Current Headlines
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Current News and Opinion
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
Idaho counties take different paths on poultry plans.
Poultry farms in California are poised to fly the coop as the state adopts new animal welfare laws, and Idaho counties are laying the groundwork for such facilities to settle there, with Cassia County adopting new regulations and Minidoka County refusing to do so, saying such rules may divert the new businesses away from the county.
Twin Falls Times-News; February 28, 2010
Tribes in Western states launch Census campaigns.
Tribes across the West are working to ensure every member is counted in the 2010 Census, with Blackfeet school children in Montana urged to convince family members to fill out forms; and on the Navajo Nation, a campaign in the Navajo language encouraging members to participate.
Great Falls Tribune; February 28, 2010
NPS officials in Montana urges park visitors to know state gun laws.
A new law took effect last week that puts gun policies in national park in line with the laws of the state in which the parks are located; in Glacier National Park in Montana, that means visitors can carry loaded guns into the park - but it's still illegal to shoot those guns unless your life is in imminent danger.
Missoulian; February 28, 2010
Wyoming governor expected to sign wind-tax legislation.
The Wyoming Senate passed a bill on Friday that would impose a $1-per-megawatt hour excise tax on wind-generated power to Gov. Dave Freudenthal, who is expected to sign the bill into law.
Casper Star-Tribune; February 27, 2010
Nevada county, lawmakers say no to new national monuments.
Nevada U.S. Sen. John Ensign and U.S. Rep. Dean Heller have pushed for legislation that would require congressional approval of the use of the Antiquities Act to create new national monuments after a draft memo that identified 14 sites, including two in Nevada, that should be considered for national monument status.
Reno Gazette-Journal; February 27, 2010
Western Republicans demand to see all of monument memo.
Sixteen Republican U.S. House members made a formal demand of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar for all of the memo that listed fourteen possible sites for new national monuments, as well as any other documents that make mention of such designations.
Deseret News; February 27, 2010
Wyoming Senate panel kills concealed-carry bill.
On Friday, the Wyoming Senate Judiciary Committee declined to take up a bill that would change the state's law on concealed weapons to allow residents to carry concealed weapons without a permit, effectively killing the legislation.
Casper Star-Tribune; February 27, 2010
Eastern Idaho a shining spot in state's economy.
The Idaho National Laboratory, Melaleuca, and Qwest, as well as traditional food processing and distribution businesses in Eastern Idaho, have helped diversify the economy, and that area of the state has survived the economic downturn better than other areas.
Idaho Statesman; February 27, 2010
Report: Fewer Idaho companies offering health benefits.
According to the 2009 Idaho Fringe Benefit Survey from the state Department of Labor released Friday, the percentage of companies offering health insurance benefits to their employees is down to 56 percent.
Idaho Statesman; February 27, 2010
Energy, transmission on Montana Ambassadors' agenda.
The Montana Ambassadors - an all-volunteer, not-for-profit organization of leaders in business, education and the professions focused on business and trade development - met last week in Great Falls, where the state's renewable energy and need for transmission capacity were among the discussion items.
Great Falls Tribune; February 27, 2010
Groups sues USFWS over delay on whitebark pine decision.
More than a year ago, the Natural Resources Defense Council petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to list the whitebark pine, a high-elevation tree that provides an important food source to grizzly bears, as an endangered species, and since the federal agency missed its mandated 90-day decision deadline to respond to that petition, the group has taken its request to federal court.
Casper Star-Tribune; February 26, 2010
Idaho federal judge grants USFWS extension on sage grouse.
U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill granted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service another week to make its decision on listing the greater sage grouse as endangered; the decision is now due March 7.
Billings Gazette; February 26, 2010
Montana-Wyoming coal price differential explained.
Montana's proposed minimum bid for undeveloped coal reserves on state lands is fifteen cents a ton, about a sixth of the price Wyoming gets for its coal, but Montana officials pointed out that Wyoming's coal leases are near existing mines, roads and rail lines.
