Current Headlines
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Current News and Opinion
Richardson withdraws from Commerce consideration.
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson withdrew his name from consideration to be President-elect Barack Obama's commerce secretary in light of a federal investigation into contracts awarded by the state of New Mexico to CDR Financial Products Inc., a California-based company whose president is a major donor to the Democratic Party, including to Gov. Richardson's political action committees. You may have to view an ad to read this article.
Albuquerque Journal; January 5, 2009
Diverse groups to fight wolf delisting in Wyoming.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is expected to again remove wolves in the Northern Rockies from the federal endangered species list before President Bush leaves office, and if the decision leaves Wyoming out of the mix, as some say it might, ranchers, conservation groups and even the state of Wyoming are prepared to fight the decision.
Casper Star-Tribune; January 5, 2009
Obama administration may extend jobless benefits.
President-elect Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats will begin work today on a two-year economic recovery package which may include an extension of jobless benefits, as well as a major expansion of government-assisted health care insurance.
New York Times; January 5, 2009
BLM options could derail SNWA's Snake Valley water plan.
In the Bureau of Land Management's right-of-way December update for three counties along the Nevada-Utah border, two options could spoil the Southern Nevada Water Authority's plan to tap into Snake Valley groundwater and ship it to Las Vegas.
Deseret News; January 5, 2009
Wyoming computer program helps direct reclamation work.
A computer program developed using work done by The Nature Conservancy and BP America Production Co. allows energy companies to identify and develop replacement habitat for areas impacted by energy development, and is featured as a case study in the journal Bioscience.
Casper Star-Tribune; January 5, 2009
Utah bug program will stick with least chub.
Three mosquito-abatement programs along Utah's Wasatch Front stocked private fish ponds with the least chub, a fish native to the Beehive State, and although the least chub were less effective than mosquitofish in controlling mosquito larvae, the managers want to give the native fish another chance.
Salt Lake Tribune; January 5, 2009
Corps will kill more cormorants in 2009 for salmon study.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers killed 40 double-breasted cormorants in 2007 to see if the birds were feeding on juvenile chinook salmon, and although the agency found the birds were actually feeding on shad, the Corps will kill 60 of the birds along the Lower Snake River in Washington state later this year to see if they are having an impact on chinook salmon.
Idaho Statesman; January 5, 2009
Colorado lawmakers craft oil-shale legislation.
Even though oil-shale production is years away in Colorado, some Republican state lawmakers are writing legislation that will increase incentives for such production and create a task force to deal with oil-shale issues.
Durango Herald; January 5, 2009
Company takes another run at hydropower in Utah.
Logan-based Symbiotics LLC revised its proposal for a hydroelectric project near Utah's Bear Lake, replacing the former proposal with one that would build a 100-megawatt plant that would operate at night and would not be visible from the lake.
Deseret News; January 5, 2009
Global downturn hits Montana metal recyclers hard.
The market for scrap metal has been gutted by the global economic downturn with prices for scrap iron falling from $140 a ton to only $40 a ton in just three months, and the price for scrap aluminum down from 55 cents a pound to just 15 cents a pound, forcing Montana recyclers to cut hours and reduce staff.
Billings Gazette; January 5, 2009
Nevada residents oppose wind farm.
Nevada Wind's $120-million, 44-turbine wind farm in the Warm Springs Valley will be Nevada's first utility-strength wind farm, but residents of the valley are opposing the facility.
Reno Gazette-Journal; January 5, 2009
USFS poised to sign off on Plum Creek road issue.
U.S. Department of Agriculture Undersecretary Mark Rey is reportedly ready to sign off on a policy change that will allow U.S. Forest Service roads to be upgraded by developers, opening the way for forest lands to be developed, a policy change that is being fought by counties in western Montana where such new development will increase their costs of providing services.
Washington Post; January 4, 2009
Wind producers predict a good year for Montana in 2009.
Electricity production from wind resources in Montana ramped up in 2008, adding enough megawatts to the power grid to power 38,600 homes, and while the international credit crunch has slowed development of new projects, planned expansions of existing wind farms in the Big Sky state will proceed in 2009.
Great Falls Tribune; January 4, 2009
Idahoans invest in gold, silver.
Idahoans fleeing the stock market are plunking down their cash to invest in gold and silver, assets they hope will be more recession proof.
Idaho Statesman; January 4, 2009
Interest in geothermal energy heats up.
The United States produces more electricity from geothermal resources than any other nation in the world, and experts believe with the proper infusion of cash, this renewable energy resource could provide up to 10 percent of the nation's power.
Christian Science Monitor; January 2, 2009
Renewable energy projects in Idaho hit obstacles.
A proposed geothermal energy plant in Idaho is sited in the same area that could be flooded by a proposed dam, and wind farms in other areas of the state have raised concerns about their impact on sage grouse habitat and about the effect turbines would have on viewsheds.
Idaho Statesman; January 2, 2009
Good times roll in Nevada gold town.
In foreclosure-riddled Nevada, there are no foreclosures in Battle Mountain, the county seat of Lander County, which has two gold mines, and unemployment in the county is half that of its neighbors.
New York Times; January 2, 2009
Federal panel pushes for 50 percent increase in fuel taxes.
The National Commission on Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing is expected to ask Congress to increase the federal gasoline tax to 28.4 cents a gallon and the federal tax on diesel fuel to somewhere between 36.4 to 39.4 cents per gallon.
Deseret News; January 2, 2009
Global economy slams dairy industry.
Demand for dairy products across the globe has declined sharply over the past few months, taking prices down as well, and while some producers are holding on to their herds hoping for better times ahead, others are selling out.
