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In Headwaters News' Western Perspective, we offer a preview of the Sonoran Institute's latest report, which focuses on development in counties adjacent to Wyoming's Teton County.
The report, "Growth Impacts in the Teton Region of Wyoming and Idaho" issued last month, takes a look at "spillover growth" from the Wyoming county into adjacent counties in both Idaho and Wyoming.
While bedroom communities, i.e., those outlying towns where workers find much more affordable housing than they can in the towns where they work, can be found across the nation, the Sonoran Institute report says the phenomenon is the most acute in Wyoming's Teton County.
The report tracks the impact of having more than half the workers in the Wyoming county live outside that county, and the effect a commuting population has on the Idaho and Wyoming communities that feed workers into Teton County.
We invite you to read the column and send us your comments.
Rockies today
USFS, BLM approve expansion of Idaho phosphate plant
A phosphate mine operated by the J.R. Simplot Co. in southeastern Idaho received needed approval from the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management to expand its operations by 1,400 acres, which will allow mining in designated roadless areas, and at least one group has already promised to go to court to stop the expansion.
Idaho Statesman (AP); June 12
Montana couple offers Rocky Mountain Front ranch to state for park
Chuck and Sharon Blixrud are offering Montana their nearly 1,000-acre Seven Lazy P guest ranch that lies along the Rocky Mountain Front for a new state park.
Helena Independent Record; June 12
EPA, homebuilders sign off on Clean Water settlements
Four of the nation's largest homebuilders have agreed to pay $4.3 million in fines for Clean Water Act violations in failing to control run-off from construction sites, most of which were in Arizona, Nevada, California, Florida and Texas, although the settlement covers sites in Utah as well.
Salt Lake Tribune; June 12
Beetle-killed forests may change USFS strategy on wildfires
U.S. Forest Service officials said wildfires in beetle-killed timber will put the agency in unknown territory when it comes to firefighting, and said they may allow fires in such areas to burn rather than put personnel at risk.
Denver Post; June 12
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Colorado wildfire burns across 8,000 acres
Colorado fire managers said snow in the state's high country mustn't derail efforts to reduce the risk of wildfire, and the 8,000-acre wildfire burning on Army's Pinon Canyon training site in the southeast region of the state provided tangible proof.
Denver Rocky Mountain News; June 12
Residents of N. Utah don't like Idaho pipeline plan either
Residents of three counties in northern Utah oppose the Ruby Pipeline, a natural gas pipeline from Wyoming to Oregon that would pass through their counties, and they're also not enamored of the plan for a competing interstate pipeline that rivals the Ruby in size and capacity, that would pass just north of Utah's border in Idaho.
Salt Lake Tribune; June 12
Lake Powell pipeline plan gets cool reception at Utah meeting
More than 300 people attended the second of three planned meetings hosted by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on a proposal to build a 158-mile pipeline from Lake Powell in Arizona to a reservoir in Utah's Washington County to provide water to three Utah counties, where dozens of attendees fired questions at state and federal regulators who successfully sidestepped questions on the project's cost and the ratio of power generated by the project versus the power needed to operate it.
Salt Lake Tribune; June 12
Border states' governors want to extend 'Operation Jump Start'
The two-year amped up effort to patrol the United States' border with Mexico using National Guard troops is slated to end July 15, but the governors of the four border states and federal lawmakers are lobbying for the effort to continue.
New York Times; June 12
Opinion
Idaho employers should consider shorter work week, telecommuting
In an effort to address the impact of much higher fuel costs, employers in Idaho's Treasure Valley should take a hard look at allowing employees to work four-day weeks or perhaps even telecommuting.
Idaho Statesman; June 12
Beyond the region
Utility's concerns could power down solar efforts in Oregon
Pacific Power's concerns about third parties in solar power projects that collect tax breaks and enjoy the profits of selling unused power back to the utilities could shut down about 80 percent of the commercial solar-power projects in the works in Oregon if the state's utility regulators' decision goes the wrong way.
Portland Oregonian; June 12
U.S. House passes Amtrak funding bill by veto-proof margin, too
Both the U.S. House and Senate have approved a nearly $15-billion, five-year funding bill for Amtrak by veto-proof margins.
Billings Gazette (AP); June 12
Canada apologizes to aboriginals for decades of forced assimilation
In a packed House of Commons room on Wednesday, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologized to former Indian residential school students.
Toronto Globe and Mail; June 12
Education secretary takes 'No Child' campaign on the road
Margaret Spellings, the secretary of education, has vowed to improve President Bush's No Child Left Behind law before January, and she's on the road promoting the sweeping education program.
New York Times; June 12
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Democrats launch effort to rewrite 'No Child' law
The president of the Colorado Senate was among the 60 or so Democrats who signed off on a statement attacking the federal No Child Left Behind law, and supporting a new emphasis on antipoverty programs that could help minority students show up for school better prepared to learn.
New York Times; June 12
California man embraces 'no-dig, low-water' gardening method
A Hollywood Hills man uses a technique learned in Australia to build his no-dig vegetable garden that uses relatively little water, an important factor in drought-stricken California.
Los Angeles Times; June 12
In depth
Annual report finds Utah kids living the good life
The annual report issued by the Annie E. Casey Foundation again found Utah in the Top 10 of most of the categories that include low-infant mortality and high rates of parental employment, but the state's rate of children living in poverty continues to increase, as does the percentage of children who lack health-insurance coverage.
Salt Lake Tribune; June 12
Kids Count: Poverty rates keeps N.M. near the bottom in kids' well-being
The annual Kids Count reported issued by the Annie E. Casey Foundation produced another dismal round of numbers for New Mexico: an increase in the death rate for children aged 1 through 14, high dropout rate, high rate of teen pregnancies, low rate of parental employment, and a high rate of single-parent families. You may have to view an ad to read this article.
Albuquerque Journal; June 12
Wyoming ranks second in nation for youth incarceration
The 2008 Kids Count report says Wyoming's rate of incarceration of youth, 334 per 100,000 children as compared to the national average of 125 per 100,000, is second only to South Dakota in the nation, and cited the state's lack of alternatives to jail and juvenile detention, as the reason for the state's high ranking.
Casper Star-Tribune; June 12
Reports puts Montana at 29th for kids' overall well-being
The annual Kids Count report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation showed a decrease in mortality rates for children but an increase in infant mortality, and an increase in high school dropout rates, but the percentage of children living in poverty stayed the same, as did the state's overall ranking.
Montana Standard (AP); June 12
Correction
Correction to Wednesday's story about Wyoming gas plant
A news article from the Casper Star-Tribune that appeared in Headwaters News' Wednesday edition incorrectly stated that a natural gas processing and carbon sequestration plant would provide $24 million in revenue to the school state trust, but that figure refers to all the revenue that the plant would bring to the state's coffers, of which $19,000 would go to the state schools trust.
Casper Star-Tribune; June 12
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