Helena Independent Record; February 26, 2010
Federal regulators begin testing wells in Washington's Yakima Valley.
Five agencies have been working for more than a year to address the problem of groundwater contamination in Washington state's Lower Yakima Valley, and federal regulators are now conducting their own tests on 150 wells in the Valley.
Yakima Herald-Republic; February 26, 2010
President's health summit made for gritty, gloomy television.
At President Obama's health care summit, which was televised so the American public could watch, Democrats shared health care stories about the dismal state of the system, and Republics offered gloomy forecasts of a future system under the proposed reform efforts.
New York Times; February 26, 2010
Wyoming senator: Obama dismissive of GOP health care options.
Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, an surgeon and former president of the Wyoming Medical Association, said he was disappointed that President Obama was not more interested in several proposals pitched by Republicans to control the costs of health care at the health care summit on Thursday.
Casper Star-Tribune; February 26, 2010
Blixseth battle continues in bankruptcy court in Montana.
Tim Blixseth remained on the witness stand, and on the attack, in the bankruptcy court trial in Montana on the financial collapse of the Yellowstone Club, an exclusive development founded by Blixseth.
Missoulian; February 26, 2010
University of Idaho plans to furlough employees to save money.
University of Idaho President Duane Nellis didn't release details on what employees will be involved in the furloughs planned over the next four months, but said students will be impacted as little as possible in the cost-cutting measure.
Idaho Statesman; February 26, 2010
BLM, CBM operator spar at Wyoming meeting.
Yates Petroleum, one of the largest coalbed methane operators in Wyoming's Powder River Basin, hosted another meeting to protest federal regulations that the company said has led to a significant slowdown in drilling in the Wyoming basin, but Bureau of Land Management officials at the meeting said the numbers tell a different story, with 2,135 active permits in the basin, and said low natural gas prices are the reason drilling activity has slowed.
Casper Star-Tribune; February 26, 2010
Idaho mayor offers 'lecture' on elk-feeding proposal.
Sun Valley Mayor Wayne Willich didn't allow public comment during Wednesday's meeting where he rolled out a proposal to feed elk near the Idaho town as a way to keep the elk, and the wolves that prey on them, out of town, but state Fish and Game officials who attended the meeting said afterwards that they oppose such a short-term solution and would prefer to reduce the number of elk in the herd or move it to a new winter range.
Idaho Mountain Express; February 26, 2010
Idaho Parks Board supports plan that keeps all 30 parks open.
The Idaho Parks Board voted 5-0 to support a budget plan that keeps all 30 parks under its authority open for another year, but said the plan will curtail services in those parks and said that the budget, which still needs to be approved by the Legislature, is merely a Band-Aid and provides no long-term solution for funding.
Twin Falls Times-News; February 26, 2010
Idaho House OKs constitutional amendment bill on utility debt.
On Thursday, the Idaho House approved a third measure amending the state's constitution - this one allowing municipal power companies to assume long-term debt to buy power without voter approval; the other two passed by the House this week covered long-term debt for hospitals and airports.
Twin Falls Times-News; February 26, 2010
Gaming industry won't ante up to aid Nevada.
Gaming industry leaders told Nevada lawmakers the industry would not pay higher taxes or fees to help the state balance its budget.
Las Vegas Review-Journal; February 26, 2010
Utah Senate moves climate-change resolution forward.
The Utah Senate voted 18-8 on Thursday to approve a joint resolution urging the federal Environmental Protection Agency to cease its efforts to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.
Deseret News; February 26, 2010
Wyoming wind farm developer wants fewer towers, bigger turbines.
At a meeting Wednesday night, officials of Teton Wind LLC and White Mountain Wind LLC - both subsidiaries of Lehi, Utah-based Tasco Engineering, Inc. - said their proposed White Mountain Wind Energy Project in Wyoming could be downsized as far as the number of wind turbines proposed if the size of the turbines is increased.