New York Times; January 2, 2009
Report says EPA erred on perchlorate analysis.
A report by the Environmental Protection Agency's inspector general faulted the EPA for its analysis of perchlorate, a component of rocket fuel that is found in significant levels in drinking water in 400 locations, saying that instead of examining perchlorate individually, the agency should have looked at the cumulative impact of the contaminant, along with other substances that inhibit the uptake of iodide by the thyroid, as well as the potentially inadequate supply of iodide in the diet of Americans.
New York Times; January 2, 2009
Suicides in national parks climb in 2008.
Grand Canyon National Park again led the nation in suicides, with three of the 33 reported suicides in national parks occurring there.
Arizona Daily Star; January 2, 2009
As access dwindles, off-road conflicts rise.
Off-highway vehicle use has increased dramatically in the past few years, and as more areas are designated off-limits to recreational riding, conflicts are rising.
USA Today; January 2, 2009
BLM: Wyoming wild-horse contraception plan a success.
Alan Shepherd, a Bureau of Land Management wild horse specialist in Wyoming, said the use of a contraception drug has helped keep wild horse numbers in the herd on Wyoming's McCullough Peaks down, although the BLM must still roundup and cull horses from the herd.
Casper Star-Tribune; January 2, 2009
Montana high court rejects game farms' bid for compensation.
Game-farm owners in Montana that sought compensation for loss of business following the passage of a voter initiative in 2000 designed to phase out game farms in the state lost their appeal of a district court decision that denied that request.
Great Falls Tribune; January 2, 2009
Newspaper's probe tracks Oregon's generous 'green' incentives.
The Portland Oregonian's investigation into Oregon's incentives for "green" energy projects found that the state has provided tax credits to keep long-haul truckers warm in their cabs overnight without running their diesel engines and to a Hillsboro sportswear company to build a state-of-the-art bicycle garage.
Portland Oregonian; January 2, 2009
Census: Utah, Arizona led nation in growth.
According to the most recent U.S. Census figures, Utah led the nation in population growth with a 2.7 percent increase between July 1, 2007 and July 1, 2008; Arizona ranked second; Colorado came in fifth; and Montana ranked 14th.
Missoulian; January 2, 2009
Tribes seek parity on renewable-energy tax credit policies.
Under current federal law, tribes are not directly eligible for credits provided to non-Native developers of renewable energy projects, putting tribes at a disadvantage in developing wind and solar and other renewable energy resources on their lands, a policy tribes and other groups are pressing the incoming administration to change.
Indian Country Today; January 2, 2009
Donations flow in to help pay for Utah energy leases.
A University of Utah student who bid $1.8 million on 13 parcels at the Bureau of Land Management's Dec. 19 energy lease auction faces possible felony charges since he had no money to pay for the leases nor any intent to actually buy them, but he announced Wednesday he would pay $45,000 to hold the leases and has received $14,000 in donations toward that goal.
Salt Lake Tribune; January 1, 2009
Avalanches claim 2 at B.C. ski resort.
Two men died in separate avalanches at British Columbia's Whistler Blackcomb ski resort over the New Year's holiday.
Toronto Globe and Mail; January 1, 2009
BLM plan could double timber sales in SW Oregon.
Late Wednesday, the Interior Department released its management plan for 2.6 million acres of federal forest lands in southwestern Oregon that could double the rate of logging on those lands, despite objections to the plan by Gov. Theodore R. Kulongoski and environmental groups.
New York Times; January 1, 2009
Wyoming webcams capture wildlife use of underpasses.
The Wyoming Department of Transportation installed six wildlife underpasses under U.S. Highway 30 in Nugget Canyon this summer, and recently installed webcams captured hundreds of deer, a bull elk and a few antelope making use of those underpasses.
Casper Star-Tribune; January 1, 2009
Wolves kill more livestock in southcentral Montana.
Despite the use of guard dogs and herders, wolves continued to kill sheep on a ranch near Reed Point, where at least 20 animals have been killed since September, and Montana has given the rancher a permit to kill one wolf.
Billings Gazette; January 1, 2009
Brady Campaign sues Interior Dept. over gun rule change.
The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence filed a lawsuit against the Interior Department on Tuesday alleging that the agency failed to comply with federal environmental laws when it changed a rule on allowing concealed weapons in national parks to mirror those of the states in which the parks are located.
Grand Junction Sentinel; December 31, 2008
Idaho lawmakers expected to OK new mining rule on water.
A new rule proposed by the Department of Environmental Quality Board that will need the approval of the Idaho Legislature will allow naturally occurring elements, such as selenium, to enter groundwater under mining and reclamation sites and require mining companies to monitor groundwater to ensure such pollution doesn't migrate off-site.
Idaho Statesman; December 31, 2008
Interior Dept. OKs drilling plan for SE Montana.
Under a plan approved Tuesday by C. Stephen Allred, assistant secretary for land and minerals management at the Department of Interior, 18,000 new natural gas wells can be drilled on the 1.5 million acre Powder River Basin in southeastern Montana.
Billings Gazette; December 31, 2008
Wyoming avalanche injures 5 ski patrollers.
The avalanche that roared down the Headwall slope at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort early Monday morning and slammed into the mid-mountain Bridger restaurant building slightly injured five ski patrollers and trapped one member of the ski patrol and his search dog inside a ski patrol room in the building.
Jackson Hole News & Guide; December 31, 2008
Report: Home prices declined sharply in October.
Home prices across the nation have declined every month since January of 2007, and a report released Tuesday said declines in October in 14 of 20 metropolitan areas set records, with prices in Las Vegas and Phoenix dropping by nearly a third.
