In the Rockies today, a new report paints a dismal picture for Colorado's ski resorts, while thousands turn out in support of immigration rights in Colorado and across the nation.
The Colorado College kicked off its annual State of the Rockies Conference with a look ahead at how global warming will affect the state in the latter half of this century.
Studies show that snow levels will be halved by 2085, putting the state's water supply and ski industry in peril.
And hundreds of thousands of marchers took to the streets yesterday across the nation and in the West to call for immigration reform.
In Colorado, about 3,000 marchers turned out in Grand Junction alone, with smaller rallies reported in Denver, Boulder and Colorado Springs.
In our In-depth section, Utah's lawmakers said the marches did little to change their minds, or their votes, on the immigration reform legislation passed by the U.S. House that focuses on border security.
But Park City officials said that attitude shows how out of touch the lawmakers are with their constituency, and rallied in support of immigrant workers in their Utah city.
Rockies today
Billionaire offers up Idaho lands for trade
Developer Tim Blixseth owns 217,000 acres of land in Idaho, and is offering to trade up to 107,000 acres of that land to the state and federal governments in exchange for as-yet-unidentified tracts near McCall and New Meadows that he can use for development.
Idaho Statesman; April 11
State of the Rockies 2006
Report: Global warming puts Colorado ski industry in peril
Colorado College kicked off its third annual conference on the State of the Rockies with a report on how global climate change will affect Colorado's ski resorts by the latter half of this century.
Colorado Springs Gazette; April 11
Thousands rally for immigration reform in Colorado
A Washington, D.C.-based research firm estimated that there are about 200,000 to 250,000 illegal immigrants living and working in Colorado, and thousands of them attended rallies in Denver, Grand Junction, Boulder and Colorado Springs to call for immigration reform.
Denver Post; April 11
Arizona gov said focus of growth should be quality, not quantity
Speaking to residents in Prescott, Ariz., Gov. Janet Napolitano called on state lawmakers to consider how to grow smart, instead of worrying about how many people will live here, and she introduced the Growing Smarter Oversight Council, which outlines a growth management plan.
Arizona Republic; April 11
Two more companies lose bid to develop Utah's oil shale
U.S. Bureau of Land Management officials eliminated Exxon Mobil Corp. and Oil-Tech Inc. from the list of companies that had proposed plans to develop oil shale deposits in Colorado and Utah, and said Exxon Mobil wasn't prepared to start work early enough and Oil-Tech's plans didn't provide enough certainty on controlling emissions and water discharges.
Casper Star-Tribune (AP); April 11
Idaho House passes new property-tax relief measure
The Idaho Senate could vote today on a measure that removes about half of the property tax burden that goes toward school construction and maintenance and replaces the $104 million cost by using surplus budget funds and funds from the state's rainy day fund.
Twin Falls Times-News; April 11
Colorado senators seek federal funding to fight beetles
U.S. Sens. Wayne Allard and Ken Salazar have both introduced legislation that calls for appropriations of federal money to fight pine bark beetle infestations that have killed 1.5 million acres of trees in Colorado.
Durango Herald; April 11
Colorado oilman cleans up discharge water for irrigation
As oil fields grow older, more discharge water is produced along with the oil and in 2000, energy companies spent $25 billion to get rid of unwanted water, but a Colorado oilman and a rancher unveiled a process that separates the deep-aquifer water from oil and natural gas and cleans it enough that it can be used for irrigation and potentially for homes.
Fort Collins Coloradoan; April 11
Opinion
Marches prove it's time United States revised immigration policies
Congress can no longer ignore the need for immigration reform, and the American people must keep after federal lawmakers to enact legislation that takes rational accounts of human behavior and economic reality.
Salt Lake Tribune; April 11
Healthy Forests project in Montana will be closely watched
The U.S. Forest Service's forest-management project in the middle East Fork drainage of the Bitterroot National Forest is the first in Montana under the federal Healthy Forests Restoration Act and foresters should take care that the project proceeds as planned and achieves stated objectives.
Missoulian; April 11
Colorado lawmakers should seek common ground on split estates
It appears that both landowners and subsurface mineral rights owners will spend another year languishing in limbo after legislation meant to balance the rights of both died in the Colorado Legislature, a move that could clear the way for an unbalanced ballot initiative that goes too far in strengthening the rights of surface owners.
Colorado Springs Gazette; April 11
Beyond the region
Canada plans aid package for softwood producers
If political efforts to solve the long-standing dispute between Canada and the United States over softwood lumber duties fail, Canadian officials said they're working on options to help cash-starved lumber producers that could include loan guarantees.
Vancouver Sun (CP); April 11
Housing starts break record in Alberta city
Housing starts in Calgary were 68 percent higher this year than in March 2005, and local officials said if the pace continues, 2006 could be a record-setting year for housing in the Alberta city.
Calgary Herald; April 11
In depth
Utah lawmakers remain unswayed by immigration marches
This week's demonstrations on immigration rights have been the largest in Utah's history, and Latino leaders in the state are hoping to keep the momentum going all the way to the ballot box.
Salt Lake Tribune; April 11
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Utah ski town stands solidly behind immigrant workers
There are an estimated 1,500 to 2,000 immigrant workers in Park City, and the Utah ski town is unabashed in its support of those workers, from a scathing hometown newspaper editorial that suggested Congress be deported to an outreach worker that said Summit County's congressional representative wasn't in tune with his constituency.
Salt Lake Tribune; April 11
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Many close businesses for peaceful march in Phoenix
Despite Congress being on recess, an estimated crowd of more than 100,000 marched to support the rights of undocumented immigrant workers in Phoenix. With links to multimedia coverage of the event.
Arizona Republic; April 11
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Nevada lawmakers ask Congress to act quickly on immigration
Thousand of marchers turned out in northern Nevada on Monday to call for immigration reform, and many longtime politicians in the state said the size of the demonstration surprised them and underscored the need for Congress to pass legislation to reform the nation's immigration policy.
Reno Gazette Journal; April 11
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Farmworkers' union to sign first guest-worker contract
The United Farm Workers and Global Horizons, a California-based labor contractor and one of the nation's largest suppliers of agricultural guest workers, have signed an agreement to provide to guest workers employer-paid medical care, a seniority system and a grievance procedure to help ensure that farms comply with state and federal laws.
New York Times; April 11
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