In the Rockies today, Colorado's new oil and gas regulations now apply to operations on federal lands; Wyoming says development restrictions in sage-grouse habitat apply to wind-energy projects, too; and Montana captures and relocates a grizzly bear that had been heading east out of the Rocky Mountain Front.
Under an agreement that took effect July 1, energy companies drilling on U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands in Colorado must abide by new state regulations.
In Wyoming's Carbon County, wind-energy companies howled when they learned that state restrictions on development in core sage grouse areas applied to their projects as well.
And in Montana, state wildlife agents successfully trapped a grizzly bear that had wandered east out of the Rocky Mountain Front into the prairie.
The young male bear made it to within a mile and a half of the Missouri River, the farthest east a grizzly had been seen for decades.
With grizzly populations growing along the Rocky Mountain Front, wildlife specialists predict more bears will make their way east in the future.
In observance of the Fourth of July holiday, Headwaters News won't publish on Friday, July 3.
Rockies today
Colorado's new oil, gas rules now apply to federal lands
Under an agreement struck between state and federal officials, new rules put in place by the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission on drilling activities, now apply to U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands in the state as well.
Denver Post (AP); July 2
Report faults western states' spending of stimulus funds for roads
The national Smart Growth America group released a report this week that took a state-by-state review of federal stimulus funds on transportation projects that found most western states were spending too much on new roads and not enough on clearing up the backlog of maintenance projects.
NewWest.net; July 2
Montana wildlife agents catch grizzly bear near Missouri River
Mike Madel, a grizzly bear management specialist with the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, said in his more than two decades of managing bears along the Rocky Mountain Front, he has never seen a bear as far east as the young male agents caught Tuesday near Loma; the bear was fitted with a radio collar and released west of Marias Pass on the Flathead National Forest.
Great Falls Tribune; July 2
Wyoming bans wind turbines in sage grouse areas
In August 2008, Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal signed an executive order that mapped out core sage grouse management areas and imposed restrictions on development in those areas, and the state recently decided not to allow wind-power projects, including pilot projects, in those areas, a decision that halts three wind projects in Carbon County.
Casper Star-Tribune; July 2
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Wyoming's Sweetwater County board tables wind-power decision
The developer of a wind-power project on Wyoming's White Mountain warned Sweetwater County commissioners that the county's approval of the company's request to expand its proposed wind farm from 36 turbines to more than 200 turbines must come without any restrictions on the viewshed from Rock Springs or the deal is dead; commissioners declined to issue a decision after Tuesday night's meeting, indicating they needed more time to study the issue.
Casper Star-Tribune; July 2
USFWS to study northern leopard frog for possible protection
The northern leopard frog was once found in 19 states, including Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, Colorado and South Dakota, but populations are on the decline, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Wednesday that it will consider the species for protection under the Endangered Species Act.
Jackson Hole Daily; July 2
NSA to build data center in Utah
The National Security Agency's plan to build a 1-million-square-foot data center at Camp Williams in Utah will bring more than a 1,000 high-tech jobs to the state.
Salt Lake Tribune; July 2
Opinion
Pine-bark beetle changes outlook from Montana home
Jim Robbins writes about clearing all the trees from his 11 acres in Montana after pine-bark beetles bored their way through the forest.
New York Times; July 2
Beyond the Region
Immigration agency puts 650 companies on notice of audits
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials notified 650 companies across the nation that their employment records would be audited to see if they are employing undocumented workers, with a number of the targeted companies located in Los Angeles, Seattle, Los Angeles, San Diego and New York.
Los Angeles Times; July 2
Biden rolls out program to expand broadband's reach
Vice President Joe Biden announced Wednesday the federal government's $4-billion stimulus fund package to expand the reach of broadband across the nation.
Washington Post; July 2
While other sectors slide, the federal gov't is in a hiring frenzy
Unemployment in the Washington, D.C. region was at 6.2 percent in May, and few jobs can be had in the construction, retail, hospitality, information and transportation sectors, but the federal government is hiring, with estimates at 600,000 new hires over the next several years, 120,000 of which will be in the D.C. region.
Washington Post; July 2
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