New York Times; December 31, 2008
Phoenix leads nation in housing price drop.
A report issued Tuesday said Phoenix, Las Vegas and San Francisco had the largest decrease in housing prices in October, ranging from 33 percent to 31 percent, and that Seattle, Wash., and Portland, Ore., reported their first double-digit annual decline in housing prices in October.
Arizona Republic; December 31, 2008
Pilot warned fire agency of conditions before Colo. crash.
A report issued by the National Transportation Safety Board said a contract pilot fighting wildfires in Colorado in April warned the interagency firefighting dispatch center about high winds that made flying unsafe several times before his plane crashed, killing him.
Denver Rocky Mountain News; December 31, 2008
California had an 'unprecedented' wildfire year.
In 2008, 1.4 million acres of land in California burned, nearly a quarter of all of the land scorched by wildfire in the nation, with the state's tab for fighting those wildfires topping $1 billion and roughly $700 million of the $1.4 billion of the U.S. Forest Service's firefighting tab in fiscal 2008 was spent on California wildfires.
Los Angeles Times; December 31, 2008
Report details Oregonians' concerns about water.
Oregon and Alaska are the only Western states that do not have a water-supply plan in place to address future needs, and a new report on five water roundtables held in Oregon in September and October indicate that Oregonians are ready and willing to tackle water issues, and that the majority prefer decisions be made at the local level.
Portland Oregonian; December 31, 2008
Minimum hourly wage in Washington state goes up Jan. 1.
The minimum hourly wage in Washington state will increase on New Year's Day to $8.55 an hour, the highest in the nation, a full $2 more an hour than in neighboring Idaho, where the minimum wage is the federally mandated $6.55 an hour.
Spokane Spokesman-Review; December 31, 2008
Western Montana reports high avalanche danger.
The West Central Montana Avalanche Center warned backcountry skiers and snowmobilers to stay clear of avalanche terrain as high-hazard avalanche conditions exist from the Bitterroots to the Absarokas.
Ravalli Republic; December 31, 2008
Utah avalanche conditions 'tricky, dangerous'.
Drew Hardesty, forecaster for the Utah Avalanche Center, said snowpack created in October by an early season snowfall set up this season's avalanche season to be one of the most dangerous in recent years in the state, where four people have already died in avalanches this winter.
Deseret News; December 31, 2008
Avalanche warnings preceded fatal slide in Utah.
On Sunday, avalanche warnings in Utah's western Uintas said slides were "certain," but the members of the snowmobiling party hit by a slide on Monday that killed a 15-year-old Wyoming boy were apparently unaware of the danger.
Salt Lake Tribune; December 31, 2008
December storms pile on the snowpack in Wyoming.
A couple of weeks ago there was too little snow in Yellowstone National Park to snowmobile, but a spate of strong winter storms have dumped seven to nine feet of new snow in Wyoming's western mountains.
Casper Star-Tribune; December 31, 2008
Avalanche danger 'high' in Wyoming's Teton range.
A heavy, wet layer of deep snow over rain crusted snow has created dangerous avalanche conditions in the backcountry of the Teton Mountains in Wyoming.
Jackson Hole News & Guide; December 31, 2008
Residents of Nevada community fight trailhead plan.
Henderson's plan to put a shelter, benches and trash cans to create a trailhead on a hiking trail in a master-planned community for residents 55 and holder prompted protests from the residents of the Nevada community, who said they moved to the community to get away from "young people hiking."
Las Vegas Sun; December 31, 2008
Utah Transit begins 'scan-to-pay' system.
Commuters on Utah Transit Authority trains and buses have a new, fast way to pay for the ride, using new technology that allows anyone with a new-generation credit card embedded with an electronic chip to pay as they board.
Salt Lake Tribune; December 31, 2008
Heavy snow brings down roofs in N. Idaho.
Heavy snowloads in Idaho collapsed the roofs of an ice arena, seven structures at C.Link Inc. telecom equipment firm, as well as other small structures around Post Falls.
Coeur d'Alene Press; December 31, 2008
Alberta company to go it alone on Colorado pipeline.
The global credit crunch deterred potential partners of Alberta-based TransCanada in the Pathfinder pipeline project to be built in northwestern Colorado to ship natural gas produced in the Rockies to the Midwest, but TransCanada officials said they remain committed to the $2-billion project.
Toronto Globe & Mail; December 31, 2008
Nevada Power poised to sign first geothermal deal.
The Nevada Public Utilities Commission approved a measure on Monday that cleared the way for Nevada Power Co. to make its first investment in geothermal power, and the PUC also restarted the regulatory review process for a proposed coal-fire power plant north of Ely.
Las Vegas Review-Journal; December 31, 2008
Train traffic on track after derailment in NW Montana.
Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway officials said a 16-car derailment had been cleared from the railway's line in northern Montana and it was expected travel to be fully restored on the line by late Tuesday night.
Missoulian; December 31, 2008
Toshiba offers Alaska village a mini nuclear reactor for free.
Japanese manufacturer Toshiba has offered to install its new "4S" (Super-safe, small, and simple) mini nuclear reactor in Galena, Alaska, by 2012 for free; New Mexico-based Hyperion Power Generation and Oregon-based NuScale Power are also working on mini nuclear power plants.
Christian Science Monitor; December 30, 2008
Leases in Colorado roadless areas to be pulled from auction.
U.S. Forest Service officials said an oversight allowed 13,000 acres of federal roadless lands in western Colorado to be slated for auction at the Bureau of Land Management's Feb. 13 auction, and that those leases would be pulled off the auction.
