In the Rockies today, Arizona and Nevada are garnering some international interest.
Canadians are finding their loonies go farther in the U.S. housing market these days, and many are landing in Phoenix and Las Vegas to snap up real estate.
And soon, newcomers and long-time residents of those southwestern communities will be able to shop in Britain-based Fresh & Easy grocery stores, as Tesco launches its chain of stores in Arizona, Nevada and southern California.
Also in the Rockies today, federal researchers are setting up shop in Colorado's Grand County to create computer models of wildfire behavior to help federal, state and local officials answer a laundry list of "what-if" questions.
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Rockies today
Canadians find much to like in U.S. housing market
The United States' mortgage meltdown and the rising value of the Canadian loonie have combined to make housing in the U.S. a lucrative market for moderate-income buyers who are flocking to Phoenix, Las Vegas and other cities to snatch up land and homes.
Denver Post (AP); Dec. 16
British grocer plans building blitz in Arizona, Nevada
Britain's biggest supermarket group and the world's third-largest retailer plans to open 50 Fresh & Easy stores in Arizona, Nevada and southern California by February 2009, and another 200 stores in those states by 2015.
Christian Science Monitor; Dec. 17
Colorado site of USGS high-tech wildfire computer-modeling study
U.S. Geological Survey scientists, with help from the U.S. Forest Service and Civil Air Patrol, have set up a computer-modeling project in Colorado's Grand County to analyze fire risk and explore options to help federal and state agencies answer a wide range of questions -- before a wildfire hits.
New York Times; Dec. 15
Energy companies use directional drilling on Wyo., Utah sites
Directional drilling, a process where companies use a cluster of well pads to reach deposits of natural gas, which allows them to reduce the "footprint" of energy development is being done more often in Utah, Wyoming and other western states, even though the process is more expensive than the conventional method.
Casper Star-Tribune (AP); Dec. 15
Wyoming sues NPS over Yellowstone winter plan
Wyoming filed a lawsuit against the National Park Service on Friday, challenging the federal agency's winter travel plan for Yellowstone National Park, and asking that the requirements for commercial snowmobile guides and limits on the number of daily snowmobile entries into the park be set aside.
Casper Star-Tribune; Dec. 15
Rangers in Colorado, other states deal with aftermath of suicides
Suicides in the nation's national parks and monuments are not uncommon, and are considered problematic in Colorado National Monument, located in Mesa County, where the suicide rate is more than twice the national average.
Denver Post; Dec. 17
Sun Ranch owner buys another Montana ranch
Roger Lang, who runs the Sun River Institute on his ranch in Montana's Madison Valley, said he plans to put conservation easements on much of the 7,000 deeded and leased acres in the lower Bitterroot Valley he recently purchased for $26 million from the Schroeder and Maclay families, although he said he will allow about a dozen homes to be built on the property northeast of Florence.
Missoulian; Dec. 16
Opinion
Give Yellowstone National Park's winter-use plan a chance to work
It seems no one is remotely happy with the National Park Service's winter-use plan for Yellowstone National Park but it deserves a chance to play out.
Casper Star-Tribune; Dec. 17
Utah can't shoot its way out of its bear problem
There were 202 human-bear conflicts recorded this year in Utah, an unusually high number in an unusual weather year, but the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources' plan to increase bear permits by 20 percent targets the wrong problem since most of the bears shot won't be the nuisance bears, and shooting more bears won't make people more bear aware.
Salt Lake Tribune; Dec. 16
Montana must not sacrifice environment for energy transmission
It's true that Montana and the West needs much more energy transmission capability, but the routes proposed in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 sacrifice the natural amenities that prop up the economies of southwestern Montana to serve the extractive industries in the eastern portion of the state, and all of Montana should work together to find routes that don't sacrifice one region of the state to benefit another.
Missoulian; Dec. 16
In depth
Group takes drilling fight on Colorado plateau to the Internet
In an effort to convince Colorado and federal lawmakers that there is enough energy development occurring along the base of the Roan Plateau, the Environmental Working Group launched a report that details energy work in the region, complete with an interactive map that shows the locations of gas wells from 1987 to the present.
Grand Junction Sentinel; Dec. 16
Ten West Slope mayors join opposition to drilling on Colorado plateau
Just days before Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter is expected to make his recommendations on the federal government's plan for the Roan Plateau, the mayors of Aspen, Steamboat Springs, Rifle, New Castle, Silt, Parachute, Carbondale, Glenwood Springs, Basalt and Snowmass Village signed off on a letter to Americans for American Energy to express their "growing dismay" at the group's push to open the plateau up for energy development.
Denver Post; Dec. 16
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