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WGA
on energy, water: As Chairman of the Western Governors'
Association, Utah governor lays out agenda on energy and water
Aug. 14, 2008
Fact
& Fiction and the Bookstore
at the University of Montana offer a review of offer a review
of Stephen Trimble's Bargaining
for Eden: The Fight for the Last Open Spaces in America
Aug. 28, 2008
New this week:
Oct. 24-25: Winter Wildlands Alliance's "Advocacy
in a Climate of Change", Golden, Colo. Read a preview.
Oct. 8-9: Idaho Wildland Fire Conference, Boise,
Idaho. Read a preview.
Oct. 8-10: The inaugural WaterSmart Innovations Conference
and Exposition, Las Vegas, Nev. Read a preview.
Senate
may take up far-ranging public-lands bill in November
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he will try to get
Congress in November to address the Omnibus Public Land Management
Act, a bipartisan bill with more than 140 pieces of legislation
that includes protections for the Wyoming Range and a stretch of
the Snake River in the Cowboy State.
Jackson Hole Daily; 10/02/2008
Low
number of grizzly bears takes Alberta gov't by surprise
Data from the most recent grizzly bear count in Alberta
indicated that there were just 228 bears in an area thought to have
the highest number of the big bruins, and Alberta Sustainable Resource
Development said that the bears are in trouble and need significant
help.
Edmonton Journal; 10/02/2008
N.M.
researcher works on use for energy-operations discharge water
Richard N. Arnold, professor of Weed Science at
New Mexico State University's Agricultural Science Center in Farmington,
has been working with state and federal agencies to find species
of grass that can tolerate high levels of salt so that discharge
water from energy drilling operations can be used for agricultural
purposes rather than being injected into deep aquifers as it is
now disposed.
Farmington Daily Times; 09/29/2008
N.M.
county rolls out proposed oil, gas drilling regulations
Santa Fe County released its proposed regulations on oil
and gas drilling operations in the New Mexico County, setting the
clock ticking on the formal public-hearing process.
Santa Fe New Mexican; 10/01/2008
Montana
water company asks EPA for dam data
Mountain Water Co. officials said recent differing
reports on toxic sediment releases that occurred after the Milltown
Dam in Montana was removed raised concerns that Missoula's sole-source
drinking water aquifer may be at higher risk of contamination than
predicted, and they asked the Environmental Protection Agency to
provide data to prove the EPA's predictions and modeling were accurate.
Missoulian; 09/30/2008
Developer
halts Idaho project
The developer of Sweetwater Community, the largest
development ever proposed in Idaho's Blaine County, pulled the plug
on the project, citing the nation's financial crunch and falling
housing market, and putting the future of 40 units of affordable
housing in Hailey contained within the 421-unit project in question.
Idaho Mountain Express; 10/01/2008
Homeless
shelters along Utah's Wasatch Front above capacity
Cold weather that sends those Utahns living on the streets
seeking shelter hasn't hit the Beehive State yet, but tough economic
times have put many people in the need of aid, and shelter officials
along the Wasatch Front said they fear they may have to turn families
away this winter because there will be no room for them.
Salt Lake Tribune; 09/29/2008
Idaho
mill town residents remain upbeat, despite mill's closure
Priest River will lose 200 jobs when the JD Lumber
mill shuts down on Friday, but residents of the Idaho town said
they've seen hard times before and something new always comes along.
Coeur d'Alene Press; 10/01/2008
Navajo
Nation puts bald eagle on endangered-species list
A year after the federal government took the bald eagle
off its endangered-species list, the Navajo Nation put the bird
on its endangered-species list.
Arizona Republic; 09/29/2008
Tribe
inks deal to sell Utah geothermal power to Calif. city
The Northwestern Band of Shoshone Nation Economic Development
Corp. signed a 30-year contract with Riverside to sell the California
city 64 megawatts of energy generated by a geothermal plant to be
built on the tribe's historic lands in Utah's Box Elder County;
the tribe is also building four such plants in southern Idaho.
Deseret News; 10/03/2008
Montana,
Wyoming tribes jostle for Yellowstone bison herd
A herd of 40 Yellowstone bison captured and quarantined
for the past three years are being sought after by several tribes
in Montana and the Northern Arapaho Tribe in Wyoming because the
animals are considered "genetically pure," and valuable to the tribes
that are trying to build their herds.
Casper Star-Tribune; 09/27/2008
Tribe
takes Wyoming boundary dispute to federal court
A lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Wyoming by the
Northern Arapaho Tribe against Fremont County challenges the county's
ability to levy sales taxes and to require vehicle registration,
but the meat of the matter is the tribe's claim to lands in the
Riverton area as part of the Wind River Indian Reservation.
Casper Star-Tribune; 10/02/2008
Utah
scientist says Montana mud indicates decrease of wildfires
Mitch Power, an assistant professor of geography
at the University of Utah, said a 26-inch-long sample of sediment
pulled from the bed of Foy Lake in Montana's Flathead Valley and
samples pulled from 405 other locations around the globe indicates
that wildfires have declined in both number and intensity since
1870.
