Current Headlines
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Current News and Opinion
USDA secretary rolls out plan to increase USFS's timber production.
On Thursday, U.S. Department of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced that the U.S. Forest Service will increase logging and restoration work this year, using $40 million in new funds authorized by Congress, with work begun in Montana in 2011 to continue and two new projects in Idaho will be done this year.
Missoulian; February 3, 2012
MLA says Alberta logging project puts grizzly bears at risk.
MLA Laurie Blakeman questioned Alberta's approval of a logging project in the Castle Crown Special Management Area, and said that she will stand in front of logging trucks if that is what it takes to stop logging in an area that provides habitat to grizzly bears.
Calgary Herald; February 3, 2012
Federal government releases plan to buy back tribal lands.
The $3.4-billion settlement of the class-action lawsuit filed by Elouise Cobell against the federal government for mismanagement of tribal assets contains $1.9 billion to buy fractionalized interests in tribal lands and return them to the tribes, and on Thursday, the Interior Department released details on how they intend to do that.
Missoulian; February 3, 2012
Canada lynx caught in trap in central Idaho.
Lynx are rarely seen in the Salmon-Challis National Forest in Idaho, with fewer than 40 confirmed sightings reported since 1896. And forest officials are uncertain whether the Canada lynx caught in a trap was a hybrid bobcat-lynx as has been reported in other parts of the nation. The lynx was uninjured by the trap and ran off when released.
Idaho Mountain Express; February 3, 2012
Experts in Arizona, New Mexico, work to turn wolves' appetite for beef off.
The federal government's attempt to reintroduce wolves in Arizona and New Mexico has been hampered by the wolves' appetite for beef, so now wildlife biologists are trying aversion therapy, lacing beef with a nonlethal medication that will make wolves ill, in an attempt to get them off beef.
Arizona Republic; February 3, 2012
Navajo Code Talker dies in Arizona.
Sgt. Jimmie Begay of Sawmill, one of 420 Navajo soldiers trained as Code Talkers during World War II, died in Arizona on Wednesday in Arizona at the age of 86.
Arizona Republic; February 3, 2012
Idaho House committee agrees to hear bill to make it harder to raise taxes.
Sixteen states in the union require tax increases to get the vote of two-thirds of the Legislature, and on Thursday the Idaho House State Affairs panel agreed to hear Sen. Steve Vick's bill for a constitutional amendment requiring a supermajority vote on fee and tax increases.
Twin Falls Times-News; February 3, 2012
Utah Senate to hear bill to rework environmental boards today.
Sen. Margaret Dayton worked with the Utah Manufacturers Association and the Utah Mining Association to revamp the state's five environmental advisory boards, and the Utah Senate will hold a hearing today on the measure that trims membership of each of the boards and moves some of their functions to the Department of Environmental Quality.
Salt Lake Tribune; February 3, 2012
Group formed to encourage Wyomingites to buy local.
Expanding the mission of "Think Wyoming First," formed last year to give in-state companies priority on major construction projects, on Thursday, "307 First" was launched to promote consumers to buy locally produced goods and to hire local companies to provide services.
Casper Star-Tribune; February 3, 2012
Simplot report on selenium pollution in SE Idaho under fire.
Conservation groups and a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist have raised questions about the validity of a 1,200-page report prepared by the J.R. Simplot Company about the effects of selenium pollution from phosphate mines in southeast Idaho.
Jackson Hole News & Guide; February 2, 2012
EPA official defends Wyoming report before U.S. House panel.
At a House Science Committee's energy and environment subcommittee hearing on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's draft report on its investigation of groundwater contamination near Pavillion, Wyo., EPA Regional Administrator James Martin defended the report. He denied that the report, which linked groundwater contamination in Wyoming to oil and gas operations, would in no way apply in other areas of the nation, due to geological differences.
Casper Star-Tribune; February 2, 2012
'Gasland' filmmaker arrested at House subcommittee hearing.
Joshua Fox, the filmmaker whose documentary "Gasland" galvanized concerns about a drilling method known as hydraulic fracturing, was arrested Wednesday for not having proper media credentials while trying to film a House subcommittee hearing on an Environmental Protection Agency's report on water contamination in Wyoming.
Los Angeles Times; February 2, 2012
U. of Wyoming professor helps create 'spider silk'.
University of Wyoming professor Don Jarvis worked with researchers in Utah, Indiana and Michigan to create stronger silk by injecting spider DNA into silkworms, and the "spider silk," could be available within the next two years for a wide range of commercial uses including artificial tendons.
Casper Star-Tribune; February 2, 2012
Nevada an entirely different political landscape this presidential campaign.
When Republican presidential candidates went to Nevada in 2008 to woo voters, unemployment was 5.5 percent and Nevadans were optimistic, but that's not the case these days, with unemployment the highest in the nation, the state is ground zero in the housing crisis, and the Tea Party, which wasn't around in 2008, is a force to be reckoned with.
New York Times; February 2, 2012
Blue Cross of Idaho's 14.42 percent rate increase prompts review.
The 14.42 percent rate increase imposed by Blue Cross of Idaho on individual health insurance policies will affect 11,427 people in the state, and since the increase is a double-digit one, it triggers an automatic review required by the 2010 federal Affordable Care Act.
Idaho Statesman; February 2, 2012
Wyoming's policy on gas flaring on state Land Board's agenda today.
The Wyoming State Land Board, made up of the state's top five elected officials, will consider a change to the policy that allows companies developing gas wells on state lands be allowed to vent off gas the first 15 days the well is in production without paying royalties on that gas, and consider a proposal supported by the Equality State Policy Center, the Parent Teachers Association and the Wyoming Education Association to make companies pay royalties on gas that is now just burned off.
Casper Star-Tribune; February 2, 2012
Montana county commissioners, sportsmen's group meet on wolves.
Ravalli County Fish and Wildlife Association members met with two Ravalli County commissioners on Wednesday to discuss the Montana county commission's proposed predator policy, and association members urged the county commission to remain within state law when creating that policy.
Ravalli Republic; February 2, 2012
Grazing fees on USFS, BLM lands to remain at current levels.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management announced that grazing fees on lands in 16 Western states would remain at $1.35 per head month or per animal unit, respectively.
Great Falls Tribune; February 2, 2012
Milder winter helps counter wildfire effects on Idaho mule deer herd.
The 39,500 acres in Idaho's Elmore County burned by the Blair Fire last summer provides 5,000 mule deer with winter range, and the loss of the habitat concerned state wildlife officials. They feared the herd would move south, putting deer in peril as they crossed Interstate 94 or causing damage to cultivated fields, but a lack of snowpack up high has kept the herd on range that didn't burn.
Twin Falls Times-News; February 2, 2012
Romney Super Pac gets $1 million from Idaho company.
Restore Our Future, the Super Pac supporting Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, received four $250,000 donations from Idaho-based Melaleuca Inc. and its affiliates.
Idaho Statesman; February 2, 2012
Wyoming natural gas fetches price much lower than estimated.
Back in October, Wyoming economists predicted that natural gas produced in the Opal Hub would sell at $4 per thousand cubic feet, and lowered that estimate later to $3.25 per thousand cubic feet, but the gas is actually selling lower than that, at $2.75 per thousand cubic feet.
Casper Star-Tribune; February 2, 2012
Manufacturing gains help propel Utah businesses to 'vigorous' level.
According to the Goss Institute for Economic Research, manufacturing gains helped propel the index of general business conditions in Utah to 61.3 in January, while the indexes in Wyoming dropped to that level the same month, and Colorado's index fell last month to 57.5.
Salt Lake Tribune; February 2, 2012
Simplot report on selenium pollution in SE Idaho under fire.
Conservation groups and a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist have raised questions about the validity of a 1,200-page report prepared by the J.R. Simplot Company about the effects of selenium pollution from phosphate mines in southeast Idaho.
Jackson Hole News & Guide; February 2, 2012
EPA official defends Wyoming report before U.S. House panel.
At a House Science Committee's energy and environment subcommittee hearing on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's draft report on its investigation of groundwater contamination near Pavillion, Wyo., EPA Regional Administrator James Martin defended the report. He denied that the report, which linked groundwater contamination in Wyoming to oil and gas operations, would in no way apply in other areas of the nation, due to geological differences.
Casper Star-Tribune; February 2, 2012
'Gasland' filmmaker arrested at House subcommittee hearing.
Joshua Fox, the filmmaker whose documentary "Gasland" galvanized concerns about a drilling method known as hydraulic fracturing, was arrested Wednesday for not having proper media credentials while trying to film a House subcommittee hearing on an Environmental Protection Agency's report on water contamination in Wyoming.
