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In the Rockies today, grim news about forests in Wyoming, waterways in New Mexico and oilsands development in Alberta.
The U.S. Forest Service released the results of aerial surveys that showed widespread beetle infestation in Wyoming's forests, and agency personnel said that within the next five years, all of the mature lodgepole pine in the state could be dead.
A new analysis by a coalition of environmental groups about recent changes to the federal Clean Water Act said that New Mexico's intermittent streams, wetlands and ponds may no longer be protected by that federal law.
And in Canada, a new analysis of oilsands development said the environmental impact of that activity extends far beyond Alberta's borders and violates a number of the country's environmental laws.
Rockies today
USFS survey: Beetle infestation in S. Wyoming up 138 percent
U.S. Forest Service officials said recent aerial surveys of Wyoming's forestlands found that areas affected by pine bark beetle infestations has hit all of the state's forestlands and affected areas doubled in size between 2006 and 2007.
Casper Star-Tribune; Feb. 15
Report details Alberta's oilsands industry's impact on the environment
A new report to be issued today by Toronto-based Environmental Defence says that oilsands development in Alberta is the most destructive project on earth that has environmental impacts across Canada, and that the work violates existing national laws.
Toronto Globe and Mail; Feb. 15
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Canadian board predicts rosy future for Alberta's oilsands
In its annual forecast for Canada's oil-extraction industry, the Conference Board of Canada predicted Alberta's oilsands operations would be the primary driver of gains in Canada's oil industry, as conventional oil resources continue to decline.
Edmonton Journal; Feb. 15
Analysis: New Mexico's streams, lakes in danger
Rollbacks of federal Clean Water Act protections make New Mexico's isolated and seasonal waterways particularly vulnerable to dredging and pollution, according to a new report issued Thursday by the National Wildlife Federation, Trout Unlimited, New Mexico Wildlife Federation and Ducks Unlimited.
Santa Fe New Mexican; Feb. 15
Report: Nevada doesn't need coal-fired power
California-based The Energy Foundation released a report Wednesday that said Nevada could keep the lights on in the state without resorting to new coal-fired power plants by developing natural-gas plants, renewable energy and new transmissions lines.
Las Vegas Sun; Feb. 14
USFS officials in W. Montana: Proposed cutbacks won't hurt region
Officials with the Bitterroot, Lolo and Flathead national forests in western Montana said they're used to dealing with flat or reduced budgets, and that they can absorb the budget reductions currently under consideration and still fulfill their core mission.
Missoulian; Feb. 15
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Montana senator tears into USDA's Rey over USFS budget cuts
At a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on Thursday, Montana U.S. Sen. Jon Tester told U.S. Department of Agriculture Undersecretary Mark Rey that the department's use of a 10-year average to set firefighting budgets understates the future costs of firefighting, and that basing the budget on a five-year average would result in a more realistic budget.
Casper Star-Tribune; Feb. 15
Nevada leads nation in decrease of sales of existing homes
Fourth-quarter data from the National Association of Realtors said that sales of existing homes fell in 45 states, with Nevada posting the largest decrease, with sales down 44 percent; Wyoming was down 42 percent; New Mexico was down 39 percent; and Arizona was down 37.6 percent
Las Vegas Review-Journal (AP); Feb. 15
Opinion
Utah rivers deserve wild, scenic designation
Utah has plenty of free-flowing waterways that have outstanding cultural, scenic and wildlife values, yet not one stretch of water in the state has earned the federal wild and scenic designation, and it's time the federal agencies that prepare the list for Congress' consideration remedies this situation.
Salt Lake Tribune; Feb. 15
Nevada's little fiscal report should address illegal immigrants
Nevada state Controller Kim Wallin's brochure called "A Report to Our Citizens", designed to give Nevadans a snapshot of the state's fiscal condition, lacks some crucial information: how many illegal immigrants are in the state and what it is costing the state to educate and provide other services to them.
Las Vegas Review-Journal; Feb. 15
Beyond the region
Investors warned that climate change could rock financial markets
The subprime mortgage meltdown has already hobbled financial firms and investment funds, and on Thursday, investors, pension fund leaders and corporate executives from around the world gathered at the United Nations, to discuss how climate change will affect businesses -- and investments -- on a global scale.
Toronto National Post; Feb. 15
Study links climate change to dead zones off Northwestern coasts
Crab fishermen first noted problems in an area off Oregon's coast in 2002 that is now a dead zone when most of the crabs they caught were dead or dying, and a new study published today in the Journal Science, links dead zones--areas of the ocean with extremely low oxygen levels-- off the coasts of Washington and Oregon to climate change.
Los Angeles Times; Feb. 15
In depth
Western cities clean up former industrial sites to grow
Tucked next to downtown Missoula is a former sawmill site that is methodically being cleaned up and will ultimately contain a mixture of residential units and retail spaces that will extend the downtown area of the Montana city; a former rubber factory in Denver is getting the same makeover treatment, and the process of turning brownfields--former industrial sites--into communities is happening across the West. A good indepth look at the process.
NewWest.net (The New West Magazine); Feb. 15
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