand Teton and Yellowstone as Wyoming does not ban guns in parks.
Jackson Hole News & Guide; 05/01/2008
USFWS: Bull trout should retain threatened species protections
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services announced Tuesday that bull trout populations in the Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Nevada should remain listed as a threatened species, and some populations may be studied for further protection.
Twin Falls Times-News (AP); 04/30/2008
As promised, groups sue to reinstate federal protection of wolves
A coalition of 12 animal-rights and environmental groups filed a lawsuit in federal court in Montana seeking an injunction to halt wolf hunts and to return the species in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming to federal management under the Endangered Species Act.
NewWest.net; 04/29/2008
- Two days, two lawsuits against USFWS on Ariz., N.M. wolf plan
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's "Standard Operating Procedure 13" that requires the removal of wolves in New Mexico and Arizona that have preyed on livestock three times in one year is the target of two lawsuits filed this week, although the lawsuits challenge SOP13 on different legal grounds. You may have to view an ad to read this article.
Albuquerque Journal; 05/02/2008
Eleven Western states crunch sage grouse numbers
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has until December to determine if the sage grouse is endangered, and the federal agency set a June 24 deadline for 11 Western states to provide the agency with information on sage grouse numbers in their states, the threats the birds face and conservation efforts taken to preserve habitat and bolster populations.
Casper Star-Tribune (AP); 04/27/2008
Easement protects 7,500 acres in Montana's Blackfoot Valley
The 7,500-acre easement recently brokered by the Five Valleys Land Trust is the first in Montana that focused on protecting native fisheries habitat and the largest such deal for the Missoula-based nonprofit.
Missoulian; 05/02/2008
Ruptured pipeline spews crude oil into Alberta river
A pipeline leased to Penn West Energy leaked an estimated 120 barrels of crude oil into the Lesser Slave River and a smaller northern Alberta river on Wednesday.
Edmonton Journal; 05/01/2008
Five of 500 ducks that landed on toxic pond in Alberta survive
Syncrude officials vowed to take steps to ensure that sonic cannons needed to scare migrating waterfowl away from toxic tailings ponds at the company's oilsands operations in Alberta would be in place to prevent a repeat of an incident where an estimated 500 ducks landed on the pond and most of them perished.
Edmonton Journal; 05/01/2008
The cost to fix Colorado's roads is only going to go up
Although the legislation pushed forward by the Colorado Senate Transportation Committee on Monday is woefully inadequate to address all that needs to be done on Colorado's highways and byways, it's still a step forward.
Denver Post; 04/29/2008
Plum Creek's plans could substantially change Montana's landscape
Plum Creek owns 58 percent of the private land in Missoula County, and if even a fraction of those lands are opened up for development it would have a considerable impact on the Montana county's real estate market and economy, and the specter of that should move county zoning laws up the legislative agenda in 2009.
Great Falls Tribune; 04/30/2008
Arizona guest-worker bill will ease labor woes, force Congress to act
Arizona businesses have been trying for more than a decade to find a legal way to hire foreign, seasonal workers, and Senate Bill 1508 will create such a program, and since it will need federal approval, the legislation puts a boot in Uncle Sam's fanny to get something done.
Arizona Republic; 04/30/2008
Congress must find a way to protect Medicaid, children's health programs
A new report released this week found that for every percentage point rise in the unemployment rate, another million people need Medicaid or children's health insurance programs, and estimated that such an increase would send another 1.1 million into the ranks of the uninsured, and Congress must find a way to help beleaguered states fund these vital health programs.
New York Times; 05/01/2008
Rey, Montana counties' officials agree to disagree on road issue
U.S. Department of Agriculture Undersecretary Mark Rey said he negotiated the best deal possible with Plum Creek Timber Co. on U.S. Forest Service road easements, but the county officials in Montana with whom Rey met with on Montana said they'd prefer to look at the paperwork and determine that for themselves.
NewWest.net; 04/29/2008
Congressional Budget Office gives nod to Healthy Americans Act
Utah GOP Sen. Bob Bennett and Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon are sponsors of the Healthy Americans Act, which would create a universal health care system and mandate all Americans have health insurance, and on Thursday, the Congressional Budget Office released its analysis of the legislation that said the bill makes financial sense.
Salt Lake Tribune; 05/02/2008
Wyoming senator says he'll seek a third term
U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi announced Saturday he would seek a third term; the Wyoming Republican faces just one opponent at this point: Democrat Christopher Rothfuss, a University of Wyoming instructor.
Casper Star-Tribune; 04/28/2008
Montana, Calif. congressmen team up to help sick veterans
Montana U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg and California Rep. Mike Thompson are again trying to get medical coverage for veterans who were unknowingly exposed during biological and chemical weapons tests between 1963 and 1973; similar legislation sponsored by the two was passed by the House last year but failed to make it through the U.S. Senate.
Missoulian; 05/02/2008
Nevada state senator announces she'll run for Congress
The race for Nevada's 3rd Congressional District is thought to be one of the most competitive in the nation, and on Thursday, Democratic state Sen. Diane Titus announced she would challenge Republican incumbent Rep. Jon Porter.
Las Vegas Review-Journal; 05/02/2008
Montana lawmakers work on carbon capture regulations
Legislation drafted by an interim committee of Montana lawmakers is weighted in favor of surface landowners, giving them the final say on whether carbon dioxide can be pumped under their land for storage and providing payment to those landowners for the right to do so.
