In the Rockies today, Montana and Canadian researchers launched a unique study last month to track pronghorn antelope between Montana, Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Researchers in Alberta have been studying the antelope, which are considered a "focal species" that provide warning signs about ecosystems' problems early on, for three years.
The research will study herds from both developed and undeveloped areas of the region, to determine if, and how, development affects migration routes and population numbers.
Also in the Rockies today, federal and state officials develop a plan to handle the buildup of toxic water in a Colorado mineshaft, and Phoenix changes its policy to allow police to inquire about immigration status of some of the people they arrest.
Rockies today
Researchers track antelope migration between Montana, Alberta
Researchers from Montana and Canada have been tracking pronghorn antelope to learn more about the historical migration patterns as they move between Montana, Alberta and Saskatchewan were stunned by the 500-mile migration of the species.
Great Falls Tribune; Feb. 17
Arizona considers toll roads to help pave state's roads
Arizona can't afford to build roads fast enough to keep up with its growth, and although lawmakers have been loathe to add toll roads to help finance road construction, a new effort to create a statewide transportation plan and Gov. Janet Napolitano's press for improvements may force lawmakers to overcome their aversion to such pay-as-you-go routes.
Arizona Republic; Feb. 17
French officials to learn bear facts from Montanans
French wildlife officials will meet with bear biologists, ranchers and conservationists in Missoula to learn about efforts to save the grizzly bear in Montana that they can take home to save the Pyrenees brown bear, of which less than two dozen now roam the mountains that divide France and Spain.
Missoulian; Feb. 18
Colorado federal, state lawmakers spar over Leadville threat
U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar told Colorado state lawmakers that the buildup of tainted water in the Leadville Mine has been a known hazard for more than three decades, and late last week, local, state and federal officials agreed to conduct a risk assessment study, begin pumping water out of the mine tunnel, create an incident plan should the tunnel explode and test groundwater for contamination.
Denver Post; Feb. 17
Arizona governor, lawmakers again tackle reform of state lands law
Previous efforts to change the law that governs how Arizona can dispose of its school trust lands to make it easier for local governments and groups to preserve some of those lands as open space, but now that Gov. Janet Napolitano has called for a 2008 referendum on the issue, there is some optimism that this effort will result in a way to make conservation of the land an affordable option.
Arizona Republic; Feb. 17
Idaho bill would open federal lands for renewable-energy projects
When Idaho was granted statehood in 1890, the state was granted 2.1 million acres of public school endowment lands, and state Rep. Eric Anderson, R-Priest Lake, wants to open up some of those lands for renewable energy projects.
Coeur d'Alene Press; Feb. 18
New policy in Phoenix allows police to inquire about immigration status
Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon announced Friday that police officers will ask people arrested on criminal charges if they are in the United States legally and give officers the option of checking with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, setting the Arizona city apart from other major metropolitan areas with large immigrant populations.
New York Times; Feb. 16
As Yucca Mountain work stalls, government's n-waste tab grows
In the early 1980s, all operators of nuclear power plants were required to sign contracts with the Energy Department that bound the government to dispose of spent nuclear fuel in Nevada's Yucca Mountain beginning in 1998 for a 10th of a cent per kilowatt-hour, but that timeline has come and gone, and dozens of lawsuits have been filed by utilities over the contract, and the damages are rising for the missed deadline, with some estimates putting the tab at $11 billion by 2020.
New York Times; Feb. 17
Opinion
Bill would slow Colorado's rural 'brain drain'
College-loan debt often keeps Colorado students from returning to their rural hometowns after they graduate, but Rep. Cory Gardner's House Bill 1255 that would forgive student loans for teachers who return to their rural communities would allow teachers to bring their new knowledge home and keep those rural areas vibrant.
Denver Post; Feb. 18
Beyond the region
Report: Problems with USFS air tankers persist
U.S. Forest Service officials largely agreed with the findings contained in a new report from investigators with the Agriculture Department's Office of Inspector General that said the agency needed more funding, better long-range planning and more stringent inspection protocol to make its fleet of air tankers more safe.
FresnoBee.com; Feb. 15
USDA issues largest ever recall of beef
On Sunday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture ordered the recall of 143 million pounds of raw and frozen beef processed since Feb. 1, 2006 at a Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. slaughterhouse in California, but federal officials conceded that most of the meat processed, including 37 million pounds that went to school-lunch programs, had already been eaten.
Los Angeles Times; Feb. 18
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