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In the Rockies today, a new plan for federal roadless areas and a call for a new study on oil-shale work in Colorado and other states are at the top of the page.
On Thursday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said he'll make decisions on projects proposed in federal roadless areas over the next year, during which time the Obama administration and Congress will work on a national plan for the roadless areas.
The "timeout" doesn't apply in Idaho, where the state has a plan in place to manage the 9.3 million acres of such lands.
Colorado officials said the work they began on a roadless plan for that state two years ago will continue.
Also in Colorado, that state officially requested the Department of Interior to take a look at the oil-shale work that's been done thus far before issuing a second round of leases.
The deadline for commenting on a second round of oil-shale leases ended Thursday, with 16 groups filing official protests to such leases.
Rockies today
Vilsack takes reins on federal roadless areas
U.S. Department of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced Thursday that over the next year he would decide the fate of any projects proposed on federal roadless lands, except in Idaho, where that state's roadless plan is in place.
Washington Post; May 29
Colorado asks DOI to review oil-shale work before issuing new leases
The public comment period on a second round of oil-shale leases in Colorado, Wyoming and Utah ended Thursday, and Colorado asked that the Department of Interior complete a review of research and development work that has been done on existing leases before issuing more, and 16 conservation groups filed protests against a second round of leases.
Grand Junction Sentinel; May 29
Alt-tax fuel loophole boosts Montana paper company
Smurfit-Stone Container Corp., as well as other paper companies in the United States, discovered that they could tap an alternative-fuel tax credit by adding diesel to the pulping byproduct "black liquor," which is burned at Smurfit-Stone's plant in Montana and elsewhere, giving the company a $543-million tax credit.
Missoula Independent; May 28
Montana county buys finger-joint plant
The Lincoln County Commission voted to spend $127,000 to keep Stimson Lumber Co. from selling off the now-shuttered finger joint-plant in Libby piece by piece, and now the Montana county board is working on finding a buyer that will come in and restart the plant.
Western News; May 29
Tribe questions Montana senator's healthcare plan
Staff of Montana Sen. Max Baucus have been holding listening sessions on healthcare reform across the state this week, and on Thursday Kevin Howlett director of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes' Health and Human Services Department, asked Richard Litsey, counsel and senior adviser on Indian affairs for the Senate Finance Committee Baucus chairs, why the plan largely ignored Native Americans.
Missoulian; May 29
Opinion
Education, housing secretaries must remember Montana trip
When Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan and U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan craft policy decisions in the future, they must remember who they met and what they learned on their visit to the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in Montana this week.
Billings Gazette; May 29
Beyond the Region
USGS: Arctic contains vast amounts of undiscovered oil, natural gas
Canada and its northern arctic neighbors may contain 13 percent of the world's undiscovered oil and 30 percent of its natural gas, the U.S. Geological Survey says in a new report.
Los Angeles Times; May 29
Report: Frozen tundra melting slower than previously thought
New research indicates that greenhouse gases trapped in the Arctic's permafrost are a climatological "time bomb," though the thaw is occurring at a rate slower than previously thought.
San Francisco Chronicle; May 29
Climate scientists call for immediate action and strict GHG limits
Climate change poses as great a threat as the nuclear arms race and world leaders must take urgent action to mitigate its effects, a group of climate scientists and Nobel laureates, including U.S. energy secretary Steven Chu, said in a memo calling for greenhouse gas emissions to peak by 2015.
Independent News; May 29
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Study finds climate change causes 315,000 deaths a year
A study commissioned by the Global Humanitarian Forum (GHF) found that hunger, sickness and weather changes caused by climate change result in 315,000 deaths a year, and that the world's poorest populations bear the brunt of the human and economic effects of climate change.
Vancouver Sun; May 29
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Interactive climate change website launched
Climate experts launched the website
ClimateWizard.org
that shows how climate change could affect regions and cities throughout the world, and it's being touted as the first of its kind to provide vast amounts of climate information for public consumption.
Seattle Times; May 29
Hydrogen cars on tour from California to B.C.
Makers of hydrogen fuel cell cars that emit only water vapor from their tailpipes hope to someday produce a vehicle priced to compete with their internal combustion cousins that consume "oft-denigrated dinosaur juice," the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
San Francisco Chronicle; May 29
California town takes drastic steps toward water conservation
California, like much of the Rocky Mountain West is in its third year of drought, and cities there are taking drastic steps to limit water usage by enacting stringent limits and and shutting off water to anyone who exceeds them.
NPR; May 26
In depth
Colorado officials say work will continue on roadless plan
Colorado has been working on a management plan for its 4.4-million acres of federal roadless forest lands for two years, and state officials said Thursday's announcement that development on the nation's 50-million acres of federal roadless lands would be put on hold for a year unless approved by U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack won't stall work on the state's plan.
Denver Post; May 29
Roadless moratorium won't change much in Montana
A spokesperson for the U.S. Forest Service's Northern Region said U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack's decision to temporarily take over management of the nation's 50-million acres of federal roadless areas won't have much of an impact on Montana's 6.4-million acres of such lands as there are currently no projects pending on those lands.
Great Falls Tribune; May 29
Utah congressman, energy groups decry roadless decision
Utah U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop said the decision to impose a yearlong "timeout" on development on the nation's 50-million acres of federal roadless forest lands is a step in the wrong direction, and a spokesman for the Independent Petroleum Association of Mountain States said the decision will impede the nation's efforts to curtail its dependence on foreign energy.
Salt Lake Tribune; May 29
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Report: Nevada first in nation in mortgage delinquencies, foreclosures
HUD secretary promises $250 million for tribal housing
EPA fines Hecla for water violations at Idaho mine
Montana senator's Amtrak proposal would reopen BNSF line
U.S. high court declines to hear Montana tribe's housing case
Cracker shell kills, rather than scares black bear in Montana park
Groups want wildlife a priority in Wyoming county growth plan
Subdivision residents press Colorado county on drilling rules
Idaho technology company continues to expand
Nevada budget hangs on Assembly's veto-override vote
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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 3-5: Natural Resource Law Center's 30th annual summer conference: Western Water Law, Policy and Management: Ripples, Currents, and New Channels for Inquiry, Boulder, Colo. Read a preview.
June 11-13: Greater Yellowstone Coalition's 26th Annual Meeting and Rendezvous: From Parks to Prairies, Jackson Lake Lodge, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
June 14-16: Western Governors' Association Annual Meeting, Park City, Utah
June 17-18: NewWest.net and Boise State University present "Planning in the West," Boise, Idaho
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Headwaters
News is a program of the Center
for the Rocky Mountain West at the University
of Montana. |
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