Durango Herald; December 30, 2008
Scientists study swarm of tremors in Yellowstone park.
More than 250 small earthquakes shook Yellowstone National Park over the past three days, and scientists said that while seismic activity in the park isn't that unusual, the sheer number over three consecutive days is uncommon.
Casper Star-Tribune; December 30, 2008
Snowfall breaks records in Spokane.
Thus far this month, Spokane has received 59 inches of snow, the most in one month since record-keeping began in the Eastern Washington city, and more snow is in the forecast.
Spokane Spokesman-Review; December 30, 2008
Seven of 8 missing snowmobilers found dead in B.C..
Local officials announced Monday that they had recovered the bodies of seven of the eight snowmobilers caught in an avalanche near Fernie, B.C. on Sunday, and said they did not believe they would find the eighth missing man alive.
Calgary Herald; December 30, 2008
Avalanche warnings issued in 3 national forests in Idaho.
U.S. Forest Service officials are advising against any backcountry travel in areas of the Payette and Boise national forests in north-central Idaho and the Sawtooth National Forest in central and southern Idaho due to high avalanche danger.
Idaho Statesman; December 30, 2008
Avalanches close road in rural Idaho.
Several avalanches along a rural road in southeast Boise County and northwest Elmore County were reported Monday, closing the road to travel.
Idaho Statesman; December 30, 2008
Snowfall smashes records in northern Idaho.
Coeur d'Alene received 85.2 inches of snowfall already this month, beating the record one-month total for the northern Idaho city set in 1969 by just a few inches, but the calendar year's total snowfall of 209.2 inches blasted through the record 139 inches set in 1922.
Coeur d'Alene Press; December 30, 2008
Utah powers up renewable energy education.
Across Utah, wind turbines are being built on school sites giving students an opportunity for hands-on education about the renewable energy, and an $80,000 grant from Lemelson-MIT will fund students' efforts at Hunter High School to build a solar-powered personal watercraft.
Deseret News; December 30, 2008
Derailment in NW Montana stalls Amtrak trains.
A 16-car train derailment on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe's main line in northwest Montana forced the cancellation of Amtrak's eastbound Empire Builder passenger train between Seattle and Minneapolis on Sunday and the westbound train between those cities Monday, delayed travel on other routes, and affected thousands of travelers.
Helena Independent Record; December 30, 2008
Sylvan Pass in Wyoming closed to oversnow travel.
Avalanche danger forced the closure of Sylvan Pass in Wyoming until Yellowstone Park employees can complete avalanche mitigation operations and trail grooming.
Billings Gazette; December 30, 2008
EPA to again do flyover inspections of Idaho CAFOs.
The Environmental Protection Agency will again take to the skies to inspect confined-animal feeding operations in Idaho to ensure they are complying with Clean Water Act rules.
Twin Falls Times-News; December 30, 2008
Idaho computer maker announces it's shutting its doors.
MPC Corp. once provided more than 2,000 jobs in Nampa, but the computer maker filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in November, and on Monday company executives informed the Idaho Department of Labor it was shutting its doors for good and letting go of all but about 50 workers.
Idaho Statesman; December 30, 2008
Advocates of rare condor target Utah in lead campaign.
Arizona has already banned the use of lead in ammunition in order to protect the endangered California condors that are exposed to lead when they feed on gut piles from animals shot by hunters, and now that the rare birds are making their way into Utah, advocates are launching a campaign to convince hunters in that state to use lead-free ammunition as well.
Arizona Republic; December 30, 2008
Nevada bridge collapses after train derails.
A derailment of 13 railcars carrying grain 10 miles west of Carlin, Nev., on Saturday also caused a 102-year-old bridge across the Humboldt River to collapse.
Las Vegas Review-Journal; December 29, 2008
Parallel line will carry rail traffic around derailment site.
Union Pacific officials said Sunday that their fears that the collapse of a bridge over Nevada's Humboldt River following a train derailment would impede east-west train traffic had been dispelled as traffic was diverted to a parallel line.
Las Vegas Review-Journal; December 29, 2008
Search continues for 8 buried by B.C. avalanches.
Eight of the 11 snowmobilers caught in back-to-back avalanches on Sunday in British Columbia's Flathead Valley near Fernie have not yet been found, but rescue operations were set to begin again at daylight today.
Vancouver Sun; December 29, 2008
Rumors abound that Albion will be Idaho's next resort town.
There are only 300 Idahoans living in Albion now, but its mountain setting and proximity to Pomerelle Mountain Resort, along with new development, have stirred rumors that the Idaho town could be the next Sun Valley.
Twin Falls Times-News; December 29, 2008
Cheney will return to Wyoming to mixed reviews.
For those friends in Wyoming who have known Vice President Dick Cheney the longest, they believe he has served his country well and did what had to be done and that he remains the man he has always been, and for those in the Cowboy State who disagree with him and his politics, they say he's embarrassed the state. Part of a series.
Casper Star-Tribune; December 29, 2008
Idaho energy czar pushes 'methane Mecca'.
Paul Kjellander, who heads up Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter's Office of Energy Resources, wants the Legislature to pass a package of tax credits and other incentives to harness the methane created at southern Idaho's dairies.
Billings Gazette; December 29, 2008
Idaho Power asks PUC to 'retire' green-energy credits.
The Idaho Public Utilities Commission is taking public comment through Jan. 8 on Idaho Power Co.'s request to retire green energy credits from its Raft River geothermal plant and the Elkhorn Wind project in Oregon rather than sell them, which will allow Idaho Power to hold and use the credits to meet future renewable-energy mandates.