Casper Star-Tribune; February 26, 2010
ATK's final ground tests of rocket in Utah a successful one.
Thursday's test of the rocket used to power the space shuttle into space was the final one scheduled by Utah-based ATK, and with NASA's Constellation program on the federal chopping block, ATK officials are unsure what the future holds.
Salt Lake Tribune; February 26, 2010
Group finds coal ash contamination in 3 Western states.
A report issued Wednesday by the Environmental Integrity Project and Earthjustice groups said that coal-ash contamination was far worse than the Environmental Protection Agency's latest tally indicates, and said that contamination data from state files indicates there are at least 31 "new damage" cases not contained within the EPA tally, including sites in Montana, Nevada and New Mexico.
Christian Science Monitor; February 25, 2010
Conservation easement protects 2,400 acres in SW Wyoming.
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department worked with several partners to obtain a conservation easement on a portion of the historic Diamond H Ranch in southwest Wyoming that contains several permanent streams with Colorado River cutthroat trout as well as other fish species and important habitat for elk, deer, moose, sage grouse and antelope.
Casper Star-Tribune; February 25, 2010
Vermont Senate approves bill to close nuclear power plant.
Vermont senators voted in favor of legislation that would block the operation of the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant in 2012, after reported leaks of tritium and inaccurate statements of the owner raised public opposition to the 38-year-old plant, and just a week or so after President Barack Obama announced a new era of nuclear power for the nation.
New York Times; February 25, 2010
Federal lawmakers gather today for health-care summit.
President Obama's health care summit with both House and Senate lawmakers may not offer much other than political theater, and Democrats are already looking beyond the summit to what needs to be done next. An analysis.
Washington Post; February 25, 2010
Wyoming resident makes personal plea to Enzi on health care.
At a rally in Casper on health care reform, a Wyoming resident, who played soccer on a team coached by Sen. Mike Enzi, made a personal plea to the senator to support health care reform by telling the story of a member of that soccer team who died at the age of 33 because he was uninsured and unable to get treatment for an operable brain tumor.
Casper Star-Tribune; February 25, 2010
Idaho federal lawmakers say health care summit 'a start'.
Most members of Idaho's congressional delegation are hopeful that today's health care summit will result in health care proposals that can find bipartisan support, with the exception of Sen. Jim Risch, who said he believed President Obama will use the session to show Republicans aren't cooperating.
Idaho Statesman; February 25, 2010
Wyoming DEQ, operator to meet on illegal CBM water spill.
Officials with Williams Production RMT Co., the largest coal-bed methane producer in Wyoming's Powder River Basin, will meet with state Department of Environmental Quality officials to discuss a coalbed methane discharge water spill that reached Barber Creek, a violation of state law.
Casper Star-Tribune; February 25, 2010
Blixseth, Swiss bank trade shots at Yellowstone Club trial in Montana.
At the federal bankruptcy court trial of Yellowstone Club founder Tim Blixseth in Montana Wednesday, Blixseth said he was the victim of Credit Suisse's predatory lending practices, but the creditors of the exclusive club argued that Blixseth lined up big loans for the club to bankroll his luxurious lifestyle.
Montana Standard; February 25, 2010
Study finds Wyoming has storage space for 50 years of CO2.
Two years of research done by the Wyoming State Geological Survey found that an underground formation in the southwestern area of the state has enough space to store five decades' worth of carbon dioxide emissions.
Billings Gazette; February 25, 2010
Biologists on the hunt for lynx in Utah's Uinta Mountains.
It's been more than a decade since Utah's Uinta Mountains have been searched for Canada lynx, and a new survey is under way in remote areas of the Ashley and Uinta-Wasatch-Cache national forests.
Casper Star-Tribune; February 25, 2010
Bennett blasts Obama after BLM sells just one Utah lease.
The Bureau of Land Management's auction of oil and gas leases in Utah on Tuesday had just four parcels up for sale, and only one of those leases sold, a poor showing for which Utah Sen. Bob Bennett blamed the Obama administration.
