Current Headlines
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Current News and Opinion
EPA launches study of hydraulic fracturing's effect on water.
The Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday a $1.9-million study of how the use of hydraulic fracturing - a drilling technique that injects water, sand and a chemical cocktail at high pressure to crack open rock formations in order to release natural gas - affects water resources.
Washington Post; March 19, 2010
Wyoming may seek more detail about hydraulic fracturing.
The Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission will take public comment until noon Monday on an amendment that will require companies using hydraulic fracturing - a drilling method that injects water, sand and chemicals at high pressure underground to break open rock formations in order to release natural gas - to provide more details about the process to help protect water resources.
Casper Star-Tribune; March 19, 2010
Report: Beetle kill will devastate B.C. lumber industry.
A new report issued by a trio of British Columbia consultants said the pine bark beetle infestation in North American forests will drive more than a dozen major sawmills in British Columbia out of business and create a major shortage of lumber in the U.S., and that Canada's lumber industry won't recover this century.
Vancouver Sun; March 19, 2010
Group wants to plow the road for winter use in Yellowstone Park.
Two West Yellowstone businessmen said it's time to take the debate about winter use in Yellowstone National Park off the see-saw ride between environmental and snowmobile groups, and instead just plow the road between West Yellowstone and Old Faithful, allowing for a whole range of winter activities.
Billings Gazette; March 19, 2010
N.Y., S.C. senators roll out immigration reform plan.
In an op-ed piece in the Washington Post, Senators Charles E. Schumer from New York and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina laid out the details of their legislation to overhaul the nation's immigration system that includes more stringent border controls, more patrols at work places, and a process for illegal immigrants to gain legal status that includes an admission of their violation, assessment of fines, and a community-service requirement.
New York Times; March 19, 2010
Race is on to develop much smaller nuclear reactors.
Russia is again touting the concept that next-generation nuclear reactors be more in line with those used to power its submarines, and in the U.S., companies are touting nine designs for small reactors, but opponents said safety is still a concern and, of course, there's still the issue of what to do with the spent fuel.
New York Times; March 19, 2010
Report: Overpumping of Utah aquifer cause of Cedar Valley slump.
The Utah Geological Survey delivered its report to the Central Iron County Water Conservancy District on Thursday which says decades of overpumping of groundwater was to blame for the fissure first seen five decades ago near Enoch that is now 2.25 miles long.
Salt Lake Tribune; March 19, 2010
Montana talk will address wolves' effect on elk, deer, moose.
Mark Hebblewhite, an assistant professor of ungulate habitat ecology at the University of Montana, who has studied wolves and their prey in both Canada and the United States, will speak at an event Monday night in Hamilton on the effect of wolves on big game numbers.
Ravalli Republic; March 19, 2010
Grand jury in Ensign case subpoenas GOP leaders.
A federal grand jury investigating Nevada Sen. John Ensign over allegations he violated federal law by trying to secure lobbying work for the husband of a woman with whom Ensign had an extramarital relationship subpoenaed members of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
Las Vegas Review-Journal; March 19, 2010
Tenth candidate wades into the fray for Idaho governor.
On the next-to-the-last day for filing to run for office in Idaho, a fifth Republican, Tamara Wells of Post Falls, joined the crowded field, with two Democrats, two independents, and one Libertarian already in the race.
Idaho Statesman; March 19, 2010
Idaho House panel advances bill on raw milk.
The Idaho House Agricultural Affairs Committee approved new guidelines for the sale of raw milk that attempt to balance food safety concerns with consumers' desire to buy a product which does not go through any processing before consumption.
Twin Falls Times-News; March 19, 2010
Compromise curtails bill on N. Idaho sewage rules.
Under the original legislation proposed by Idaho state Rep. Eric Anderson, all of the sewage and water-quality rules of the Panhandle Health District would have been eliminated, but a new deal limits the bill's reach to just two rules: one that limits the expansion of the size of a home on an outdated, nonconforming septic system and another that requires dual drainfields in some circumstances for community sewer systems.
Spokane Spokesman-Review; March 19, 2010
Goldman Sachs announces expansion plan for Utah offices.
Goldman Sachs reaffirmed its commitment to Utah on Thursday when company officials joined state and local representatives to announce the financial giant would move its offices from the Research Park at the University of Utah to Salt Lake City's Main Street in 2011, and would add hundreds more jobs when it moves.
Salt Lake Tribune; March 19, 2010
Idaho first in nation to resist federal health care reform.
Idaho Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter signed a bill on Wednesday that directs the state to sue if the federal government makes health care insurance mandatory, making Idaho the first of more than three dozen states that are considering such legislation to actually enact it.
Idaho Statesman; March 18, 2010
Arizona's newest coal-fired power plant may be state's last.
Unit 4 at the Springerville Generating Station in Arizona burns 60 rail cars' worth of coal from Wyoming's Powder River Basin each day, but some experts said the plant that came online in December could be the last coal-fired plant built in the state.
Arizona Republic; March 18, 2010
Report: Mercury emissions from U.S. coal-fired plants on the rise.
The nonpartisan Environmental Integrity Project released a report Wednesday that said mercury emissions increased over the past few years at more than half of the nation's 50 coal-fired power plants with the highest emissions, with five of the top 10 emitters located in Texas.
Denver Post; March 18, 2010
Wyoming county wants higher limit on snowmachines in Yellowstone.
The National Park Service will hold a public meeting on Monday in Code on its fourth attempt to update the winter-use plan for Yellowstone National Park, and Wyoming's Park County is already on the record in support of raising the number of snowmobiles allowed through the East Gate from the 20 now allowed daily to 30.
Casper Star-Tribune; March 18, 2010
Idaho senator replumbs his federal drinking-water legislation.
U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson has spent a lot of time lately questioning U.S. Environmental Protection Agency decisions, and the Idaho Republican is trying again on legislation that will allow public water systems that serve 10,000 people or less to opt out of meeting new federal drinking water standards.
Twin Falls Times-News; March 18, 2010
Court Oks planting of Roundup Ready sugar beets in Idaho.
On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White denied a motion to stop the planting of Roundup Ready sugar beets in Idaho, citing the economic impact blocking the planting would have on the state's farmers, as well as the lack of conventional seeds.
Twin Falls Times-News; March 18, 2010
States consider tracking those convicted of animal cruelty.
The F.B.I. considers animal abuse one of four indicators of future violent behavior, and states are beginning to pass laws to force those convicted of animal abuse to make restitution, and some are also considering tracking offenders.
New York Times; March 18, 2010
After lawsuit filed, CCA replaces top officials at Idaho prison.
The Idaho Correctional Center near Boise is the state's only private prison, and on Wednesday, Corrections Corporation of America announced that it would name a new warden and assistant warden at the facility after the ACLU filed a $155-million lawsuit seeking class-action status on behalf of the inmates, alleging the facility is extremely violent and that guards allow prisoners to beat on each other.
Idaho Statesman; March 18, 2010
Utah water chief says no Snake Valley deal until next year.
During a session of the Utah Water Users Workshop on Wednesday, Mike Styler, executive director of the Utah Department of Natural Resources, said that a Nevada Supreme Court decision on water rights, and the Nevada Legislature's inability to pass legislation to clarify that decision, means any agreement between Utah and Nevada on Snake Valley groundwater won't be reached until 2011.
Salt Lake Tribune; March 18, 2010
Idaho county, tribe reach accord on law enforcement.
The Idaho Legislature can now drop a bill crafted to give the Coeur d'Alene Tribe authority to arrest non-tribal members on its lands in Benewah County after the tribe and the county's sheriff reached a tentative agreement on cross-deputization.
Idaho Statesman; March 18, 2010
Sage grouse decision won't change much on Idaho projects.
The developers of the China Mountain wind project and Gateway West transmission line in Idaho's Magic Valley said their projects had already taken sage grouse issues into consideration, so the species listing as a "candidate species" won't change much on their projects.
Twin Falls Times-News; March 18, 2010
NPS releases results of annual bison, elk count in Yellowstone.
The National Park Service said its annual winter count of elk and bison in Yellowstone National Park found that the numbers are holding steady, with at least 3,000 bison and at least 6,070 elk in Yellowstone's northern elk herd.
Bozeman Daily Chronicle; March 18, 2010
Wyoming conservation fund created in name of Tom Stroock.
A Baltimore businessman donated $100,000 to create the Stroock Science and Policy Leadership Fund within the Nature Conservancy in Wyoming in memory of Tom Stroock, who spent decades working to balance development of the state's natural resources and protect its unique natural qualities.
Casper Star-Tribune; March 18, 2010
Photo exhibit tracks 100 days in Montana Glacier National Park.
On Friday, at a Glacier National Park Centennial Celebration in Columbia Falls, Montana photographer Chris Peterson will open his "100 Straight Days in Glacier, A Photographic Journey." A preview of the exhibition is available here.
Kalispell Daily Inter Lake; March 18, 2010
Wyoming forest posts list of prescribed burns.
The Wapiti Ranger District of the Shoshone National Forest in Wyoming plans to perform three prescribed burns on a total of 3,100 acres this spring as conditions allow.
Billings Gazette; March 18, 2010
Luna, Boise schools chief file for Idaho superintendent post.
Idaho State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna kicked off his re-election campaign on Wednesday, and today Boise School District superintendent Stan Olson will launch his campaign challenging Luna.
Idaho Statesman; March 18, 2010
Utah governor launches campaign.
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert formally announced he would run for the post to which he was appointed last August.
Salt Lake Tribune; March 18, 2010
Group says Montanans will be hit hardest by rising gasoline prices.
The National Resources Defense Council, a Washington, D.C.-based environmental group, released its analysis of how higher gasoline prices will affect states, and Montana, where commuting distances are greater and per capita income is lower, ranked second in the nation, with the average Montanan expected to pay 10.5 percent of income for gasoline.
Missoulian; March 18, 2010
'Demand' power charge slams Wyoming small businesses.
Rocky Mountain Power instituted its "rate schedule 28" category, which imposes a surcharge on commercial customers whose electricity use surges above 15 kilowatts more than twice in a 12-month period, in May of last year, and for some small Wyoming businesses, that demand charge has forced them to lay off employees and to change their process when powering up large pieces of electrical equipment.
Casper Star-Tribune; March 18, 2010
Montana electric co-op to vote on new power contract.
