In the Rockies today, the push is on again to allow energy development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
New Mexico Sen. Pete Domenici rolled out legislation on Thursday designed to increase domestic oil production that would expand oil leasing on the continental shelf off both coasts of the United States, mining oil shale in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming, and open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to energy development.
Domenici said his legislation would boost domestic production by 24 billion barrels of oil, a five-year supply for the United States.
Sen. Jeff Bingaman, Domenici's Democratic colleague, said he remained opposed to drilling in ANWR, and said conservation efforts would be more effective in controlling energy prices.
Today in "A Look Ahead," we offer a preview of a panel discussion about conflicting economies in the American West.
High Country News hosts a panel discussion on the collision of the West's booming natural resource economy and its amenity economy."
The May 15 event at Mesa State College in Grand Junction, Colo., is free and open to the public--no reservations required.
Rockies today
N.M. senator proposes bill to allow drilling for oil in Alaska refuge
A dozen other Republican senators joined N.M. Sen. Pete Domenici at a news conference on Thursday where he unveiled legislation designed to drive up domestic oil production in the United States that includes opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to energy development and mining oil shale deposits in Colorado and other Rocky Mountain West states. You may have to view an ad to read this article.
Albuquerque Journal; May 2
Conservation groups use climate change to fight drilling in the West
Conservation groups have broadened their challenges of oil and gas leases proposed by the federal Bureau of Land Management to include climate change concerns.
Vail Daily News (AP); May 2
Idaho landfill to get 6,700 tons of contaminated sand from Kuwait
Sand contaminated with depleted uranium and high levels of lead when spent ammunition in an Army warehouse in Kuwait caught fire during the first Gulf War is being shipped to American Ecology's landfill in Grandview; the 6,700 tons of sand will be hauled in railcars from the Port of Longview, Wash., to the Idaho disposal site.
Idaho Statesman (AP); May 2
Two days, two lawsuits against USFWS on Ariz., N.M. wolf plan
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's "Standard Operating Procedure 13" that requires the removal of wolves in New Mexico and Arizona that have preyed on livestock three times in one year is the target of two lawsuits filed this week, although the lawsuits challenge SOP13 on different legal grounds. You may have to view an ad to read this article.
Albuquerque Journal; May 2
Congressional Budget Office gives nod to Healthy Americans Act
Utah GOP Sen. Bob Bennett and Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon are sponsors of the Healthy Americans Act, which would create a universal health care system and mandate all Americans have health insurance, and on Thursday, the Congressional Budget Office released its analysis of the legislation that said the bill makes financial sense.
Salt Lake Tribune; May 2
N.M. wildfire grows to 15,000 acres
Another day of high winds helped push the Trigo wildfire across thousand of acres of land on Thursday. You may have to view an ad to read this article.
Albuquerque Journal; May 2
Easement protects 7,500 acres in Montana's Blackfoot Valley
The 7,500-acre easement recently brokered by the Five Valleys Land Trust is the first in Montana that focused on protecting native fisheries habitat and the largest such deal for the Missoula-based nonprofit.
Missoulian; May 2
Opinion
New Census report shows Wyoming is growing in a good way
New U.S. Census estimates released earlier this week said that births in Wyoming have increased 28 percent since 2001, pushing the state's median age down just a bit, and that in 2007, 7,000 more people moved into Wyoming than left the state, the highest level of net in-migration reported since the energy boom of 1982.
Casper Star-Tribune; May 2
Arizona Senate should pass bill requiring loan officers to be licensed
The national credit crisis is reason enough for Arizona to join dozens of other states in licensing loan officers, and the state Senate should quit stalling and approve the legislation passed by the House to license loan officers.
Arizona Republic; May 2
Beyond the region
Exxon defends its $10.9B first-quarter profit
The vice president for public affairs at Exxon Mobil defended the oil company's first-quarter profits and warned against backlash public policy, such as imposing a windfall tax on oil companies, but New York Sen. Charles Schumer failed to heed the warning and renewed his proposal to impose such a tax.
Washington Post; May 2
Colorado researcher says California reservoirs key to salmon survival
David Yates, a project scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo., said that the network of dams in California that have been blamed for the collapse of salmon populations, may actually be a tool to the species' survival as climate change warms rivers if federal water managers time releases of the cold reservoir water into rivers during spawning season.
Twin Falls Times-News (AP); May 2
Congress approves 2-week extension of current Farm Bill
Congressional negotiators have found a way to pay for the massive five-year, $300-billion Farm Bill, but have yet to pass the bill by a margin large enough to fend off a promised presidential veto, and on Thursday, Congress approved a two-week extension of the current law to give federal lawmakers and the White House more time to work out a compromise.
Helena Independent Record (AP); May 2
EPA seeks stricter limits on lead in the air
The federal Environmental Protection Agency wants to cut the current standard of 1.5 micrograms of lead per cubic meter of air to somewhere between 0.10 and 0.30 micrograms per cubic meter, a level that a panel of EPA scientists and an independent advisory board said was still too high.
Washington Post; May 2
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