Deseret News; February 25, 2010
Another GOP candidate enters Utah U.S. Senate race.
Former Utah Congressman Merrill Cook announced Wednesday that he will join an already crowded field of Republican candidates challenging incumbent U.S. Sen. Bob Bennett.
Salt Lake Tribune; February 25, 2010
Wyoming governor urges House to pass health-care bill.
The Wyoming Senate has already approved legislation that would create a health-care project in the state for up to 500 low-income workers and identify chronic health conditions that can be controlled early at a lower cost, and on Wednesday, Gov. Dave Freudenthal urged House lawmakers to pass the bill.
Casper Star-Tribune; February 25, 2010
Utah House urges withdrawal from Western Climate Initiative.
The Utah House passed a resolution on Wednesday urging Gov. Gary Herbert to withdraw from the Western Climate Initiative, a cooperative of western states and Canadian provinces created to address climate change on a regional level.
Salt Lake Tribune; February 25, 2010
Utah governor remains firm on no new taxes.
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert believes the state can balance its budget without adding new taxes, and said he opposes even the tobacco tax, which has widespread support.
Salt Lake Tribune; February 25, 2010
Nevada legislators hand governor a trio of rejections.
Nevada lawmakers tossed Gov. Jim Gibbons' proposal to limit mining tax deductions, declined his idea to hire a Michigan firm to install traffic cameras to help catch Nevadans that don't register or insure their vehicles, and told the governor he can't tell them when to end their special session.
Las Vegas Review-Journal; February 25, 2010
Idaho House panel nixes county's bid to end vehicle testing.
Canyon County lawmakers lost their bid to end vehicle emissions testing in their Idaho county when the House Environment Committee rejected legislation that would have halted the testing in the Idaho county where air pollution is approaching federal non-attainment levels.
Idaho Statesman; February 25, 2010
Montana state veterinarian wants brucellosis shots for all cows.
Montana State Veterinarian Marty Zaluski said the only way to control brucellosis in the state is to vaccinate all sexually-intact female calves, a proposal that is opposed by members of the Montana Stockgrowers Association and Montana Farm Bureau Federation.
Billings Gazette; February 25, 2010
'Green' computing center opens its doors in Utah.
Orem-based Voonami Inc. opened its new computing center in West Valley City on Wednesday and said the facility is the greenest in Utah, with energy costs for the facility running about 80 percent less than similar centers by its competitors.
Salt Lake Tribune; February 25, 2010
Idaho rancher wants bull trout in Little Lost River delisted.
Garret Nelson, an Idaho rancher and a member of the Tri-County Cattle Association of Custer, Lemhi and Butte counties, said there's evidence that bull trout are not native to the Little Lost River and is working to have the fish delisted in that Idaho basin.
Challis Messenger; February 25, 2010
USFWS seeks extension of sage grouse deadline.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has asked for a one-week extension on the court-ordered deadline on its decision on the greater sage grouse due to the death last weekend of the agency's director, Sam Hamilton.
Casper Star-Tribune; February 24, 2010
Shell Oil drops fight for water rights in Colorado.
Shell Oil announced it was abandoning its fight for a conditional water permit from the Yampa River for oilshale work in Colorado's Rio Blanco County, where the company holds three federal research and development oilshale leases, and company officials said the termination of the water fight does not mean its walking away from those leases.
Grand Junction Sentinel; February 24, 2010
Nevada town's bounties at odds with one another.
Ely was founded on the bounty of the springs that provided the Nevada town with water, and the copper-rich hills surrounding it, but now the Robinson open-pit copper mine's plan to dewater an area to allow the town's largest private employer to expand operations may put Ely's water supply at risk.
Las Vegas Review-Journal; February 24, 2010
States press gun issue despite federal silence.
Gun control advocates criticized President Obama for failing to live up to campaign promises on gun issues, while gun and ammunition sales went through the roof based on fears that the Obama administration would move to take away gun rights, and states have bought into the fear in a big way, with legislatures considering - and passing - a broad range of gun-related legislation.