Los Angeles Times; February 2, 2012
U. of Wyoming professor helps create 'spider silk'.
University of Wyoming professor Don Jarvis worked with researchers in Utah, Indiana and Michigan to create stronger silk by injecting spider DNA into silkworms, and the "spider silk," could be available within the next two years for a wide range of commercial uses including artificial tendons.
Casper Star-Tribune; February 2, 2012
Nevada an entirely different political landscape this presidential campaign.
When Republican presidential candidates went to Nevada in 2008 to woo voters, unemployment was 5.5 percent and Nevadans were optimistic, but that's not the case these days, with unemployment the highest in the nation, the state is ground zero in the housing crisis, and the Tea Party, which wasn't around in 2008, is a force to be reckoned with.
New York Times; February 2, 2012
Blue Cross of Idaho's 14.42 percent rate increase prompts review.
The 14.42 percent rate increase imposed by Blue Cross of Idaho on individual health insurance policies will affect 11,427 people in the state, and since the increase is a double-digit one, it triggers an automatic review required by the 2010 federal Affordable Care Act.
Idaho Statesman; February 2, 2012
Wyoming's policy on gas flaring on state Land Board's agenda today.
The Wyoming State Land Board, made up of the state's top five elected officials, will consider a change to the policy that allows companies developing gas wells on state lands be allowed to vent off gas the first 15 days the well is in production without paying royalties on that gas, and consider a proposal supported by the Equality State Policy Center, the Parent Teachers Association and the Wyoming Education Association to make companies pay royalties on gas that is now just burned off.
Casper Star-Tribune; February 2, 2012
Montana county commissioners, sportsmen's group meet on wolves.
Ravalli County Fish and Wildlife Association members met with two Ravalli County commissioners on Wednesday to discuss the Montana county commission's proposed predator policy, and association members urged the county commission to remain within state law when creating that policy.
Ravalli Republic; February 2, 2012
Grazing fees on USFS, BLM lands to remain at current levels.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management announced that grazing fees on lands in 16 Western states would remain at $1.35 per head month or per animal unit, respectively.
Great Falls Tribune; February 2, 2012
Milder winter helps counter wildfire effects on Idaho mule deer herd.
The 39,500 acres in Idaho's Elmore County burned by the Blair Fire last summer provides 5,000 mule deer with winter range, and the loss of the habitat concerned state wildlife officials. They feared the herd would move south, putting deer in peril as they crossed Interstate 94 or causing damage to cultivated fields, but a lack of snowpack up high has kept the herd on range that didn't burn.
Twin Falls Times-News; February 2, 2012
Romney Super Pac gets $1 million from Idaho company.
Restore Our Future, the Super Pac supporting Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, received four $250,000 donations from Idaho-based Melaleuca Inc. and its affiliates.
Idaho Statesman; February 2, 2012
Wyoming natural gas fetches price much lower than estimated.
Back in October, Wyoming economists predicted that natural gas produced in the Opal Hub would sell at $4 per thousand cubic feet, and lowered that estimate later to $3.25 per thousand cubic feet, but the gas is actually selling lower than that, at $2.75 per thousand cubic feet.
Casper Star-Tribune; February 2, 2012
Manufacturing gains help propel Utah businesses to 'vigorous' level.
According to the Goss Institute for Economic Research, manufacturing gains helped propel the index of general business conditions in Utah to 61.3 in January, while the indexes in Wyoming dropped to that level the same month, and Colorado's index fell last month to 57.5.
Salt Lake Tribune; February 2, 2012
BLM to host meetings on sage grouse, Gateway West in Wyoming, Idaho.
The Bureau of Land Management will host meetings in Cheyenne on Feb. 15 and in Boise on Feb. 17 to provide information on the agency's sage grouse habitat equivalency analysis (HEA) for the proposed Gateway West Transmission Line Project, which will stretch nearly 1,100 miles across southern Wyoming and southern Idaho.
Wyofile.com; February 2, 2012
At Idaho officials' behest, USFWS extends comment period for caribou plan.
Idaho C.L. "Butch" Otter and Boundary County commissioners successfully lobbied the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to extend the comment period for another 60 days on its proposal to designate 375,000 acres in the Selkirk Mountains in Idaho and Washington state as critical caribou habitat.
Spokane Spokesman-Review; February 1, 2012
Utah governor rolls out clean air campaign.
At a press conference in Utah on Tuesday, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert unveiled the state's clean air initiative by stressing that it was important that the state do what it must to improve air quality to keep the federal government from stepping in to do so.
Salt Lake Tribune; February 1, 2012
Developers willing to bet on Wyoming selling wind power to California.
At a meeting of the Wyoming Infrastructure Siting Authority in Jackson Tuesday, developers of the proposed TransWest Express and Zephyr transmission line projects that would carry wind generated power from Wyoming to markets in California acknowledged that the Golden State wasn't a lock yet, but its enormous number of customers made it a market worth fighting for.
Casper Star-Tribune; February 1, 2012
Montana county commission hearing on wolf bounty prompts lively discussion.
At a meeting of the Jefferson County Commission in Boulder on Tuesday, hunters urged the county commission not to move forward with a proposal to institute a bounty system for wolves and mountain lions. But Commissioner Leonard Wortman said if 51 percent of the ranchers in the Montana county approved a tax to fund the bounty, the commission would be required by state law to put the system in place.
Helena Independent Record; February 1, 2012
Source of oily sheen on river in Wyoming still a mystery.
The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality continues to search for the source of intermittent oil spotted in the North Platte River near Casper's former Amoco Refinery since the first sighting was reported in the spring of 2010.
Casper Star-Tribune; February 1, 2012
Study links algae growth in Snake River to Idaho cities, farms.
The U.S. Geological Survey completed a two-year study funded in part by Nampa and Caldwell that found farms and cities in the Treasure Valley are sending enough phosphorous into the Snake River to contribute to algae growth that is killing fish.
Idaho Statesman; February 1, 2012
Montana closes wolf hunt in another district.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials announced Tuesday that a hunting district in Northwest Montana was closed to wolf hunting as the quota had been reached in that district. Other districts in that area of the state are nearing quotas as well.
Kalispell Daily InterLake; February 1, 2012
NPS to hold open houses in Wyoming, Montana on Yellowstone winter plan.
The National Park Service will hold four open houses to gather input on a long-term winter use plan for Yellowstone National Park. The first two are in Wyoming in Cody on Feb. 13 and Jackson on Feb. 14, followed by meetings in Montana in West Yellowstone on Feb. 15 and Bozeman on Feb. 16.
Billings Gazette; February 1, 2012
Montana license plate will help fund Livestock Loss Board.
The state of Montana unveiled a new specialty license plate bearing the logo of the Livestock Loss Board, the sale of which will help provide funds to reimburse livestock owners who lose animals to wolves.
Helena Independent Record; February 1, 2012
Idaho state senator submits 'straightforward' texting ban.
Idaho state Sen. Jim Hammond said his legislation that would ban texting while driving in the state avoids other pitfalls that doomed previous bills on texting by keeping the process simple: The bill defines texting, makes it an infraction to do so and if convicted of the infraction, drivers are fined.
Spokane Spokesman-Review; February 1, 2012
Idaho legislator wants to trim benefits for elected officials' pensions.
Idaho state Rep. Dennis Lake has introduced a bill that would roll back a retirement benefit for elected officials, and another to close a loophole that allows lawmakers who live near Boise to accumulate retirement benefits about a quarter faster than legislators who live farther away from the capital city.
Twin Falls Times-News; February 1, 2012
Declining sales of hunting tags a concern for Idaho Fish, Game Department.
Idaho Fish and Game Director Virgil Moore presented his budget request to the Legislature's Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on Tuesday, where he spoke of declining sales of out-of-state tags while the sale of discounted tags for senior hunters were on the rise, resulting in less revenue. Moore also provided information about the state's ongoing wolf hunt.
Twin Falls Times-News; February 1, 2012
Utah Senate panel sends bill to protect agricultural land to full Senate.
The Utah Senate Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Committee unanimously approved Senate Majority Leader Scott Jenkins' Agriculture Sustainability Act, which will give farmlands some protection from condemnation for public projects such as roads.
Salt Lake Tribune; February 1, 2012
Wyoming governor schedules meeting with Pavillion residents.
