In the Rockies today, federal money is assured for key land protection efforts in Montana; wind power projects in the West are pushing transmission lines to capacity; and the failure of a resort in Montana may fuel new sprawl.
The U.S. House and Senate approved the $32.2-billion Interior appropriations bill on Thursday, and President Obama is expected to sign the bill, which contains $30 million for Montana projects, including money to protect key lands along the Rocky Mountain Front and in the Blackfoot Valley.
In Oregon and other Western states, more and more wind farms are coming online, pushing the region's aging transmission grid to near capacity.
And as proposals for new transmission lines crop up, so do concerns about the environmental effects of the massive projects, including in Wyoming where Gov. Dave Freudenthal earlier this year expressed concerns that such projects could make his state look like a plate of spaghetti.
And back in Montana, where Tom Maclay's proposal to turn his 3,000-acre Bitterroot Valley ranch into a destination resort has now fallen into foreclosure, some worry that Maclay may turn that land into large-lot developments, since there are no zoning regulations in place.