The Flathead Electric Co-operative must find a new source of low-cost power by next year, when the Bonneville Power Administration is scheduled to cap the amount of power it sells to the Montana cooperative in October; one option on the table is to join the Portland-based Pacific Northwest Generating Cooperative, a collection of 16 other Northwest electric distribution cooperative utilities in a seven-state region.
Kalispell Daily Inter Lake; March 18, 2010
Western ski resorts report small increase in business in February.
Denver-based Mountain Travel Research Program's sampling of 201 property-management companies in 15 ski resorts in Utah, Colorado, California and British Columbia found that occupancy rates in February were up slightly, the second consecutive month of improving rates.
Salt Lake Tribune; March 18, 2010
Labor Dept. rolls out $67M jobs program for tribes.
The U.S. Department of Labor's Workforce Investment Act Indian and Native American Program will provide $67 million in grants for job training services American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian communities.
Char-Koosta News; March 18, 2010
New technology taps once-marginal oil in E. Wyoming.
The Frontier and Niobrara formations in eastern Wyoming have stymied past efforts to reach the oil and natural gas deposits there, but two companies using some of the same new drilling and completion technology that successfully unlocked huge shale gas reserves in North Dakota and elsewhere, have reported good results from their test wells.
Casper Star-Tribune; March 17, 2010
Arch Coal bids $86 million for Montana's Otter Creek coal.
St. Louis-based Arch Coal, which already controls 731 million tons of coal in southeastern Montana, bid $86 million plus royalties for the right to mine a half-billion tons of coal from its Otter Creek reserves; the Montana Land Board is scheduled to meet Thursday to consider the bid.
Casper Star-Tribune; March 17, 2010
Wyoming sequesters coal's CO2 to capture green credit.
Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal traveled to California in 2008 to ask what it would take for the nation's second-largest utility market to consider electricity produced by Wyoming's coal clean enough to sell for top prices, thus sparking Wyoming's ambitious efforts to figure out the technical and legal hurdles over sequestering carbon emissions from coal-fired plants.
New York Times; March 17, 2010
Report: Worst may be over for Intermountain West's economy.
The Brookings Institute's report on the economies of the Intermountain West's metropolitan areas found that while things are still not good in Las Vegas, the Nevada city's gross economic output did improve in the final quarter of 2009 and the foreclosure rate in the city fell considerably.
Las Vegas Sun; March 17, 2010
Governors send renewable-energy 'to-do' list to D.C..
Twenty-nine governors submitted a list of recommendations on renewable energy to the White House and Congress, urging more interstate transmission lines to carry power from renewable-energy resources and extending a Treasury Department program that offers cash upfront rather than a tax credit.
Christian Science Monitor; March 17, 2010
Report tracks collapse of Canadian lumber industry.
When the U.S. housing market fell apart, the Canadian lumber industry went with it, shrinking to less than half its peak size, according to a new report that pegged production now at 19.4 billion board feet, down from its peak of 35.1 billion board feet.
Vancouver Sun; March 17, 2010
Brookings report: Las Vegas 1 of most troubled economies.
According to the Brookings Institution's economic analysis of metropolitan areas in the Intermountain West, most continued to struggle in the fourth quarter of 2009, with Las Vegas and Tucson continuing to shed jobs.
Las Vegas Review-Journal; March 17, 2010
Report: Recovery slowest in growth-dependent Mountain West.
The Brookings Institution's latest quarterly report on the Intermountain West found that in areas where exports constitute a segment of the economy, such as Ogden-Clearfield in Utah and Albuquerque, N.M., are doing better than areas such as Boise, Las Vegas and St. George, Utah, where the local economies were primarily fueled by growth.
Salt Lake Tribune; March 17, 2010
Wyoming national park closes area to protect sage grouse.
Grand Teton National Park officials temporarily closed access to an area near Antelope Flat Road to protect a sage grouse mating area, known as a lek, and the Wyoming park's officials said the area would reopen on May 15.
Billings Gazette; March 17, 2010
Idaho House passes bill to expand state control over federal lands.
Legislation passed by the Idaho House on a 57-12 vote Tuesday would allow the governor and legislative leaders to investigate if the state could lease federal lands from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service to give the state more say on how those lands are managed.
Idaho Statesman; March 17, 2010
Utah bill would sign Utahns up for Cool Keeper program.
The Utah Legislature passed a bill that would automatically enroll Utahns in Rocky Mountain Power's Cool Keeper program that gives the utility control of air conditioning units on the hottest days of the year, although customers will have the ability to opt out of the program.
Salt Lake Tribune; March 17, 2010
Montana bank holding company sets pricing for IPO.
Glacier Bancorp Inc., which provides commercial banking services in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado, Utah and Washington, will offer nearly 9 million shares of common stock priced at $14.95 a share.
Billings Gazette; March 17, 2010
Consultant: Wind project will bring 239 jobs to Idaho county.
Boise-based Bootstrap Solutions studied the potential economic impact of the proposed 170-turbine China Mountain wind project near Twin Falls, and said the Idaho facility would create 239 jobs in the Magic Valley during construction, and provide $2 million in annual revenue once it's up and running.
Twin Falls Times-News; March 17, 2010
Idaho company provides pregnancy tests for bison, elk, moose, deer,.
Moscow-based BioTracking LLC developed a blood tests for bison, elk, moose, deer, big horn sheep and exotic deer, and the Idaho company has been working with Oregon, Idaho and Wyoming to test wild elk herds to see if wolves and ATVs are affecting pregnancy rates in those herds.
Spokane Spokesman-Review; March 17, 2010
Walgreens tells Washington: No new Medicaid patients after April 16.
Walgreens, which has 121 stores in Washington state, notified state authorities that it will not fill prescriptions for new Medicaid patients after April 16 because the state's reimbursement rate is too low; existing Medicaid patients will not be affected by the decision.
Seattle Times; March 17, 2010
Forest die-off a global problem.
Burrowing bugs have taken their toll on large swaths of forests in the Rocky Mountain West in North America; in Australia, nearly a third of all the trees on a 22,000-savannah have died; and in Russia, a significant die-off of trees on 94,000 acres of forests has been reported. A perspective from Montana writer Jim Robbins.
environment360; March 16, 2010
Colorado project fends off ravages of pine-bark beetles.
The nonprofit For the Forest Group, Aspen and Pitkin County teamed up to fight the pine-bark beetle infestation on Colorado's Smuggler Mountain, using a combination of tree removal and the chemical verbenone, which beetles produce themselves to let other beetles know the host tree is full up, and were able to reduce the damage caused by the burrowing bugs.
New west.net; March 16, 2010
Ski industry fears USFS decision on Colorado plan a policy shift.
The U.S. Forest Service's decision to end its review of a proposal to expand Crested Butte Mountain Resort on Colorado's Snodgrass Mountain created concern that the federal agency, which owns about 44,000 acres leased by 22 of Colorado's 26 ski hills, is indicative of a shift in policy.
Denver Post; March 16, 2010
Study finds new immigrants settling in smaller cities in U.S..
A new study by the Lusk Center for Real Estate at the University of Southern California found that new immigrants are no longer settling in gateway cities like Los Angeles, New York and Chicago, but instead are settling in smaller cities such as Colorado Springs, Colo.
Christian Science Monitor; March 16, 2010
President's ambitious education plan faces obstacles.
The plan President Obama rolled out Monday to revamp the national education system met with plenty of criticism from teachers' unions and some Republican leaders. An analysis.
New York Times; March 16, 2010
FCC takes ambitious broadband plan to Congress.
The Federal Communications Commission will take its plan to expand broadband Internet connections to every nook and cranny of the nation to Congress on Tuesday.
Washington Post; March 16, 2010
Idaho water rights case roils toward conclusion.
Idaho Department of Water Resources hearing officer and former Idaho Chief Justice Gerald Schroeder is compiling documents on a case that pits hydroelectric power against aquifer recharge work, and has set an April 12 hearing on the issue.
Twin Falls Times-News; March 16, 2010
Boise residents say jet mission at Idaho airport will be too noisy.
When the Oregon National Guard flew F-15's out of Gowen Field at the Boise airport last summer, residents near the Idaho airport tolerated the noise because it was a temporary situation, but now that the Air Force is considering using field as a base for 70 F-35 jets, which are considerably louder, Boise residents are protesting the mission.
Idaho Statesman; March 16, 2010
Review of Utah schools for seismic stability under way.
Legislation requiring Utah to conduct a seismic review of the state's 800 school buildings failed to go anywhere this session, but it may not have been needed as the state Office of Education said its nearly done with its analysis of nearly all the schools to see how they'd withstand a significant earthquake.
Salt Lake Tribune; March 16, 2010
Exercise pumps up learning at Wyoming high school.
Students at Roosevelt High School, Casper's alternative high school, begin their school day with a bout of intense exercise, a method that has drastically improved the grades of the Wyoming students.
Casper Star-Tribune; March 16, 2010
Montana nonprofit gets share of Obama's Peace Prize money.
President Obama split a portion of the $1.4 million he received as part of his Nobel Peace Prize among 10 U.S. nonprofits, including Montana-based Central Asia Institute in Bozeman that provides community-based education, primarily to girls, in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Helena Independent Record; March 16, 2010
New names for old places puts obscure board on the hot seat.
The Board on Geographic Names, which draws its members from federal agencies like the U.S. Geological Survey and the Library of Congress, acts on several hundred requests for new names or name changes of natural features such as mountains, rivers and valleys in the nation; this year the panel will consider a request to name a mountain in Nevada after President Reagan.
Los Angeles Times; March 16, 2010
Bogus bidder on Utah BLM leases loses another court battle.
U.S. District Court Judge Dee Benson denied Tim DeChristopher's motion that the Utah U.S. Attorney's office produce documentation on other successful bidders on federal energy leases who didn't pay for those leases, and said that since DeChristopher publicly said he intended his bogus bids to derail the auction of energy leases, he could not claim discrimination for being prosecuted for submitting false bids.
Salt Lake Tribune; March 16, 2010
Idaho Senate panel hears testimony on hunter-records bill.
Idaho Rep. Judy Boyle said she drafted legislation that would shield information on hunting and fishing license applications from public view after wolf hunters' names and addresses were published by a group that opposes wolf hunts; the Senate Resource and Conservation Committee took testimony on the House-passed bill on Monday.