Twin Falls Times-News; December 29, 2008
Montana's renewable energy industry waits on lines.
Montana, as well as other states where renewable energy projects are sprouting up, is waiting for transmission lines to carry that green power to market, but some are urging caution in that coal-fired power is still very much in the picture and any new transmission lines will be used to carry that power as well.
Christian Science Monitor; December 29, 2008
Wyoming game officials find no new CWD cases in Star Valley.
Wyoming Game and Fish officials said the discovery last February of a moose with chronic wasting disease in the Star Valley, the first report of the disease west of the Wind River Range, was apparently an anomaly, as no new cases of the disease have been found.
Casper Star-Tribune; December 29, 2008
Elk die after jumping off overpass in Utah.
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources personnel urged drivers to be more patient with wildlife after an SUV spooked a herd of elk on Highway 189 in Provo Canyon on Sunday, sending six over the edge of the overpass where they died.
Salt Lake Tribune; December 29, 2008
Wyoming lawmakers plan more C02 bills this session.
The Wyoming Legislature passed some of the nation's first laws on carbon capture and sequestration during the 2008 session, and this session lawmakers will vote on a trio of additional bills, including one that assigns ownership of the carbon emissions to the company that injects them for storage.
Casper Star-Tribune; December 29, 2008
Oil, water concerns collide in Rocky Mountain West.
Oil companies say not tapping into oil shale deposits in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming when the nation has vowed to wean itself off foreign oil is unconscionable, but even industry officials admit the technology to pull the oil out of the rock hasn't been perfected yet, and no one can say how much water the process will use.
Los Angeles Times; December 28, 2008
Coalition pushes to create high-tech hub in Idaho.
A coalition of business groups, local and state officials in Idaho are working to create the Eagle-Star Technology Corridor, or ESTech, and entice both small and large high-tech companies located elsewhere to relocate to Idaho.
Idaho Statesman; December 28, 2008
Montana researchers go after trout eggs in Swan Lake.
Montana's Swan Lake is one of the few remaining places in the nation where anglers can catch and keep bull trout, which are protected by federal law, but lake trout are threatening the bull trout in the lake, and biologists have tracked lake trout in the lake to find their spawning grounds and are planning to eradicate the eggs.
Missoulian; December 28, 2008
Inventors tap into nature for products, designs.
Biomimicry, the copying of natural processes to develop new technology and products, provides a way to protect the Earth and reduce the ecological impact of industrial products, is helping entrepreneurs do such things as reduce carbon emissions by emulating the process a pearl oyster uses to build its shell.
Washington Post; December 28, 2008
WaMu built its destiny on shaky loans.
Seattle-based Washington Mutual led the nation in lax lending practices, with more than $11.5 billion in bad loans in the first half of this year.
New York Times; December 27, 2008
Oregon timber town adapts, survives.
Estacada was a logging town in the mid-1980s when Oregon's timber industry tanked, taking the small town along with it, but an industrial park begun a decade ago is now thriving, providing jobs and a more diverse economy.
Portland Oregonian; December 27, 2008
Deep slab avalanche kills 2 in Utah.
An avalanche about 2,000 feet wide that pulled nearly all of the snow off a slope on Logan Peak in Utah engulfed a party of snowmobilers last week, burying two in snow 10 to 12 feet deep.
Salt Lake Tribune; December 27, 2008
Water trucks make it to isolated Navajo town in Utah.
A broken water line last week left Navajo Mountain, an isolated Navajo community in Utah near the Arizona border, without water, and the lone road into the town proved too treacherous for the first few water trucks sent by San Juan County, forcing county officials to consider airlifting the 380 residents out, but on Friday water trucks made their way safely into town.
Salt Lake Tribune; December 27, 2008
Colorado river a test case for tamarisk-removal project.
More than seven decades after tamarisk were introduced into the West to hold soil in place, a new project designed to scrub the thirsty trees along the San Miguel River in Colorado is under way.
New York Times; December 26, 2008
Study: Alberta oilsands work disrupts birds' migration.
A study released by U.S. and Canadian environmental groups said over the next 30 to 50 years, excavation of Alberta's oilsands will affect 300 species of birds, and reduce bird numbers by millions.
Washington Post; December 26, 2008
Group wants 16 Western states to revise ozone rules.
WildEarth Guardians petitioned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to force 16 Western states to revise their air quality regulations to impose stricter limits on ozone and asked the EPA to create an interstate transport region for the West to allow a regional solutions for ozone pollution.
Casper Star-Tribune; December 25, 2008
USFWS tells judge it's reconsidering bull trout decision.
In light of the recent report by the Inspector General of the Interior Department that found political meddling in some endangered species decisions, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service told a federal district judge in Montana that it was reconsidering its defense of a lawsuit on bull trout.
Missoulian; December 25, 2008
Groups question Colorado power plant's coal supply.
Xcel Energy said it will have plenty of coal to supply its new Comanche 3 coal-fired power plant in Colorado, despite environmental groups' assertion that the Wyoming coal mines the plant plans to use to supply coal are scheduled to run out of easily obtainable coal within the next eight to 11 years.
Denver Rocky Mountain News; December 23, 2008
BLM mulls options on bogus bids on Utah leases.
At the Dec. 19 auction of oil and gas leases in Utah, a University of Utah student bid $1.8 million for 10 parcels near Arches and Canyonland national parks, bids for which he has neither the money nor intent to make good, and Bureau of Land Management officials said they do not yet know how they'll handle this unprecedented situation.
Salt Lake Tribune; December 22, 2008
Reaction to Salazar's Interior nomination mixed.
