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In the Rockies today, politics and wildfire are again consuming the headlines.
The Republican presumptive presidential nominee John McCain named Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to be his running mate.
Palin will be the first woman on a Republican presidential ticket.
On the Democratic side of the presidential race, that party's nominee Illinois Sen. Barack Obama thrilled tens of thousands with his acceptance speech Thursday night at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.
In Wyoming, the nation's top-producing coal state, Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader said future generations will look back on coal-fired power as a crime against humanity.
Also in the news, an equipment failure on Idaho Power's line sparked the fatal fire in Boise on Monday
Rockies today
McCain names Alaska governor as vice presidential pick
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin was named by two GOP strategists close to John McCain's campaign as the Republican presumptive presidential nominee's running mate.
Denver Rocky Mountain News (AP); Aug. 29
Obama accepts Democrats' nomination at Denver convention
Illinois Sen. Barack Obama made history Thursday night as the first African-American to receive a presidential nomination from a major political party, and in his acceptance speech, the Democratic nominee toggled between sweeping themes and detailed policies.
Denver Post; Aug. 29
Washington utility declines to buy coal-fired power from Montana plant
The proposed coal-fired Highwood Generating Station planned near Great Falls lost another customer, and the Grant County Public Utility District in Washington state said public criticism of coal-fired power was the only reason stated for its decision to not buy power from the as-yet unbuilt Montana plant.
Great Falls Tribune; Aug. 29
Idaho Power Co. equipment failure ignited fatal Boise blaze
A clamp on an Idaho Power Co. transmission line overheated and dripped hot aluminum into dry grass, igniting the Oregon Trail Fire that killed one woman, burned 10 homes and damaged 19 others in Boise.
Idaho Statesman; Aug. 29
High winds propel Montana fire beyond containment lines
High winds pushed the Dunn fire burning near Roundup across an additional 50,000 acres on Thursday, and through containment lines in at least three places, and officials estimate the Montana wildfire has burned across at least 60,000 acres.
Billings Gazette; Aug. 29
Opinion
This year's fire season underscores USFS's need for firefighting fund
The news that the U.S. Forest Service needs to transfer $700 million out of other accounts to meet its firefighting obligations is just another indication that Congress should provide separate firefighting funds to the agency.
Billings Gazette; Aug. 29
Obama camp must prove 'I have a dream' extends to Indian Country
Hillary Clinton's plans on universal health care and rural economic development resonated with Native Americans, drawing many of them into the political arena, and both Barack Obama and John McCain must address issues of importance in Indian Country, and Natives must do their part by registering to vote and casting their vote on Nov. 4.
Indian Country Today; Aug. 29
Guest column:
Montana lawmaker made history at 1924 DNC
Montana Sen. Tom Walsh, who helped dig up the facts that led to the Teapot Dome Scandal, presided over the 1924 Democratic National Convention, the first-ever to be broadcast over the radio, and his frustration-fueled expletive over the party's inability to come together on a nominee was heard around the nation. A column by Bob Brown, a Senior Fellow at the Center for the Rocky Mountain West of which Headwaters News is a project.
Bob Brown, O'Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West; Aug. 29
Beyond the region
Alaska takes pro-active stance on changing landscape
As the world warms, Alaska's landscape is changing as sea ice melts, with three villages on the cusp of being forced to relocate as the sea creeps higher, and the state's wetlands are drying out as well.
Christian Science Monitor; Aug. 29
Melting sea-ice threatens way of life for Native Alaskans
Native Alaskans are already feeling the crunch of high energy prices, and now melting sea ice has narrowed the season for hunting walrus, on which the Native economy is based, from two months to just three weeks.
Washington Post; Aug. 29
California bill would be first in nation to address sprawl
If the California Senate approves a bill passed by the state Assembly this week, and if Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signs the bill into law, the state will begin to tie billions of dollars of state and federal transportation funds to counties' and cities' efforts to reduce sprawl, improve public transit by encouraging housing near current population centers and reducing commutes to work.