Twin Falls Times-News; March 16, 2010
Idaho resolution wants to expand states' rights.
An Idaho House Committee voted Monday to approve a resolution that calls for Congress to approve amendments to the U.S. Constitution limiting the reach of the Commerce Clause and expanding states' rights under the 10th Amendment; Gov. Dave Freudenthal recently signed similar legislation in Wyoming into law.
Spokane Spokesman-Review; March 16, 2010
Idaho House panel OKs bill allowing taxes to be paid in silver.
Athol Republican Rep. Phil Hart successfully argued before the House State Affairs Committee that the state should allow taxes to be paid in silver, a bill designed to reinvigorate the state's silver mining industry.
Spokane Spokesman-Review; March 16, 2010
Utah pilot project turns public land into biofuel plot.
Salt Lake County, Salt Lake City Public Utilities, the South Davis Sewer District, Utah State University and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have teamed up to plant safflower on a 200-acre parcel of public land near the Salt Lake airport.
Deseret News; March 16, 2010
Utah jobs seminar targets single mothers.
People Helping People, a Utah nonprofit, is organizing an employment seminar designed to help single moms find jobs on March 23 at Salt Lake Community College's Miller Campus in Sandy.
Salt Lake Tribune; March 16, 2010
Report; Keep beetle-kill projects out of Colorado's roadless areas.
A new report co-authored by Colorado State University wildlife ecology professor Barry Noon urged the U.S. Forest Service to keep its efforts to stop beetle infestations out of roadless areas in national forests in Colorado and other states, because logging in those areas would do more harm than good.
Colorado Springs Coloradoan; March 16, 2010
Colorado researchers track effect of humans' noise on wildlife.
Increased population has fostered more traffic and more noise on the landscape and is having a wide range of effects on wildlife, according to a new study published by Colorado researchers in this month's Trends in Ecology and Evolution.
Aspen Times; March 15, 2010
Nevada begins workshops on water rights to clarify murky order.
A Nevada Supreme Court decision issued in late January that validated a decades-old mandate that water-rights applications had to be acted upon by the state engineer's office within a year of filing threw many water rights into murky territory, and the state engineer's office will begin holding workshops to find a resolution to clarify the issue.
Reno Gazette-Journal; March 15, 2010
Wyoming panel sides with ranchers in CBM water dispute.
The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality Council sided with Marge and Bill West in a coalbed methane water discharge permit dispute with Stephens Energy Company, finding that the Wests lost 100 acres of haymeadow and 200 cottonwood trees due to salt buildup from the water flowing across their Powder River Basin property.
Casper Star-Tribune; March 15, 2010
Commercial beekeepers add R&R to pollinators' schedule.
A national panel has yet to pinpoint the cause of colony collapse - the sudden disappearance of entire hives of bees - and commercial beekeepers are trying different options to keep their hives happy, including one who plans to give his pollinators some time off in the Georgia woods between their work in the California almond orchards and the East Coast's apple orchards.
Washington Post; March 15, 2010
President to propose changes to 'No Child Left Behind'.
President Obama will provide details of changes he wants made to the federal No Child Left Behind program, including one that changes funding from a formula-based system to one that uses competitive grants.
Christian Science Monitor; March 15, 2010
Idaho county seeks drought-emergency declaration.
The Teton County Board of Commissioners said low snowpack in their Idaho county, where most of the farmland is located above reservoirs, means an extremely dry year for farmers in the county, and the board will ask Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter for a drought declaration.
Idaho Statesman; March 15, 2010
Native American farmers hope USDA will settle with them, too.
After a class action lawsuit filed by African-Americans against the U.S. Department of Agriculture was settled, Native American farmers, who filed a similar class-action lawsuit alleging denial or delay of loans or disaster aid, are hopeful they'll be next.
Indian Country Today; March 15, 2010
Wyoming loses bid for stimulus funds for wildlife underpasses.
The federal government declined to provide Wyoming the $100 million it needed to build 30 underpasses in the southwest region of the state to protect wildlife in some of the busiest migration routes in the state.
Casper Star-Tribune; March 15, 2010
Yellowstone Park has welcoming conditions for wakening grizzlies.
When grizzly bears emerge from hibernation this spring in Yellowstone National Park, they'll find conditions much to their liking: plenty of winter-killed carcasses to munch on, early greening of vegetation and plenty of leftover whitebark pine nuts.
Casper Star-Tribune; March 15, 2010
Nevada's 148-year-old prison survives budget cut again.
Nevada lawmakers, the governor and even a business advisory panel on cutting unneeded services all agreed the state's 148-year-old prison in Carson City should be shut down, saving the financially strapped state $12 million annually, but the impact to the state's capital of all those lost jobs won out, and the prison remains open.
USA Today; March 15, 2010
Wyoming-Colorado power line developers: If we build it, they will come.
Despite Colorado utilities' snub of wind power produced in southeast Wyoming, the developers of a proposed transmission line between those Wyoming wind farms and Colorado's Front Range cities are pursuing their project because they believe the market shows the need will be there.
Casper Star-Tribune; March 15, 2010
Idaho jobless rate skirted record territory in February.
Idaho's unemployment rate climbed to 9.5 percent in February, coming close to matching the record 9.6 percent reported during the last recession in the state in December 1982 through February 1983.
Idaho Statesman; March 15, 2010
Montana ranchers' sale of organic beef drops dramatically.
Mark Smith, administrator of the Montana Organic Producers Cooperative, said sales of organic beef were down 47 percent in 2009, as the national recession took a bite out of the ranchers' market.
Great Falls Tribune; March 15, 2010
Idaho developers tell Hailey: No development, no access to trails.
Jeff Pfaeffle and Grant Stevens told Hailey city officials that if their proposed 90-unit Colorado Gulch Preserve isn't approved by the Idaho city within two months, they'll end access to a popular hiking trail that follows the Big Wood River.
Idaho Statesman; March 14, 2010
Price for Montana's organic grains down substantially.
Organic wheat was selling for around $20 or more a bushel from mid-2007 to mid-2008, but farmers in Montana now can count on just $6 to $8 a bushel, despite an increase in products that use their wheat.
Great Falls Tribune; March 14, 2010
Report: Idaho has at least 843 wolves, 94 packs.
The Idaho Fish and Game Department released its status report on the state's wolf population on Friday, that said there are at least 843 wolves and 94 wolf packs in the state, and another 20 that roam the territory between Idaho and its bordering states.
Spokane Spokesman-Review; March 13, 2010
Idaho planned community lays off staff pending sale.
SunCor, a national development company that focused on "planned communities," is working on selling its now-stalled developments in Idaho, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico, including Avimor north of Boise; the company laid off five of its six staffers on Friday pending the sale of the property.
Idaho Statesman; March 13, 2010
Federal judge tosses Montana forest's updated travel plan .
U.S. District Court Judge Sam Haddon ruled that the U.S. Forest Service violated the National Environmental Policy Act when the federal agency updated its travel plan for the Lewis and Clark National Forest in Montana in 2007. Haddon set a hearing on March 29 to determine what should happen next.
Great Falls Tribune; March 12, 2010
USFS study quantifies trees' importance to Idaho county.
A $248,000 study by the U.S. Forest Service attached a value to the contribution trees make, and how more trees could benefit--in terms of energy savings, aquifer protection and limiting air pollution--Idaho's Kootenai County.
Spokane Spokesman-Review; March 12, 2010
USFWS: Northern Rockies wolf population post small gains.
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's 2009 Interagency Annual Wolf Report, wolf populations in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and parts of Oregon and Washington state grew at just 4 percent, the lowest reported since 1995.
Great Falls Tribune; March 12, 2010
Reports paint somber picture of Idaho's housing market.
The National Association of Realtors said housing prices in Idaho's Treasure Valley ranked 10th in the nation for declines in 2009. First American CoreLogic's February report said nearly a quarter of Idaho property owners owed more on their homes than they're worth. Two metro areas in Nevada saw worse declines: Las Vegas-Paradise Valley ranked second in the nation, while Reno-Sparks ranked fourth.
Idaho Statesman; March 12, 2010
Skyrocketing seed prices garner attention of Obama administration.
Seed prices for corn rose 32 percent last year, and soybean prices rose 24 percent. It's part of a trend begun more than a decade ago as sources for seeds became more concentrated in fewer companies. The Obama administration ordered an antitrust investigation of the seed industry last year.
New York Times; March 12, 2010
Report details Lehman Brothers accounting gimmicks.
A 2,200-page report released Thursday detailed the route to Lehman Brothers' demise and the financial engineering the firm used to cloak its shattered financial foundation months before it toppled.
New York Times; March 12, 2010
Idaho family puts conservation easement on 643 acres.
Robb McCracken, executive director of the Clark Fork-Pend Oreille Conservancy, applauded Jim and Virginia Wood’s family for putting a conservation easement on 643 acres of private forest lands in Idaho's Bonner County. The lands have high wildlife value.
Spokane Spokesman-Review; March 12, 2010
Wyoming summit on invasive aquatic species Tuesday.
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department and the Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources will host a summit on invasive aquatic species on Tuesday in Casper.
Casper Star-Tribune; March 12, 2010
USFS names interim chief for Idaho national forest.
Terry Clark, the recreation lands and natural resources staff officer for Sawtooth National Forest, has been selected as acting forest supervisor for the Idaho forest until a permanent supervisor can be selected to replace Jane Kollmeyer, who is retiring next month.
Twin Falls Times-News; March 12, 2010
Montana senator fights to keep Libby provision in health care bill.
After President Barack Obama asked U.S. Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid to strip any provisions in the health care reform bill aimed at specific states, Montana Sen. Max Baucus fought to keep the provision that provides Medicare assistance to any victims of any government-declared public health emergency, which thus far is limited to residents of Libby, the first community in the nation to receive such a designation.
Kalispell Daily Inter Lake; March 12, 2010
Montana governor asks federal approval to import prescription drugs.
Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer has asked U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sibelius to allow the state to import certain prescription drugs from Canada to help lower the cost for Medicaid, Healthy Montana Kids, the state employee health plan and state institutions.
Helena Independent Record; March 12, 2010
Nevada senator's wife hospitalized following accident.