New York Times; February 24, 2010
Stockpiling of guns, ammo fills wildlife coffers in Montana.
The public's fear that the Obama administration would impose new controls on guns and ammunition pushed sales up, and receipts for the Pitman-Robertson Fund, which is funded by an excise tax on such sales, are up 40 percent, giving Montana a $3.5-million increase in the money it has for wildlife projects.
Bozeman Daily Chronicle; February 24, 2010
Utah House panel OKs bills that set up federal land fight.
A Utah House panel approved a trio of bills on Tuesday, one which would allow the use of eminent domain for the state to claim coal-rich lands that lie within the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and another that would allow the use of $3 million in the state's school lands trust fund to fight the inevitable legal battle.
Deseret News; February 24, 2010
Utah Democratic legislators say enough already on states' rights.
The Utah Legislature is halfway through this year's session, and Democratic lawmakers said too much time has already been spent telling the federal government to back off and it's now time to start dealing with the real problems in the state.
Salt Lake Tribune; February 24, 2010
Utah find a heady one for paleontologists.
Rarely do paleontologists find complete skulls of dinosaurs, but a few years ago in Utah's Dinosaur National Monument four skulls of a new species - two of which were intact - were unearthed, and on Tuesday, Abydosaurus mcintoshi was introduced to the world.
Salt Lake Tribune; February 24, 2010
Washington residents skeptical about DOE's Hanford claims.
At a meeting Tuesday night in Spokane, one of eight in the region planned by the Department of Energy to discuss its cleanup plan for the Hanford nuclear complex, DOE officials discussed its plan to handle the 53 million gallons of radioactive waste stored in 177 underground tanks at Hanford.
Spokane Spokesman-Review; February 24, 2010
Coalition asks DOE to reconsider Yucca Mountain decision.
The Energy Communities Alliance, a coalition of local governments near Department of Energy nuclear cleanup sites that includes the Hanford communities made up of the three Tri-Cities, Benton and Franklin counties and the Port of Benton in Washington state, has asked the Department of Energy to reconsider its decision to take the creation of a national nuclear waste repository in Nevada's Yucca Mountain off the table.
Tri-City Herald; February 24, 2010
EPA director, senators slug it out at Tuesday budget hearing.
At a Senate hearing Tuesday on the Environmental Protection Agency's budget, EPA Director Lisa P. Jackson spent most of her time defending last year's decision that greenhouse gases endanger the environment and public health.
Christian Science Monitor; February 24, 2010
States' budgets hamper federal home weatherization project.
Marketed both for its proposed job creation and energy efficiency, the federal government's ambitious plan to weatherize millions of homes has stalled, due in part to states' fiscal crises that have prevented the hiring of or laid off workers needed to administer the programs.
New York Times; February 24, 2010
Yellowstone Club founder goes on trial in Montana today.
Tim Blixseth, the founder of the exclusive Yellowstone Club in Montana, goes on trial today in Missoula before U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Ralph Kirscher, facing charges that he illegally used at least $286 million of the club's money.
Billings Gazette; February 24, 2010
Judge nixes Yellowstone Club's purchase of E. Blixseth's parcel.
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Ralph Kirschner rejected the $8.5-million offer of CrossHarbor Capital Partners of Boston, the new owner of the Yellowstone Club in Montana, for a parcel at the Club owned by Edra Blixseth, and said new bids must be sought on the parcel.
Billings Gazette; February 24, 2010
Idaho city's planning board again nixes zip-line project.
Magic Valley Flight Simulation LLC again lost its bid for a zip line in the Snake River Canyon or on its rim, when the Twin Falls Planning and Zoning Department voted Tuesday night to uphold the Idaho city's department recommendation that the project not go forward.
Twin Falls Times-News; February 24, 2010
Utah county promises fight to keep resort away from Sandy.