Salt Lake Tribune; 09/29/2008
Groups
file lawsuit seeking protection of wolverines in 4 Western states
Defenders of Wildlife and eight other groups filed
a lawsuit in federal district court in Montana asking that wolverine
populations in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and Washington be protected
under the federal Endangered Species Act.
Helena Independent Record (AP); 10/01/2008
Utah
governor sets state officers on trail of errant OHV riders
At a meeting with the Salt Lake Tribune editorial
board on Wednesday, Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. said his recent tour
of an area near Moab with David Bonderman, a major funder of the
Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, gave him a firsthand look at
the damage done by scofflaw off-road vehicle riders, and Huntsman
order the state Department of Natural Resources to increase enforcement
efforts on state lands and order public service announcements encouraging
off-road riders to stay on trails.
Salt Lake Tribune; 10/02/2008
NPS
works quickly to craft winter plan for Yellowstone, Grand Teton
After a federal judge set aside the winter travel
plan for Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks last month,
the parks' managers are working to get a new winter travel plan
drafted to be released by early November, for what Al Nash, a Yellowstone
spokesman, said will likely be a 15-day public comment plan, in
order to get the plan in place for the Dec. 15 opening of the parks'
winter season.
Billings Gazette; 10/02/2008
Lawsuit
follows on the heels of Roan Plateau energy leases in Colo.
On Monday, the federal government issued $114 million
in energy leases on Colorado's Roan Plateau, and two groups immediately
filed a federal lawsuit requesting an injunction to keep the leases
from being developed.
Denver Post; 09/30/2008
Federal
panel questions BLM's drilling plan in Utah's Nine Mile Canyon
The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation sent
letters this week to the Bureau of Land Management in Washington,
D.C. and Utah, that questioned whether the agency had adequately
evaluated the effect drilling hundreds of natural-gas wells in Utah's
petroglyph-rich Nine Mile Canyon would have on the ancient art.
Salt Lake Tribune; 10/01/2008
There
is no such thing as 'clean coal'
Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer is a fan of it; presidential
candidate Barack Obama has tapped the Montana Democrat to be on
his "Clean Coal Task Force," but the bottom line is that the process
of squeezing fuel out of coal more than doubles the greenhouse gas
emissions as regular gasoline and nearly twice that of diesel fuel.
High Country News (Writers on the Range); 09/29/2008
Western
states in play in U.S. presidential race
Voters in the Rocky Mountain West will play a pivotal role
in this year's presidential race, with New Mexico leaning toward
Democrat Barack Obama; Arizona, Idaho, Utah and Wyoming tilting
toward Republican John McCain; and Colorado, Montana and New Mexico
too close to call, and issues such as energy and alternative energy
are getting a lot of attention in the resource-rich region, although
it's the economy that's stealing the show this campaign season.
The Guardian; 09/29/2008
Western
Climate Initiative's goals too little, too late
The initiative rolled out last week by seven Western states,
including Utah, along with four Canadian provinces to reduce carbon
dioxide emissions by about 15 percent by 2020 is a weak goal that
won't force real change.
Salt Lake Tribune; 10/01/2008
Foundation
of current financial crisis laid decades ago
Federal legislation passed in 1977 and 1985, when Democrats
controlled both the White House and Congress, laid the foundation
for the risky loans that have now laid the nation's financial industry
low, and repeated warnings of the instability of Freddie Mac and
Fannie Mae were dismissed by Democrat Barney Frank since 2000, and
Republicans who have controlled either the White House or Congress
over the past 14 years, did little to get legislation sponsored
by Sen. John McCain that would have addressed the problems through
Congress.
Las Vegas Review-Journal; 10/01/2008
Indian
country needs Montana senators' Tribal Law and Order Act
Residents of two Indian reservations on Montana's
Hi-Line have pleaded with local, state and federal law enforcement
officials to do something about the lawlessness on their reservations,
and while the "Tribal Law and Order Act," co-sponsored by Montana
Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester and 10 other senators, won't come
close to solving all the problems, it's at least a start.
Great Falls Tribune; 10/03/2008
Sheriff
of Arizona county under fire for immigration tactics
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio is running for his fifth
term, and with $500,000 in campaign cash and a comfortable lead
over his opponent as indicated by a poll last month, Arpaio may
easily be re-elected, but some are critical of his mission to find,
arrest and deport as many undocumented people he can find, while
others applaud his work.
New York Times; 09/28/2008
Democratic
surge in Nevada puts state into play in presidential race
More Nevadans are registered as Democrats than
Republicans this presidential election year, and with a faltering
economy and an unpopular Republican governor, the state is shaping
up to be a battleground between the presidential candidates.
Los Angeles Times; 09/30/2008
Unions
agree to pull 4 initiatives off Colorado ballot
Just hours before the deadline to do so, Colorado labor
unions agreed to pull four initiatives off the statewide ballot.
Denver Rocky Mountain News; 10/02/2008
Montana
GOP challenges voter registrations in 6 counties
The state Republican Party challenged the voter registrations
of more than 6,000 voters in seven counties, and nearly half of
those challenged live, or had lived, in Missoula County.
