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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.
Basin in Colorado, N.M. shows potential for carbon sequestration
ConocoPhillips, the Colorado Geological Survey, Brian McPherson, head of the Southwest Partnership on Carbon Sequestration and the Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory have teamed up on a carbon sequestration pilot project in the San Juan Basin in New Mexico.
Durango Herald; 06/23/2008
- States race to get carbon sequestration policies in place
As efforts ramp up to capture and store carbon dioxide underground, states are scrambling to resolve legal questions, such as who owns the underground space where the carbon dioxide will be stored and who carries the liability if something goes awry after the carbon dioxide is pumped underground.
Durango Herald; 06/23/2008
BLM officials say freeze on solar plants needed to develop a plan
The Bureau of Land Management imposed a moratorium on new solar-power projects in order to give the agency time to process the 130 permit applications it currently has before it, and to do a comprehensive environmental assessment on the impact of huge solar projects on its lands in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah.
New York Times; 06/27/2008
House panel puts uranium mining near Grand Canyon on hold
Using a rare procedure not invoked for 20 years, the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee voted 20-2 to temporarily halt any new uranium leases on 1 million acres of land near the Grand Canyon for up to three years, although the resolution would not affect the more than 10,000 uranium mining claims already leased by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management on those agencies' lands near Grand Canyon National Park.
Washington Post (AP); 06/26/2008
High fuel prices exacerbate downturn in nation's housing market
Living miles away from cities' centers is becoming less attractive in Colorado and other states as paying the fuel cost of long commutes exact a heavy toll on residents of far-flung developments, and housing prices in those rural subdivisions are falling, exacerbating the already stumbling housing market.
New York Times; 06/25/2008
- Sales of suburban homes stall in Utah as condo craze hits SLC
Rising gas prices and the mortgage meltdown are changing the landscape of Utah's real estate market, with the latest report showing an 80 percent decline in building permits in what have been fast-growing communities along Utah's Wasatch Front, and a surge in condominium projects in the heart of Salt Lake City.
Salt Lake Tribune; 06/23/2008
Telluride trades $50M check for Colorado valley floor
Telluride now has the deed to 572 acres of land on its prized valley floor, and on Tuesday the Colorado town's council passed an ordinance detailing acceptable uses for the land while a comprehensive plan for the land is being developed.
Grand Junction Sentinel; 06/26/2008
Developer unveils grand plan for Bear Lake on Idaho-Utah border
Plans to turn 2,200 acres of land on Bear Lake in Idaho into a multibillion-dollar resort replete with golf, skiing, sailing, hotels, condos and ranches were released on Thursday.
Salt Lake Tribune; 06/27/2008
Idaho developer headed for jail after U.S. high court denies appeal
Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear his appeal, an eastern Idaho developer who was found guilty of violating the federal Clean Water Act for not obtaining a permit to reshape a creek that flowed through a subdivision he was building will now have to serve an 18-month prison sentence handed down in 2005.
Casper Star-Tribune (AP); 06/24/2008
Federal judge says Cobell case may be worth around $10 billion
At the end of the two-week trial over the federal government's management of assets held in trust for American Indians, U.S. District Judge James Robertson told plaintiffs that the final amount owed them would have to be based on estimates and that it was likely the amount would be less than $10 billion, not the $47 billion plaintiffs had alleged.
Seattle-Post Intelligencer (AP); 06/26/2008
Idaho, tribe release proposed plan for Lake Coeur d'Alene
Two years of mediated negotiation between the state of Idaho and the Coeur d'Alene Tribe have hammered out a proposal for management of Lake Coeur d'Alene that focuses on keeping the lake, which contains decades of toxic mining sediment on its floor, off the nation's Superfund list.
Coeur d'Alene Press; 06/25/2008
Study challenges stream restoration efforts
River and stream restoration is big business in the United States, with one 2005 study estimating $1 billion was spent annually on such projects, but many projects are done without a full understanding of the waterways and most waterways aren't adequately monitored after restoration to see if the project was a success.
New York Times; 06/24/2008
Alberta issues new rules on oilsands tailings ponds
A new policy issued Thursday by Alberta's Energy Resources Conservation Board gives the board authority to shutdown oilsands operations if companies are not cleaning up toxic ponds of mine tailings as they promised.
Edmonton Journal; 06/26/2008
USFS, Boy Scouts team up to tear out tamarisk in Utah
The Boy Scouts of America's ArrowCorps5, a service project that spanned five weeks and put troops in five national forests, included a tamarisk removal project in Utah.
Salt Lake Tribune; 06/21/2008
- Boy Scouts pull the plug on Wyoming forest restoration project
Since the Rainbow Family gathering will take place in the same general area where the Boy Scouts' Order of the Arrow had planned a major forest restoration project in Wyoming's Wind River Range, Boy Scouts officials said they'll work with the U.S. Forest Service to find another place to do restoration work.
