Place-based forest law: Questions, opportunities presented by Montana Sen. Jon Tester's Forest Jobs and Recreation Act
Sept. 28, 2009
Fact & Fiction offers a review of two children's books: "You Can be a Nature Detective" and "Bug Feats of Montana"
Oct. 15, 2009
Oct. 25-27: Western States Energy and Environment Symposium, Jackson, Wyo.
The National Parks Conservation Association and the Big Sky Institute at Montana State University hosts a series of lectures at the Bozeman Public Library on Montana's Changing Climate and You
ARRA data pegs Colorado first in nation in stimulus-created jobs
The first batch of data on jobs created by the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act indicates that Colorado leads the nation with 4,695 jobs created or saved, although most of those jobs, generated by Englewood-based TeleTech Government Solutions, were temporary and not located in the Centennial State.
Denver Post; 10/16/2009
Colorado web site tracks stimulus funds county-by-county
Colorado's web site that tracks federal stimulus funding on a county-by-county basis, indicates Mesa County will get $50 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 funds.
Grand Junction Sentinel; 10/16/2009
Idaho spends $12.8M in federal stimulus funds, creating 492 jobs
In a report filed with the federal government, Idaho agencies reported spending $12.8 million in federal stimulus funds and that 492 jobs have been created so far with the money.
Idaho Statesman (AP); 10/15/2009
Report: N.M. spends $77M in stimulus funds for 8,641 jobs
In its new quarterly report, the New Mexico Office of Recovery and Reinvestment said the state has spent $77 million to create 8,641 jobs, some of them part-time jobs.
Santa Fe New Mexican; 10/13/2009
In Utah, $519M in federal stimulus funds equals 4,164 jobs
In a report filed with the federal government, Utah officials said the state had spent $519 million in federal stimulus funds that had saved or created the equivalent of 4,164 full-time jobs.
Salt Lake Tribune; 10/13/2009
Wyoming: 515 jobs saved or created with $51M in stimulus money
In lengthy reports filed with the federal government last weekend, Wyoming detailed how it has used the $51 million in federal stimulus funds the state received through the end of September, including that those funds were used to retain or create 515 jobs.
Casper Star-Tribune (AP); 10/16/2009
EPA promises stricter enforcement of Clean Water Act
Lisa P. Jackson, the administrator of the federal Environmental Protection Agency told lawmakers during a hearing Thursday before the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, that her agency would step up enforcement of the Clean Water Act.
New York Times; 10/16/2009
Claims of water contaminated by drilling in Colorado ramp up
Since 2003, there have been about 300 spills from drilling operations linked to water contamination in Colorado, and the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission investigates each and every incident, although the responsible party has not been named for every spill.
Denver Post; 10/12/2009
SNWA steps in to save Nevada cloud-seeding program
The Southern Nevada Water Authority voted Thursday to provide funding for Nevada's decades-long cloud-seeding project in northeastern Nevada and around Lake Tahoe, a program that had been doomed by the state's budget woes.
Las Vegas Review-Journal; 10/16/2009
Report tracks health of, threats to 10 Canadian rivers
WWF-Canada assessed 10 rivers in Canada and found that the South Saskatchewan River was the country's most threatened in the country because of the hundreds of dams on the river and that 70 percent of its flow was allocated to agricultural and urban uses; the Athabasca and Fraser rivers were assessed to be in the best shape.
Edmonton Journal (Canwest News Service); 10/15/2009
Federal judge tosses Montana's rules on CBM discharge water
Water-quality rules designed to protect land in southeastern Montana from natural gas drilling operations that had been approved by the Environmental Protection Agency were annulled Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Clarence Brimmer and sent back to the EPA for reconsideration.
Casper Star-Tribune (AP); 10/15/2009
Documentary captures energy development debate in Colo., N.M.
A New Mexico filmmaker's documentary "Split Estate" explores energy development in western Colorado and New Mexico, and what it means to the landowners who don't own the mineral rights under their ground; the film is scheduled to run on Oct. 17 and Oct. 22 on Planet Green, a Discovery Communications network.
NewWest.net; 10/12/2009
Principal driving force in turning Navajo school in N.M. around
Five years ago, George Bickert became the principal for the Tohatchi Elementary School on the Navajo Nation in New Mexico, and he turned academics into a challenge, rallied his teachers to really get to know the students, many of whom were poor and designated as English language learners, and students' performance on annual tests improved dramatically.
RezNet; 10/14/2009
Navajo Nation mourns the loss of another Code Talker
Willard Varnell Oliver, a member of the Navajo Code Talkers, who transmitted military messages during World War II in their native tongue, died Wednesday in Arizona at the age of 88.
Arizona Republic; 10/15/2009
NPS officials announce winter-use plan for Yellowstone
In a telephone conference Thursday, National Park Service officials announced that, for the next two winters, 318 snowmobiles and 78 snow coaches will be allowed each day in Yellowstone National Park, and that during that time, a permanent winter travel plan will be completed.