Gov. Matt Mead will meet Monday with residents of Pavillion to discuss long-term solutions to water contamination problems in the Wyoming community, where residents have been relying on commercial water delivery and filtration systems since 2009 due to high levels of sodium and the presence of hydrocarbons in the groundwater.
Wyofile.com; February 1, 2012
Groups want 1947 restriction applied to drilling in Wyoming forest.
The 1947 Jackson Hole Area Oil and Gas Lease Stipulation prohibits wells within 1,250 feet of public roads without the express approval of the Interior secretary, and conservation groups are pressing Bridger-Teton National Forest officials to honor that agreement in the Noble Basin near Jackson, Wyo.
Jackson Hole News & Guide; February 1, 2012
Wyoming governor schedules meeting with Pavillion residents.
Gov. Matt Mead will meet Monday with residents of Pavillion to discuss long-term solutions to water contamination problems in the Wyoming community, where residents have been relying on commercial water delivery and filtration systems since 2009 due to high levels of sodium and the presence of hydrocarbons in the groundwater.
Wyofile.com; February 1, 2012
Groups want 1947 restriction applied to drilling in Wyoming forest.
The 1947 Jackson Hole Area Oil and Gas Lease Stipulation prohibits wells within 1,250 feet of public roads without the express approval of the Interior secretary, and conservation groups are pressing Bridger-Teton National Forest officials to honor that agreement in the Noble Basin near Jackson, Wyo.
Jackson Hole News & Guide; February 1, 2012
Stakeholders gather for forest restoration workshop in Idaho.
Foresters, loggers and environmentalists will seek common ground today at a workshop in Boise sponsored by the Idaho Forest Restoration Partnership, where they'll discuss use of logging to restore forest health and ways to do that in a way that's economically feasible.
Idaho Statesman; January 31, 2012
Attorneys in Cobell settlement release info on objectors.
In an open letter to the more than 500,000 plaintiffs in the class action lawsuit filed by Elouise Cobell over mismanagement of assets and funds held in trust for American Indians by the federal government, the attorneys for those plaintiffs released the names, addresses and phone numbers of the four people who have filed objections to the settlement for various reasons, and at least one of those objectors has been receiving a flood of angry phone calls for holding up the disbursement of settlement funds.
Missoulian; January 31, 2012
Montana county commission to consider bounty on predators at meeting today.
Ranchers in Jefferson County have been reporting an increase in wolf and mountain lion attacks on their livestock. County commissioners will consider a measure at a meeting today that would allow livestock owners to impose a tax upon themselves to fund a bounty program for removing wolves and mountain lions, a measure allowed by state law but in conflict with other state and federal laws.
Helena Independent Record; January 31, 2012
Wind industry, environmental groups develop siting guidelines in Colorado.
Five environmental groups and 10 wind energy companies, working as the Colorado Renewable & Conservation Collaborative, spent the last three years developing a voluntary set of "best practices" guidelines for siting and construction of wind farms in the state.
Denver Post; January 31, 2012
Montana university gets federal grant for slate of projects.
Work done at the BioEnergy Center at Montana State University-Northern on such projects as using tractor exhaust to improve soil conditions, creating an industrial lubricant that does not contain petroleum, and developing a camelina-based jet fuel helped attract a $648,000 grant from the U.S. Commerce Department.
Great Falls Tribune; January 31, 2012
U.S. House Republicans to release transportation legislation today.
Republicans in the U.S. House are expected to roll out their bill to fund transportation projects over the next five years that hands over more authority to states to expand oil exploration off the U.S. coasts and in the Arctic to help fund projects.
Washington Post; January 31, 2012
Western states lead the nation in suicide rates.
The annual report released Monday by the American Association of Suicidology found that in 2009, the states that led the nation in suicides were all in the West, with Montana ranked first, then Alaska, Wyoming, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, Oregon, Arizona and Utah.
Idaho Statesman; January 31, 2012
Wyoming wildlife agents capture one mountain lion kit near Jackson.
Wyoming Fish and Game agents have been trying to capture two mountain lion kits since they caught their mother on Jan. 23 as an ongoing effort to relocate the cougar family away from a residential area near Jackson. On Sunday they caught one of the two kits and reunited it with its mother.
Jackson Hole Daily; January 31, 2012
Second Indian store opens in Idaho city.
The number of Indian immigrants living in Idaho nearly tripled between 2000 and 2008, and to serve that growing population, the India Market opened in Boise in 2003 and a second grocery store opened earlier this year.
Idaho Statesman; January 31, 2012
Management of endangered salmon in Idaho could change with agency move.
President Obama first proposed moving the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration out of the Commerce Department and into the Interior Department, but the idea isn't a new one, and environmentalists are still concerned about having NOAA in the same agency as the Bureau of Reclamation.
Idaho Statesman; January 30, 2012
USFS makes changes to appeals process.
Contained within the U.S. Forest Service's 2012 budget is a change that eliminates the former appeals process, and replaces it with a more streamlined one.
Missoulian; January 30, 2012
Dispute over wind farm, power lines heads to Wyoming Supreme Court.
The Northern Laramie Range Alliance will take its appeal of Wyoming's issuance of a permit to Utah-based Wasatch Wind for a 62-turbine, 100-megawatt wind farm near Glenrock to the Wyoming Supreme Court, after a state district court affirmed that permit.
Casper Star-Tribune; January 30, 2012
Montana sportsmen's group, county to meet on proposed predator policy.
The Ravalli County Fish and Wildlife Association is the oldest sportsmen's group in Montana, and members of the group asked Ravalli County commissioners to meet with them and get their input on the county's proposed predator policy that the sportsmen's group said contains components that are clearly illegal.
Ravalli Republic; January 30, 2012
Construction sector still struggles in Utah.
The Associated General Contractors of America's recent analysis of the construction industry ranked Utah 43rd in the nation for recovering jobs in the construction sector, and a backlog of existing homes in the Beehive State is blockading a return of jobs for residential contractors.
Deseret News; January 30, 2012
Utah puts sage grouse protection plan on fast track.
In order to avoid an endangered species listing for sage grouse in Utah, Gov. Gary Herbert will soon appoint a committee to craft a management plan for the species with a target date of three months to have it ready for Herbert to put it in place by executive order.
Salt Lake Tribune; January 29, 2012
Geothermal power project in the works for volcano in Oregon.
Sometime this summer, Seattle-based AltaRock Energy Inc. of Seattle and Connecticut-based Davenport Newberry Holdings LLC plan to pump 24 million gallons of water into the side of the dormant Newberry Volcano in Oregon, with the plan that the water will return to the surface as steam to be used to generate electricity. The federal government, Google and other investors are helping pay for the $43 million project.
San Francisco Chronicle; January 29, 2012
Irrigation system improves forage on National Elk Refuge in Wyoming.
Last year was the first year the $5.1 million irrigation system installed on the National Elk Refuge in Wyoming was used, and the watering has paid off in the form of increased forage that has so far delayed supplemental feeding of the estimated 5,750 elk and a couple of hundred bison currently on the refuge.
Jackson Hole Daily; January 28, 2012
President Obama, Colorado governor agree on hydraulic fracturing.
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, a petroleum geologist by trade, supports the use of hydraulic fracturing, a drilling method that uses water, sand and chemicals to break open rock formations to release gas and oil resources, and he also supports the requirement that companies disclose what chemicals they use in the process, a stance that staffers said reflects one held by President Obama.
Durango Herald; January 27, 2012
Federal lawmakers' enthusiasm for clean-energy subsidies wanes.
At his campaign stops earlier this week in Nevada and Colorado, President Obama outlined his proposed energy plan that called for tax credits for renewable energy projects, but in Congress enthusiasm for those incentives is decreasing.
New York Times; January 27, 2012
Utah official: SEC probe of investor won't change nuclear-plant decision.
In its application for water rights to build a 3,000-megawatt nuclear power plant near the Green River in Utah, Blue Dog Holdings named LeadDog Capital as the source of $30 million in financing, but the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is alleging the New York-based hedge fund is scamming its investors, a fact that the Utah state engineer said doesn't change the validity of the decision to approve the transfer of the water rights to Blue Dog Holdings.
Salt Lake Tribune; January 27, 2012
Panel on nuclear waste urges taking decision for repository local.
The Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future, appointed two years ago to find options for storing nuclear waste after Yucca Mountain in Nevada was withdrawn from consideration, recommended that the search for a new national repository begin at the local level and that a new agency be created to handle nuclear waste, taking that responsibility out of the Energy Department.
New York Times; January 27, 2012
Nevada casino mogul donates $10M to Newt Gingrich's presidential bid.