Billings Gazette; 05/02/2008
Montana lawmakers hold first meeting on fire policy
The Montana Fire Suppression Interim Committee held its first public forum in Hamilton, in the heart of the Bitterroot National Forest, which the U.S. Forest Service considers its most threatened forest due to wildland-urban development, and lawmakers, forest officials, representatives from environmental and policy groups, as well as residents traded opinions about the committee's draft report on reducing wildfires in the state, while addressing the growing number of homes built in harm's way.
Missoulian; 04/29/2008
Colorado agency, oil, gas commission will study effect of energy regs
The Colorado Department of Natural Resources and the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission will study the possible effects new regulations on the oil and gas industry will have on the state's economy.
Grand Junction Sentinel; 04/29/2008
Colorado Senate OKs watered-down version of water supply bill
The Colorado Senate gave final approval to legislation that would require developers of more than 50 housing units to prove to city officials that there is adequate water for the development; the measure now goes back to the House for approval.
Durango Herald; 04/30/2008
Colorado lawmakers advance bills to rework state education tests
Colorado Democrats pushed through legislation that would eliminate some portions of the state's Student Assessment Program, and another that would pare the CSAP back to the minimum requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind law.
Durango Herald; 05/01/2008
Arizona governor signs employer-sanction changes into law
Arizona's employer-sanction law now extends to companies that hire employees for cash, changes the law to apply to only employees hired this year and says business chains can't be penalized for the hiring of a single illegal worker at one location.
Arizona Republic; 05/02/2008
Utah drivers embrace CNG-powered vehicles
Utah has 91 compressed natural gas stations, 20 of which are open to the public, and use of CNG-powered vehicles has grown so much in the Beehive State that Honda, which makes CNG-equipped Civic GXs, is considering marketing the cars in Utah, as well as New York and California.
Santa Fe New Mexican (AP); 04/28/2008
Canadian lumber company links $69M loss to ailing U.S. market
North America's second largest lumber producer, West Fraser Timber, reported a $69 million loss for the first quarter of 2008, and the president of West Fraser said the continued deterioration of the U.S. housing market has forced the company to curtail production.
Vancouver Sun; 04/29/2008
Geothermal expert has a dream for Utah's steam
NovaTech wants to turn a former industrial area in Provo into a self-sufficient community powered by electricity generated by steam from Utah's geothermal resources.
Salt Lake Tribune; 04/29/2008
Montana governor touts barley that's not just for beer
Montana State University researchers who did the formative research for Butte-based WestBred to develop BGLife barley helped unveil the patented crop that contains 50 percent more fiber than standard barley, which could make the grain an important tool in fending off diabetes and provide Montana farmers a new grain to export.
Bozeman Daily Chronicle; 04/30/2008
Expert: Lack of transmission capacity hinders Montana wind-energy effort
Gary Seifert, program manager at the U.S. Department of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory, told dozens of Montanans on Wednesday that Montana has the wind-power producing capacity of several states combined, but a lack of transmission capacity has hobbled efforts to develop those projects thus far.
Great Falls Tribune; 05/01/2008
FERC puts hydroelectric dam project in Utah on 'indefinite hold'
After Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. told the Division of State Parks and Recreation to reject a request for an easement needed to develop a hydroelectric power project on the east side of Bear Lake, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission put the Hook Canyon project on hold.
Salt Lake Tribune; 05/01/2008
Mortgage industry resists tougher regulation
The Federal Reserve was sharply criticized for its close relationship with the mortgage industry that economists link to the current national crisis in the financial and housing markets, and as the federal agency begins to craft new regulations, it appears the mortgage industry has succeeded in getting the focus of those new rules narrowed.
New York Times; 04/28/2008
Federal judge says polar bear decision must be made by May 15
A federal district court judge in California ordered the Interior Department to make a decision on whether to provide the polar bear protection under the Endangered Species Act by May 15.
New York Times; 04/30/2008
Wilderness designation will shield 106,000 acres in Washington state
President Bush is expected to sign legislation passed by the U.S. House that contains a provision to designate 106,000 acres in Washington state's Cascade Mountains as the Wild Sky Wilderness.
Seattle Times; 04/30/2008
Congress shifts focus to non-corn based biofuel
Rising food prices and global shortages have created some backlash in Congress against corn-based ethanol, with some legislators seeking a freeze on federal mandates for biofuels productions at current levels, while others want to shift tax incentives from corn-based biofuels to cellulose-based ethanol in the current Farm Bill.
Christian Science Monitor; 05/01/2008
Report makes tough recommendations for factory farms
A report released this week by the Pew Charitable Trusts and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health chronicles the costs of large-scale factory farms and recommends a ban on nontherapeutic use of antibiotics in farm animals, phasing out intensive confinement operations of animals and aggressive enforcement of antitrust laws in the agricultural industry.
Washington Post; 04/30/2008
Oregon senator presses USFS for quick response on salvage sale
In an effort to keep mills in Grant County in operation, conservation groups are supporting two salvage sales in an area of eastern Oregon burned by recent wildfires in exchange for timber companies' promise not to log in sensitive areas, and U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden has asked the U.S. Forest Service to expedite approval of those sales.
Portland Oregonian; 05/01/2008
Exxon defends its $10.9B first-quarter profit
The vice president for public affairs at Exxon Mobil defended the oil company's first-quarter profits and warned against backlash public policy, such as imposing a windfall tax on oil companies, but New York Sen. Charles Schumer failed to heed the warning and renewed his proposal to impose such a tax.
Washington Post; 05/02/2008
Colorado researcher says California reservoirs key to salmon survival
David Yates, a project scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo., said that the network of dams in California that have been blamed for the collapse of salmon populations, may actually be a tool to the species' survival as climate change warms rivers if federal water managers time releases of the cold reservoir water into rivers during spawning season.
Twin Falls Times-News (AP); 05/02/2008
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