Editor's note: On Tuesday, Hotmail and MSN web sites began rejecting email from Headwaters News' host's mail server.
Subscribers who receive Headwaters News' daily newsletter via those email providers will not be able to receive their newsletters until the problem is resolved.
We regret the interruption of service.
In the Rockies today, a Montana senator asks Congress to investigate talks between the U.S. Forest Service and Plum Creek Timber Co.
U.S. Sen. Jon Tester asked the Governmental Accountability Office to take a look at two years' of closed-door negotiations between U.S. Forest Service officials and Plum Creek Timber Co. executives over expansion of road easements that could clear the way for some of the 1.2 million acres of land the company owns in Montana to be developed.
Tester said his call for an independent investigation isn't premised on an assumption that the talks were illegal but rather on the number of questions that the closed-door talks raised.
Rockies today
Presidential candidates take energy debate to Las Vegas
Democrat Barack Obama was in Las Vegas on Tuesday, touting his energy plan that includes a tax break for middle-income households to offset higher energy costs, and Republican John McCain will speak on his renewable fuels plan at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas today.
USA Today; June 25
High fuel prices exacerbate downturn in nation's housing market
Living miles away from cities' centers is becoming less attractive in Colorado and other states as paying the fuel cost of long commutes exact a heavy toll on residents of far-flung developments, and housing prices in those rural subdivisions are falling, exacerbating the already stumbling housing market.
New York Times; June 25
Montana senator asks GAO to investigate Plum Creek, USFS talks
U.S. Sen. Jon Tester called for a congressional investigation into discussions between the U.S. Forest Service and Plum Creek Timber Co. about road easements in Montana and asked Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer to hold off on allowing any changes to road easements sought by Plum Creek Timber Co. while that investigation proceeds.
Missoulian; June 25
Idaho conference explores global warming's effect on species
Scientists with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said global climate change will force natural-resource specialists to make "Noah's choices" on what plants and animals to save, and a two-day conference in Idaho this week brings managers of parks, wildlife refuges, forests and rangelands together to discuss how they'll do their jobs in the fast-changing landscape.
Idaho Statesman; June 25
California wildfires pour smoke into Nevada
Smoke from California wildfires reduced visibility in Reno to about three miles, and forced Washoe County officials to issue a red air quality alert on Tuesday.
Reno Gazette Journal; June 25
Colorado energy panel opposes seasonal drilling limits
On the second day of the weeklong hearing on new proposed drilling regulations in Colorado, members of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission said that seasonal drilling restrictions proposed to protect wildlife will cripple companies.
Denver Post; June 25
-
BLM: Colorado's new drilling rules won't apply to federal lands
The Bureau of Land Management sent a letter to the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, reminding the state commission that new drilling regulations won't apply to federal lands, and U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard wrote a letter to the departments of Interior and Agriculture to express his concerns that the state was overstepping its authority on federal and Southern Ute tribal lands.
Grand Junction Sentinel; June 25
Opinion
Gloomy financial times may clear up Utah's air
There may be a glimmer in Utah's worsening economy and rising fuel prices in that residents may curb their driving, and less driving means less pollutants released into the air along Utah's Wasatch Front, which will curb air pollution and make breathing a little easier and healthier.
Salt Lake Tribune; June 25
Beyond the region
Evidence suggests wolves are back in north-central Washington
A state biologist said reports of sightings of wolves, along with some pictures taken by a cattle rancher near Twisp in north-central Washington, suggest that wolves have returned to that area of the state.
Seattle Times (AP); June 25
Study: California's warmer weather could wipe out 2,300 plant species
A study conducted at University of California-Berkeley found that nearly two-thirds of California's unique plants are at risk of disappearing due to climate change.
Los Angeles Times; June 25
White House declined to open EPA email on greenhouse gases
An email setting forth the Environmental Protection Agency's conclusion that greenhouse gases were pollutants that must be controlled was sent to the White House in December, where the decision was made not to open it, putting that report in limbo.
New York Times; June 25
Nation's schools hit with perfect storm of rising costs, declining funding
The National Governors' Association said Arizona, Florida and California have been hit hardest by budget shortfalls, and schools in those states are likely to bear some of the burden of those financial gaps.
Christian Science Monitor; June 25
In depth
Four wildfires burn 125 square miles in New Mexico
On Tuesday, the Big Springs Fire burned about 100 acres near Manzanos, prompting the evacuation of 12 homes and a youth camp, but crews were optimistic they could contain the New Mexico wildfire overnight; the Rocky Fire was 80 percent contained on Tuesday, and two other smaller wildfires were burning in the state. You may have to view an ad to read this article.
Albuquerque Journal; June 25
Fires ignite along Colorado's Western Slope
A vehicle fire ignited a wildfire that burned about three miles along Interstate 70 in western Colorado, just one of about 10 wildfires that ignited on Tuesday.
Grand Junction Sentinel; June 25
Special team takes reins in Arizona wildfire fight
A wildfire in the Rincon Mountains southeast of Tucson has burned 4,500 to 5,000 acres and is threatening a power transmission line, and on Tuesday a specialized fire management team took over directing firefighting operations designed to confine the wildfire while letting it burn.
Tucson Citizen; June 25
Hundreds of wildfires blacken thousands of acres in California
Lightning ignited hundreds of wildfires in California over the weekend, the largest of which is the Indians Fire in the Ventana Wilderness area of the Los Padres National Forest which has burned 57,940 acres.
Environment News Service; June 25
Idaho firefighters head to California to help battle blazes
For the second time in less than a year, Idaho firefighters are going to California to help fight wildfires there.
Twin Falls Times-News; June 25
Thousands of Oregon firefighters head to California battle blazes
A lightning storm Friday evening sparked hundreds of wildfires in California, primarily in the northern part of the state, and Oregon has sent 2,400 firefighters to battle the 840 identified wildfires.
Portland Oregonian; June 25
|
