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Overflow communities: Sonoran Institute's latest publication explores the result of development cascading into Wyoming, Idaho counties from Wyoming's Teton County
June 12, 2008
Fact & Fiction and the Bookstore at the University of Montana offer a review of Gordon Sullivan's Saving Homewaters: The Story of Montana's Streams and Rivers
June 18, 2008
June 29-July 1: Western Governors' Association Annual Meeting; Wildlife corridors, climate change, energy and managing water on agenda, Stetson Village
Jackson Hole, Wy. Read a preview
Sept. 8-11: The U.S. Geological Survey's Third Interagency Conference on Research in the Watersheds, Estes Park, Colo. Read a preview.
Push on for Congress to get wilderness bills passed
In addition to the bill passed that designated 106,000 acres of land in Washington state as wilderness, the U.S. House has passed five other bills designating more than 500,000 acres of federal land across the nation as wilderness, and the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee has approved another four bills and could pass more. Has a graphic showing current legislation that includes areas in Idaho, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona.
Washington Post; 06/16/2008
President Bush presses for oil-shale development in 3 Western states
At a press conference on Wednesday, President Bush urged an end to the moratorium on commercial development of oil shale in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming, and while one developer says he has a method to pull the oil from the rocky shale, Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar said technology is years away from producing oil from the shale in an economically feasible manner.
Salt Lake Tribune; 06/19/2008
- Wyoming governor skeptical about Bush's oil-shale claims
After President Bush said commercial oil-shale development could now be done economically, Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal said that he believed the president should actually be pushing for more money for research in oil-shale development. Another look.
Casper Star-Tribune; 06/19/2008
- Colorado governor: Oil-shale technology largely untested
President Bush's call to ramp up domestic energy production by pressing forward on oil-shale development in Utah, Colorado and Wyoming, ending a 27-year ban on offshore drilling, and opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling spurred protests from Democratic leaders, including Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter. Another look.
Denver Post; 06/19/2008
Colorado to empanel grand jury on conservation easement program
Using information gathered by the Colorado Division of Real Estate on conservation easements, a grand jury will investigate a number of issues about the state's program created to protect land from development, including whether appraisers intentionally inflated land values.
Denver Post; 06/20/2008
Errors in growth projections leave Arizona cities in a bind
The Arizona Department of Economic Security has developed growth projections for more than four decades using job and Social Security data, factored in which economic sectors were growing, added in a 1 to 2 percent vacancy rate for homes and other factors and came up with growth projections that were fairly accurate until about four or five years ago, and now with population estimates in question, so is revenue.
Arizona Republic; 06/16/2008
Firm pulls back on planned golf community in Colorado
Owners of the proposed Spring Valley Ranch Development, a 6,000-acre, 577-home golf course community near Glenwood Springs, said market conditions forced them to put the project on hold.
Grand Junction Sentinel; 06/15/2008
Arizona subdivisions sit half empty as housing market stalls
Residents of the half-built subdivisions in Arizona worry about what will happen if the new owner of their development decides to take it in a different direction.
Arizona Republic; 06/18/2008
University admits radioactive releases from Los Alamos into N.M. canyon
The University of California admitted in court documents filed Monday that during the Cold-War era, radioactive liquids were released from Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico into Acid Canyon, but stated that the releases were in "non-dangerous quantities." You may have to view an ad to read this article.
Albuquerque Journal; 06/19/2008
Tribes, USFWS ink deal on National Bison Range in Montana
An agreement signed Thursday by representatives of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will give the tribes a substantive role in managing the National Bison Range in Montana.
Missoulian; 06/20/2008
Federal agencies will team up on uranium cleanup on Navajo Nation
The federal government announced a new plan to clean up uranium contamination on the Navajo Nation, with the Department of Energy, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Indian Health Service working together on the project.
Arizona Republic; 06/20/2008
New hearing keeps New Mexico mountain protected
The New Mexico Historic Preservation Office once again ruled that Mount Taylor, was a "traditional cultural property," of five tribes in the state, a decision that will give those tribes a voice on mining on the mountain. You may have to view an ad to read this article.