New York Times; Aug. 29
California catches mussel-covered boat before Lake Tahoe launch
A boat encrusted with quagga mussels was quarantined before it could be launched into Lake Tahoe, in what officials are calling the first "close call" for the lake; the quagga mussels rapidly reproduce and quickly disrupt lakes' ecological system.
Reno Gazette-Journal; Aug. 28
In depth
Fire officials ask public to steer clear of Wyoming wildfire
The New Forks Lake fire has been burning in the Bridger Wilderness in Wyoming since July 29, and specialists monitoring the fire asked hikers and campers to avoid areas where the fire had burned through and to avoid certain campgrounds and trails when planning trips through the wilderness.
Jackson Hole Daily; Aug. 29
Human-caused 'Nature fire' in Idaho burns thousands of acres
Bureau of Land Management officials said the 14,000-acre Nature fire on the south end of Idaho's Wood River Valley was human-caused and was threatening structures on Thursday afternoon although no evacuations had yet been ordered.
Idaho Mountain Express (Sun Valley); Aug. 29
Wyoming wildfire bad for business, this year
The owner of the Elephant Head Lodge said she understands the need to allow wildfires to burn, especially in remote areas full of beetle-killed timber such as the Gunbarrel fire that has been burning in Wyoming since July 26th, but she also believes the need to clear the forest of fuels needs to be balanced with business interests as her lodge has had to be evacuated and potential guests are staying away.
Casper Star-Tribune; Aug. 29
Effort to quell Wyoming wildfire escalate
After letting the Gunbarrel fire burn its way through miles of beetle-killed trees in the Shoshone National Forest in Wyoming, crews now are mounting a massive attack on southwestern and eastern flanks to keep it away from homes and businesses; the fire has burned 92 square miles and has cost $8 million to fight thus far.
Billings Gazette; Aug. 29
Firefighters launch aerial attack on Colorado wildfire
A wildfire near Rifle has burned between 80 and 100 acres on Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service lands in Colorado.
Grand Junction Sentinel; Aug. 29
Colorado wildfire on the run
Wildfires in Idaho, Wyoming and Colorado funneled smoke along Colorado's Front Range on Thursday, and while there are no fires burning along the Front, lightning-sparked wildfires are on the move in the northwestern part of the state, with the Mayberry fire near Craig reported at 27,000 acres, the Meeker fire at more than 5,000 acres, and the Jordan fire, which is threatening structures near Meeker, at 500 acres.
Denver Post; Aug. 29
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Arizona's English-language classes post impressive results
Hunters, anglers say their presidential votes up for grabs
Montana county files appeal on Plum Creek, USFS document request
Colorado professor directs biodiesel research away from corn
Burning Man organizers ask Nevada for more law enforcement
Eco-flight provides a bird's-eye view of Colorado's energy picture
Arizona sheriff issues ATV-safety reminders before holiday weekend
In Wyoming, Nader decries lack of access for 3rd-party candidates
Montana woman details what it takes to be a 'locavore'
Gold, silver prices rise, while copper drops
Utah governor unleashes bread, cheese inspectors on gas pumps
Arizona tribes ask for more time on bald eagles ESA decision
CDC report: Alcohol a factor in 12 percent of Indian deaths
Colorado county pushes for statewide tax on lift tickets
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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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Sept. 8-11: The U.S. Geological Survey's Third Interagency Conference on Research in the Watersheds, Estes Park, Colo. Read a preview.
Sept. 11-12:Public Land Foundation's annual meeting: "Sustaining the Ecological, Economic and Social Vitality of the Public Lands," Park City, Utah. Read a preview.
Sept. 15-17: Headwaters Summit: Re-visioning how we use water in a changing climate, Missoula, Mont. Read a preview.
Sept. 22-24: The 32nd Annual Public Land Law Conference, "A Federal Lands Agenda for the 21st Century," Missoula, Mont. Read a preview.
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Headwaters
News is a project of the Center
for the Rocky Mountain West at the University
of Montana. |
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