Nevada U.S. Sen. Harry Reid's wife and daughter were injured in a vehicle accident Thursday afternoon. Reid's wife remains in the hospital with a broken neck, back and other serious injuries. His daughter, Lana Barringer, was expected to be released from the hospital last night.
Las Vegas Review-Journal; March 12, 2010
Nevada governor launches re-election campaign.
Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons filed the paperwork necessary to begin his re-election campaign on Thursday. He will face former federal Judge Brian Sandoval and former North Las Vegas Mayor Mike Montandon, as well as political newcomer Stan Lusak of Fallon in the June 8 Republican primary.
Las Vegas Review-Journal; March 12, 2010
Wyoming governor signs Firearms Freedom Act into law.
Gov. Dave Freudenthal signed the Firearms Freedom Act into law on Thursday, exempting guns made, sold and kept in Wyoming from federal firearms regulations and taxes. The law also toughens state law on guns by prohibiting convicted felons, the mentally ill, and persons under the age of 21 from owning Wyoming-made firearms.
Casper Star-Tribune; March 12, 2010
Wyoming Legislature sets agenda for issues to be studied.
Legislation that didn't make it into law during the past legislative session in Wyoming will provide fodder for studies during the interim before the next session. Wind-energy rights, coalbed methane discharge water, wolves and sage grouse are all issues slated for study.
Casper Star-Tribune; March 12, 2010
Idaho House panel delays vote on tribal police power bill.
In order to give the Coeur d'Alene Tribe and the Benewah County Sheriff's office more time to work out their differences over law enforcement on tribal lands in Idaho, the Idaho House Judiciary Committee put on hold a bill that would have allowed tribal police to arrest non-Indians on the reservation.
Idaho Statesman; March 12, 2010
Idaho Senate puts early-graduation bill on hold.
Legislation that would have created a six-year pilot program to allow some high school students to graduate up to three years early was put on hold by the Idaho Senate to allow the bill to be revised to include a set expiration date.
Idaho Statesman; March 12, 2010
Idaho representative tells Senate to bring tax-exemption bill.
Idaho state Rep. Dennis Lake, the House Revenue and Taxation Committee chairman, said it's time for the state to stop talking about ending tax exemptions. Lake challenged the state Senate to bring him a bill that does just that.
Idaho Statesman; March 12, 2010
Nevada governor nixes four-day workweek bill.
As expected, Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons vetoed legislation putting most state offices on a four-day workweek, calling the bill laudable, but unworkable.
Nevada Appeal (Carson City); March 12, 2010
Thieves cash in on catalytic converters in Colorado.
Catalytic converters contain platinum, palladium and rhodium, all precious metals that have seen skyrocketing increases in value lately. Colorado law enforcement officials are reporting an upswing in theft of converters from vehicles.
Denver Post; March 12, 2010
GAO report: USFS projects most likely to be challenged in Montana.
A new Government Accountability Office study of legal challenges of proposed fuel reduction projects found that nationally, 2 percent of those projects end up in court. In Region 1 which includes Montana and the Idaho Panhandle, 8 percent are litigated.
Montana Standard; March 11, 2010
Federal appeals court hears Wyoming roadless lawsuit.
The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver heard from attorneys representing Wyoming and the Colorado Mining Association that the 2001 "roadless rule" that banned road construction and reconstruction on certain parcels of U.S. Forest Service lands violated the 1964 Wilderness Act. The Wyoming/CMA attorneys also claimed that the U.S. Department of Agriculture failed to follow regulations of the National Environmental Policy Act. Attorneys for the USDA and environmental groups argued that NEPA was followed.
Casper Star-Tribune; March 11, 2010
Roadless argument in 10th Circuit Court focuses on jurisdiction.
The three-judge panel of the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver that heard arguments on the 2001 so-called Roadless Rule put in place by the departing Clinton administration focused on the issue of whether the administration exceeded its authority when it ordered a ban on road construction on millions of acres of U.S. Forest Service lands.
Denver Post; March 11, 2010
Federal appeals court overturns Montana grazing decision.
A 2006 ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Donald Molloy in a lawsuit over grazing in Montana's Antelope Basin was overturned by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco on Monday. The court ruled in favor of three environmental groups that argued the Forest Service's management plan for the area did not do enough to protect sage grouse.
Montana Standard; March 11, 2010
Forbes' annual list of billionaires has 97 new members.
There are just three U.S. billionaires in the Top 10 of Forbes' annual list: Bill Gates ranked second; Warren Buffett, third; and Oracle Corp. tycoon Lawrence Ellison sixth. Mexican telecom magnate Carlos Slim Helu is the world's wealthiest billionaire this year. Colorado's Philip Anschutz is ranked 123rd; Montanan Dennis Washington is ranked 201st; and Robert Holding of Sun Valley, Idaho, is ranked 232nd.
Toronto Globe and Mail; March 11, 2010
U.S. refineries cut production to keep profits up.
As consumer habits change and demand for gasoline and diesel fuel have declined, major oil and gas companies are shutting down refineries to help maintain profit margins.
Los Angeles Times; March 11, 2010
U.S. manufacturing sector posts gains.
The manufacturing sector appears to be the first to emerge from the national recession in the United States. Production is up, as are exports, and companies such as Caterpillar and General Motors are rehiring.
Los Angeles Times; March 11, 2010
U.N. officials say climate-change review will look at process.
An independent review of work done by an international panel of scientists on climate change will not scrutinize the latest report, about which questions have arisen. Instead, future protocol will be developed, a decision U.N. officials defended because they contend there is no reason to doubt the most important findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's 2007 report.
Washington Post; March 11, 2010
California utility drops plan for 'green' transmission project.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power dropped its plan to build its 85-mile Green Path North Transmission Line designed to carry power from solar, wind, geothermal and nuclear power projects in southern California and Arizona to Los Angeles through the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve north of Palm Springs, Pioneertown near Yucca Valley, Pipes Canyon Wilderness Preserve and a corner of the San Bernardino National Forest.
Los Angeles Times; March 11, 2010
Californians question if mansion, 10-car garage can be 'green'.
Software mogul and philanthropist Mitch Kapor wants to build a 10,000-square-foot home with a 10-car garage attached in Berkeley. His proposal meets all the requirements of the California city to have the mansion designated as a "green" project, a designation his new neighbors are protesting due to the size of the home.
New York Times; March 11, 2010
Colorado communities join quest for Google network.
Google offered to build an ultra-fast high-speed Internet network in a community in the United States and is taking applications from interested municipalities. Several in Colorado, including Longmont, Boulder and Highlands Ranch, have indicated their interest.
Denver Post; March 11, 2010
Newly released emails could deepen Nevada senator's legal woes.
U.S. Sen. John Ensign is under investigation by the FBI and the Senate Ethics Committee for steering work to the husband of a staffer with whom he had an affair. Emails that have recently come to light provide new evidence of the Nevada Republican's efforts to get work for Douglas Hampton.
New York Times; March 11, 2010
Idaho Senate send texting ban to the House.
The Idaho Senate approved legislation that would ban texting while driving, allowing law enforcement officers to pull drivers sending messages while moving over. The crime would carry up to a $300 fine and/or a jail sentence not to exceed 90 days. The measure must still be approved by the House and signed by the governor to take effect.
Idaho Statesman; March 11, 2010
Nevada road projects await governor's signature.
If Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons signs Senate Bill 5 into law, there are 100 road construction projects ready to go throughout the Las Vegas Valley that could be fueled with an immediate transfusion of cash.
Las Vegas Review-Journal; March 11, 2010
Wyoming governor vetoes nuclear panel, 2 other bills.
Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal vetoed legislation that would have created a task force to encourage nuclear power production; another that required economic analysis of state and federal land management for county governments; and a third that created a process to handle complaints that state or local government agencies were unfairly competing with the private sector.
Casper Star-Tribune; March 11, 2010
Idaho wind farm will send power to 21 Utah communities.
The Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems Horse Butte wind farm southeast of Idaho Falls in Idaho is expected to come online in 2011, and will provide wind-generated power to 21 Utah communities.
Deseret News; March 11, 2010
Utah Senate approves federal lands bill, sends it back to House.
Legislation that would allow Utah to claim some federal lands using eminent domain laws to gain access to mineral deposits on state school trust lands, as well as a companion bill that uses money from a state lands fund to pay litigation costs of such actions, passed in the state Senate, and both amended bills head back to the House for a vote.
Salt Lake Tribune; March 10, 2010
Boise deal protects 770 acres of Idaho land.
Using open space money funded by a voter-approved property tax increase in 2001, Boise secured a 770-acre parcel on Hammer Flat in Idaho on Tuesday.
Idaho Statesman; March 10, 2010
Utah senator, Salazar spar over energy development at Senate hearing.
During a Senate Appropriations subcommittee meeting on Tuesday, Utah Sen. Bob Bennett attacked the Obama administration's plan to raise royalties on oil and gas and impose new or higher fees on drilling permits, inspections and holding undeveloped leases; Interior Secretary Ken Salazar defended the increases and said they are long overdue.
Deseret News; March 10, 2010
Pneumonia forces Utah agency to kill entire bighorn sheep herd.
The Utah Division of Wildlife Resource will kill the entire herd of bighorn sheep near Flaming Gorge Reservoir it worked hard to build, using sheep from Montana and elsewhere, after sheep began dying from pneumonia.
Salt Lake Tribune; March 10, 2010
Indian Affairs chief: Tribes can't arrest their way out of crime plague.
Larry Echohawk, the U.S. Interior Department's assistant secretary for Indian Affairs, was in New Mexico on Tuesday, to help kick off a three-day symposium on protection of children in Indian Country, and he emphasized the importance of giving Native American children a solid family foundation as one way to prevent crime.
Deseret News; March 10, 2010
Former Interior secretary shares her thoughts.
Lynn Scarlett served eight years in the Bush administration, first as assistant secretary of the Interior and then as Secretary after Gale Norton's resignation, and she recently shared her thoughts about that experience with Los Angeles Times reporter Julie Cart.
Los Angeles Times; March 10, 2010
Companies on the hunt for lithium in Nevada, elsewhere.
Lithium is a critical ingredient in new hybrid and electric cars, and as production of those ramp up, the global hunt for lithium heats up, with Bolivia having nearly half the world's reserves; several companies are working to develop claims in Nevada as well.