Albuquerque Journal; 06/16/2008
Navajo utility hopes to extend service to thousands who have none
More than 18,000 residents of the Navajo Nation live without electricity, but the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority has begun work to get power to those residents who now don't have access to it.
Santa Fe New Mexican (The Gallup Independent |); 06/16/2008
Tribal elders urge action after 3 teen girls die on Wyoming reservation
After three teen-aged girls were found dead on the Wind River Reservation, tribal elders held a public meeting to address what the tribes can do to keep children away from drugs and alcohol and provide them with a positive cultural identity.
Casper Star-Tribune; 06/18/2008
BLM's planned study puts solar-power plans on hold in SW U.S.
The federal government's plan for a broad study of the environmental impacts of solar-power projects on public lands in the Southwest United States is designed to speed up approval of such projects, but the study will take nearly two years, during which time no new applications for such projects will be accepted.
Las Vegas Sun; 06/18/2008
Quagga mussels invade the Colorado River
Tiny, destructive quagga mussels are in Lake Mead, having made their way West over the Rockies on trailers and recreational boats, and the invaders will no doubt wreak the same level of devastation on the ecosystem of the lower Colorado River as they have on the Great Lakes.
New York Times; 06/17/2008
WildEarth Guardians petitions to protect 32 species
A conservation group has petitioned the U.S. Department of Interior to protect more than 32 species in the West that the New Mexico-based group said are teetering on the brink of extinction. You may have to view an ad to read this article.
Albuquerque Journal (AP); 06/17/2008
Alberta says grizzly bear recovery team no longer needed
Alberta Sustainable Resource Development informed the 15 members of the grizzly bear recovery team that they were no longer needed now that the province has accepted a comprehensive plan for recovery of the bears, but some team members were surprised by the decision and said that the plan contemplated the team would be responsible for monitoring and updating the plan.
Edmonton Journal; 06/19/2008
N.M. grants easement for Continental Divide Trail
The New Mexico Land Office signed off on easements for two federal trails on Tuesday: a 31-mile corridor that runs through several counties for the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail and a six-mile corridor through Sierra County for El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail, which traces the main route used centuries ago between the colonial Spanish capital of Mexico City and what is now New Mexico. You may have to view an ad to read this article.
Albuquerque Journal; 06/18/2008
Group sues federal government over drilling in Wyoming
The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, a nonprofit coalition of hunting, fishing and other organizations, filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against the Interior Department and the Bureau of Land Management for failing to take steps to protect the environment as promised when allowing energy development on Wyoming's Pinedale Anticline.
Los Angeles Times; 06/19/2008
Federal judge signs off on Asarco, Arco mine cleanup plan in Montana
Under a settlement agreement approved by U.S. District Court Judge Donald Molloy, Asarco and Atlantic Richfield Co., also known as Arco, will each pay Montana $8 million to help fund cleanup efforts on the Upper Blackfoot Mining Complex, and Asarco will pay an additional $19.77 million, with most of the money going to remove the Mike Horse Dam and the mining sediment it contains.
Helena Independent Record; 06/17/2008
B.C. company gets go-ahead to mine cobalt in Idaho national forest
Formation Capital Corp.'s proposal to mine cobalt, an element used in jet engines and batteries for hybrid and electric cars, in the Challis National Forest in Idaho west of salmon, was approved by the U.S. Forest Service if the company can meet a slate of conditions that include posting bonds to meet long-term water-quality management and obtaining access and power-line easements across private property before mining can begin.
Idaho Statesman; 06/18/2008
Brucellosis blame game rife with myths
The news that Montana will lose its brucellosis-free status unleashed a volley of finger-pointing and misinformation, but rather than feeding fears with rumors and myths, the state should act quickly to dispel the rumors and find a way to get beyond the rhetoric and work together to find a way to live with the disease at a level tolerable for all species. A guest column by Nadia White.
Missoulian; 06/18/2008
Arizona lawmakers could take the lead in immigration reform
Legislation that would create a temporary guest-worker program in Arizona that could serve as a pilot program for the remainder of the United States could come up for a vote next week in the Legislature, and given the labor needs of Arizona's businesses, lawmakers should push this program through.
