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In the Rockies today, votes in Montana and New Mexico Tuesday ended the nation's presidential primary season.
Just after the polls closed in Montana, a bevy of that state's superdelegates threw their support behind Sen. Barack Obama to be the Democratic Party's nominee for president.
The Big Sky State's primary did hold a few surprises, most notably Republican Bob Kelleher's win in the race to be the GOP challenger against incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Max Baucus.
In New Mexico, where an unusually brisk primary season was sparked by four open federal lawmaker seats, the race to be the GOP nominee in the U.S. Senate race was too close to call this morning.
Also in the news, environmental groups sue to stop winter feeding of elk in Wyoming, and the National Park Service reached a deal with Wyoming to keep Sylvan Pass open in the winter.
Saturday is National Trails Day, and today in "A Look Ahead," we offer readers a preview of some of the events in the Rocky Mountain West, along with links to the American Hiking Society's web site that lists events in all of the states.
Rockies today
Obama claims Democratic Party's presidential nomination
After receiving a flurry of superdelegates' pledged support on Tuesday, and a win in Montana's primary, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama clinched the Democratic Party's nomination for president.
New York Times; June 4
Obama wins popular vote, superdelegate support in Montana
Shortly after the polls closed on Tuesday, Gov. Brian Schweitzer, joined by U.S. Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester, Montana Democratic Party chairman Dennis McDonald of Melville and vice chair Margarett Campbell of Poplar jointly announced they would cast their superdelegate votes for Sen. Barack Obama.
Billings Gazette; June 4
Pearce holds slim margin in GOP race for U.S. Senate in New Mexico
With 78 percent of the votes counted, Republican Rep. Steve Pearce had 51 percent of the votes over his GOP contender Heather Wilson's 49 percent of the vote for the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by Sen. Pete Domenici's retirement; the winner will face Democrat Tom Udall, who ran unopposed in the primary.
Santa Fe New Mexican (AP); June 4
NPS, Wyoming, counties strike deal to keep Sylvan Pass open
The National Park Service, Wyoming and Cody and Park counties have reached a compromise that will keep Sylvan Pass, a gateway from Wyoming to Yellowstone National Park, open to snowmobile and snowcoach travel, from Dec. 22 through March 1 of each year, a slightly shorter season than previous years.
Casper Star-Tribune (Billings Gazette); June 4
U.S. Senate panel hearing on OHV access set for Thursday
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing on Thursday on the U.S. Forest Service's three-year effort to manage off-road vehicle access, and both environmental and OHV groups plan to appear and provide senators their perspective on that effort.
Idaho Statesman (AP); June 4
Environmental groups sue National Elk Refuge over feedgrounds
A coalition of environmental groups filed a lawsuit against the National Elk Refuge in Wyoming to end the practice of feeding wild elk during the winter, a process the groups said make the elk susceptible to chronic-wasting disease.
Casper Star-Tribune; June 4
Nevada governor, U.S. Sen. Reid vow to fight Yucca Mountain plan
Just hours after the Bush administration filed the formal application with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a license to build a nuclear waste repository in Nevada's Yucca Mountain, Gov. Jim Gibbons and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid both issued statements vowing to keep the dump out of Nevada.
Washington Post (AP); June 4
Opinion
EPA right to curb drilling on Utah's Nine Mile Canyon
The Environmental Protection Agency is to be commended for its decision to stop further energy development on Utah's West Tavaputs Plateau, which includes Nine Mile Canyon and its miles of petroglyphs, until a more accurate environmental assessment can be completed.
Salt Lake Tribune; June 4
Colorado high court's Telluride decision goes too far
The Colorado Supreme Court's decision that gave Telluride domain over its valley floor went too far, giving home-rule cities eminent domain power to reach beyond their borders to condemn land for open-space purposes.
Denver Post; June 4
Nevada needs to prepare for massive development on Ariz. border
When fuel prices skyrocketed and the bottom fell out of the Nevada housing market, everyone seemed to agree that Clark County developer Jim Rhodes' massive planned community near Kingman, Ariz., would never be built, but on Tuesday the Mohave County Board of Supervisors signed off on the project, and Nevada planners need to start paying attention to the challenges this development will bring to the southern part of the state.
Las Vegas Review-Journal; June 4
Beyond the region
Witnesses tell U.S. Senate panel speculators to blame for high oil prices
The U.S. Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee heard from a billionaire, a Washington state man who operates seven gas stations, and other witnesses who all told senators the same thing: the price of crude oil has been driven skyward by speculators; and the Federal Trade Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) were criticized for failing to investigate.