Billings Gazette (Casper Star-Tribune); 06/24/2008
Report: Cows, cars pump up Idaho's carbon footprint
A new report ordered by Idaho Gov. Butch Otter found that greenhouse gas emissions increased 30 percent between 1990 to 2005 -- twice the national average -- with transportation accounting for 27 percent of such emissions in 2005 and agriculture accounting for 25 percent.
Idaho Statesman; 06/24/2008
Another case of 'mad cow' disease confirmed in B.C.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said the third case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in as many years in British Columbia does not suggest a widespread problem, but rather proves the agency's vigilance in keeping a handle on the disease.
Toronto Globe and Mail; 06/24/2008
Remote camera in Montana records interplay between grizzlies, wolf
A remote camera in Glacier National Park in Montana captured a wolf and a grizzly bear with two cubs interacting.
Seattle-Post Intelligencer (AP); 06/26/2008
U.S. Senate should follow House's lead on mining law reform
As rising prices for copper, silver, gold and uranium drive up the prospects for mining on the West's public lands, the need to reform the flimsy 1872 General Mining Law increases, and New Mexico Sen. Jeff Bingaman needs to get a bill similar to the good one passed by the U.S. House to do just that drafted and before the U.S. Senate.
New York Times; 06/23/2008
Congress should take mining ban near Grand Canyon one step further
Arizona Rep. Raul Grijalva's uncommon effort to put a three-year moratorium on new uranium mining claims in areas adjacent to the Grand Canyon should be followed up with congressional action to permanently protect this area's water, wildlife and landscape from mining, and while Congress is at it, lawmakers should reform the 1872 mining law as well.
Arizona Republic; 06/26/2008
Fundamental changes in energy are closer than they appear to be
The fastest way to spark innovation on the global energy front would be to impose a proper tax on carbon, which would level the playing field of other alternative sources of energy.
The Economist; 06/24/2008
Alberta should take U.S. mayors' oilsands resolution seriously
It may seem unfathomable to Albertans that the United States would refuse 10 percent of that nation's oil supply because it comes from oilsands, but when the U.S. Conference of Mayors proposed an embargo of oil from Alberta, the nation may listen and Alberta should spend some of its $4.7-billion surplus on "greening" up the oilsands process. A column by Don Martin.
Toronto National Post; 06/26/2008
- United States needs oil from Alberta's oilsands
Canada is the United States' top source of imported oil, without which the nation would be even more heavily dependent on OPEC oil, and environmental groups and Congress need to get over their aversion to oil pulled from Alberta's oilsands and acknowledge that Canada is taking aggressive action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from oilsands production.
Great Falls Tribune; 06/27/2008
U.S. House panel passes Utah land-swap bill
Legislation sponsored by U.S. Rep. Jim Matheson, which would trade 40,000 acres of Utah state lands including parcels near the Kokopelli and Slickrock trails and Arches National Park, for about 40,000 acres of federal land in and around Uintah County received preliminary approval from a U.S. House committee Wednesday.
Salt Lake Tribune; 06/26/2008
N.M. congressman's public lands bill riles conservation groups
U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce's Dona Ana County Planned Growth, Open Space and Rangeland Preservation Act, which would eliminate "wilderness study area designations" for eight areas in the New Mexico county and allow the sale of up to 60,000 acres of federal lands in that county, is in direct opposition to a measure unveiled last year by the Dona Ana County Wilderness Coalition and local homebuilders that sought more protections for lands around Las Cruces. You may have to view an ad to read this article.
Albuquerque Journal; 06/24/2008
Montana senator asks GAO to investigate Plum Creek, USFS talks
U.S. Sen. Jon Tester called for a congressional investigation into discussions between the U.S. Forest Service and Plum Creek Timber Co. about road easements in Montana and asked Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer to hold off on allowing any changes to road easements sought by Plum Creek Timber Co. while that investigation proceeds.
Missoulian; 06/25/2008
Newcomer ousts six-term GOP congressman in Utah primary
With 99 percent of the precincts reporting in Utah's Republican primary, Jason Chaffetz held a 20 point lead over six-term incumbent Rep. Chris Cannon, giving the former chief of staff to Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. an insurmountable lead.
Salt Lake Tribune; 06/25/2008
Group says goal met on Arizona transportation initiative
The group that organized a petition drive to gather signatures to put a $42.6-billion statewide transportation initiative on the ballot in Arizona in November said it has collected about 250,000 signatures; only 153,365 were needed to qualify the measure for the ballot.