Arizona Republic; 06/19/2008
Idaho Republicans pick a new state leader
Norm Semanko ousted two-term Idaho Republican Chairman Kirk Sullivan at the party's state convention on Saturday.
Idaho Statesman (AP); 06/16/2008
Montana senator loses top aide to Obama presidential campaign
Jim Messina served as U.S. Sen. Max Baucus' chief of staff since 2005, but Messina will leave his post with the Montana senator to serve as chief of staff for Democrat Barack Obama's national presidential campaign.
Billings Gazette; 06/17/2008
Kids' insurance initiative qualifies for ballot in Montana
Signature gatherers have obtained enough signatures to put Initiative 155, which would provide government-funded health insurance coverage for 30,000 uninsured children in Montana, before the voters in November.
Helena Independent Record; 06/18/2008
Utah congressman sponsors bill that targets oil speculators
Utah U.S. Rep. Jim Matheson and Louisiana Rep. Charlie Melancon introduced legislation Tuesday that would pump up the authority of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to obtain trading information from foreign exchanges operating in the United States, which would help clamp down on entities seeking to manipulate the price of oil.
Salt Lake Tribune; 06/18/2008
Arizona governor signs bill nixing federal Real ID program
Arizona is now one of about a dozen states that will not participate in the federal Real ID program which would have imposed a national standard for state-issued driver's licenses and identification cards.
Arizona Republic; 06/18/2008
USFS, BLM to host 13 geothermal energy meetings in 12 states
The U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management officials are gathering public comment on a newly released environmental impact statement on the development of geothermal resources in 11 Western states and Alaska, and will host 13 meetings in July to get public input on the plan.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer (AP); 06/20/2008
Wyoming ranchers say brucellosis vaccine is wearing off
RB51 has been the federally sanctioned vaccination to ward off brucellosis in livestock, but Wyoming ranchers said unlike Strain 19, the vaccination that RB51 replaced, RB51's effectiveness appears to decrease over time.
Casper Star-Tribune; 06/19/2008
Vail Resorts plans to buy regional shuttle business
Vail Resorts has offered about $40.5 million to buy Colorado Mountain Express, which offers ground transportation from both Denver International Airport and Eagle County Airport to Vail, Aspen and Summit County.
Vail Daily News; 06/17/2008
Federal judge gives Asarco a July 2nd deadline for bankruptcy plan
A federal bankruptcy judge said bankrupt Tucson copper producer Asarco LLC has until July 2nd to come up with a reorganization plan or he'll allow outside parties, including Asarco's estranged parent Grupo Mexico, to weigh in with a plan of their own.
Arizona Republic; 06/17/2008
High fuel prices curtail business at Nevada brothel
The Shady Lady Ranch is feeling the pinch from high fuel prices, and the operator of the Nevada brothel will begin offering a $50 gas card to customers who spend more than $300 at the ranch; paying customers who spend $500 will get a $100 gas card.
Las Vegas Review-Journal; 06/17/2008
Homebuilding slump hammers Utah's job-growth rate
A worse-than-expected downturn in the state's home construction sector pushed Utah's job-growth rate down to 1.4 percent for the year that ended in May, ending the state's run at the top of the nation for job creation.
Salt Lake Tribune; 06/18/2008
As Alaska river warms, disease catches salmon in its grip
Most of the salmon caught these days in Alaska's Yukon River are not fit for human consumption as they are infected with ich, or white spot disease, and scientists said the ich is linked to warmer water in the river caused by climate change.
Los Angeles Times; 06/16/2008
Groups file lawsuit challenging federal plan to balance salmon, dams
Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski said he would join the lawsuit filed Tuesday by environmental groups challenging the federal government's latest plan to balance salmon recovery and the continued operation of hydroelectric dams in the Columbia River Basin.
Seattle Times (AP); 06/18/2008
Rey: Ending recreation fees could shutter thousands of sites
On Thursday, U.S. Department of Agriculture Undersecretary Mark Rey told members of two House Natural Resources subcommittees that if Montana Sen. Max Baucus' bill to rollback recreational fees for hiking, camping and other uses on federal lands, federal agencies may be forced to shutdown thousands of sites and transfer another 2,000 to private concessionaires to operate.
Great Falls Tribune; 06/19/2008
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