Seattle Times (McClatchy Newspapers); June 4
Danish company picks Texas over Oregon for wind-energy research center
The clincher in Vestas Wind Systems' decision to locate its new wind-energy research center in Texas rather than Oregon or Colorado may have been the Danish company's agreement with three Texas universities to participate in the center, but Oregon will get a consolation prize: another 200 jobs will be added at the company's facility in Portland.
Portland Oregonian; June 4
Lead poisoning kills 1 California condor, sickens 6 others
A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service official said the likely source of lead poisoning that killed one endangered California condor and sickened six others in Southern California was lead from carcasses of animals killed by hunters, and said that the sick birds represented about 20 percent of the population in that area of the state.
New York Times (AP); June 4
In depth
Obama promises Montanans he'll fight B.C. coal mine
On the days Montanans went to the polls to cast their votes in the state's primary election, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama threw his support behind the state's effort to stop a proposed coal mine in southeastern British Columbia in the headwaters of the Flathead River.
Toronto Globe and Mail; June 3
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Schweitzer, Brown will battle for Montana gubernatorial post
Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer ambled to a victory in the Democratic gubernatorial primary over his two opponents, as did Republican challenger state Sen. Roy Brown, who easily won his party's nomination to challenge Schweitzer in November.
Billings Gazette; June 4
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Frequent candidate wins GOP nod in Montana U.S. Senate race
Bob Kelleher has a lot of campaign experience, having run for posts from president to governor, and on Tuesday, he was at the head of the field of Republican candidates vying to run against Montana's incumbent U.S. Senator, Democrat Max Baucus.
Billings Gazette; June 4
Lujan, East will face off in November for N.M. congressional seat
Ben Ray Lujan beat out five Democratic contenders to face Republican Dan East and at least one independent candidate, Carol Miller of Ojo Sarco, in November in the race for New Mexico's 3rd Congressional District, a seat left open by U.S. Rep. Tom Udall's decision to run for New Mexico's open U.S. Senate seat.
Santa Fe New Mexican (AP); June 4
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Heinrich, White to battle for N.M.'s 1st Congressional District seat
Former Albuquerque City Councilor Martin Heinrich defeated three Democratic contenders to run against Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White, who defeated state Sen. Joe Carraro for the Republican Party's nomination, in the race for New Mexico's open 1st Congressional District seat.
Santa Fe New Mexican (AP); June 4
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Democrats' race too close to call in N.M. 2nd Congressional Dist. race
Ed Tinsley handily won the Republican primary for New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District over his four opponents, but the race between the two Democratic candidates, Hobbs oilfield services business owner Harry Teague and Dona Ana County Commissioner Bill McCamley of Las Cruces, was too close to call.
Santa Fe New Mexican (AP); June 4
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New Mexico voters oust GOP Foley in state House race
Republican Rep. Dan Foley, the No. 2 Republican House leader in New Mexico, lost his bid to retain the seat he has held more than a decade in southeastern New Mexico, with GOP candidate Dennis Kintigh capturing 54 percent of the vote.
Santa Fe New Mexican (AP); June 4
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| "The oil is there. You just have to untrap it."
Bob Gallagher, president of the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association, discussing how high oil prices have helped pump up production in the state's more challenging oilfields.
- Los Angeles Times (AP)
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Montana governor, livestock groups at odds over bison plan
Taxable sales drop $4B in Arizona
High oil prices pump up New Mexico's economy
Colorado ski resort owners, Texas billionaire settle lawsuit
United Airlines' plan could mean big changes for Denver airport
Study: Drought making Yellowstone's geysers sluggish
Green group courts Nevada Hispanics to pump up anti-coal effort
Underground coal-dust fire in Colorado park burns boy's foot
Colorado, tribes reach deal on returning ancient remains to tribes
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Exclusively
on Headwaters:
NewVoices/NewWest:
Culture
Clash: Can the federal No Child Left Behind Act coexist with Montana's
Indian Education for All?
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Regional Conferences
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June 4-6: Natural Resources Law Center's Shifting Baselines & New Meridians — Water, Resources, Landscapes and the Transformation of the American West," at the University of Colorado at Boulder Law School. Read a preview.
June 7: National Trails Day. The American Hiking Society helped organize more than 1,000 events across the nation to celebrate National Trails Day.
June 29-July 1: Western Governors' Association Annual Meeting; Wildlife corridors, climate change, energy and managing water on agenda, Teton Village
Jackson Hole, Wyo. Read a preview.
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Headwaters
News is a project of the Center
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