In the Rockies today, endangered species, vehicle emissions and wildlife refuges are in the news.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced it would review seven endangered species decisions where a former Interior Department official was accused of asserting political influence over scientific decisions.
The agency said decisions on the status of the Preble's jumping mouse and the white-tailed prairie dog, along with a habitat decision on the Canadian link will all undergo a new review.
New Mexico officials adopted new strict vehicle emission standards on Tuesday that are similar to those passed in California, and Colorado is reporting considering adoption of similar controls as well.
And the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released a new report that tracks the economic impact of wildlife refuges in the nation.
The agency said that every $1 in federal funding generates $4 for local economies.
Rockies today
USFWS will review 7 endangered species decisions
Citing improper influence by Julie MacDonald, the deputy assistant secretary for fish, wildlife and parks, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will take another look at seven of the eight decisions on endangered species where MacDonald's influence was questioned, including one on the Preble's jumping mouse, a habitat decision on Canada lynx, and one on the white-tailed prairie dog.
Denver Rocky Mountain News; Nov. 28
Interior Dept. launches probe of Navajos trip to Hawaii
The U.S. Department of Interior announced Tuesday that it would investigate whether federal funds were inappropriately spent to send 362 Navajo Nation tribal representatives to the National Indian Education Association conference last month in Honolulu.
Farmington Daily Times; Nov. 27
Wyoming lawmakers tread carefully on carbon-sequestration bills
Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal has made carbon sequestration a priority, and lawmakers are working on bills that would regulate the storage of carbon dioxide underground, but the issue is complicated, particularly on the issue of who would own the "pore areas," where the carbon would be stored.
Casper Star-Tribune; Nov. 28
Report: Wildlife refuges pump up local economies
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a new report that said for every taxpayer dollar spent on wildlife refuges, four dollars are returned to the local economy.
Casper Star-Tribune; Nov. 28
New Mexico adopts new emission standards for vehicles
Under new rules adopted Tuesday, all vehicles sold in New Mexico in 2011 must meet strict emission standards; used cars and older vehicles would be exempt to the standards.
Albuquerque Journal; Nov. 28
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Colorado car dealers cool about proposed vehicle-emission rules
As in other states where officials are considering imposing California-type standards on vehicle emissions, car dealers in Denver said that such regulations in Colorado would limit the kind of vehicles they would be allowed to sell, and could lead to the "Jalopy effect," where car owners would hold on to older models which could have an even more detrimental effect on the environment.
Denver Post; Nov. 28
Group says Ariz., N.M. wolf program designed to fail
Efforts to reintroduce the Mexican gray wolf into New Mexico and Arizona began in 1988, and there are now an estimated 59 wolves roaming those two states, with 52 others having been removed during that time, and now the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is taking public comment on proposed changes to the program.
Arizona Daily Sun; Nov. 28
Opinion
Yellowstone winter plan could be worse -- but it could be better too
The latest rendition of the federal government's winter use plan for Yellowstone National Park isn't a perfect one, but it will give communities on the border of the park to come up with viable alternatives for snowmobiling just outside the park and, we hope, eventually lead to the eventual use of snowcoaches only in this important piece of federal real estate.
Idaho Statesman; Nov. 28
Beyond the region
Pacific Northwest caught between hydro power, endangered species
The number of orca whales in Puget Sound off the coast of Washington and Oregon dropped dramatically, as have the number of wild salmon--a staple of the orca's diet, and there are calls to remove the hydroelectric dams in the Columbia River Basin to save both the salmon and the whales, but those dams provide clean power, and with an ever-increasing demand to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, energy officials say removing carbon-free plants is counterintuitive.
Chrisitan Science Monitor; Nov. 28
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Energy board nixes plans for coal-fired plant in Washington state
Washington state's Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council rejected a proposal by a coalition of 20 Washington public utilities to build a 793-megawatt plant in Cowlitz County, that would use coal or waste oil to generate electricity, citing the state's new law crafted to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as the reason for its rejection.
Seattle Times; Nov. 28
Ethanol gums up energy bill's progress through Congress
The current energy bill before Congress contains a provision that considerably ramps up corn-based ethanol production in the nation, an issue that has divided Democrats and stalled the bill's progress through Congress.
Los Angeles Times; Nov. 28
Engineers design balloons to aid in aerial wildfire-fighting efforts
Engineers have designed biodegradable plastic balloons that hold 240 gallons of water; the paper giant Weyerhaeuser designed cardboard boxes to hold the balloons, which tear apart when they're pushed out of the plane and then the balloons burst apart raining water down on wildfires, a process the engineers said would limit the dangerous process of airtankers having to skim hills to drop water as they do now.
Twin Falls Times-News; Nov. 28
B.C. transmission line proposal stalls when companies scuttle mine plans
Principals of the Galore Creek Mining Co. backed away from their plans to develop a mine in northwestern British Columbia due to cost concerns, and that decision also pulled $158 million in promised funding for extending a transmission line to that area to hook it into the province's electricity grid.
Vancouver Sun; Nov. 28
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