Sheldon Adelson, who is the eighth-richest person in the United States, is the CEO Of the Las Vegas Sands Corp., has made two $5 million contributions to Winning Our Future, the political action committee backing Republican Newt Gingrich's run for president.
Indian Country Today; January 27, 2012
Washington state biologist: 'The Grey' wrongly portrays wolves as man-eaters.
Liam Neeson's movie "The Grey" released this weekend, provides Hollywood's usual treatment of wolves as man-eaters, a portrayal Gary Wiles, a wildlife biologist for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, said runs counter to reality, with just two deaths in North America attributed to wolves in the past 60 years.
Spokane Spokesman-Review; January 27, 2012
NCAI president delivers State of Indian Nations speech.
Jefferson Keel, president of the National Congress of American Indians, delivered the annual State of the Indian Nations speech on Thursday in Washington, D.C., where he asked the federal government to give tribes flexibility to allow more economic development.
Indian Country Today; January 27, 2012
Montana tribes launch effort to track climate change's effect on lands.
The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes' Forestry Department, along with the Rocky Mountain Research Station, and the University of Leeds, are searching for people who have spent years on the lands of the Flathead Indian Reservation to interview to help map out how those lands have changed over time.
Char-Koosta News; January 27, 2012
U. of Montana gets grant to study wolves in Alberta, Idaho, Yellowstone Park.
The Regina Bauer Frankenberg Foundation awarded the University of Montana's Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit a $150,000 grant, which will be used for a three-year study to determine how wolf deaths affect pack behavior in Northern Idaho, Alberta and Yellowstone National Park.
Missoulian; January 27, 2012
Idaho redistricting panel begins work on new map.
The six-member redistricting panel began work on redrawing Idaho's legislative districts on Thursday, with the expectation that the work will be done and approved well in advance of the Feb. 27 deadline for candidates to file for the May primary.
Idaho Statesman; January 27, 2012
Utah's use of federal funds increased during Gov. Herbert's term.
In his State of the State speech delivered Wednesday, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert decried federal interference in the state that the governor said is hobbling its economy, but a review of federal funds flowing to the state finds that Utah has received $1 billion in such funds since Herbert took office, and that the amount of such funding has increased during his term over that of his predecessor.
Salt Lake Tribune; January 27, 2012
Idaho House votes to ban camping by Occupy Boise protesters on state grounds.
Three Republicans joined with Democratic House members to oppose a measure to order Occupy Boise protesters pull their tents off state grounds across from the Idaho state Capitol, but the measure passed 54-16, and protesters were ordered to break down their camps, although they can still gather to protest.
Idaho Statesman; January 27, 2012
Schools chief submits budget proposal to Idaho Legislature.
Superintendent of Public Schools Tom Luna submitted budget proposals for the Idaho State Department of Education and the state's public schools to the Legislature's Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on Thursday that contained a request for a 4.7 percent increase in general fund revenue.
Twin Falls Times-News; January 27, 2012
Wyoming governor: Legislature likely won't act on wind-tax change.
Gov. Matt Mead said he was disappointed that Wyoming legislators weren't responsive to his call to roll back tax increases on wind energy projects and production, but said he'll continue to press for such decreases in the future.
Casper Star-Tribune; January 27, 2012
B.C. premier tells miners the province is open for business.
At the annual roundup of the Association of Mineral Exploration (B.C.) on Wednesday, British Columbia Premier Christy Clark that the province was working hard to clear the backlog of "notice of work" applications for mines, and that unnecessary red tape that blocked creation of new jobs by mines would be cut.
Canada.com; January 27, 2012
Colorado company gets $275M federal grant for Oregon biofuel refinery.
ZeaChem, a Colorado-based company, announced it had received a $275-million loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help build a biofuel refinery in Boardman to process poplar trees from Oregon, corn stalks and wheat straw into biofuel.
Portland Oregonian; January 26, 2012
Company's plan to ship Wyoming, Montana coal from Washington moves forward.
At a meeting Wednesday night, Port of St. Helens commissioners approved lease options for both Pacific Transloading LLC, a subsidiary of Australian coal company Ambre Energy, and KinderMorgan that will expand coal export options at the Washington state port and facilitate Ambre's plan to export coal from Montana and Wyoming.
The Daily News; January 26, 2012
Conservation easement protects key wildlife migration route in Wyoming.
Budd Ranches Inc., owned by brothers Chad and Brian Espenscheid, is one of the longest-operating, largest ranches in Wyoming, and now 10,000 acres of that ranch that lie between Grand Teton and the Upper Green River Valley will be protected under a conservation easement.
Billings Gazette; January 26, 2012
Montana FWP seeks cause of disappearing elk in Bitterroot Valley.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks began a three-year study of the declining elk population in the West Fork of the Bitterroot Valley in 2010, after elk numbers fell from 1,914 in 2005 to 764 in 2010. While local residents and outfitters said wolves are the reason for the decline, state wildlife officials aren't so sure.
Missoula Independent; January 26, 2012
Montana drops one place in annual ranking of states' business climates.
The Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan Washington, D.C.-based organization, released its annual ranking of states based on their tax structure for businesses, with Wyoming topping the list, Nevada ranked third, Alaska fourth, Montana eighth, and Utah 10th.
Missoulian; January 26, 2012
Micron donates $2.5 million for vocational school in Idaho city.
The College of Western Idaho is converting a former Sam's Club in Nampa into a vocational school, and the Micron Foundation has donated $2.5 million to help renovate the building, which will house nine professional technical education programs, as well as some student support services.
Idaho Statesman; January 26, 2012
BLM hears from tribes, rock climbers on proposed closures in Idaho.
Members of the Bureau of Land Management's Resource Advisory Council met Wednesday in Jerome to discuss recreational access on lands in Idaho's Cassia and Power counties, including new restrictions on access and rock-climbing, and members of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribe and the Eastern Idaho Climbers Association criticized such closures.
Twin Falls Times-News; January 26, 2012
Colorado Trout Unlimited issues 'Kill or Spill' cards to help reporting.
The Denver Trout Limited Chapter named the angler who first reported the oil spill in Sand Creek and the South Platte River as the Chapter's first "Hero of the South Platte," and the organization has issued "Kill or Spill" cards that contain information on reporting other such spills that it is handing out to anglers.
Denver Post; January 26, 2012
Idaho Supreme Court dismisses redistricting lawsuit.
The lawsuit filed by Idaho Republican state chairman Norm Semanko and House Speaker Lawerence Denney disputing Idaho Attorney General Ben Ysursa's opinion that they did not have the authority to dismiss two Republican members of the state legislative redistricting panel was dismissed by the Idaho Supreme Court.
Idaho Statesman; January 26, 2012
Wyoming lawmakers press for land exchange, sale.
Sen. Phil Nicholas, the chairman of the Wyoming Legislature's Senate Appropriations Committee, is advocating the state buy 11,000 acres of land near Laramie to protect an area that provides the city with its drinking water. A component of the deal would involve the owner of the 11,000-acre parcel getting half of the Y Cross Ranch owned by the University of Wyoming Foundation in exchange, and paying the University of Colorado Foundation for its half of the Y Cross.
Casper Star-Tribune; January 26, 2012
Idaho wind farm goes online.
Ridgeline Energy and Diamond Generating Corp.'s second largest wind farm in Idaho is now providing power to Idaho Power, employing 10 full-time workers in American Falls.
Idaho Statesman; January 26, 2012
N. Idaho residents protest USFWS's proposal for caribou habitat.
Nearly all 200 attendees of a meeting called Tuesday by the Bonner County Commission to discuss the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's proposal to designate 375,000 acres in Idaho's Bonner and Boundary counties and in Washington's Pend Oreille County as critical habitat for the herd of 40 woodland caribou that roam between that region of the U.S. and across the border in Canada, spoke out against the plan.
Idaho Statesman; January 25, 2012
Heavy snow atop thin, weak layer in West's mountains raises avalanche risk.
Recent storms that have dumped heavy, wet layers of snow on top of thin, weak snow covering mountains in the West have created high avalanche danger in parts of Colorado, Utah, Montana and California, and the risk of avalanches will likely remain high for the rest of the winter.
Washington Post; January 25, 2012
Boards back farmers in Utah water pipeline project.
After two boards recommended to the Utah County Commission that farmers' lands near American Forks not be condemned to allow the Central Utah Water Conservancy District to bury a water pipeline under the properties, the water district may have to find a new route for the pipeline.
Salt Lake Tribune; January 25, 2012
GOP dispute on Idaho legislative redistricting moves to court.