Jackson Hole Daily; 10/16/2009
USFS mounts aggressive attack on beetle-killed trees in Colorado
The U.S. Forest Service rolled out its plan to deal with hazardous trees killed by pine-bark beetles in Colorado's White River, Arapaho-Roosevelt and Medicine Bow-Routt national forests, with crews now prioritizing projects along 250 miles of roads through forests, 380 miles of trails and on 1,000 acres at campgrounds in those forests.
Denver Post; 10/16/2009
Montana forest plans burn for the birds
The Rocky Mountain Research Station's "Birds and Burns Network" is an eight-state study of the effect of wildfire on wildlife and habitat in the Rocky Mountain West, and in Montana, the U.S. Forest Service plans a mixture of logging and prescribed burns on 4,203 acres in the Elkhorn Mountain Range as part of that study.
Helena Independent Record; 10/13/2009
Federal judge orders Idaho rancher to keep sheep off grazing allotment
U.S. District Judge Lynn Winmill ruled Wednesday that the agreement between Idaho and a Salmon River rancher on keeping domestic sheep and wild bighorns apart fell on the rancher's Bureau of Land Management grazing lease, fell short of the state's law passed in 2009, and ordered the rancher to keep his sheep off the grazing allotment.
Idaho Statesman (AP); 10/15/2009
Montana ends wolf hunt near Yellowstone, keeps 75-wolf quota
At its meeting Tuesday, the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission ended wolf hunting in the backcountry area near Yellowstone for the remainder for the season, but kept the state's quota for the season at 75 wolves.
Missoulian (AP); 10/14/2009
Group pushes for wilderness area in NW Montana
Headwaters Montana is advocating new protection for lands in Montana, which would designate 140,000 acres of land in the Thompson-Seton and Mount Hefty areas, as well as backcountry areas of Glacier National Park, and calls for the extension of Waterton National Park in Canada to the Canadian Flathead.
Hungry Horse News; 10/15/2009
Salazar's wild-horse plan sensible
The Bureau of Land Management has been in a lose-lose situation since the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 passed, and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar's proposal to create seven wild-horse preserves and segregate the herds by sex or sterilize the animals to control population rates is a workable solution.
Casper Star-Tribune; 10/11/2009
Wyoming needs to take its time on developing wind tax plan
The Wyoming Wind Energy Task Force met Monday in Casper to begin work on drafting legislation to tax the state's burgeoning wind-energy industry, but the process is more complicated than extracting a mineral severance tax, and state lawmakers should take their time to develop a good plan that provides revenue to counties impacted by the development that does not squelch the industry.
Casper Star-Tribune; 10/14/2009
Salazar took the right route on Utah energy leases
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar's decision to put eight parcels of federal land in Utah near Arches and Canyonlands national parks, Desolation Canyon on the Green River and Nine Mile Canyon near Price off-limits to energy development was a wise decision.
Salt Lake Tribune; 10/15/2009
Colorado senator tries again on 'Good Samaritan' mine cleanup bill
When Mark Udall was a congressman from Colorado, he tried to get legislation passed in the U.S. House that would shield entities cleaning up abandoned mines from assuming liability for the mines, and now that he's a U.S. senator, he's taking up proposed legislation there.
Denver Post; 10/15/2009
Idaho's federal lawmakers open up about their insurance coverage
With the national focus on health care and the cost of medical insurance, Idaho's congressional delegation released the details of their coverage--which is not, as rumors abound--free.
Idaho Statesman; 10/12/2009
GQ magazine ranks Montana senator 4th most powerful in D.C.
GQ magazine's November edition includes its biennial rankings of the most influential people in Washington, D.C., with Montana U.S. Sen. Max Baucus ranked fourth, and Baucus' former chief of staff, Jim Messina, who now serves as deputy chief of staff for the Obama administration, as 25th.
Missoulian; 10/14/2009
Rory Reid launches gubernatorial bid in Nevada
Rory Reid, U.S. Sen. Harry Reid's son, will focus on jobs in the Silver State when he officially launches his gubernatorial campaign in Nevada this evening.
Las Vegas Review-Journal; 10/14/2009
Colorado Dems will push for in-state tuition for undocumented students
Denver Rep. Joe Miklosi said he has the support of other Democratic lawmakers and community leaders for his bill that would allow undocumented students to pay in-state tuition at Colorado's colleges and universities.
Denver Post; 10/15/2009
Idaho lawmakers hear grave message about budget
At a meeting Wednesday of the Idaho Senate and House Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, state legislators heard that despite recent, additional budget cuts the state is still facing a $40 million budget deficit.
Idaho Statesman (AP); 10/15/2009
Montana lawmaker courts Chinese investors for horse-slaughter plant
Montana state Rep. Ed Butcher, whose legislation cleared the way for a horse-slaughter plant to be built in the state, said he was going after Chinese investors after European investors failed to be interested in building a plant in the state.
Helena Independent Record (AP); 10/15/2009
Wind developers brace for Wyoming tax
Wyoming lawmakers are considering legislation that would tax all electricity generation, and then giving tax credits to all types of power generation other than wind, a move that has wind-power companies complaining that the Cowboy State already is among the most expensive states to produce wind.