President-elect Barack Obama's nomination of Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar to be the next Interior secretary elicited mixed reviews from environmental groups.
Idaho Statesman; December 18, 2008
Idaho group not pleased with Salazar's Interior nod.
Hailey-based Western Watersheds Project is one of the environmental groups that isn't excited about the prospect of Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar taking the helm of the federal interior department. The Idaho group cited Salazar's ties to the ranching and mining industries as its cause for concern.
Twin Falls Times-News; December 18, 2008
Geologists downgrade Utah's oilshale potential.
The Utah Geological Survey's investigation looked at just the Beehive State's oilshale resources, independent of those resources in Wyoming and Colorado, and found that the U.S. government overestimated the amount of oil that could be squeezed from the rock. Geologists cautioned that the estimate considered "in-place" resources, which is considerably different than a "recoverable" resource estimate.
Salt Lake Tribune; December 18, 2008
Wyoming finishes work on revised wolf-management plan.
Should the federal government again take wolves in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming off the federal endangered species list as predicted, Wyoming is putting the finishing touches on its revised management plan.
Billings Gazette; December 18, 2008
Groups sue to stop sale of Utah leases on Friday.
Robert Redford and Washington state U.S. Rep. Brian Baird participated in Wednesday's press conference to announce a lawsuit filed to prevent the Bureau of Land Management from auctioning off 80 parcels of energy leases in Utah on Friday. Included are leases on 110,000 acres of land near Arches and Canyonlands national parks and Dinosaur National Monument.
Salt Lake Tribune; December 18, 2008
Entomologist says Montana cold not too bitter for beetles.
A U.S. Forest Service entomologist said a recent cold spell in Montana wasn't cold enough or long enough to put the bite on pine bark beetles that have killed large swaths of trees in the state.
Helena Independent Record; December 18, 2008
Record snow shuts down Las Vegas airport.
Las Vegas received 3.6 inches of snow on Wednesday, the most the Nevada city has seen in 30 years. Because McCarran International Airport has no snow-removal or de-icer equipment, the airport had to shut down.
Las Vegas Review-Journal; December 18, 2008
Washington group's effort to protect Badger Mountain falls short.
The Friends of Badger Mountain said the nonprofit was unable to raise enough money to buy and protect 150 acres of ridgetop land on Washington state's Little Badger Mountain in the Tri-Cities. The group offered to return donations to the hundreds who made them.
Tri-City Herald; December 18, 2008
Agilent to lay off most of its workers at Washington plant.
Agilent Technologies once employed 1,100 workers at its Liberty Lake plant in eastern Washington, but announced Tuesday that it will lay off between 120 and 150 workers, leaving just a few dozen working in the plant.
Idaho Statesman; December 18, 2008
Sevier Power presses Utah county to vote on plant.
Sevier Power Company formally asked the Sevier County Commission to vote on the company's proposed coal-fired power plant near Sigrud by Jan. 5. A citizen's group opposed to the project said such a request is premature given that the Utah county has yet to receive a complete application on the project.
Salt Lake Tribune; December 18, 2008
Great Salt Lake Minerals gives $11K to Utah food bank.
Great Salt Lake Minerals Co. pulled a 24-foot trailer loaded with $11,000 worth of food, diapers and baby formula up to the Joyce Hansen Hall Community Food Bank which serves northern Utah on Wednesday.
Salt Lake Tribune; December 18, 2008
Five senior-housing projects in Wyoming for sale.
Sunwest Management is the fourth largest provider of senior housing in the United States, and the Oregon-based company's financial problems are forcing it to sell properties including five of the eight it owns in Wyoming.
Denver Post (Wyoming Tribune Eagle); December 18, 2008
Wandering Yellowstone bison to get a break this year.
Tolerance for bison that wander north and west out of Yellowstone National Park this year will be higher, after Montana signed an agreement to create a corridor from the park to U.S. Forest Service lands.
Jackson Hole Daily; December 18, 2008
BLM releases final plan for Wyoming's Pinedale region.
The Bureau of Land Management released its final management plan on Wednesday for the 1,875 square miles of mineral estate it owns in Wyoming's Pinedale region for the next 20 years. The plan focuses energy work on areas already under development and protects areas key to wildlife where no drilling has yet been done.
Casper Star-Tribune; December 18, 2008
Debate over drilling in Wyoming's Adobe Town rages on.
The Sweetwater County Commission passed a resolution this week that 160,000 acres of Adobe Town designated as "very rare or uncommon" by Wyoming in 2007 be put off-limits to energy development The federal Bureau of Land Management has the final say on the land.
Casper Star-Tribune; December 18, 2008
Hundreds turn out in N. Idaho to talk with governor.
Idaho Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter began his "Capital for a Day" program in 2007 to expand access to his office across the state. On Wednesday, 250 Idahoans traveled to Rathdrum to share their concerns about the economy and cuts to state services with the governor.
Coeur dqAlene Press; December 18, 2008
Idaho senator discusses his priorities in 111th Congress.
U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo said Wednesday he was dismayed by the shift in focus in Congress, where lawmakers used to work to be more frugal than each other, to the situation today where lawmakers are fighting to outspend the other. The Idaho Republican said he would not vote for the next economic bailout program proposed.
Coeur dqAlene Press; December 18, 2008
B.C. company pulls first batch of copper from Arizona mine.
British Columbia-based Quadra Mining, which owns the Robinson copper mine in Nevada, as well as two copper mines in Arizona, announced its Carlota project in Arizona had produced its first batch of copper.
Yahoo.Finance.com; December 18, 2008
Colorado seizes assets of pipeline company.