Idaho Attorney General Ben Ysursa sided with two members of the state's redistricting panel when they refused to step down after House Speaker Lawerence Denney and Republican Party Chairman Norm Semanko fired them, prompting Denney and Semanko to sue Ysursa for denying they had the ability to fire the redistricting commissioners.
Idaho Statesman; January 25, 2012
Montana city a hotbed of online businesses.
There are a number of high-tech startups and businesses operating online in Bozeman, earning the Montana city the moniker "Silicon Prairie."
Bozeman Daily Chronicle; January 25, 2012
Wyoming wildlife wardens trap mountain lion, hunt is on for her kits.
A mountain lion with two kits had been making kills in the mouth of Cache Creek Canyon, and Wyoming wildlife agents trapped the mother lion and are searching for the kits, but a biologist with the Kelly-based research institution Craighead Beringia South said the action is a certain death sentence for the lions.
Jackson Hole News & Guide; January 25, 2012
Skier, snowmobiler escape avalanches in W. Wyoming Tuesday.
The Bridger-Teton National Forest Avalanche Center said a snowmobiler was partially buried under an avalanche on Tuesday above Phillips Bench and north of Mount Glory in western Wyoming, but was able to be dug out by his companions, and a skier intentionally started a slide on the southeast face of Taylor Mountain, which created a debris field 500 yards long and up to 30 feet in depth.
Jackson Hole News & Guide; January 25, 2012
Head of Colorado nonprofit leads charge to teach avalanche awareness.
Berthoud Pass in Colorado is just an hour away from Denver and offers great backcountry skiing, but it's also the most avalanche-prone area in the state. Shan Sethna, the executive director and founding member of the nonprofit Friends of Berthoud Pass, works hard to educate skiers about avalanche dangers, offering 10 classroom avalanche presentations each year, as well as on-snow field classes on the pass.
Christian Science Monitor; January 25, 2012
Montana senators co-sponsor bills to reform campaign spending laws.
Montana U.S. Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester are supporting constitutional amendments that would reform campaign finance laws to counter the effect of the two-year-old Citizens United decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, but Montana's lone congressman, Denny Rehberg, said a better route would be to make the campaign process more transparent.
Helena Independent Record; January 25, 2012
Fifteen Idahoans earn national builder's certification for 'aging-in-place' program.
As Baby Boomers grow older, the need for homes that allow them to stay in them longer grows as well, and across the United States, builders are taking the National Home Builders Association's course to become certified aging-in-place specialists. Among the 4,000 who have earned the certification in the U.S., 15 are from Idaho.
Idaho Statesman; January 25, 2012
Advocates say Colorado perfect place for solar-thermal energy.
Colorado's abundant sunshine and groundwater, hot days and cold nights, and heavy heating loads make the state the perfect location for solar thermal energy, a lower-tech method of capturing the heat from the sun to make electricity.
Denver Post; January 25, 2012
Canada again declines to implement emergency plan to protect caribou.
Environment Minister Peter Kent said Wednesday that he again declined to put an emergency plan into place to protect caribou, because the health of some herds in Canada had improved, thus there's no fear that the species will disappear entirely, even though some experts predict the species will be gone from Alberta within a generation if immediate measures aren't taken.
CBC news; January 25, 2012
Idaho Senate panel OKs bill to raise permit costs for megaloads.
The Idaho Transportation Department asked state lawmakers to allow for higher fees to be imposed on megaloads of equipment transported on state highways, and the Senate Transportation Committee approved legislation this week that would raise the fee from $18 to $70.
Idaho Statesman; January 25, 2012
USFS national review find fees charged in Colorado in line with policy.
The U.S. Forest Service reviewed each of the 96 sites across the nation where the agency charges a fee to ensure those areas met the requirements of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, including the Maroon Bells area in Colorado near Aspen. The review found that the area met the requirements and that the fee was in line with federal policy.
Aspen Times; January 24, 2012
Idaho governor meets with Lucky Friday miners, offers support.
Idaho Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter met with the miners and their families in Wallace to discuss the yearlong closure of the Lucky Friday Mine, and agreed to ask the Mine Safety and Health Administration to further explain its reasons for shutting the mine down.
Spokane Spokesman-Review; January 24, 2012
Report issued on Nov. 8 incident at Idaho National Laboratory.
An independent board for the U.S. Department of Energy compiled a report on the Nov. 8 incident at the Idaho National Laboratory that exposed 16 workers to radioactive material, and found fault at every level of management for the incident.
Jackson Hole Daily; January 24, 2012
U.S., German scientists: Wyoming soils hold clues of ancient 'fever event'.
Scientists from the United States and Germany are studying the soils from Wyoming's Big Horn Basin to see if they can determine what caused a sudden surge of carbon dioxide 56 million years ago that dramatically changed life on Earth, and to see if a buildup of carbon dioxide in the future could trigger a similar event.
Casper Star-Tribune; January 24, 2012
Redistricting dust-up in Idaho roils Republican Party.
After the Idaho Supreme Court tossed the state's redistricting plan last week, State Republican Chairman Norm Semanko and Idaho House Speaker Lawerence Denney removed two commissioners from the redistricting panel on Monday, but Randy Hansen and Dolores Crow said they're not stepping down. Idaho State Attorney General Lawrence Wasden said they don't have to step down, an opinion with which the state GOP does not agree.
Idaho Statesman; January 24, 2012
Mercury's effect found in more bird species in Northeastern U.S..
The effect of methylmercury has long been linked to mercury contamination in fish-eating waterfowl, but now the contamination has been found in extremely high levels in birds that live in the forests and marshes of the Northeastern United States.
New York Times; January 24, 2012
Solar storm may make Northern Lights visible in Canada, Northern U.S..
Scientists said the solar flare Sunday night was the most powerful since May of 2005, and said it could affect navigational systems on aircraft and spacecraft, as well as power grids and wireless communication, and will cause an impressive show of Northern Lights, which could be visible in Canada and the northern United States.
Los Angeles Times; January 24, 2012
Some Rock Springs homeowners settle damage claims with Wyoming.
Former Wyoming Gov. Mike Sullivan has successfully mediated settlement claims with some homeowners in Rock Springs whose homes were damaged by subsidence work done by the state in 2007, and he is planning to continue talks with six or seven remaining claimants.
Casper Star-Tribune; January 24, 2012
Montana working group on elk, brucellosis to begin meeting next month.
The 12-member Elk-Brucellosis Working Group in Montana appointed by Gov. Brian Schweitzer will begin six months of meetings next month. Joe Cohenour, an East Helena resident who has a degree in wildlife biology and who is a chapter chairman of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, said his goal will be to come up with a management plan based on biology, not politics.
Helena Independent Record; January 24, 2012
Wyoming national forest officials hold open house on management plan.
Shoshone National Forest officials were in Cody on Monday night for the latest open house on the Wyoming forest's updated management plan, where they broke down the plan into three segments: rangelands, timber and minerals, for the 50 or so people who came to hear about the plan.
Billings Gazette; January 24, 2012
Wyoming holds first of 7 forums on health care reform.
Elizabeth Hoy, Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead's health care adviser, will be in Evansville today to conduct the first of seven forums scheduled around the state to gather public input on the creation of a health care insurance exchange required by federal law.
Casper Star-Tribune; January 24, 2012
Utah Senate President begins legislative session with challenge to D.C..
In his remarks on opening day of the Utah Legislature, Senate President Michael Waddoups urged the federal government to explore how things are done in Utah, where the GOP legislator from Taylorsville, said unemployment is down, sales and revenues are up.
Salt Lake Tribune; January 24, 2012
EPA report links oil, gas operations to groundwater problems in Wyoming.
The Environmental Protection Agency's report detailing the findings of its three-year study of groundwater contamination in an area of Wyoming near Pavillion does not link problems with drinking water wells, but rather an aquifer 800 feet below the surface, and the contamination found in the aquifer was linked to oil and gas operations, but not the use of hydraulic fracturing.
Wyofile.com; January 24, 2012
BPA, Columbia Land Trust buy Oregon ranch to protect fish habitat.
The Bonneville Power Administration and the Columbia Land Trust paid $5.3 million for the 920-acre Columbia Stock Ranch along the banks of the Columbia River in Oregon near St. Helens as part of the ongoing effort to provide estuaries for salmon.
Portland Oregonian; January 24, 2012
BLM identifies Wyoming corridor for possible CO2 pipeline.