Casper Star-Tribune; 10/13/2009
N.M. governor unveils plan for electrical transmission hub
At a news conference Tuesday, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson released plans for the proposed Tres Amigas SuperStation in Clovis, that would link the nation's three power grids and help route wind- and solar-generated power from remote sources to urban centers.
Seattle Times (AP); 10/14/2009
Northwest power council lines out 5-year plan
At a public meeting Tuesday night in Missoula, the Northwest Power and Conservation Council released its proposed five-year plan for Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon that calls for more energy from renewable resources, restraints on coal-fired power and more reliance on natural-gas power.
Missoulian; 10/14/2009
Arizona's first wind farm dedicated Monday
The Dry Lake Wind Power Project, a 30-turbine wind farm between Holbrook and Snowflake, is the first of its kind to go online in Arizona.
Arizona Republic; 10/13/2009
Wood power a hot market
Power plants across the nation are turning to wood to generate electricity, and in 2008, those plants churned out 6,700 megawatts of power, enough to power 8 million homes.
USA Today; 10/14/2009
Report: Nevada led the nation in foreclosures in 3rd quarter
RealtyTrac Inc.'s report released Thursday said that foreclosures across the nation increased 5 percent in the third quarter, with Nevada having the nation's highest foreclosure rate; Arizona ranked second; Idaho fifth; Utah sixth; and Colorado ninth.
Las Vegas Review-Journal (AP); 10/15/2009
Bankruptcies up 62 percent in Utah
In the first nine months of 2009, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Utah reports 10,706 bankruptcy petitions were filed, a 62 percent increase in such filings from a year ago.
Salt Lake Tribune; 10/13/2009
Salazar releases plan for 2.5M acres of forests in Western Oregon
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar rolled out the Obama administration's plan for 2.5 million acres of forest land in western Oregon managed by the Bureau of Land Management that identifies 62 projects on 19,000 acres of land that will result in a 12 percent increase in harvest over current levels.
Portland Oregonian; 10/15/2009
Cleaner emissions from coal-fired plants now dirty up the water
Coal-fired power plants, ordered to clean up their emissions, installed scrubbers to do just that, but now the wastewater from those scrubbing operations are finding their way into waterways of the nation, raising concerns that as more coal-fired plants clean up their emissions, a whole lot more wastewater will be dumped into rivers and streams.
New York Times; 10/13/2009
Community-power projects gain momentum
Most analysts dismiss the concept that neighborhoods or small towns could eventually exist off the grid, but those who believe in small-scale power projects see a future where communities produce all the power they need from solar panels and windmills, and Rock Port is already there, with wind turbines already providing 100 percent of the power the Missouri town needs.
Washington Post; 10/13/2009
Gold hits another record high, oil prices rise, U.S. dollar sinks
The price of gold rose Tuesday in Europe in early trading to $1,065.25 an ounce, a record high; oil prices surged to $74 a barrel; the U.S. dollar sank again, pushing the Canadian loonie to 97 cents against the dollar.
Toronto Globe and Mail; 10/13/2009
Filling TransCanada pipeline will boost oil market
TransCanada's 2,142-mile long pipeline designed to carry heavy oil from Alberta's oilsands country to U.S. refineries in Illinois and Oklahoma is slated to begin filling in November and will pull nine million barrels of oil off the market, which will boost oil prices that have already begun to rise.
Toronto Globe Investor; 10/14/2009
For some investors, copper a precious metal
The surge in copper prices is no longer linked to an increase in industrial activity as investors have begun buying copper much like they've been purchasing gold, silver and platinum, as a hedge against fluctuating currency.
Toronto Globe Investor; 10/14/2009
EPA releases report on climate change suppressed in 2007
The Environmental Protection Agency released a report suppressed by the Bush administration that detailed the risks posed by climate change to the United States and called for regulation of greenhouse gases.
Los Angeles Times; 10/14/2009
Bus tour on climate change, national security stops in Montana
Operation Free, a coalition of veterans and national security groups, launched a bus tour to raise awareness of the threat climate change and over-reliance on foreign oil present to the nation's security, and on Monday, the tour rolled into Montana, making stops in Missoula, Helena and Billings on Monday.
Helena Independent Record; 10/13/2009
Report: Forest's role in carbon capture not as effective as claimed
Ten years ago, three U.S. utilities, two conservation groups and the Bolivian government launched the Noel Kempff Mercado Climate Action Project which kept 6,000 square miles of forests in the South American country free of logging as a way to absorb carbon dioxide and make carbon credits more affordable for the world's largest emitters of greenhouse gases, but Greenpeace will release a report today that questions the use of overseas forests to compensate for pollution in the United States.
Washington Post; 10/15/2009
Energy experts: Fixing gas leaks an easy way to fight climate change
Scientists say that methane, which is the primary ingredient of natural gas, accounts for almost a third of humans' contribution to global warming, and energy experts said if natural gas facilities in Wyoming and other states would fix all the leaks they have, it would provide a fast and easy curb of greenhouse emissions in the short run.
New York Times; 10/15/2009
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