IXP Inc., a Fruita-based pipeline company, owes Colorado nearly $140,000 in payroll taxes, and faces lawsuits in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming alleging nonpayment of subcontractors and failure to complete a pipeline project on Ute Indian Tribe land in northeast Utah.
Grand Junction Sentinel; December 18, 2008
Montana's Yellowstone Club lays off a dozen workers.
Managers of the exclusive Yellowstone Club in Montana said they did not anticipate any further layoffs after they laid off 12 construction and operations-related workers this week.
Bozeman Daily Chronicle; December 18, 2008
Washington wood products company spins off paper division.
Spokane-based Potlatch Corp. finished separating its pulp and paper business from its wood products division, with the creation of Clearwater Paper. The new company, also based in the Spokane, will produce pulp and paperboard at existing plants in Lewiston, Idaho and Las Vegas, Nev., as well as at plants in Arkansas and Illinois.
Yakima Herald-Republic; December 18, 2008
Obama to name former Iowa governor as Ag secretary.
At a press conference planned today, President-elect Barack Obama is expected to name former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack as his nominee for Agriculture secretary, and Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar as his Interior secretary.
New York Times; December 17, 2008
Green groups give Obama 'First 100 days' list.
After completing a thorough analysis of U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regulations, a coalition of 98 environmental groups has submitted a list to President-elect Barack Obama of regulatory quick fixes they would like made within the first 100 days of Obama's term.
NewWest.net; December 17, 2008
Wolverine, Arctic grayling among Top 10 species of concern.
The Endangered Species Coalition, a panel of scientists and advocates from environmental groups, released its Top 10 list of species most in need of federal protection. The list included the wolverine and arctic grayling, native Montana species.
Billings Gazette; December 17, 2008
Groups say changes to species law could affect sage grouse.
A proposed change to the federal Endangered Species Act may have a considerable impact on sage grouse populations in Wyoming's Sublette County. The grouse has been teetering on the edge of listing for years, and the Bureau of Land Management's energy development plans for that county could have considerable impact on sage grouse habitat.
Jackson Hole News & Guide; December 17, 2008
As Idahoans drive less, fuel tax receipts dive.
High gas prices across the nation curbed driving, and in Idaho, as in other states, the drop in miles driven has torpedoed fuel tax receipts, and the transportation budgets dependent on that revenue stream.
Idaho Statesman; December 17, 2008
Well-water education classes set next year in Washington state.
Concerns about elevated nitrate levels in Yakima Valley water wells in Washington state have spawned short- and long-term efforts to address the problem, with agencies planning classes next month to educate residents about the problems, including how to test their water for nitrates.
Yakima Herald; December 17, 2008
Washington state has new rule on logging in owl habitat.
A moratorium on logging in certain areas of spotted owl habitat in Washington state expires on Dec. 31, and the Forest Practices Board passed a rule to replace that moratorium with one that will allow landowners to log in spotted owl habitat if they can prove there are no owls there.
Seattle Times; December 17, 2008
Copper prices tumble to 4-year low.
Confidence in the world's economy stumbled in December, and took copper prices down to the lowest reported since Jan. 4, 2005.
Bloomberg.com; December 17, 2008
Rocky Mountain Rail rolls out passenger train options.
The Rocky Mountain Rail Authority's feasibility study of connecting Colorado cities with high-speed passenger service has ruled out extending a line to Winter Park, but would provide service along the Front Range and to Aspen, Steamboat Springs and Breckenridge.
Denver Rocky Mountain News; December 17, 2008
Sales-tax lull hammers Utah Transit Authority.
Despite an increase in fare revenue this year, the Utah Transit Authority said a projected $14-million drop in sales-tax revenue means some of its lower-performing routes may have to be cut.
Salt Lake Tribune; December 17, 2008
Utah water agency delays hearing on uranium mill.
The Utah Division of Water Rights postponed a hearing on Colorado-based Mancos Resources' request to use 800 acre-feet of water from the Green River for a uranium mill proposed near the city of Green River. A watchdog group said the move proved the company isn't yet able to address concerns about the project.
Deseret News; December 17, 2008
Idaho tribe, Avista reach accord on dam relicensing.
The Coeur dqAlene Tribe and Avista Corp. agreed Tuesday to support a plan for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to issue a single, 50-year license that covers Avista Corp.'s hydroelectric Post Falls dam in Idaho and four dams in Washington's Spokane County.
Coeur dqAlene Press; December 17, 2008
BLM, Wyoming, Teton County sign off on land swap.
At a meeting Tuesday, the Teton County Board of Commissioners signed off on the Snake River Corridor Management/Ownership Transfer Plan that will ultimately transfer management of 300 acres of U.S. Bureau of Land Management land along the Snake River to the Wyoming county, and 600 other acres of BLM land to the U.S. Forest Service and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.
Jackson Hole News & Guide; December 17, 2008
Wyoming lawmakers draft brucellosis bills.
The Wyoming Joint Agriculture, State and Public Lands and Water Resources Interim Committee approved draft legislation that would allow the state to pay $8 per head to spay heifers and to pay for fencing and other measures designed to separate cattle from elk or other infected herds to help stop the spread of brucellosis.
Casper Star-Tribune; December 17, 2008
Utah bill would add water-rights info on real estate sales.
Utah state Rep. Ben Ferry, R-Corinne, is sponsoring legislation that would require all real estate transaction clearly spell out what water-rights are involved in the deal and require that transfers of the water rights be recorded with county recorders who will then provide that information to the Utah Division of Water Rights and the state engineer.