Responding to Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead's criticism that the Bureau of Land Management's proposed updated management plan didn't address the use of carbon dioxide to enhance production in older oil fields in the Big Horn Basin, BLM officials said that the plan was written with a goal of piping CO2 into those fields, and that they have been in talks with oil companies about a corridor for just such a pipeline since 2006.
Billings Gazette; January 23, 2012
GOP senators want review of EPA report on hydraulic fracturing in Wyoming.
Ten Republican senators, including Sen. Mike Crapo from Idaho, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, the ranking GOP member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and Oklahoma Sen. James Inhofe, the ranking Republican on the Environment and Public Works Committee, have requested that the Environmental Protection Agency's draft report on water contamination near Pavillion, Wyo. that suggested a potential link between hydraulic fracturing and the contamination undergo a stringent scientific review.
Idaho Statesman; January 23, 2012
Natural gas prices fall to 10-year low.
Natural-gas prices are 50 percent lower than they were a year ago, but prices paid by Montana consumers have decreased just 9 percent, as the price they pay includes the cost of delivering the gas to their homes.
Billings Gazette; January 23, 2012
As federal funding ends, Oregon counties face new budget battles.
The federal Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act provided counties in Oregon and other states affected by the timber industry collapse with millions of dollars. With no new money from Congress in sight, that program is ending, and Oregon counties are already mapping out the future without those funds.
Portland Oregonian; January 23, 2012
Idaho county sheriff wants to fine owners of escaped livestock.
Twin Falls County Sheriff Tom Carter wants to recoup some of the costs incurred by his department when livestock escape and the animals have to be rounded up, proposing a tiered fine scheme for owners of the escaped animals. One rancher has suggested that the ordinance allow animal owners whose fences are damaged by motorists, giving animals an escape avenue, to avoid fines.
Twin Falls Times-News; January 23, 2012
Some question Montana FWP's proposals on wolf, bison hunts.
The Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission is exploring extending the wolf hunt season in a portion of the Bitterroot Valley to April 1, when pregnant wolves are close to having their litters, putting hunters cross-wise to their code that hunters don't shoot animals in their reproductive season.
Missoulian; January 23, 2012
Agricultural revenue up 29 percent in Idaho.
The University of Idaho's College of Agricultural and Life Sciences' recent report "The Financial Condition of Idaho Agriculture: 2011 Projections" said farm income last year was $2.6 billion, up 29 percent from 2010.
Twin Falls Times-News; January 23, 2012
Snowy owls putting on a show in Montana, other states.
The streets of Polson are busier than usual these days as birdwatchers from around Montana, and even some from Washington and Idaho, are prowling along, hoping to catch sight of snowy owls, which are roosting on rooftops and fence posts in town.
Missoulian; January 22, 2012
Utah approves water rights for nuclear power plant in Green River.
Opponents to the proposed nuclear power plant in Green River said Utah lost its only chance to deny the project when Utah State Engineer Kent Jones approved the plant's use of 53,600 acre-feet of water per year owned by Kane County and San Juan County water conservancy districts for its operations.
Deseret News; January 22, 2012
Idaho cheese company announces $15M expansion in Twin Falls.
Twin Falls-based Glanbia Foods is expected to announce today its plan for a three-story office building that will become the cheesemaker's headquarters, as well as the creation of a 14,000-square-foot research center in an existing building in the Idaho city.
Twin Falls Times-News; January 20, 2012
President's initiative to spur tourism touts national parks.
President Obama's executive order issued Thursday is designed to make it easier for international tourists to visit the United States, and includes a provision to promote "national treasures," including national parks and monuments, as well as state parks.
Salt Lake Tribune; January 20, 2012
USFS Forest Legacy Program to fund projects in Idaho, Montana.
The U.S. Forest Service's Forest Legacy Program provides funding to states to protect private lands that are environmentally sensitive, and the Forest Service released its list of projects to be funded this year, with Montana getting $6.5 million to put a conservation easement on 28,000 acres of Stimson Lumber Co. land near Troy and Idaho getting $3 million to protect two 700-acre parcels near Bonners Ferry.
Missoulian; January 20, 2012
EPA extends public comment period on Wyoming water contamination study.
At the behest of Wyoming and the gas industry, the Environmental Protection Agency extended the time for the public to respond to its study on water contamination in the Pavillion area that said hydraulic fracturing operations may be linked to that contamination.
Casper Star-Tribune; January 20, 2012
Montana wildlife commission issues decisions on deer, wolves and bison.
At its meeting Thursday in Helena, the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission approved that city's plan to remove up to 220 urban whitetail deer, issued preliminary decisions to extend the wolf hunt season in an area of the Bitterroot Valley and to allow licensed hunters to kill bison that roam outside of tolerance zones near Yellowstone National Park.
Helena Independent Record; January 20, 2012
Montana begins work on management plan for Madison River.
The Madison River in Montana is one of the state's most heavily fished, and provides a variety of other recreational uses, and the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has begun working on a management plan for the river, with public hearings scheduled to begin next month.
Billings Gazette; January 20, 2012
Wyoming DEQ to appoint advisory panel on addressing winter ozone problem.
The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality will draw from a variety of agencies, industries and private interests for the 26 members of an advisory panel it is forming to address high ozone levels found in the Upper Green River Basin during the wintertime.
Casper Star-Tribune; January 20, 2012
Study on Colorado reservation provides answers on fighting coal-mine fires.
Taku Ide shared the results of his six-year study of a coal mine fire on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation with the Colorado Gas and Oil Regulatory Team on Thursday and said that his team concluded that injections of carbon dioxide could be used to fight such fires.
Durango Herald; January 20, 2012
Canadian freestyle skier dies 9 days after fall in Utah.
Sarah Burke, the young freestyle skier who successfully lobbied the International Olympic Committee to add the halfpipe to the 2014 games, died in a Utah hospital, nine days after falling after performing a routine move.
Toronto Globe and Mail; January 20, 2012
Idaho legislation would move state's primary back to August.
In 1980, Idaho's primary election was moved from August to May, and legislation introduced Thursday in the House State Affairs Committee would move the primary election back to August, making for a much shorter general election campaign season.
Idaho Statesman; January 20, 2012
Idaho Supreme Court tosses legislative redistricting plan.
Twin Falls County was one of four counties that had challenged Idaho's newly redrawn legislative districts, and on Wednesday, the Idaho Supreme Court ordered the redistricting commission to go back to the drawing board.
Twin Falls Times-News; January 19, 2012
Wyoming county commission OKs bonds for coal-to-gasoline plant.
On Tuesday, the Carbon County Commission approved Wyoming's issuance of $545 million in bonds for a coal-to-gasoline plant that a subsidiary of Texas-based DKRW Advanced Fuels plans to build near Medicine Bow.
Casper Star-Tribune; January 19, 2012
Optimistic U.S. jobs reports sends oil prices higher.
Oil prices rose to $101.42 Thursday morning after the U.S. government reported the number of Americans filing for unemployment was at the lowest reported since April 2008.
Salt Lake Tribune; January 19, 2012
Idaho-based air ambulance sets down in Montana county.
Summit Air Ambulance, which already provides medical flight services in Idaho and northern Nevada, now has an operation set up at the Belgrade airport in Montana's Gallatin County.
Bozeman Daily Chronicle; January 19, 2012
Utah leads nation in USDA flood disaster aid.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the award of $307.6 million in federal flood aid on Wednesday, with Utah receiving $60.3 million, about 20 percent of all the funds distributed nationally.
Salt Lake Tribune; January 19, 2012
Montana county commission releases draft predator policy.
The Ravalli County Commission unveiled its draft predator policy on Wednesday, with the commissioners emphasizing that the policy is meant as a recommendation to the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission, and that it's not anti-wolf, but more pro-people, ungulates and livestock.
Ravalli Republic; January 19, 2012
BLM, Bighorn County commissioners confab on Wyoming land management.
On Wednesday, Bureau of Land Management officials spent the day with Bighorn County commissioners and their cooperating partners, discussing federal land management policies, including the BLM's latest inventory that identified 500,000 acres of land in the Wyoming basin with wilderness qualities.
Billings Gazette; January 19, 2012
Legislators skeptical about U. of Wyoming officials' pay raise request.
Members of the Wyoming Legislature's Joint Appropriations Committee questioned the University of Wyoming's request for $9.7 million to raise employees' pay at a time when the university's overall budget may be reduced between 4 and 8 percent.
Casper Star-Tribune; January 19, 2012
LMS Defense announces headquarters move from Nevada to Idaho.