New York Times; March 10, 2010
Washington governor says special session may be needed.
The Washington Legislature's 60-day session is scheduled to end Thursday at midnight, but much work needs to be done to address the state's $2.8-billion deficit, and on Tuesday, Gov. Chris Gregoire said she'll call a special session to get the job done if needed.
Tri-City Herald; March 10, 2010
Climate-change skepticism on the rise in GOP.
In the ranks of the Republican Party, skepticism about human-caused activities' contribution to climate change is increasingly being used as a litmus test for candidates. An analysis.
Los Angeles Times; March 10, 2010
Utah releases report on water supplies.
The Utah Division of Water Resources is conducting studies on future water supplies in each of Utah's 11 major hydrological basins, and the agency's report on the Jordan River basin, which supplies Salt Lake County, found that it will need to take steps to secure and conserve more water as the area continues to grow.
Salt Lake Tribune; March 10, 2010
Million's attorney pitches water pipeline project to Wyoming city.
The Casper City Council heard a water pipeline pitch from a group of communities in February, and on Monday night, they heard a pitch from two representatives of Aaron Million, the Colorado entrepreneur who first proposed the pipeline from Wyoming's Green River Basin to eastern Colorado and Wyoming.
Casper Star-Tribune; March 10, 2010
Cost of clean water chokes Montana communities.
As the federal Environmental Protection Agency continues to improve drinking water supplies by imposing more stringent standards, communities in Montana are finding it harder to afford the fixes needed to meet those standards.
Billings Gazette; March 10, 2010
Idaho transit service adds Hailey route.
Mountain Rides, the transportation provider for Idaho's Wood River Valley, will add a weekday circulator route through Hailey beginning April 5.
Twin Falls Times-News; March 10, 2010
In-store health clinics close up shop in Idaho.
Health clinics set up in stores in Idaho's Treasure Valley were aimed at busy families and touted as an alternative to much more expensive trips to hospital emergency rooms, but most of those clinics have now closed.
Idaho Statesman; March 10, 2010
Opposition to Cobell settlement grows.
Congress has twice moved the deadline to approve funding the $3.4-billion settlement of the class action lawsuit over handling of Indian trust accounts and assets, and concerns about settlement in Indian Country are rising, as evidenced by a resolution passed at the winter session of the National Congress of American Indians calling for more transparency on the details of the settlement.
Indian Country Today; March 10, 2010
Salazar tells Tester there are no plans for new Montana monuments.
At a Senate subcommittee hearing on Tuesday, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar reiterated that a memo exploring potential sites for new national monuments was merely a "brainstorming" document, and assured Montana U.S. Sen. Jon Tester that there are no plans for a new national monument in the Big Sky State nor are there any plans to buy private lands east of Fort Benton in the Missouri Breaks area.
Montana Standard; March 10, 2010
Utah congressman: Release of monument memo got results.
Three weeks after Utah U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop released a memo he said indicated the Obama administration's plans to use the Antiquities Act to create new national monuments, Bishop said he was satisfied that the release of the memo garnered the desired effect - that the administration would seek local approval before designating any new national monuments.
Salt Lake Tribune; March 10, 2010
Idaho Senate panel advances bill on CAFO records.
Under legislation approved by the Senate Agricultural Affairs Committee on Tuesday, records maintained by confined animal feeding operations, as well as state inspection records of those facilities, would be shielded from public view.
Twin Falls Times-News; March 10, 2010
Idaho budget panel trims university spending by $67.6M.
The budget agreed on by the Idaho Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee Tuesday would cut spending for the University of Idaho, Idaho State University, Boise State University and Lewis-Clark State College by roughly $32 million over each of the next two years.
Idaho Statesman; March 10, 2010
Idaho Senate sends 'Health Freedom Act' to Otter.
The Idaho Health Freedom Act now headed to Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter's desk bans the enforcement of any federal requirement that Idaho residents and businesses obtain health insurance and mandates that the state's attorney general fight any such requirement.
Spokane Spokesman-Review; March 10, 2010
Utah lawmakers, governor divert road funds to prisons, colleges.
During budget negotiations on Tuesday, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert and legislative leaders agreed to divert money from road construction projects, as well as economic development and business recruitment funds, to keep a treatment program for drug-addicted lawmakers going and to build four buildings on the state's college campuses.
Salt Lake Tribune; March 10, 2010
Banking lobby quashes Utah county's home-energy loan bill.
Legislation that would have allowed Salt Lake County to lend money to homeowners for renewable-energy installations was killed in committee, thanks largely to the lobbying efforts against the bill by the Utah Banking Association, which opposed the bill.
Salt Lake Tribune; March 10, 2010
Utah Senate OKs bill allowing floating rivers through private lands.
Legislation introduced to clarify Utah's stream access law following a state Supreme Court ruling in 2008 that created wide open access to use public streams that flowed through private lands had been previously passed in the House, but the Senate tweaked the bill to prohibit wading in such areas, which sends it back to the House for an additional vote.
Salt Lake Tribune; March 10, 2010
Western Watersheds Project challenges sage grouse decision.
Idaho-based Western Watersheds Project filed a supplemental complaint in federal court in Idaho challenging the Interior Department's decision made last week not to give sage grouse endangered species status.
Casper Star-Tribune; March 9, 2010
Wind industry challenges Montana senator's proposal.
Montana U.S. Sen. Jon Tester wants components needed for wind farm projects to be made in America, a move the wind industry opposes because officials said it will impede development of such projects in the nation.
Helena Independent Record; March 9, 2010
Texas firm nears deal to buy Montana's largest oil producer.
Shareholders of Texas-based Denbury Resources will vote today on the $4.5-billion deal to buy Encore Acquisition, which is currently Montana's largest oil producer with holdings in the Williston, Big Horn and Powder River basins of Montana and North Dakota.
Great Falls Tribune; March 9, 2010
Spanish city provides solar-power lesson to the U.S..
Spain's abrupt change of course on subsidies for solar power left Puertollano, a city that had emerged from a coal mining bust with a solar-power boom, defunct again, providing a lesson about oversubsidizing the solar-energy industry.
New York Times; March 9, 2010
Crude oil prices climb to $82 a barrel.
Concerns about unrest in Nigeria, the strengthening economy, and China's announced intention to build up its oil reserves all played a part in the price of crude oil increasing by $10 a barrel over the past month to $82.
New York Times; March 9, 2010
Idaho school with 3 students puts $240K bond to vote.
The Three Creek Joint School District in Idaho now has three students, triple what it had a year ago, but considerably less than the 18 it has had before, and officials of the rural district said the proposed $240,000 bond will allow the construction of a multipurpose-room addition to the one-room building that houses the K-8 school.
Twin Falls Times-News; March 9, 2010
Idaho state park eyes motorized events to raise funding.
Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation Chief Nancy Merrill is exploring a range of options to make state parks self-sufficient, including adding motorized events at the Bruneau Sand Dunes State Park.
Idaho Statesman; March 9, 2010
Nevada agency, wildlife commission fight over predator plans.
After federal officials declined to implement a plan to remove mountain lions and coyotes as a way to address Nevada's declining mule deer populations - a proposal state biologists and the Department of Wildlife opposed as well as not being supported by science - the Nevada Wildlife Commission moved to appoint a panel to explore other options to address mule deer declines.
Reno Gazette-Journal; March 9, 2010
Idaho legislator wants schools to post spending online.
Idaho state Rep. Phil Hart is expected to introduce a bill today before the House Education Committee that would require school districts to post all their spending online by the end of 2011.
Idaho Statesman; March 9, 2010
Utah governor signs illegal abortion bill into law.
Gov. Gary Herbert signed legislation into law that will allow a woman who arranges an illegal abortion to be charged with criminal homicide in Utah; the bill was prompted by an incident where a pregnant teen-ager paid a man to beat her with the intent of making her miscarry.
Salt Lake Tribune; March 9, 2010
Utah Senate sends DNA-collection bill to the House.
Legislation that would allow the state to collect DNA samples from persons arrested for violent crimes in Utah was passed by the state Senate on Monday, and now moves to the House for action.
Salt Lake Tribune; March 9, 2010
Wyoming legislative panel to study increase in fuel tax.
Wyoming legislative leaders authorized interim studies on a number of issues last week, including one that will look at the effect of raising taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel as an alternative to making Interstate 80 a toll road, which failed to gain the support of the Legislature.
Casper Star-Tribune; March 9, 2010
Montana dairy in running for national award.
Huls Dairy in Corvallis, home to the only methane digester in Montana, is one of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's picks for top small business.
Ravalli Republic; March 9, 2010
Idaho governor sends letter to Oregon businesses inviting them over.
After Oregon voters passed an initiative to raise taxes on businesses and the state's wealthiest residents, Idaho Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter sent Oregon businesses a letter inviting them to relocate in Idaho, where taxes are more business-friendly.
Idaho Statesman; March 9, 2010
Economic slowdown stretches NPS funds for projects.
The national recession has had somewhat of a silver lining for the National Park Service, as bids for stimulus projects are coming in lower than estimated, allowing the agency's funding to go further.
Deseret News; March 8, 2010
BLM buy in Wyoming would ensure angler access.
The Bureau of Land Management is working to put together funding to buy about 400 acres on the west bank of the North Platte River, a stretch renowned for its blue-ribbon trout fishing, from the Miles Land and Livestock Co.
Casper Star-Tribune; March 8, 2010
Oregon State professor presses for more nuclear power.
José Reyes Jr., the head of Oregon State University's nuclear engineering program, has spent the last three decades working with nuclear power technology and said he believes nuclear energy provides a cleaner alternative than coal-fired power.
Portland Oregonian; March 8, 2010
'Discharge' water boils up battle between Utah county, SITLA.
Grand County has a moratorium on "brine" wells, used to dispose of water brought up during oil and gas drilling operations, but the Utah School and Institutional Trust Land Administration leased a site in that county for just such a well, taking the position that the county does not have jurisdiction over state schools lands.
Salt Lake Tribune; March 8, 2010
Utah Air Force base reports 3 more suicides.
Since 2006, more than 25 people at Hill Air Force Base have committed suicide, three since the first of this year, and base officials have hired an independent consulting firm and a psychologist to delve into the reasons for the high rate of suicides.
