In the Rockies today, pollution in national parks, sage grouse and prairie dogs are at the top of the page.
The results of a six-year study on pollution in national parks are in, and as feared, some of what is considered the most pristine wilderness areas in the nation are polluted.
Researchers found mercury, DDT and other pesticides in Glacier National Park in Montana and 19 other parks in the Western United States.
The mercury is thought to have traveled on air currents across the globe from China and other Asian countries, but the pesticides are believed to have originated in the U.S., primarily from California's farmlands.
Also, in the Rockies today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will again consider the sage grouse and white-tailed prairie dog for endangered species protection.
And in Beyond the region, residents of an Alaska village filed a lawsuit against companies they say contributed to climate change that sent sea levels higher, swamping their seaside village and forcing them to relocate.
Rockies today
Federal study finds high levels of pollution in western national parks
The $6-million Western Airborne Contaminants Assessment Project found high levels of contaminants in 20 national parks and monuments, including Glacier National Park in Montana, Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming and Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado.
Billings Gazette (AP); Feb. 27
USFWS announces new sage grouse review
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Tuesday that it will take another look at its 2005 decision to not list the sage grouse as an endangered species, and said agency researchers will immediately begin gathering the latest data on the species' numbers and habitat.
Casper Star-Tribune (AP); Feb. 27
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Federal agency will conduct new, 2-year study on prairie dogs
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service signed onto an out-of-court settlement with environmental groups that requires the federal agency to conduct a 2-year study of white-tailed prairie dogs to see if the species needs federal protection.
Denver Post; Feb. 27
N.M. county suspends oil, gas operations in Galisteo Basin for 1 year
Santa Fe County Commissioners imposed a one-year moratorium on oil and gas development in their New Mexico county to give the county time to develop regulations on such operations.
Santa Fe New Mexican; Feb. 27
Dozens attend first BLM meeting in Utah on oil shale development
Bureau of Land Management personnel said about 45 people attended the first of four meetings the federal agency plans in Utah on oil shale development. The article contains a good map of oil shale and tar sand deposits in Utah.
Deseret News; Feb. 27
Hearing on USFS's use of fire retardant to continue today in Montana
U.S. Agriculture Undersecretary Mark Rey apologized to U.S. District Court Judge Donald Molloy on Tuesday for the U.S. Forest Service's delay in addressing concerns about the environmental impacts of the use of fire retardant, but insisted that the agency met the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act.
Missoulian; Feb. 27
Canada reports 12th case of mad cow disease
A six-year-old dairy cow on an Alberta farm is Canada's 12th confirmed case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, a finding that has raised questions about the efficacy of Canada's 1997 ban on feed containing cattle or other ruminant parts.
Edmonton Journal; Feb. 27
Report: Utah still No. 1 in nation in home-price appreciation
A report released Tuesday by the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight ranked Utah first in the nation in housing price appreciation, although the state's 9.7 percent increase was considerably lower than the double-digit increases Utah has seen in recent years; Wyoming ranked second with a 8.27 percent gain, and Montana was fourth with 6.90 percent.
Salt Lake Tribune; Feb. 27
Opinion
Utah lawmakers are wasting their time on speed-limit change
House Bill 406 would allow the Utah Department of Transportation to raise the speed limit above 75 mph on some stretches of Interstate 15, but there is no reason for the change, which will only increase emissions of greenhouse gases, and if Utah legislators want to tackle a worthwhile speed limit change, they should consider lowering the limit to 50 to 60 mph to increase fuel efficiency and lower emissions.
Salt Lake Tribune; Feb. 27
Idaho governor's decision to lock out private prison a good one
Idaho Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter's idea of allowing a private prison in Idaho just didn't pencil out, and he had the good sense to listen to legislators who did a good job of due diligence on the proposal.
Idaho Statesman; Feb. 27
Beyond the region
Flooded Alaska village sues companies, citing climate change
Rising sea water is forcing the residents of the Alaska Native coastal village of Kivalina to relocate, and on Tuesday, those residents filed a lawsuit in federal district court in California against 5 oil companies, 14 electric utilities and Peabody Energy, the nation's largest coal company, charging that those companies' operations contributed to the Arctic climate change that is forcing the residents to move.
New York Times; Feb. 27
USDA official criticizes Humane Society's delay in releasing tape
At a congressional hearing on Tuesday, Texas Congressman Michael C. Burgess criticized the Humane Society of the United States for waiting four months before releasing a videotape of cows being abused at a slaughterhouse, echoing a point made by the Secretary of Agriculture a week earlier, but Humane Society officials said they gave the tape to California prosecutors immediately who asked that the tape not be released while they investigated the slaughterhouse.
New York Times; Feb. 27
Wheat prices headed the same way as oil -- up
The price of spring wheat on the Minneapolis Grain Exchange shot up to $24 a bushel on Monday, and within the past month, the prices of some types of wheat have increased nearly 90 percent, driven higher by drought in Kansas and Oklahoma, the increase of U.S. exports of wheat, and the decision of some farmers to plant corn and soybeans for biofuel rather than wheat.
Christian Science Monitor; Feb. 27
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