Arizona Republic; 06/25/2008
Idaho governor presses ahead on canoe registration fee
Idaho Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter formed a task force to study requiring registration of nonmotorized watercraft, such as kayaks and canoes, and if successful, Idaho would be the only state in the West to have such a program; Alaska and Arizona have, in the past, required registration of canoes and kayaks, but ditched their programs.
Spokane Spokesman-Review; 06/27/2008
Arizona lawmakers send $9.9B-budget to Napolitano
Arizona's $9.9-billion budget contains no tax increases, but it does contain numerous budget cuts, needed to address the state's $2-billion deficit.
Arizona Republic; 06/27/2008
Nevada lawmakers excise another $275M in state spending
The day before a special session of the Legislature called by Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons to address the state's budget shortfall convened, state legislators reached an agreement to cut state spending by $275 million.
Las Vegas Review-Journal; 06/27/2008
Wyoming wind-power producers line up to bid for room on power line
Most of the 12 power producers who have qualified to bid on transmission space on the Wyoming-Colorado Intertie, a 345-kilovolt power line runs from eastern Wyoming to the Colorado Front Range are wind-power producers.
Casper Star-Tribune; 06/23/2008
Texas company has the contracts to build Wyo.-Oregon pipeline
Now that El Paso Corp. has signed commitments from customers for a large share of the natural gas which would be shipped via the proposed 670-mile, $3-billion Ruby Pipeline that stretches from Opal, Wyo.,to Malin, Ore., the company can now move forward on obtaining regulatory approval for the project.
Denver Post; 06/26/2008
Obstacles to solar power exist even in sunny Arizona
Most of the advances in renewable energy are happening at the grassroots level, with homeowners and businesses in Arizona installing solar panels on their homes and buildings, but the cost of doing so remains out of reach for many in the state.
Arizona Republic; 06/24/2008
B.C. company to build uranium mill in Utah
Mancos Resources Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of British Columbia-based Blue Rock Resources Ltd. inked a deal with Emery County to build a $100-million uranium-processing mill on the Utah county's industrial park.
Salt Lake Tribune; 06/26/2008
- Falling uranium prices nixes New Mexico deal
Texas-based Uranium Resources Inc. withdrew from negotiations to buy Rio Algom Mining’s former mining and milling site near Ambrosia Lake in New Mexico's McKinley County due in part to the falling price of uranium, which was at $120 a pound when the deal was first negotiated to just $60 a pound now. You may have to view an ad to read this article.
Albuquerque Journal; 06/27/2008
Peabody Energy opens N.M. coal mine to supply 2 Arizona power plants
The El Segundo coal mine recently opened by Peabody Energy in New Mexico will provide coal for Arizona Public Service Co.'s Cholla Generating Station near Winslow and Tucson Electric Power Co.'s Springerville Generating Station in Springerville.
Arizona Republic; 06/26/2008
Utah governor's "Working 4 Utah" gives workers a 4-day workweek
Most Utah state offices will go to a four-day workweek in August, part of Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s "Working for Utah" initiative designed to save the state money on energy costs and to help Utah workers cut commuting costs.
Deseret News; 06/27/2008
Study: California's warmer weather could wipe out 2,300 plant species
A study conducted at University of California-Berkeley found that nearly two-thirds of California's unique plants are at risk of disappearing due to climate change.
Los Angeles Times; 06/25/2008
- Idaho conference explores global warming's effect on species
Scientists with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said global climate change will force natural-resource specialists to make "Noah's choices" on what plants and animals to save, and a two-day conference in Idaho this week brings managers of parks, wildlife refuges, forests and rangelands together to discuss how they'll do their jobs in the fast-changing landscape.
Idaho Statesman; 06/25/2008
Amtrak rider numbers skyrocket
Some Amtrak routes have already sold out this summer, including the Seattle to Vancouver, B.C. route on July 5, and Amtrak officials said they're starting to reach capacity, but expansion is no easy task with the number of "passenger miles" on the nation's rail system down by two-thirds since 1960 and manufacturers of passenger rail cars few and far between.
New York Times; 06/22/2008
Evidence suggests wolves are back in north-central Washington
A state biologist said reports of sightings of wolves, along with some pictures taken by a cattle rancher near Twisp in north-central Washington, suggest that wolves have returned to that area of the state.
Seattle Times (AP); 06/25/2008
Extra hydro, wind power put strain on NW's power grid
A doubling of wind-generated power, coupled with this spring's surge in hydroelectric power, has highlighted the limitations of the power grid in the Northwest United States.
Portland Oregonian; 06/27/2008
Bakken Formation in Canada, U.S. may hold 413B barrels of oil
A U.S. Geological Survey study of the Bakken Formation, a formation of oil-rich rock that lies under the prairies of Montana, North Dakota, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, found that the rock entraps nearly 413 barrels of recoverable oil.
CBC News; 06/27/2008
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