Salt Lake Tribune; March 8, 2010
Idaho has most ambitious plan for early high-school graduation.
A number of states are exploring ways to encourage qualified high school students to graduate early, and Idaho's may be the most ambitious, allowing students to graduate up to three years early and offering up to $1,600 in scholarship funds for each year they graduate early.
Idaho Statesman; March 8, 2010
Idaho bill sets up state for federal fight on firearms.
Idaho lawmakers are considering legislation that would exempt all firearms made, sold and kept in Idaho from federal regulations, a bill that mirrors one passed in Montana that is currently being challenged in court.
Spokane Spokesman-Review; March 8, 2010
Utah utility has some 'green' for renewable-energy projects.
Rocky Mountain Power is on the hunt for small, community renewable-energy projects to fund with money from its Blue Sky program, where Utah consumers pay an additional premium to buy power from such projects.
Salt Lake Tribune; March 8, 2010
USDA official: Funds available for small producers.
Agriculture Department Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan was in Utah Thursday, where she told an audience at Utah State University that there are federal funds available for small, local producers of food.
Salt Lake Tribune; March 8, 2010
Nevada's unemployment rate at 13 percent.
Nevada's unemployment rate in January remained at December's level - 13 percent, although unemployment in Clark County climbed to 13.8 percent.
Las Vegas Review-Journal; March 8, 2010
Plum Creek Timber Co. sees signs of recovery in Montana.
Plum Creek Timber Co. had a rough 2009, as did nearly all businesses reliant on the construction industry, but Hank Ricklefs, departing vice president of northern resources and manufacturing, said that its Montana divisions are showing signs of recovery; Ricklefs is turning over the reins to Tom Ray at the end of this month.
Flathead Beacon; March 8, 2010
Vilsack tells Montana crowd Tester's Forest Jobs bill may work.
In a change of position for the administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Saturday that, with some changes made, Montana U.S. Sen. Jon Tester's Forest Jobs and Recreation Act might be worth trying.
Montana Standard; March 7, 2010
Eleutian Technology to hire 100 teachers in Wyoming city.
Eleutian Technology, a Wyoming company that teaches English online to people in several Asian countries, is expanding its operations in Ten Sleep to Casper, where it intends to hire 100 teachers.
Casper Star-Tribune; March 7, 2010
Federal government: Listing of sage grouse 'warranted, precluded'.
On Friday, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar carved out a compromise decision on the sage grouse - not giving the bird endangered status, but saying such a listing was warranted, a position that Utah federal lawmakers called an attack on Western states and communities.
New York Times; March 6, 2010
Montana FWP: State has too many wolves.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Director Joe Maurier eased the way for federal Wildlife Services agents to remove problem wolves without first getting state approval, because Maurier said the state simply has too many wolves.
Helena Independent Record; March 6, 2010
USFWS decision on sage grouse could have big impact.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has scheduled a teleconference at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time today to discuss the status of the greater sage grouse, and if the species if given endangered status, there will be considerable ramifications in the 11 Western states where the sage grouse is found.
Seattle Times; March 5, 2010
Salazar announces sage grouse will get some protection.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced Friday that the greater sage grouse will be listed as a "candidate species" for protection under the Endangered Species Act, giving federal, state and local governments, as well as private landowners and nonprofit groups years to continue their efforts to improve sage grouse numbers.
Denver Post; March 5, 2010
Montana congressman wants to limit use of Antiquities Act.
Montana U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg, who said the suggestion that 2.5 million acres of grasslands in northeastern Montana could be a potential national monument, spurred him to introduce a bill Thursday that would require the authorization of Congress for such designations.
Missoulian; March 5, 2010
Wyoming governor says 'no' to third term.
If Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal had wanted to run for re-election, he would have had to challenge the state's term-limits law - a move state legislators have already done successfully, but Freudenthal said his family's opposition to his running again was all he needed to make the decision.
Casper Star-Tribune; March 5, 2010
Wyoming national forest proposes 'amenity' fee.
Bighorn National Forest officials have proposed a fee for parking at a popular trailhead in the Wyoming national forest, and is taking public comment on the proposal through March 31.
Billings Gazette; March 5, 2010
Canadian survey tracks bison in North America.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature released the report, "American Bison: Status Survey and Conservation Guidelines 2010;" the report tracks bison in the wild and sets guidelines for the future of the animals in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, but University of Calgary scientists said there's much to be done before the bison again roam Banff National Park in Alberta.
Calgary Herald; March 5, 2010
Washington senator to Chu: Show me the science on Yucca Mtn..
U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., confronted Energy Secretary Steven Chu during an Energy Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on Thursday, and pressed him to provide the scientific basis for his agency's decision to withdraw Nevada's Yucca Mountain from consideration as a site for a national nuclear waste repository.
Tri-City Herald; March 5, 2010
Senate bill would delay EPA rules on greenhouse gases.
West Virginia Sen. John Rockefeller introduced legislation Thursday that would put the Environmental Protection Agency's effort to regulate greenhouse gases on hold for two years, and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski said she intends to set her legislation, which would completely eliminate the EPA's authority to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act, for a vote later this month.
Christian Science Monitor; March 5, 2010
Immigration reform next on President Obama's agenda.
President Obama met this week with New York Sen. Chuck Schumer and South Carolina Sen. Lindsay Graham, who have been working for months to craft a bill to overhaul the nation's immigration system, in an effort to jumpstart immigration reform.
Los Angeles Times; March 5, 2010
Report says 36 people used Washington state's assisted suicide law.
Last year was the first year that Washington state's assisted suicide law was in effect, and a new report issued Thursday said 63 people obtained prescriptions for lethal doses of medication and that 36 of those used the prescriptions to hasten their deaths.
New York Times; March 5, 2010
Wyoming won't run first leg of 'Race to the Top'.
Wyoming didn't make the first cut in the federal stimulus program for education, but the state will get a second chance in subsequent rounds of funding for the "Race to the Top" program.
Casper Star-Tribune; March 5, 2010
Wolf hunts in half of Idaho's hunting zones are closed.
Idaho's wolf hunt season is scheduled to close on March 31 - or when the hunters take the 220-wolf quota - whichever comes first, although quotas have been met in only six of the state's 12 hunting districts.
Twin Falls Times-News; March 5, 2010
NPS taps Grand Teton superintendent for interim regional post.
Grand Teton National Park Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott was picked to serve as the interim director of the National Park Service's Intermountain Region in Denver, a post that will take Scott away from the Wyoming park for about six months.
Jackson Hole Daily; March 5, 2010
NRCS: Snowpack in W. Montana about half of average.
The Natural Resources Conservation Service said that snowpack in Montana typically peaks in April, and that on March 1 levels should typically be at about 82 percent of average, but this year on the western side of the Continental Divide, levels range from 71 percent of average in the Flathead to 52 percent of average in the Bitterroot.
Missoulian; March 5, 2010
Group fights BLM's effort to cancel Idaho grazing leases.
Western Watersheds Project Executive Director Jon Marvel said the Bureau of Land Management's proposal to cancel three grazing leases held by the group in Idaho is discriminatory and disputed the BLM's reasons for canceling the leases, including for not grazing cattle on the land, as Marvel contends the BLM is not trying to cancel a lease held by a rancher who is also not grazing cattle on his allotment.
Challis Messenger; March 5, 2010
Idaho tax refunds drain account early.
Idaho taxpayers entitled to tax refunds filed early and drained the account, prompting Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter to schedule an emergency meeting with the State Board of Examiners to transfer $30 million from the state general fund to replenish the account.
Idaho Statesman; March 5, 2010
Idaho cuts to Medicaid delivers $191-million bottom line punch.
Members of Idaho's Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee approved trimming about $47 million in state spending for fiscal year 2011, a decision that translates into an overall cut of $191 million when federal matching dollars are factored into the mix.
Twin Falls Times-News; March 5, 2010
Idaho House OKs boat-fee increase to fight invasive species.
The Idaho House approved a bill that increased fees for non-motorized Idaho boats from $5 to $7, and for out-of-state boaters from $20 to $22, to help fund efforts to fight invasive species in the state's waterways; the measure now moves to the Senate.
Idaho Statesman; March 5, 2010
One of the most watched Yellowstone wolf packs is 'kaput'.
The Druid Pack in Yellowstone National Park had 11 wolves two months ago, but the alpha female was killed by other wolves, the alpha male wandered off, and biologists believe the remaining wolves either died from mange or were killed by other wolves.
Billings Gazette; March 4, 2010
Time running out for wolf collaring effort in Yellowstone Park.
Inclement weather, lack of snow and elusive wolves have hampered Yellowstone National Park's effort to get more collars on wolves in the park to help keep track of packs, including the Gibbons Pack, which has just one wolf collared; and the Bechler Pack, where the only collared wolf died last year.
Billings Gazette; March 4, 2010
Study finds 691 grizzly bears in Alberta.
An independent agency's survey of Alberta's grizzly bear population found 691 in the Canadian province, and estimated that 359 of the bears were able to reproduce.
Edmonton Journal; March 4, 2010
Wyoming reports another CBM water spill at Williams site.
Federal and state documents indicate that there have been 16 coalbed-methane discharge water spills at Williams Production Co. sites in Wyoming's Powder River Basin, and six spills have occurred within the last 10 days.
Casper Star-Tribune; March 4, 2010
Wyoming governor to sign Firearms Freedom Act.
Legislation that exempts guns made, sold and kept in Wyoming from federal firearms laws is headed to Gov. Dave Freudenthal's desk, where it is expected the bill will be signed into law; Montana and Tennessee have similar laws in place.
Casper Star-Tribune; March 4, 2010
Interior Secretary vows 'no hidden agenda' on national monuments.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar told members of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday that no one should worry about a backroom plan to create new national monuments and said a draft internal memo on potential new monument sites was merely an exercise to find out what his staff was thinking.
Salt Lake Tribune; March 4, 2010
DOE petitions to withdraw Yucca Mountain permit application.
On the heels of the Department of Energy's petition to withdraw its application for a permit for a national nuclear waste repository in Nevada's Yucca Mountain, Washington state officials filed a petition with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to block the DOE's petition to withdraw its application.
Tri-City Herald; March 4, 2010
Idaho teachers left in lurch after flex-spending firm folds.