The Salt Lake County Council approved a resolution Tuesday night to vigorously oppose Senate Bill 244, which would allow cities to annex ski resorts within ten miles of the Utah cities and separated from them by only federal lands, a bill that would allow Sandy to annex Snowbird in that county.
Salt Lake Tribune; February 24, 2010
Overcapacity crowd turns out for Utah school board hearing.
The West Jordan Fire Department had to turn people away from the Jordan School District meeting Tuesday night after hundreds of people showed up to protect the Utah district's plan to eliminate 500 jobs - 250 of which are teaching positions.
Salt Lake Tribune; February 24, 2010
USFS cites changes in elk migration in plan to reopen Idaho area.
The Sawtooth National Forest is contemplating reopening an area in the Idaho forest closed more than two decades ago to motorized travel to protect wintering elk because the elk in the area have moved on to other areas to winter.
Twin Falls Times-News; February 24, 2010
Project tracks effect of copper bullets in Wyoming hunts.
In an effort to reduce lead poisoning in carrion eaters, last fall researchers from Craighead Beringia South distributed copper bullets to hunters who had permits to hunt in the National Elk Refuge and in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, and subsequent tests on ravens found a 28 percent decrease in lead levels in the birds' blood.
Jackson Hole News & Guide; February 24, 2010
Public comments sought on Yellowstone Park's winter-use plan.
Fewer than two dozen people showed up at the National Park Service's meeting last week in Montana on its proposed winter-management plan for Yellowstone National Park, but there's still time for the public to share their views on the plan, with comments taken through March 30.
Casper Star-Tribune; February 24, 2010
BLM predicts bumper crop of grasshoppers in Wyoming this year.
The Bureau of Land Management said the plague of grasshoppers that munched their way across public lands in Wyoming in 2009 will be even worse this year, and is working with a host of other federal, state and local agencies on a plan to fight the forage plundering bugs.
Casper Star-Tribune; February 24, 2010
Idaho man kills 180-pound wolf near St. Joe.
Idaho's first ever wolf season ends on March 31, and 17 wolves have been killed so far in the panhandle region of the state, including a male taken earlier this week estimated to weigh about 180 pounds.
Coeur d'Alene Press; February 24, 2010
Idaho Senate sends rural fire rule change to House.
The Idaho Senate approved legislation that would exempt single-family homes built on five-acre parcels outside cities from International Fire Code water supply and access rules, unless the county specifically adopts those rules; the measure now moves to the House.
Idaho Statesman; February 24, 2010
Mediation provision kills foreclosure bill in Idaho House.
Legislation proposed by Idaho state Rep. Wendy Jaquet would have provided more assistance to Idahoans facing foreclosure, but the mandate for a 60-day period during which homeowners could mediate with lenders at the lenders' expense proved to be the death of the bill in the House Business Committee.
Idaho Mountain Express; February 24, 2010
Mortgage modification complaints flood Idaho AG's office.
Foreclosures in Idaho were up 89 percent in 2009, and the number of distressed homeowners filing complaints about mortgage modifications with the Idaho Attorney General's office increased by the hundreds that year as well.
Idaho Statesman; February 24, 2010
Idaho House panel moves invasive sticker fee increase ahead.
Despite complaints from kayakers and rafters, the Idaho House Resources Committee voted Tuesday to send to the full House a bill that would raise the fee for invasive-species stickers on non-motorized water craft from $5 to $7 annually, and the fee for out-of-state boats from $20 to $22, annually.
Idaho Statesman; February 24, 2010
Education top agenda item in Nevada's special session.
The special session of the Nevada Legislature called to whittle down state expenditures to meet falling revenues opened on Tuesday, with the bulk of the day spent discussing the impact on education.
Nevada Appeal; February 24, 2010
Utah House advances bill to curb stream access.
The Utah House floated legislation along to the Senate that limits public access to streams that flow through private property to areas where such public access has been continuous for at least a decade.
Salt Lake Tribune; February 24, 2010
Lawmakers release first draft of Utah budget.
