In the Rockies today, wild horses in Montana, the Snake Valley water deal between Utah and Nevada, and search and rescue operations in the nation's parks are in the news.
Ranchers near Ennis are questioning the Bureau of Land Management's proposal to release 1,500 wild horses on a 15,000-acre ranch near that Montana community.
An attorney representing several landowners suggested the Spanish Q Ranch could support only 250 horses, and another rancher questioned the effect a wild horse herd will have on the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
In Utah, the release of documents detailing four years of negotiations between that state and Nevada over dividing up Snake Valley water angered critics of the deal.
Those documents indicate that in 2007, Utah contended that a 50-50 split of the water wouldn't work as Utah was already using more than that, a position Utah retreated from after Nevada threatened to take the matter to Congress.
And finally, a study of search and rescue operations conducted by the National Park Service between 1997 and 2007, indicate that park personnel conducted, on average, 11 such operations each day.
The study also found that young men, day hikers and boaters were most likely to need help.
Rockies today
Yellowstone Nat'l Park joins 'zero waste' recycling movement
An antigarbage strategy is taking hold across the nation, with schools, national parks, corporations and restaurants working to not only reduce waste but to shun any packaging that is not recyclable and recycle everything that can be.
New York Times; Oct. 20
Study tracks searches, rescues in nat'l parks
Travis Heggie, an assistant professor at the University of North Dakota, headed up a study of search and rescue operations performed by the National Park Service, and found that from 1997 to 2007, the agency performed 65,000 operations, an average of about 11 a day.
Casper Star-Tribune (AP); Oct. 20
Documents reveal Nevada's hard line in Utah water talks
The release of documents detailing negotiations between Nevada and Utah on divvying up Snake Valley water reveal Nevada's no-surrender stance on dividing up the water 50-50, even though Utah officials believed that such a split was impossible as Utah was already using more than 50 percent.
Salt Lake Tribune; Oct. 20
Scientists say spring near Colo. border is Rio Grande River's largest
A team of New Mexico Tech scientists have spent the last two years floating the Rio Grande River and documenting the springs that contribute to the river's flow, and they believe the Lava Tube Spring a few miles south of the Colorado border near Ute Mountain may be the river's largest, pumping 6,000 gallons a minute into the river.
Santa Fe New Mexican; Oct. 19
Montana ranchers say 1,500 horses too many for Spanish Q Ranch
Ranchers near Ennis are questioning the Bureau of Land Management's proposal to put 1,500 wild horses on the 15,000-acre Spanish Q Ranch in Montana's Madison County because they believe the range cannot support that large of a herd, saying 250 horses would be a more sustainable number for the range.
Bozeman Daily Chronicle; Oct. 20
BLM lease sale in N.M., 3 other states smallest in years
Of the 100 parcels nominated for energy leases in New Mexico, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas, the Bureau of Land Management will auction just 51 of those parcels at its auction Wednesday.
Denver Post (AP); Oct. 20
USFS won't meet November deadline on Arizona mine review
U.S. Forest Service officials said Monday that it won't be able to meet the November deadline for completing its environmental analysis of the proposed Rosemont copper mine in Arizona's Santa Rita Mountains southeast of Tucson, and that given the complexity of the analysis required, they're not sure when it will be completed.
Arizona Daily Star; Oct. 20
Opinion
Obama administration got it right on medical marijuana
The U.S. Justice Department's announcement that it would no longer target users or suppliers of medical marijuana finally acknowledges the will of voters in 14 states, including Nevada.
Las Vegas Review-Journal; Oct. 20
Smoking ban exception puts Montana tribal casino workers at risk
The Montana Indoor Clean Air Act exempted reservation casinos from the statewide ban on smoking in public places, a detail that will no doubt ramp up business for those casinos, but does little to protect the health of workers who will be exposed to the dangers of secondhand smoke.
Great Falls Tribune; Oct. 20
Beyond the region
Study: Change in climate may spur growth in Northwest forests
Researchers at Oregon State University released the results of a study Monday that said warmer temperatures could spur growth in the forests of the Pacific Northwest above 3,000 feet.
Los Angeles Times; Oct. 20
MMS estimates Alaska's offshore oil resources at 27 billion barrels
The Minerals Management Service estimates that Alaska's offshore continental shelf--the waters that stretch from three to 200 miles offshore--contain an estimated 27 billion barrels of oil, but environmental groups and Inupiat Eskimos believe tapping those resources could result in an environmental disaster to rival that of the Exxon Valdez.
Christian Science Monitor; Oct. 17
Chinese companies explore potash mining in Canada
China's Zhongchuan International Mining Corp is drilling and conducting exploratory seismic tests for potash deposits in Saskatchewan, and other Chinese companies, as well as Indian investors, are in talks with junior producers in the Canadian province to secure potash supplies for growing demand in their countries.
Toronto Globe Investor (Reuters); Oct. 20
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