Boise-based XpressFlex administered the medical flex-spending accounts for Boise and Nampa school districts in Idaho, but the firm closed unexpectedly, and teachers are reporting that their reimbursement checks are bouncing.
Idaho Statesman; March 4, 2010
Tester: EPA drinking water rules threaten rural Montana communities.
During a Senate appropriations subcommittee hearing on Wednesday, Montana U.S. Sen. Jon Tester told Environmental Protection Agency Director Lisa P. Jackson that the agency's new drinking water standards are putting rural communities in dire straits as they struggle to afford the upgrades; Jackson said she understand the challenges the new standards present to rural communities in Montana and other states.
Great Falls Tribune; March 4, 2010
Idaho working group has been helping sage grouse since 1994.
The Shoshone Basin Local Working Group, a group of Idaho residents and government biologists, has been working to aid sage grouse populations on 180,000 acres in the state since 1994, making it one of the longest-running groups in the nation.
Twin Falls Times-News; March 4, 2010
Montana senator, 3 others criticize federal wind-energy spending.
U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, along with three other Democratic senators: New York's Charles Schumer; Pennsylvania's Robert P. Casey, Jr., and Ohio's Sherrod Brown, said that most of the federal stimulus funds for wind and other renewable energy project have gone to foreign companies - a criticism rejected by the Obama administration and wind-energy industry officials as inaccurate.
Washington Post; March 4, 2010
Idaho JFAC raises timber-harvest levels on state lands.
The Idaho Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee approved an increase in timber harvests on state lands by 35 million board feet, a move that Department of Lands Director George Bacon said earlier this year would create 525 new jobs and generate $15 million in additional annual revenue.
Idaho Statesman; March 4, 2010
Idaho House nixes health insurance bill.
A 39-31 vote in the Idaho House scuttled a bill that would have required insurance companies to cover patients at specialty hospitals.
Idaho Statesman; March 4, 2010
Idaho lawmakers pass $1.58 billion budget.
Idaho lawmakers said the budget passed by the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee is the first one in history to cut funding for public education, although legislators tried to make the reduction in funding more palatable by giving districts more latitude on how the funds are spent; the full House and Senate must now vote on the budget.
Idaho Statesman; March 4, 2010
Wyoming House, Senate send wind-energy bills to Freudenthal.
The Wyoming House sent a bill that gives the state permitting authority over wind farms and collector transmission lines from those farms to the governor, and the Wyoming Senate sent him a bill that imposes a moratorium until June 30, 2011, on the use of eminent domain for merchant wind power collector lines.
Billings Gazette; March 4, 2010
Wyoming Legislature sends texting ban to governor.
Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal is expected to sign legislation into law that bans texting while driving and makes the crime a primary offense, allowing law enforcement officers to pull over drivers suspected of texting while driving.
Casper Star-Tribune; March 4, 2010
Idaho puts out the call for organic farmers.
The federal Environmental Quality Incentives Program Organic Initiative offered organic farmers in Idaho $900,000 last year, but only awarded $400,000 because only a few farmers applied for the money; this year Idaho is holding a workshop Friday with Harris Sherman, USDA's newly appointed undersecretary for Natural Resources and Environment, and Congressman Walt Minnick to learn how to apply for the $798,000 in funding available this year.
Idaho Statesman; March 4, 2010
Seattle company to expand into Idaho.
Northwest Computer Support, which provides information technology services and support for small-to-medium size businesses, will open an office in Idaho's Treasure Valley sometime this year, adding up to a dozen new jobs to the area.
Idaho Statesman; March 4, 2010
Study: Pine beetles don't increase wildfire rates in forests.
A new study released by the National Center for Conservation Science and Policy said that drought, not beetles, was the driving force for wildfire rates in national forests, but a Gallatin National Forest official in Montana said the study's focus on Colorado forests means that the results of the study don't necessarily apply to Montana forests.
Bozeman Daily Chronicle; March 3, 2010
Utah makes bold move to seize federal land.
Utah has a record of making audacious moves to shrug off federal control, and the legislation passed by the state House last week that uses eminent domain to lay claim to three areas of federal land may be the most audacious yet.
Los Angeles Times; March 3, 2010
Proposed Utah power plant may switch from coal to natural gas.
Sevier Power and its parent company, NEVCO LLC, have been trying to build a coal-fired power plant in Utah's Sevier County for years, and now the utility is considering building a natural-gas fired power plant - a decision that may end the opposition to the project that has stalled it for nearly a decade.
Salt Lake Tribune; March 3, 2010
Climate change scientists confront critics to defend studies.
For months climate change scientists have shrugged off criticism and downplayed attacks on their work, but the skepticism has grown, and now those scientists are engaging the critics to mend what they see as a crisis of trust in their science.
New York Times; March 3, 2010
Report: Depleted uranium from S.C. too hot for Utah.
A report issued by technical experts working with the Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah said that the depleted uranium from South Carolina proposed for disposal at EnergySolutions' Tooele County site contains more of the fission product technetium-99 than Utah law allows.
Salt Lake Tribune; March 3, 2010
FBI informant in Four Corners artifact case commits suicide.
Ted Gardiner, the man who helped federal officials break a case involving the sale of stolen Indian artifacts in the Four Corners region, shot and killed himself during a standoff with police in Utah on Monday; he is the third person connected with the artifacts case to commit suicide.
Deseret News; March 3, 2010
Wyoming poised to ban texting while driving.
Legislation that would ban texting while driving faces a final vote in the Wyoming House today, and if the bill is approved there, Gov. Dave Freudenthal will likely sign the bill into law, making the state the 20th in the nation to adopt such a ban.
Casper Star-Tribune; March 3, 2010
Video game maker to move from on Utah city to another.
Electronic Arts, the video game manufacturer that created "Tiger Woods PGA Tour" and "Madden NFL" and Hasbro games such as "Nerf" and "Little Pet Shop", is preparing to move the 100 workers at its Bountiful facility to a new office in downtown Salt Lake City, where the company has future expansion plans.
Salt Lake Tribune; March 3, 2010
Montana county seeks federal funds for trio of bioenergy projects.
Lewis and Clark County applied for $800,000 in federal funds for its Tri-County Biomass Energy Pilot Project that would explore three different technologies to turn beetle-killed trees into energy and employ 20 people.
Helena Independent Record; March 3, 2010
Colorado scientists say serum can combat pine-bark beetles.
So far the U.S. Forest Service isn't returning calls to the Colorado State University scientists who helped develop a serum from the shells of crab and shrimp shells from Iceland that they said appears to keep pine bark beetles from killing pine trees.
Denver Post; March 2, 2010
Oil, gas reigned supreme in Western U.S. in the 2000s.
During the first decade of this century, wireless carriers and specialty-food manufacturers posted the strongest sales nationally, but in the Western United States, oil and gas companies held the top spot, according to a report issued by Sageworks, a North Carolina firm that compiles financial data on private companies.
Denver Post; March 2, 2010
Comment period on genetically altered alfalfa ends Wednesday.
After an Idaho alfalfa farmer sued Monsanto to keep its genetically altered alfalfa off the market in 2005, a federal court put the sale of such seeds on hold and ordered the U.S. Department of Agriculture to conduct an environmental impact of the genetically altered crop, and the deadline to comment on that analysis is Wednesday.
Seattle Times; March 2, 2010
BLM's new office for wind projects has plenty to do in Wyoming.
The Renewable Energy Coordination Office of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management was created in the waning days of the Bush administration to handle permits for wind, solar and other renewable energy projects; offices were set up in Cheyenne, Rawlins and Rock Springs in Wyoming.
Casper Star-Tribune; March 2, 2010
BLM reviews plans for 4,135-acre wind farm in Wyoming.
Utah-based Wasatch Wind Inc. is seeking a permit for its Black Mountain Wind Park on 4,135 acres of land in Wyoming's Natrona County, along with a 13-mile feeder transmission line.
Casper Star-Tribune; March 2, 2010
Study: Common herbicide changes male frogs into females.
A new study published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences said that atrazine, one of the most common herbicides found in U.S. waterways, can turn male frogs into females capable of producing viable eggs.
Washington Post; March 2, 2010
Washington state joins fight to keep Yucca Mountain option.
Washington state officials announced Monday that they would seek to intervene in a lawsuit filed against the federal government over its decision to abandon plans to create a national nuclear waste repository in Nevada's Yucca Mountain.
Tri-City Herald; March 2, 2010
Washington governor seeks $4.1M for drought relief.
With snowpack levels in the state ranging from 50 to 83 percent of average, Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire took a proactive stance and asked the Legislature for $4.1 million for a drought relief fund.
Tri-City Herald; March 2, 2010
Financing a huge obstacle for nuclear power projects.
Gathering the money needed to build nuclear power plants has always been the largest obstacle for such projects, and now that banks aren't lending, developers are taking their money needs to states and regulators, getting the go-ahead to charge ratepayers as the plants are being built.
Washington Post; March 2, 2010
Nevada university to close agricultural school.
On Monday, the University of Nevada-Reno announced it will cut $11 million out of its budget by closing the College of Agriculture and eliminating some departments and degree programs.
Reno Gazette-Journal; March 2, 2010
Idaho city gives tentative nod to proposed land swap.
Under a deal given tentative approval by the Twin Falls City Council on Monday, the city will trade one acre of land on the rim of Snake River Canyon for an acre of land owned by a private developer on the canyon floor that includes the only one of the Hidden Lakes the Idaho city doesn't own.
Twin Falls Times-News; March 2, 2010
Construction craze builds in Moab, Utah.
There are five construction projects under way in Moab, a Utah town known for its appeal to tourists, but the projects will benefit the 5,000 folks who live there year round: a hospital, two new school buildings, a community center and a new bridge.
Grand Junction Sentinel; March 2, 2010
Wyoming national forest removes beetle-killed trees from campgrounds.
Pine-bark beetle infestations have killed about a third of the trees in Wyoming's Shoshone National Forest, affecting 823,000 acres of the 2.4-million acre forest in Wyoming, and crews have been working to remove beetle-killed trees, as well as other trees that present a danger to campers, at campgrounds in the forest.
Casper Star-Tribune; March 2, 2010
European company deploys air bag avalanche technology in Utah.