Salt Lake Tribune; December 17, 2008
Tower collapse on B.C. resort gondola injures 12.
Whistler Blackcomb officials said Tower 4 on the Excalibur Gondola broke in half on Tuesday afternoon, stranding 53 skiers and injuring 12, all of whom were treated and released from a local clinic by Tuesday evening.
Vancouver Sun; December 17, 2008
Unemployment on the rise in Utah.
The Utah Department of Workforce Services reported Tuesday that for the year ending in November, the state shed 11,500 jobs, pushing the state's unemployment rate in November to 3.7 percent, still substantially lower than the national rate of 6.7 percent.
Salt Lake Tribune; December 17, 2008
Railroad execs say layoffs won't affect Wyoming jobs.
Railroads across the nation are cutting jobs to address seasonal slumps in business as well as the national economic downturn. Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway and Union Pacific Railroad officials said they did not anticipate any layoffs in Wyoming.
Casper Star-Tribune; December 17, 2008
Japanese airline to test camelina fuel made in Montana.
Officials of Montana-based Sustainable Oils said Japan Airlines plans a one-hour flight out of Tokyo next month with a plane fueled in part with a blend made from Sustainable Oils camelina.
Billings Gazette; December 17, 2008
N.J. company considers Idaho for natural-gas power plant.
LS Power of New Brunswick, N.J. has secured an option on 40 acres of land in Idaho's Power County, and is considering the site for a new natural-gas power plant. LS Power officials said they're just beginning their investigation into development of the project.
Twin Falls Times-News (Idaho State Journal); December 17, 2008
N. Idaho lawmakers to try again on immigration legislation.
Sen. Mike Jorgenson, R-Hayden Lake, and Rep. Phil Hart, R-Athol, said they will again sponsor legislation that sanctions employers that knowingly hire illegal workers, and said that since many of the lawmakers who opposed the legislation last session are no longer in office, they believe the bill could pass this session.
Idaho Statesman; December 16, 2008
Colorado senator reportedly accepts Interior nomination.
Multiple sources told the Denver Post on Monday that Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar had accepted the nomination to be President-elect Barack Obama's Interior secretary, pending the outcome of background checks.
Denver Post; December 16, 2008
Reid says Obama's energy pick opposes Yucca Mountain.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Steven Chu, President-elect Barack Obama's nominee to head up the Energy Department, raised safety concerns about the federal government's plan to build a nuclear waste repository in Nevada's Yucca Mountain.
Salt Lake Tribune; December 16, 2008
Report: Interior Dept. official interfered in species decisions.
A report delivered to Congress on Monday by the Interior Department Inspector General Earl E. Devaney details problems with 15 decisions on species where Julie McDonald, then-deputy assistant secretary for fish and wildlife and parks, influenced decisions, including one that reduced the number of streams designated as critical habitat for bull trout.
Washington Post; December 16, 2008
USFS halves stretches of proposed wild, scenic Utah rivers.
Advocates were disappointed to learn that the U.S. Forest Service cut the stretches of Utah rivers it would propose for designation under the federal Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to 10 stretches covering 108 river miles.
Salt Lake Tribune; December 16, 2008
Colorado ski resorts envision future with less snow.
A study by a Colorado geology professor and a scientist at Boulder-based Stratus Consulting Inc. explored how climate change could affect operations at Aspen and Park City, Utah, and predicted that ski seasons will be shorter in the future and the snow line will climb higher on the mountains.
Denver Post; December 16, 2008
U.S. high court declines Hanford contractors' appeal.
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the an appeal of Hanford contractors raising settlement hopes of the hundreds of plaintiffs who lived downwind of Hanford in Eastern Washington, eastern Oregon and north Idaho at the end of World War II and the early years of the Cold War that may have been exposed to radiation from the nuclear campus.
Spokane Spokesman-Review; December 16, 2008
Idaho county approves new CAFO regulations.
Changes passed by the Lincoln County Commission Monday to the Idaho county's rules on confined-animal feeding operations include revisions on how animal units are calculated and a setback for such operations from roads and property boundaries.
Twin Falls Times-News; December 16, 2008
Utah's Summit County launches air study.
Summit County officials said air pollution levels in the Utah county have exceeded federal standards just once, when particulate matter from New Year's fireworks displays pushed PM 2.5 levels beyond federal levels, and said the year-long study of particulate pollution in Park City and in the Snyderville Basin may help prevent bad-air days like those seen along the Wasatch Front.
Salt Lake Tribune; December 16, 2008
Mining company strikes deal on work on Nevada mine.
Under an agreement filed in federal court last week, Barrick Gold Corp. can do some preliminary work on its proposed Cortez Hills Project on Mount Tenabo in northern Nevada while the parties to a lawsuit challenging the project wait for a hearing date in January.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer; December 16, 2008
Montana land board approves bison corridor deal.
The Montana Land Board approved a $3.3 million, 20-year deal to allow a limited number of bison to travel through a corridor on Church Universal and Triumphant's Royal Teton Ranch between Yellowstone National Park and U.S. Forest Service property in Montana.
Billings Gazette; December 16, 2008
No snow means no snowmobiles yet in Yellowstone park.
Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks opened for their winter season on Monday, but a lack of snow in Yellowstone limited motorized travel to snowcoaches equipped with rubber tracks.
Casper Star-Tribune; December 16, 2008
Avalanche death at Utah resort under investigation.
Snowbird safety officials were working with the U.S. Forest Service and Salt Lake County officials to investigate the in-bounds avalanche that killed a skier at the Utah resort on Sunday.
Salt Lake Tribune; December 16, 2008
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