A company that provides counterterrorism and other specialized training to law enforcement and private security officers announced Thursday that it would move its headquarters from Sparks, Nev., to Twin Falls, Idaho. LMS Defense CEO John Chapman said the Idaho city's central location to clients in Washington, Oregon, Montana and Wyoming was a major selling point, and the company also intends to build a training center in Twin Falls County.
Twin Falls Times-News; January 19, 2012
Snowstorm allows Bogus Basin in Idaho to finally open.
After getting 10 inches of snow on Wednesday, Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation will finally open for the ski season today, with the Jan. 19 opening the latest ever for the Idaho ski area.
Idaho Statesman; January 19, 2012
Quest for electric Subaru began in Colorado, tracked through Idaho and Montana.
Ron Gompertz, a Bozeman man whose electric car dealership in the Montana city closed after two years, decided to convert a Subaru to an electric vehicle. After three years, the car he bought in Colorado and had converted to an electric vehicle in Idaho is now used to run errands in Bozeman.
Bozeman Daily Chronicle; January 19, 2012
Oregon port to consider request to ship Wyoming, Montana coal.
On Jan. 25, the Port of St. Helens commission will consider the requests of Kinder Morgan Terminals and Pacific Transloading, a subsidiary of Ambre Energy, to ship Wyoming and Montana coal through the Oregon port, a marked change as currently coal is exported only through Canadian ports on the West Coast.
Portland Oregonian; January 18, 2012
BLM's proposed protections for historic trails in Wyoming ignite debate.
The Bureau of Land Management is taking public comment through Friday on its intent to update its management plan for 2.5 million acres in Fremont, Natrona, Hot Springs, Carbon and Sweetwater counties in Wyoming, an area that contains the Oregon, California, Mormon and Pony Express trails, as well as the Continental Divide. The BLM's proposal to expand the current quarter-mile buffer on each side of those trails to five miles is sparking much debate.
Casper Star-Tribune; January 18, 2012
Residents fault Wyoming, gas industry for questioning EPA report on water.
Wyoming and Encana, the natural-gas driller operating in the area near Pavillion where an Environmental Protection Agency investigation found a potential link between hydraulic fracturing and water contamination, have questioned the EPA report. Residents of the area are criticizing the state for taking industry's side.
Casper Star-Tribune; January 18, 2012
NPS: Hunting wolves in Wyoming parkway could be an option.
The National Park Service manages the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway, a 24,000-acre swath of land that lies between Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks in Wyoming, and regional Park Service officials said they would consider allowing wolf hunting in the parkway if such a hunt was needed by the state to meet its management goals.
Jackson Hole News & Guide; January 18, 2012
Biologist tracks fish recovery following Montana wildfire of 2000.
The findings of a study that tracked fish recovery in streams in Montana's Bitterroot Valley following the wildfires of 2000 generally support the studies in Yellowstone National Park in 1988 that concluded wildfires ultimately had a beneficial effect on stream habitat and trout. Bitterroot Trout Unlimited is sponsoring Michael Jakober's talk "Fish and fires: You can burn us but we'll be back," on Thursday in Hamilton.
Ravalli Republic; January 18, 2012
Alaska votes to allow aerial shooting of black bears.
Alaska has become more aggressive in its control of predators over the past few years, and on Tuesday the state Board of Game approved a measure that allows aerial hunting of black bears, but deferred a measure that expanded the use of snares to capture black and grizzly bears.
Los Angeles Times; January 18, 2012
Utah opens public comment on plan for blended nuclear waste disposal.
The Utah Division of Radiation Control will take public comments until Feb. 17 on the plan to allow EnergySolutions to dispose of up to 40,000 cubic feet of radioactive waste that has been blended to lower the overall radioactive concentration to that now allowed by state law.
Salt Lake Tribune; January 18, 2012
Idaho Power proposes second power line in northern Wood River Valley.
The transmission line that carries power to the northern Wood River Valley is nearly 50 years old, and Idaho Power Co. is examining installation of a second line. The utility company made presentations to the Sun Valley and Ketchum city councils about the project.
Twin Falls Times-News; January 18, 2012
Western cities populate AARP's list of sunniest places to retire.
In the January issue of its magazine, the American Association of Retired Persons listed the ten sunniest, best places to retire, and seven of the ten on the unranked list were in the West, including Grand Junction, Colo., Santa Fe and Las Cruces in New Mexico, St. George, Utah, and Bend, Ore.
Grand Junction Sentinel; January 18, 2012
Horsemen question county's support for OHV use in Wyoming forest.
After Park County commissioners voted last week to support the Northwest Wyoming Off-Highway Vehicle Alliance's push for more motorized access in Wyoming's Shoshone National Forest, the commissioners heard from a number of other backcountry users, including equestrians. Commissioners said their vote last week was not in support of expanded motorized use, but rather a vote to ensure the U.S. Forest Service considered multiple uses in the forest when the plan was updated.
Billings Gazette; January 18, 2012
BLM sets auction date for coal lease in Montana.
After rejecting a $5.3-million bid from Signal Peak Energy last year for a Montana tract containing an estimated 35.5 million tons of coal, the Bureau of Land Management will again offer that tract for auction on Feb. 28.
Bozeman Daily Chronicle; January 18, 2012
Montana man to lead International Association of Wildland Fire.
Dan Bailey, a retired U.S. Forest Service fire management official who lives in Stevensville, was named president of the International Association of Wildland Fire. With two other Montanans in top positions with the group that represents wildland fire professionals, there is a good chance the Big Sky State will be the site of upcoming conferences.
Ravalli Republic; January 18, 2012
Company to pay $270K for igniting 2010 wildfire at Idaho National Laboratory.
Federal prosecutors said they'd reached a settlement with Sunroc Construction Co. to help defray the costs of fighting a 2010 wildfire that burned 13,000 acres of land at the Idaho National Laboratory that started when a piece of equipment overheated and started grass on fire.
Idaho Statesman; January 18, 2012
Colorado U.S. Sen. Bennet withdraws support for Internet policing bill.
Colorado U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet was one of the 40 original co-sponsors of the Senate's Protect Intellectual Property Act, but amid growing opposition to that bill and the House's Stop Online Piracy Act, the Democratic senator withdrew his support.
Denver Post; January 18, 2012
Idaho legislator introduces medical marijuana bill.
Idaho state Rep. Tom Trail's medical marijuana bill introduced last year never made it out of the House Health & Welfare Committee, and on Wednesday, the Republican lawmaker from Moscow tried again, introducing HB 370, which would permit patients with certain medical conditions to get up to 2 ounces of the medicinal weed every 28 days from a state-authorized dispensary.
Spokane Spokesman-Review; January 18, 2012
Western miners host job fair in Idaho today.
The closure of the Lucky Friday Mine in Idaho left 200 or so workers without jobs, and today representatives of mining companies operating in the western United States, including US Silver, Coeur d'Alene Mines and Barrick Gold, are hosting a job fair in Wallace, hoping to hire some of those experienced workers.
Coeur d'Alene Press; January 18, 2012
Utah governor not ready to take stance on Wyoming-Colorado water pipeline.
Although Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead has made known his opposition to the pipeline project proposed by Colorado businessman Aaron Million to carry water from the Flaming Gorge Reservoir on the Wyoming-Utah border to cities on Colorado's Front Range, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert said he needs to study the proposal more thoroughly before deciding what his take on it should be.
Salt Lake Tribune; January 17, 2012
Montana Audubon worries about wind farm's effect on raptor habitat.
Kevin Rim, a series of sandstone cliffs near Shelby, is a prime location for the 126-turbine wind farm that NaturEner USA plans to build there by the end of this year. But the area is also home to 10 species of raptors, and Montana Audubon officials are worried about how the wind farm will affect those species.
Great Falls Tribune; January 17, 2012
Wyoming legislators question governor's quest for new data centers.
Gov. Matt Mead's proposed budget contains another $15 million for a fund that already has a budget of $15 million to recruit high-tech companies such as data centers to the state, and legislators are questioning adding to the fund at a time when state agencies are being requested to cut their budgets.
Casper Star-Tribune; January 17, 2012
Two groups win grazing rights on Valles Caldera National Preserve in N.M..
New Mexico State University and Jemez Pueblo won bids to run cattle on the Valles Caldera National Preserve during the 2012 grazing season. WildEarth Guardians had bid $35,000 to keep livestock off the New Mexico preserve to allow the rangeland that burned last year more time to recover.
Durango Herald; January 17, 2012
Utah city hopes Sundance Film Festival will help fill coffers.