Utah's legislative leaders released their first draft of a proposed budget, which doesn't have any tax increases, but does have some fairly deep cuts that would release more than 200 prisoners early, reduce the number of Highway Patrol officers by 29 and cut prenatal, domestic violence and child abuse programs.
Salt Lake Tribune; February 24, 2010
Wyoming's wind-energy legislation largely placeholders.
Legislation dealing with wind energy in Wyoming is moving quickly through the Legislature without much bluster, due in part to the placeholder nature of most of the bills, and there is general agreement that the state's true policy on the industry will be hammered out after the session ends.
Billings Gazette; February 24, 2010
Idaho Power's profits in 2009 up 30 percent from 2008.
Idaho Power Co. officials said the $28.4-million increase in profits from 2008 to 2009 were due in part to nonrecurring events in 2008 that cost the company money, forcing net income lower.
Idaho Statesman; February 24, 2010
USDA: Number of farms in Idaho up by 300 in 2009.
According to a report released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the number of farms in Idaho increased from 25,200 in 2008 to 25,500 in 2009, due in part to an increase in the number of small farms that produced and sold at least $1,000 worth of agricultural products last year.
Idaho Statesman; February 24, 2010
Bennett's bill adds congressional approval for new Utah monuments.
U.S. Sen. Bob Bennett isn't taking any chances about future national monuments being created in his home state, as he submitted legislation on Monday that prevent a president from creating new monuments in Utah without getting congressional approval; Sen. Orrin Hatch is a co-sponsor of the legislation and Utah U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop said he would submit mirror legislation in the U.S. House.
Deseret News; February 23, 2010
BLM proposed rounding up hundreds of wild horses in SW Wyoming.
Bureau of Land Management officials said Monday that the number of horses in the Adobe Town and Salt Wells Creek herd management areas in southwest Wyoming are way above appropriate levels, and the agency wants to use a combination of helicopter roundups and contraception to reduce the number of horses in those herds later this year.
Casper Star-Tribune; February 23, 2010
Utah fends off additional shipments of depleted uranium - for now.
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert applauded the U.S. Department of Energy's decision to send shipments of depleted uranium somewhere other than Utah to allow the state time to study whether the waste - which becomes more radioactive as it ages - can be safely stored in the Beehive State.
Salt Lake Tribune; February 23, 2010
Developer takes Idaho to court over water decision.
M3 Eagle plans to take the Idaho Department of Water Resources to state court over the department's decision to grant the company only a partial amount of water it sought for its large residential development north of Eagle.
Idaho Statesman; February 23, 2010
Antarctica ice headed to federal freezer in Colorado.
The National Ice Core Laboratory in Denver's Federal Center stores the nation's share of ice pulled from polar caps and soon the 8,000-square foot freezer will get ice samples from 1,400 feet under Antarctica - which scientists will slice off samples to melt to calculate ancient levels of carbon dioxide and temperatures.
Denver Post; February 23, 2010
Utah governor wants 'trigger' on gun bill.
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert said he'll sign a bill that exempts Utah-made guns from federal regulations if lawmakers tweak it to make it contingent upon the outcome of a legal challenge of Montana's nearly identical law.
Salt Lake Tribune; February 23, 2010
Montana university leads petition drive to restore Amtrak line.
The University of Montana and the Montana Public Interest Research Group have teamed up to encourage students at 25 other universities and colleges along the former North Coast Hiawatha passenger rail route that stretched from Chicago to Seattle, crossing through southern Montana, to petition Amtrak to restore that route.
Missoulian; February 23, 2010
EPA director assures coal states emissions rules will be phased in.
In a letter to eight Democratic senators from coal states, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Director Lisa P. Jackson assured them that any measures the agency takes to regulate greenhouse gases will be instituted gradually and would not impose costly new rules on American businesses.
New York Times; February 23, 2010
U.S. food processors struggle to find BPA substitute.