Manuel Genswein, an avalanche safety expert and Swiss engineer, traveled to Utah's Snowbird Ski Resort to introduce air bag avalanche equipment, which Genswein said operates on the premise of making skiers and snowboarders "bigger particles" in slides.
Aspen Times; March 2, 2010
Utah GOP gubernatorial candidate campaigns on gold, food issues.
Richard Martin, a Utah businessman who launched his campaign for the Republican Party's nomination for governor, said he believes the state should invest its reserve funds in gold and create a food storage system for natural disasters.
Deseret News; March 2, 2010
Wyoming Legislature keeps 3 health-related bills alive.
A pilot health-care reform project survived a House vote on Monday, and a bill allowing Wyoming residents to buy health insurance from out-of-state companies survived a Senate vote, as did a bill setting up a board to license and certify mid-wives.
Casper Star-Tribune; March 2, 2010
Health care reform bill survives vote in Utah Senate.
A bill that would impose new regulations on the Utah Health Exchange, an online insurance market set up last year to help small businesses and their employees find affordable health care coverage, survived a vote in the Utah Senate but with more changes promised, the bill faces an uncertain future.
Salt Lake Tribune; March 2, 2010
Utah health-care bill for immigrant children moves ahead.
A bill that would remove a five-year waiting period for access to low-income health care for children of illegal immigrants survived a key vote in the Utah Senate on Monday after the bill's sponsor altered the bill to make July 1, 2012 the starting date of the law.
Salt Lake Tribune; March 2, 2010
Utah bill to curb law enforcement power of USFS, BLM advances.
A Utah House panel approved a measure that doesn't recognize the federal law enforcement authority of the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service and sent the measure along to the full House for consideration.
Deseret News; March 2, 2010
Idaho panel may combine 7 urban renewal bills into 1.
The Idaho House Urban Renewal Subcommittee decided Monday to appoint a task force to study whether the seven bills dealing with urban renewal might be consolidated into one piece of legislation.
Twin Falls Times-News; March 2, 2010
Idaho Senate approves animal care, cockfighting bills.
Idaho Sen. Tim Corder told state lawmakers that the time to create animal care standards was before a predicted influx of poultry farms into the state, and on Monday, the state Senate approved a bill to create an advisory board for animal care and another that would make cockfighting a felony.
Twin Falls Times-News; March 2, 2010
Idaho AG's opinion doesn't sway critics of tribal law bill.
Legislation that would allow Coeur d'Alene Tribe officers to cite non-tribal members violating Idaho law on reservations passed the constitutional review of the state attorney general, but critics of the bill denied that the opinion derailed their constitutional concerns.
Coeur d'Alene Press; March 2, 2010
Utah firm gets $1.2-million contract for Wyoming jail project.
Provo-based Fundamentics LLC won the development portion of a contract to build a justice center complex for Lincoln County, Wyo., and principals of the Utah firm said getting that portion of the contract puts it in a leading position to get the contract for the whole project.
Salt Lake Tribune; March 2, 2010
New chief for USFS Northern Region discusses agenda.
Leslie Weldon replaced Tom Tidwell as the U.S. Forest Service chief for the Northern Rockies region, overseeing 12 national forests and four national grasslands in five states, and she took time to discuss how pine bark beetle infestations and other challenges will change the management of those lands.
Missoulian; March 1, 2010
Grizzly bears on the prowl in Yellowstone National Park.
Spring won't arrive for another three weeks, and wintry conditions still linger in Yellowstone National Park, but grizzly bears are out of their dens, with tracks reported east of Mammoth Hot Springs in northern Yellowstone.
Billings Gazette; March 1, 2010
Court decisions muddy effect of Clean Water Act.
The Supreme Court decision that muddied the question of what waterways were subject to the Clean Water Act has led to the cancellation of the investigation of more than 1,500 major pollution cases over the past four years.
New York Times; March 1, 2010
EPA wades into factory farms' manure pollution.
Manure from large factory farms has boosted the amount of nitrogen produced by that pollutant more than 60 percent since the 1970s, and the federal Environmental Protection Agency announced last week that reducing run-off from such operations is one of its six "national enforcement initiatives."
Washington Post; March 1, 2010
California dairies' methane digesters create air pollution problem.
There are more than a million dairy cows in central California, where those cows produce up to 192 million pounds of manure a day, and while 16 dairies have installed methane digesters to turn the manure into electricity, those digesters are creating nitrous oxide which exacerbates the state's smog problem.
Los Angeles Times; March 1, 2010
Utah county, Rocky Mountain Power fight over power line route.
Rocky Mountain Power will ask the Tooele County Planning Commission Wednesday to approve a conditional permit for a high-voltage power line along Tooele City's south and east boundaries, but many residents of the Utah county oppose the transmission line's route.
Salt Lake Tribune; March 1, 2010
Utah bill on illegal abortions awaits governor's action.
A pregnant teen-ager in Utah paid a man $150 to beat her, hoping to make her miscarry, inspiring legislation in that state that would criminalize such behavior, and the bill is now on the Gov. Gary Herbert's desk, awaiting his signature or veto.
New York Times; March 1, 2010
Former Utah Gov. Leavitt parlays experience into business.
Mike Leavitt, a former Utah governor who served as secretary of Health and Human Services in the previous administration, has opened a consulting firm to help businesses navigate federal bureaucracy.
Salt Lake Tribune; March 1, 2010
Nevada Legislature passes jobs bill.
Gov. Jim Gibbons is likely to sign a bill passed early Monday morning that would use a portion of Nevada's state sales and gasoline taxes to fund road-building projects that lawmakers said could directly and indirectly create thousands of jobs.
Las Vegas Review-Journal; March 1, 2010
Many Utah agencies not in compliance with immigration law.
Eight months after a law went into effect requiring governmental agencies in Utah to verify that employees are legally able to work in the United States, most state agencies have yet to comply with the law.
Salt Lake Tribune; March 1, 2010
Opinion
Wolves alone can't be blamed for decline of Wyoming's elk herds.
At the rally planned tomorrow in Jackson, the wolf will be painted as the primary culprit in the decline of elk herds - and of hunters' success - in Wyoming, but the facts just don't support the rhetoric, as most herds are holding their own and those that are in decline are diminishing for an array of reasons that include drought-reducing forage available as well as grizzly bear predation.
Casper Star-Tribune; March 19, 2010
Idaho communities can't wait, hope for recovery, but must plan.
The report issued this week by the Brookings Institution confirms what Idahoans have known for months: the state isn't rebounding as quickly from this recession as in the past, and communities must work together to bootstrap themselves out of the slump.
Idaho Mountain Express; March 19, 2010
Utah's effort to shrug off federal mantle misguided, costly.
Turning anti-federal government rhetoric into "message" bills is an annual rite in the Utah Legislature, and this year's session is no exception with the passage of a law to exempt firearms made in Utah from federal regulations, which Gov. Gary Herbert unfortunately signed into law; as well as other measures that Herbert still has the option vetoing, which he should do.
Salt Lake Tribune; March 16, 2010
Utah governor should sign stream-access bill.
Utah House Bill 141 isn't the perfect solution to the state's stream access puzzle, but it does tread a reasonable line between recreationists' rights and protection of private property owners.d Gov. Gary Herbert should sign the bill into law.
Salt Lake Tribune; March 12, 2010
Sage grouse decision bears Salazar's trademark.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar's decision on sage grouse bears his classic imprint with the carrot of keeping the bird off the endangered species list and encouraging groups to work together to improve habitat and species numbers to avoid the hammer--an endangered species listing.
Denver Post; March 11, 2010
Wyoming's ban on texting while driving a good decision.
Enforcing Wyoming's new ban on texting while driving may be a little tough, but given the data on the dangers of sending text messages while behind the wheel of a vehicle, it's an idea whose time has come.
Casper Star-Tribune; March 11, 2010
Montana senator has a point about wind-energy industry.
Montana Sen. Jon Tester, along with a handful of other U.S. senators, aren't happy that federal stimulus funds are being handed over to foreign companies to build wind-energy components, but since there are few such manufacturing facilities of those components in the U.S., the wind industry has few options to buy American - and perhaps stimulus funds should be spent on ramping up manufacturing of those components rather than construction of wind farms.
Great Falls Tribune; March 9, 2010
Nuclear energy can play an integral role in nation's future.
Nuclear energy already provides one-fifth of the energy consumed by the United States, and President Obama's initiative to promote new nuclear reactors will not only expand this "green" source of energy, it will provide much needed jobs. A guest editorial by Patrick Moore, chairman and chief scientist of Greenspirit Strategies Ltd. and co-chair of the Clean and Safe Energy Coalition.
Los Angeles Times; March 5, 2010
Nuclear energy is wrong option for U.S. for 3 reasons.
President Obama's misguided initiative to expand nuclear power production in the United States should fail because nuclear power is too expensive; uranium mining destroys the environment; and the nation has yet to address what to do with the waste leftover from the production of nuclear energy. A guest column by Chip Ward, a founder of HEAL Utah who wrote about the struggle to keep his Utah backyard from becoming a nuclear dumping ground in his books, "Canaries on the Rim" and "Hope's Horizon."
Los Angeles Times; March 5, 2010
Public lands fee increases pave way for privatization.
The American public seems unwilling to acknowledge - or are perhaps unaware of - how small fee increases for recreation on public lands are setting those lands up for privatization. A column by Bill Schneider.
New west.net; March 4, 2010
USFWS should make sage grouse 'candidate species'.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's decision on the greater sage grouse is due the end of this week, and that decision probably won't be to list the bird as an endangered species, but it could rank the species high on its list of "candidate species," which would spur efforts to aid the bird and give it a fighting chance of survival.
New York Times; March 3, 2010
Utah city lays down renewable energy path worth following.
St. George pulls its power from a variety of sources - coal, natural gas and hydroelectric - and last fall the Utah city added solar power to its portfolio and is in the process of tapping into the methane gas produced at the Washington County landfill to generate more power.
Salt Lake Tribune; March 2, 2010
The sage grouse will not be the spotted owl for West's public lands.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is expected to announce its decision on the greater sage grouse by Friday, but despite what's been said for the previous decade, an endangered species listing for the bird won't have the same impact in the 11 western states where the species makes its home that the spotted owl listing had in the Pacific Northwest. A column by Rocky Barker.
Idaho Statesman; March 1, 2010
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