No snow means fewer visitors to Utah's premier ski town, but the famed Sundance Film Festival is scheduled to begin this week in Park City, bringing some much-needed cash to the area's hotels, restaurants and other businesses.
Salt Lake Tribune; January 17, 2012
Montana FWP to consider extending wolf hunt in the Bitterroot Valley.
Hunters have so far killed just three of the 18 wolves allowed to be taken this hunting season in the portion of Montana's Bitterroot Valley that lies along the Idaho border. At a meeting this week, the state's Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission will consider another extension of that region's hunting season.
Great Falls Tribune; January 17, 2012
Idaho official says wolves not involved in killing dog.
Idaho Fish and Game official Josh Stanley said his investigation of an area where two dogs were attacked and one was killed near Wallace found no evidence that wolves were involved in the attack.
Idaho Statesman; January 17, 2012
Wandering bison from Yellowstone Park again on Montana FWP agenda.
The Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission will consider a proposal on Thursday that will allow hunters to shoot bison outside of regular hunting season if the animals wander out of Yellowstone National Park this winter into areas beyond designated tolerance zones.
Great Falls Tribune; January 17, 2012
Former Utah governor ends campaign for president.
Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. pulled out of the race to be the Republican Party's nominee for president, igniting speculation about what's next for the former U.S. ambassador to China.
Salt Lake Tribune; January 17, 2012
Idaho has about 126,000 fewer registered voters now than in 2008.
According to new Census numbers in Idaho, an additional 242,943 Idahoans need to register to vote this year for the state to have as many as 2008 when the last presidential election was held. Election officials are concerned about how a change in the law may affect voter registrations, since it now requires voters that want to vote the Republican ticket in the May primary to actually be registered as a Republican voter.
Twin Falls Times-News; January 17, 2012
Idaho bill would make vehicle-killed wildlife fair game for harvest.
Legislation reviewed Monday by the Senate Resources Committee would allow animals struck and killed by vehicles in Idaho to be harvested, although state Fish and Game's Sharon Kiefer cautioned that the bill would not allow motorists to use their vehicles as a method to take wildlife.
Idaho Statesman; January 17, 2012
Idaho grocers plead for change in food stamp system.
With a record number of Idahoans eligible for food stamps, the grocery industry is putting up $100,000 and asking state lawmakers to issue food stamps in phases throughout the month, as grocery stores are inundated with food stamp recipients at the first of each month, and some people, discouraged by the wait at the checkout counter, just walk away from full carts, causing the loss of food.
Spokane Spokesman-Review; January 16, 2012
BASF to end campaign to sell genetically modified seeds in Europe.
Citing more "attractive markets" in Asia and America, BASF announced that it would no longer market genetically modified crops in Europe where resistance to the technology is fierce, and would instead focus on areas where such resistance is less prevalent.
New York Times; January 16, 2012
Montana offers workshops on fighting tree bugs to Bitterroot landowners.
Mountain pine beetle, spruce budworm and pine butterfly are all at work attacking trees in Montana's Bitterroot Valley, and the state Natural Resources and Conservation Department will hold workshops in February to teach landowners what they can do to fight the bugs.
Ravalli Republic; January 16, 2012
Opinion
President Obama's energy plan ignores the future.
President Obama's "Blueprint to Make The Most of America's Energy Resources" is a take-it-all, use-it-all now plan that will only expand the nation's piggery when it comes to energy and ignores completely the impact the use of all those fossil fuel resources will have on future generations. A column by George Ochenski.
Missoula Independent; February 3, 2012
FAA needs to give Idaho residents a place to start airport discussions.
There has been plenty of public participation in the discussions about upgrading the Friedman Memorial Airport in Idaho's Sun Valley to accommodate the regional jets all commercial airlines are using these days, but those discussions have been circular without a clear slate of options, which the Federal Aviation Administration needs to, and must, provide.
Idaho Mountain Express; February 1, 2012
Coal use drops in U.S., increasing exports overseas.
Between 2000 and 2010, the percentage of power produced in the United States by coal dropped from 52 percent to 45 percent, and estimates are that coal-fired power will fall to 39 percent by 2030. But U.S. coal producers are ramping up exports of the fuel to overseas markets, exporting coal's carbon dioxide emissions as well. A column by Brad Plumer in Ezra Klein's WonkBlog.
Washington Post; January 31, 2012
Local approach should help USFS forest management rule survive.
Although some have criticized the U.S. Forest Service's proposed forest management rule for giving local managers too much say in decisions, that approach makes sense in that local managers are making decisions based on their experience and knowledge of the area.
Denver Post; January 30, 2012
Nation's push for natural gas comes with a downside.
If there is bipartisan agreement on any issue in the United States these days, it's the role natural gas can play in the nation's energy picture, but caution must be taken to ensure development of such resources don't harm others such as water, and leaders must not lose sight of a goal for a diversified energy plan.
Christian Science Monitor; January 27, 2012
Montana energy development is going to have an impact.
Discussions about developing Montana's energy resources, whether it's coal, oil, solar or wind, must contain a debate about how to move that bounty to market, and each project considered must consider the whole picture, from extraction or capture to moving the product, via pipeline, rail line or transmission line to market.
Helena Independent Record; January 26, 2012
Predator haters in Montana need a dose of reality.
Spend some time with some Montana big-game hunters and you'll get the feeling that they'd prefer that the state remove all the wolves, bears, mountain lions and even eagles, so the hunters would have more opportunities to kill elk, deer and mountain goats, but a review of the state's hunting seasons indicate that there are plenty of such opportunities. A column by Nick Gevock.
Montana Standard; January 26, 2012
Wyoming legislators should go with the governor on budget plans.
Gov. Matt Mead's approach to dealing with the state's estimated revenue shortfall is the right one, and Sen. Phil Nicholas, who is the co-chair of the Wyoming Legislature Joint Appropriations Committee, should listen to his Republican colleague.
Casper Star-Tribune; January 25, 2012
Idahoans deserve a fair redistricting plan in place in time for May 15 primary.
Redrawing Idaho's legislative districts has officially become a political spectacle, and since lawmakers and redistricting commissioners apparently can't find their way, here's a roadmap: The current redistricting commission should stay intact, come up with a plan in time to meet deadlines required by the May 15 primary, and forget about giving our elected and appointed officials more time to lollygag and quibble by moving the primary to August.
Twin Falls Times-News; January 24, 2012
U.S., Canada at opposite ends of spectrum on letting scientists talk.
Canada's policy that requires scientists to get permission to speak about their research is in stark contrast with the policy in place at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the United States, which makes it clear that scientists may talk to anyone about their findings at any time. It's time Canada got a little more transparent about its scientists' work. A column by Mark Hume.
Toronto Globe and Mail; January 23, 2012
Utah Gov. Herbert's opposition to Flaming Gorge project would be awkward.
The fundamental reason Utah Gov. Gary Herbert hasn't taken a strong stance opposing the proposed pipeline to carry water from the Flaming Gorge Reservoir on the Wyoming-Utah border to Colorado Front Range cities is that opposing that cockamamie project would make his support of an equally cockamamie pipeline from Lake Powell to the St. George area hard to defend.
Salt Lake Tribune; January 18, 2012
Idaho lawmakers take up unnecessary legislation in record time this session.
It seems every year Idaho legislators waste precious time debating a measure that is either nonsensical or unnecessary, but this year lawmakers took up the tradition in record time with the bill aimed directly at Occupy Boise by making camping on the Capitol Mall illegal.
Idaho Statesman; January 18, 2012
Wyoming's occupational epidemiologist gave lawmakers no time to act.
Timothy Ryan was Wyoming's first state occupational epidemiologist, and he quit the day after he issued a scathing report on the state's workplace safety, but his subsequent stance that lawmakers weren't interested in addressing the problem was premature at best, given that he issued the report two months before the Legislature convened.
Casper Star-Tribune; January 18, 2012
Colorado lawmakers must make extension of wind energy tax credit a priority.
Vestas, the manufacturer of wind turbine and tower components, has four manufacturing plants in Colorado, making the extension of the federal tax credit for wind production that expires at the end of this year an important issue, and one that must certainly be a priority for Colorado's federal lawmakers.
Denver Post; January 18, 2012
Idaho doesn't need companies like Atlanta Gold.
Atlanta Gold's maneuvering to walk away from its responsibility to contain arsenic contamination from reaching the Boise River bodes ill for a company that has yet to begin large-scale gold-mining operations, even though the price of gold hovers near record highs which should make environmental measures cost-effective. Idaho doesn't need this kind of company operating within its borders.
Idaho Statesman; January 17, 2012
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