In the Rockies today, energy, tourism and wildlife are in the news.
High Country News, in advance of its May 15 panel discussion on the collision of the West's amenity and energy economies, offers an indepth look at how energy development is changing some regions of rural Colorado.
After the energy bust in 1982, Rifle rebuilt itself as a tourist and retirement town, as well as a bedroom community for nearby Aspen and Vail.
But the energy boom is on again, with energy workers filling up motel and hotel rooms, buying up existing homes and driving up demand for more.
In Wyoming, Pinedale residents are increasingly concerned about the breakneck speed of energy development around their rural town, with ozone levels reaching levels usually associated with large metropolitan areas.
And today in our "A Look Ahead" column, a preview of the Responsible Energy Development Symposium hosted by Sportsmen for Responsible Energy Development.
The symposium will address efforts of hunters and anglers to revamp energy development on public lands to address wildlife concerns.
The symposium will be held in Jackson Hole, Wyo., May 21-24.
Rockies today
Tourism, energy collide in Colorado
Energy development is bringing jobs, workers and an economic shot in the arm to Rifle, but the cost of housing is shooting up, traffic congestion is increasing, and the energy boom has proven to be a mixed blessing for motels and restaurants that used to depend on tourists.
High Country News; May 12
Wyoming town the epicenter of the energy-quality of life debate
Oil and gas development have brought big industry to Pinedale, the Wyoming town that has become the poster child of the detrimental effects of too much development that came too quickly.
Salt Lake Tribune; May 10
Wyoming DEQ gears up to handle boom in uranium mining
There is just one uranium mine in operation in Wyoming now, but with demand for uranium increasing across the globe, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has received 30 applications to open new mines, reopen old ones or expand existing mines, 20 of which are in Wyoming, and the state Department of Environmental Quality is shifting workers around to handle the workload.
Casper Star-Tribune (AP); May 11
High fuel prices put Denver commuters on the bus, train
Rider numbers on Denver's mass transit system for the first quarter of 2008 is up 8 percent from the same period last year, a trend seen in other metropolitan areas like San Francisco and Seattle.
New York Times; May 12
McCain's record on environmental issues is all over the map
Arizona Sen. John McCain, the Republican Party's presumptive presidential nominee, has made the environment one of the key issues of his campaign, but his voting record on environmental issues is inconsistent, and in some cases, contradictory.
Washington Post; May 12
Canada's flagship energy company to split into two
EnCana Corp., Canada's largest energy company by market value, announced it would create two companies: one for the Alberta-based company's natural gas business, and another for its oilsands operations.
Financial Post; May 12
Colorado schools join national trend of buying lunch foods locally
Colorado school districts officials said that the increased cost of buying beef and other foods needed for school lunches locally is more than covered by the increased number of school lunches they sell when local food is used.
Denver Post; May 12
Opinion
New Mexico may be a bit ahead in collaring energy industry
The push to extract natural resources in Western states is raising the hackles of those who prefer their landscapes unfettered by industry and their air pollution free, but a review of Rocky Mountain states suggests that New Mexico may be ahead of at least a few of its neighbors when it comes to citizen input and local officials' resistance.
Santa Fe New Mexican; May 11
Current version of Farm Bill substantially better than previous drafts
The primary focus of the Farm Bill isn't providing subsidies to farmers, but feeding America's poor, with 73 percent of the $300-billion bill currently before Congress going to food stamps, food banks and other emergency funding programs, and the current version deserves the full support of Congress and President Bush.
Denver Post; May 12
Author says Pacific salmon fishery could go way of Grand Banks cod
A generation ago salmon were so prolific off the coast of British Columbia, there was an annual salmon derby in Vancouver Bay, but now the species is in crisis, with 94 native bands told that they will have to ration their take of Fraser River sockeye this year, the first that directive has ever been issued.
Vancouver Sun; May 12
It's about time Congress saw the error of their ethanol ways
The facts against corn-based ethanol haven't changed: it still takes 1,700 gallons of water and 51 cents in tax credits to create on gallon of ethanol and that more petroleum-based fuel is used to plant and transport the biofuel than it ever saves commuters, but it is refreshing to see some die-hard supporters finally recognizing just how wrong-headed the ethanol push is.
Las Vegas Review-Journal; May 12
Beyond the region
'Walkaway homeowners' may be nothing more than an urban legend
Over the past several months, reports of people just walking away from their mortgages have been growing, but analysts of the housing market said the numbers don't support the stories, and some say the rumors are nothing more than an urban legend.
Los Angeles Times; May 12
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