In the Rockies today, wind energy in Wyoming, turning algae into power, and new threats emerge in Colorado's national forests.
On the first of a two-day hearing, the Wyoming Wind Energy Task Force got encouraging news about wind-energy production in the state that was tempered by the reality that a lack of transmission capacity will keep production at existing levels.
In Utah, Logan and Utah State University are teaming up on a project to grow methane-producing algae in the city's wastewater lagoons and turn that methane into electricity.
And in Colorado, the U.S. Forest Service said beetle-killed timber in three national forests in the northern part of the state endangers 500 miles of transmission lines and the agency wants to clear away those trees under the lines.
In central Colorado, U.S. Forest Service officials said Wednesday that two recent discoveries of major marijuana growing operations in the Pike National Forest indicate international drug cartels are funding those operations.
Rockies today
USFS: Drug cartels' marijuana farms pose a threat in Colorado
At a meeting Wednesday, U.S. Forest Service officials said the size and sophistication of marijuana growing operations recently discovered in Colorado's national forests indicate that international drug cartels are funding the operations, and that such operations present a personal safety threat to hikers and chemicals used in the operations pose a threat to water quality.
Denver Post; Aug. 27
Transmission capacity only limit to Wyoming's wind power potential
Wind-generated power already provides 800 megawatts of the 6,000 total megawatts produced in Wyoming, tapping out the state's transmission capacity, and a representative of the Wyoming Infrastructure Authority told the Wind Energy Task Force Wednesday that until transmission capacity increases, Wyoming won't reach its full potential for wind-energy production.
Casper Star-Tribune; Aug. 27
Utah city, USU team up to turn sewage lagoons into algae farms
A collaboration between Logan and Utah State University will turn the city's five wastewater lagoons into algae farms, and the methane produced by the algae will be used to produce electricity.
Salt Lake Tribune; Aug. 27
Montana company grows living roofs
A Montana rancher is growing sedum and other region-specific succulents to be used in "living roofs," used to carpet roofs to reflect heat, and next week, he'll harvest most of his crop and send it west to Washington state where it will be used atop Nintendo Co.'s new building in Redmond.
Missoulian; Aug. 27
Little-used Montana border checkpoint gets $15M in federal stimulus funds
Despite the Obama administration's promise that federal stimulus funds would be doled out in an transparent manner devoid of politics, border projects in Montana and Arizona appear to have been bumped to the front of the line by political maneuvering.
Helena Independent Record (AP); Aug. 27
USFS plans to clear dead trees under Colorado power lines
U.S. Forest Service officials said beetle-killed trees in the Routt, Arapaho and White River national forests present a significant threat to the 500 miles of transmission lines that cross the national forests in northern Colorado, and the agency wants remove all hazardous trees within approximately 200 feet from the centerline of transmission lines and within 75 feet of centerline of distribution lines, and is holding public meetings in September on that proposal.
Vail Daily News; Aug. 27
Montana senator: All invited to negotiate on wilderness bill
At a meeting with the Montana Standard's editorial board on Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Jon Tester dismissed charges that he crafted his Forest Jobs and Recreation Act in secret, and said that he offered to negotiate with everyone, but some refused to negotiate.
Montana Standard; Aug. 27
Opinion
Wyoming should follow Montana's path to preserve Wyoming Range
The Wyoming Range Legacy Act protects the area in Wyoming from energy development and the Bureau of Land Management has already rescinded leases on 20,000 acre of its land on that range, and to retire leases on 21,000 acres of U.S. Forest Service land, Wyoming should use a conservation plan similar to the one used in Montana on its Rocky Mountain Front: allowing conservation groups to buy leases and retire them.
Casper Star-Tribune; Aug. 27
Beyond the region
Price for going solar drops as more factories come online
The price for putting in solar-power systems has dropped nearly 40 percent over the past year, due in part to the expansion of solar-power component manufacturing, primarily in China.
New York Times; Aug. 27
Federal agency reports housing sales up 10 percent in July
The Commerce Department reported Wednesday that new-home sales rose 9.6 percent in July when compared to June, although sales were still 13.4 percent lower than in July 2008.
New York Times; Aug. 27
L.A. mayor lauds residents' water, power conservation efforts
At a conference Wednesday, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa applauded residents of the California city for embracing water and power conservation programs, indicating that the efforts far outstripped goals set.
Los Angeles Times; Aug. 27
Washington county tweaks water ordinance to address concerns
Kittitas County commissioners have made some changes in a water management agreement issued in July to address concerns of the Washington Department of Ecology.
Yakima Herald-Republic; Aug. 27
Groups ask federal government for mining ban in Alaska watershed
A coalition of sportsmen groups, businesses and conservation groups petitioned the Interior Department to ban mining in the Bristol Bay watershed in Alaska, where some of the world's most productive salmon streams run and where the controversial gold and copper Pebble mine is proposed on state lands.
Anchorage Daily News; Aug. 27
|