Missoulian; 10/03/2008
Wyoming
lawmakers consider bill to allow leasing water for fisheries
The Wyoming Legislature's Joint Agriculture, State
and Public Lands and Water Resources Interim Committee met Monday
to discuss draft legislation that would allow private owners of
water rights to lease those rights for up to 10 years to benefit
trout populations.
Casper Star-Tribune; 09/30/2008
Harvard,
Yale grads vie for Idaho state House seat
The most expensive state House race in Idaho is in District
19, which represents residents of Boise's North and East ends, is
being conducted by Yale-educated Democrat Brian Cronin and his Republican
opponent, Princeton graduate Republican Kevin McGowan.
Idaho Statesman; 10/02/2008
Arizona's
projected budget shortfall climbs to $800 million
Arizona House Speaker Jim Weiers called a rare meeting
of state legislators and legislative candidates to discuss the state's
ballooning projected budget deficit, which Weiers said could reach
$1.3 billion, but Gov. Janet Napolitano said it was too early in
the fiscal year to make drastic cuts.
Arizona Republic; 10/02/2008
Preferred
route for Montana-Alberta transmission line laid out
On Monday, federal and state regulators released the preferred
route, along with several other options, for the 203-mile Montana
Alberta Tie Line, a high-voltage electricity transmission line that
will connect power grids in Great Falls to Lethbridge.
Great Falls Tribune; 09/30/2008
Nevada
panel gives utility green light on new gas-fired power plant
The Nevada Public Utilities Commission approved
the plan of NV Energy, formerly known as Nevada Power Co. and Sierra
Pacific Power Co., to build a new gas-fired power plant north of
Las Vegas, approved its purchase of the existing gas-fired Bighorn
Power Plant at Primm for $510 million, and authorized NV Energy
to spend up to $130 million to kickstart the delayed Ely Energy
Center, a $5 billion coal-fired plant in Eastern Nevada.
Las Vegas Review-Journal; 10/02/2008
N.M.
takes Desert Rock plant fight to Washington, D.C.
The state of New Mexico filed an appeal of the air permit
granted by the Environmental Protection Agency to the coal-fired
Desert Rock Power Plant to be build near Burnham on Navajo Nation
lands with the Washington, D.C.-based Environmental Appeals Board,
which could remand the permit if it agrees with the state.
Farmington Daily Times; 10/03/2008
Tumbling
U.S. housing market takes B.C. forestry sector down with it
A report from PricewaterhouseCoopers said that
during the first half of 2008, the Canadian forestry industry lost
$1.2 billion, with eastern companies losing $700 million, and western
companies, primarily in British Columbia, lost $500 million.
Vancouver Sun; 10/03/2008
Number
of drilling permits issued by Colorado continues to rise
In 2007, Colorado approved 6,368 drilling permits,
and the state has approved 5,216 drilling permits as of Sept. 8.
Aspen Times; 09/29/2008
Nevada's
first full-size alternative fuels station opens in Minden
Bently Biofuels Outpost, which offers three types
of the company's homemade biodiesel, opened this week in Minden,
and the Nevada station also offers two ethanol blends.
Nevada Appeal (Carson City); 10/03/2008
Canada's
aboriginal leaders talk trade with China
China's vast need for timber, coal and minerals provides
an attractive market for Canada's aboriginal communities that have
vast resources to sell, and they've created the China-Canada Aboriginal
Business Opportunity, which will be the largest international native
business initiative ever launched, according to one of the members
who is arranging a trip to China.
Toronto Globe & Mail; 09/29/2008
USFWS
to review status of marbled murrelet
The marbled murrelet, a seabird that flies miles
inland to nest in old-growth forests, has long been a species in
contention between the timber industry and conservation groups,
and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Wednesday that
it will undertake a new, yearlong study of the species found in
Oregon, Washington and California, as well as Alaska and British
Columbia.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer; 10/02/2008
JPMorgan
Chase gives 6 WaMu executives the boot
The 5,800 employees of Washington Mutual will know
by Dec. 1 whether they have a job with JP Morgan Chase, which purchased
the financially troubled savings-and-loan in September, although
six top WaMu executives are leaving the company this week.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer; 10/03/2008
Wells
Fargo swoops in, snaps up Wachovia
Wachovia Corp. officials announced Friday that
they had agreed to sell its entire operation to Wells Fargo &
Co. for $15.1 billion dollars.
Yakima Herald-Republic (AP); 10/03/2008
U.S.
Labor report says 159,000 jobs lost in September
The 159,000 jobs cut in September was the most lost in
five years, and September was the ninth consecutive month to report
a reduction in jobs.
Denver Post (AP); 10/03/2008
U.S.
Senate passes $700-billion financial rescue legislation
The package of legislation designed to shore up the nation's
financial industry that the U.S. Senate passed on Wednesday differed
a bit from the bill that failed in the U.S. House earlier this week
in that it increased temporarily the amount of bank deposits covered
by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation from $100,000 to $250,000,
contained tax breaks for businesses and individuals, and was attached
to legislation requiring insurers to treat mental health problems
like general health problems.
New York Times; 10/02/2008
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