In the Rockies today, a coalition of environmental groups are following through on their promise to ask the United Nations World Heritage Committee to list Alberta's Waterton National Park and Glacier National Park in Montana as endangered World Heritage sites, and environmental groups throughout the United States are asking why President Barack Obama hasn't done more to push back the Bush administration's environmental policies.
After months of planning, representatives from Montana tribes, communities and conservation groups will spend the week in Spain to convince the United Nations World Heritage Committee to do more protect the Alberta and Montana parks, which the Committee named a World Heritage Site in 1995, a designation that carried certain conservation obligations that the U.S. and Canada both accepted.
But Canada has failed to meet those obligations, and conservationists fear that energy development in British Columbia threatens Glacier National Park.
And nationally, the Los Angeles Times reports that environmental groups are baffled by the Obama administration's failure to roll back the Bush administration's policies on road building and resource development, after promising to "support and defend" pristine national forest lands.
Obama administration officials say its strategy in blocking a list of lawsuits aimed at protecting forests will keep environmental decisions in the hands of legislators and government agencies rather than the judicial system.
Rockies today
Coalition petitions U.N. to protect Glacier, Waterton Lakes Parks
The failure of the Canadian government to honor U.N. conservation obligations and the threat posed by mining proposals in Glacier National Park and its northern neighbor, Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada, have prompted a group of Montana conservationists to petition the United Nations World Heritage Committee for more help.
Missoulian; June 22
Air Force's opposition stalls Nevada solar-power project
SolarReserve's proposed $700-million solar thermal power plant that would cover two square miles near the Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada was supposed to be the California company's showcase plant for heat-transfer technology developed for space rockets by United Technologies, but the Air Force's opposition has stalled the project.
Washington Post; June 22
Obama's environmental decisions baffle supporters
Rather than swoop in and rollback policy decisions made by the outgoing Bush administration, President Barack Obama is allowing some environmental lawsuits play out in the courts, a strategy his administration said will lead to better long-term policies, but environmental groups aren't quite sure what to make of this strategy in cases involving mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants, management of federal roadless forest lands and energy development on Colorado's Roan Plateau.
Los Angeles Times; June 21
Plans for Colorado's Yampa River exceed flows
Developers, oilshale companies and outdoor enthusiasts all have their own view of just how the water in Colorado's Yampa River should be put to use, although all those plans are on hold while the state completes a study on water supplies in the state.
NPR.org; June 22
Montana emerging from years-long drought
A healthy snowpack last winter and lots of spring rain has brought Montana's rivers, streams and reservoirs up to near average conditions, which is a sign that Montana and the West are slowly recovering from the five-year drought that started in 2000.
Missoulian (AP); June 22
Colorado city struggles to meet carbon mandates
There are about 20 Colorado cities and communities with mandates to cut carbon emissions, and the Boulder City Council is contemplating raising its carbon tax, which is based on electricity use, to spur its effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 7 percent below 1990 levels.
Denver Post; June 22
Low bids on highway projects allow Idaho to add to list
Contractors' eagerness for work and lower cost of materials have bids for eight highway projects in Idaho coming in far below estimates, allowing the state to put more projects in line for funding.
Spokane Spokesman-Review; June 22
Opinion
Revival of FutureGen project good news for Wyoming
The news that the Obama administration was pulling the FutureGen carbon-capture coal-fired power plant in Illinois off the shelf is good news for Wyoming, which has already embarked on its own clean-coal research.
Casper Star-Tribune; June 22
Colorado should stick to its guns on roadless plan
Colorado is one of two states that have developed a plan for its federal roadless areas, and state officials should press to get the one created by local stakeholders implemented rather than wait for the Obama administration to roll out its own.
Denver Post; June 21
Utah Lt. Gov. Herbert need not look far for climate-change proof
Utah Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert said he's still not convinced that humans are contributing to climate change and said he's awaiting substantial proof, a stance that suggests Herbert's political ideology is blinding him to science, of which there are mountains of results indicating that human activity is linked to climate change.
Salt Lake Tribune; June 22
Arizona's concealed-weapon law works just fine
There's no real logic behind the arguments to change Arizona's concealed-weapon law to dump the system that's working to one that allows anyone over the age of 18 to drop a gun into a purse or a waistband and head out, and the Legislature should summarily dismiss this illogical legislation.
Arizona Republic; June 22
Beyond the Region
Oregon's salmon debate may be shifting
The debate surrounding salmon species and breaching hydroelectric dams on Oregon's rivers may be changing now that Democrats control Congress and the White House, and one of breaching's biggest opponents retired, but conservationists hoping for free-flowing rivers still face tough opposition and a slew of unanswered questions.
Idaho Statesman; June 21
Logging project in Oregon forest carves a path to the future
The forests of Oregon and Washington have often been termed "ground zero" in the clash between logging and species, but 15 years after the 1994 Northwest Forest Plan cut logging by 80 percent and set aside large swaths of regionals forests for habitat, chain saws are again at work in Oregon's Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest creating what forest managers hope is a healthier forest in the future.
Seattle Times (AP); June 22
House energy bill keeps coal-fired power in place
In order to gain support from coal-district House Democrats, Democratic House leaders softened key elements of the energy bill for coal-fired power, a move some environmental groups are criticizing.
Los Angeles Times; June 22
House Democrats release draft of health care bill
On Friday, House Democrats released their plan to overhaul health care, although the legislation contained no information on the cost of the plan or how those costs would be paid.
New York Times; June 20
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