In the Rockies today, a Wyoming wildfire that has burned 105 square miles between Cody and the eastern entrance of Yellowstone National Park has helped the U.S. Forest Service clear out acres of beetle-killed timber, and it did it for a mere $153 an acre.
In Nevada, where an air tanker crashed Monday, killing all three aboard, federal transportation safety officials said witnesses reported one of the plane's two engines was on fire shortly after takeoff.
A federal bankruptcy court judge's decision that Grupo Mexico, the parent company of Asarco, illegally pulled assets out of the copper-mining giant's holdings, may affect Asarco's reorganization plan, which earmarks $148 million for environmental cleanup in Montana and $200 million for such efforts in Washington state.
In "A Look Ahead," today, we offer a preview of the Idaho Wildland Fire Conference set for Oct. 8-9 in Boise.
Speakers include Keith Harrap, Assistant Commissioner of the New South Wales Fire Service in Australia, who will talk about that country's "Stay and Defend" wildfire policy, as well as Alan Tresemer, fire chief for the Painted Rocks Fire Rescue Company Montana, which is one of the first fire departments in the West to adapt the Australian policy.
Rockies today
USFS: Wyoming wildfire a steal of a deal at $10.5 million
Rain and snow helped subdue the Gunbarrel and New Fork Lakes fires burning in beetle-killed timber in Wyoming, and with the Gunbarrel fire doing away with 105 square miles of dead and dying trees, U.S. Forest Service officials said the $10.5 million cost of the fire works out to be about $153-per-acre to treat the land.
Casper Star-Tribune; Sept. 3
Witnesses say air tanker's engine on fire before Nevada crash
National Transportation Safety Board investigators said they're searching for the cause of the jet engine fire that engulfed the wing of a Neptune Aviation air tanker just after it took off from the Reno airport, and why that fire caused the crew to lose control of the aircraft causing it to crash in Nevada, killing all three aboard; the names of the crew members have not yet been released.
Missoulian; Sept. 3
Federal judge rules Grupo Mexico's transfer of Asarco assets illegal
Washington state officials said it's unclear how a weekend decision by a Texas bankruptcy judge that found Grupo Mexico, the parent company of Asarco, had illegally transferred two Peruvian copper mines from Asarco to a subsidiary in 2003 virtually assuring Asarco's tumble into bankruptcy, would affect Asarco's reorganization plan that earmarked $200 million for environmental cleanup in the state.
Tri-City Herald; Sept. 3
Utility lays out consequences of Utah's denial of rate increase
Rocky Mountain Power officials said the Utah Public Service Commission's decision to give the utility just $36.1 million of the $74.4 million it needed means the company will no longer pay overtime for employees to get the power back on; no new customer service workers will be hired; and maintenance of systems will be curtailed as well.
Salt Lake Tribune; Sept. 3
Idaho escorts sockeye salmon to Redfish Lake
Redfish Lake in Idaho once teemed with thousands of sockeye salmon, but decades of mining, over-fishing and dam building reduced the number of fish that made their way from the Pacific Ocean over hundreds of river miles back to the lake to single digits in the 1990s, but this year hundreds made the trip, and on Tuesday 56 were released back into the Lake.
Idaho Statesman; Sept. 3
GOP leaders define differences between Colo. lawmakers, Obama
Mike DuHaime, John McCain's political director, said that while Colorado voters had elected Democrats Bill Ritter as governor and Ken Salazar as U.S. Senator, those Democrats are vastly different political animals from the party's presidential candidate Barack Obama, a difference that will ultimately propel Republican presidential candidate John McCain to victory in Colorado in November.
Denver Post; Sept. 3
Montana man lends his expertise, time to Yellowstone wolf project
Rick McIntyre spends six months of the year on the payroll of the Yellowstone Wolf Project, where he spends his time recording his observances of wolves in Yellowstone National Park, and the other six months of the year, the Montana man whose home is in Silver Gate, does the work for free.
Billings Gazette; Sept. 3
Opinion
Idaho's roadless plan could map the way for future compromises
The agreement between Idaho and the federal government on how the 9.3 million acres of federal roadless forest lands should be managed shows that there is room for compromise in the West, and Idaho Lt. Gov. Jim Risch deserves some of the credit for brokering the deal during his seven-month tenure of governor of the state.
Idaho Statesman; Sept. 3
Beyond the region
Warning to Washington state drivers: The road is watching you
Over the past couple of decades, the Washington state Transportation Department has installed 150 electrical switches under portions of the state's highways that record the speed of vehicles passing over them which is used by the department in highway design and by the state's highway patrol in determining where to station officers.
Spokane Spokesman-Review; Sept. 3
Scientists warn world not to ignore effects of nitrogen
Most of the discussion on climate change has been focused on carbon, but scientists warn that nitrogen which has a much more locally defined effect on the environment needs attention as well.
New York Times; Sept. 1
Markham Ice Shelf breaks off Ellesmere Island in Arctic
The Markham Ice Shelf was 4,500-years-old and represents about a quarter of the rare ice formations in the Arctic that have disappeared this year alone.
Toronto National Post; Sept. 3
In depth
Bush, Lieberman, Thompson rally the Republicans in Minnesota
President Bush spoke before the Republican National Convention in Minnesota via satellite, but Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman and former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson were on stage before the delegates where they delivered strong speeches of support for presumptive presidential nominee Arizona Sen. John McCain and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.
Helena Independent Record (AP); Sept. 3
Colorado delegate says Palin choice locked in support for McCain
Karl Rove spent some time with the Colorado delegates at the Republican National Convention in Minnesota this morning, extolling GOP presumptive presidential nominee John McCain's ability to work across the aisle, and a Castle Rock delegate who advises the party on the evangelical vote said McCain's vice-presidential pick, Sarah Palin, helped solidify that voting bloc's support for him.
Denver Post; Sept. 3
Nevada delegates seek break in clouds over GOP convention
Nevada delegates had hoped for some respite from the problems plaguing their state party at the Republican National Convention, but Hurricane Gustav and questions regarding vice-presidential pick Sarah Palin cast a cloud over the first couple days of the convention, but they have high hopes for the remainder of the convention.
Reno Gazette-Journal; Sept. 3
-
Four Nevada GOP delegates remain loyal to Ron Paul
Ron Paul, the libertarian Republican Texas congressman, is holding his own Rally for the Republic, a day-long "counter-convention", not far from the site of the Republican National Convention in Minnesota, and four of Nevada's delegates remain unwavering in their support for Paul.
Las Vegas Review Journal; Sept. 3
|