As federal regulators consider a potential ban of Bisphenol A, an ubiquitous chemical linked to a variety of health concerns including cancer, U.S. foodmakers are finding that it's hard to find a replacement for the chemical.
Washington Post; February 23, 2010
California company poised to launch fuel-cell drive.
California-based Bloom Energy will launch its fuel-cell business on Wednesday, but has already put its Bloom Boxes - layers of skinny batteries that use oxygen and fuel to create electricity with no emissions - at such businesses as Google and eBay, although skeptics question if the company can bring the price down to the level where homeowners can afford them.
Christian Science Monitor; February 23, 2010
Private hoteliers protest Utah county's plan for headquarters hotel.
Salt Lake County officials want to build a 1,000-plus room hotel near the Calvin L. Rampton Salt Palace Convention Center to help the Utah county attract large conventions, and county officials said that while private hoteliers may feel the pinch for the first few years the convention hotel is open, they will eventually reap the rewards of having such a large facility nearby.
Salt Lake Tribune; February 23, 2010
Utah water official to speak Wednesday in Montana.
Mac McKee, the director of the Utah Water Research Laboratory at Utah State University in Logan, will share his international perspective on water resources with the Billings Committee on Foreign Relations on Wednesday.
Billings Gazette; February 23, 2010
One GOP contender for Nevada U.S. Senate seat drops out.
Mark Amodei said that raising money for his U.S. Senate campaign in Nevada was a problem, given the more than a dozen other Republican contenders in the June primary, and the Carson City Republican dropped out of the race on Monday, even though he said he believed he had a platform that would have allowed him to unseat incumbent Sen. Harry Reid.
Nevada Appeal; February 23, 2010
Utah House dunks stream-access legislation.
The Utah House voted 50-23 to defeat a bill that would have allowed recreational water users to step onto private property from public waters as long as they stayed within the high water mark.
Salt Lake Tribune; February 23, 2010
Utah state senator drops accelerated graduation bill.
Utah Sen. Chris Buttars said his proposed legislation to allow high school seniors to graduate early - and save the state some money in the process - was mischaracterized and he withdrew the bill to allow more time to educate the public about the program's true intent.
Salt Lake Tribune; February 23, 2010
Nevada legislators consider new taxes on gaming, mining.
Nevada's mining industry may be the source of up to $100 million in new revenue to help close the state's $887-million budget gap for its two-year general fund budget through June 30, 2011 as the Legislature's special session kicks off today.
Las Vegas Review-Journal; February 23, 2010
Idaho House approves early high-school graduation plan.
The Idaho House voted 61-7 Monday to approve the Master Advancement Pilot Project, which will allow 21 of 115 school districts and three charter schools to participate in a six-year project allowing high school seniors to graduate early, a measure proposed to help cut education costs; the bill now moves to the Senate.
Idaho Statesman; February 23, 2010
Idaho constitutional amendments address institutional debt.
The Idaho Legislature is considering three constitutional amendments that may be put to a public vote that address the ability of airports, hospitals and municipal power companies to assume debt.
Twin Falls Times-News; February 23, 2010
ConAgra Foods to shut down production line later this year.
ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston officials said they're not sure yet how many of the 110 to 120 workers that work the potato processing line the company is shutting down at its Twin Falls facility on or before Sept. 6, as the workers may be shifted to other jobs at the Idaho plant.
Twin Falls Times-News; February 23, 2010
Defense contractor to expand Utah factory.
Northrop Grumman Corp. officials said the plans to expand its Salt Lake City manufacturing facility by more than 20 percent won't immediately add manufacturing jobs at the Utah facility, but it will give the company capacity to do so when warranted.
Salt Lake Tribune; February 23, 2010
Interior Sec'y assures Utah governor no land grab is planned.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said the memo listing 14 sites in nine western states that might be considered for additional federal protections was a draft, and he assured Utah Gov. Gary Herbert that there was no backroom effort to create national monuments in Utah and other states.
Salt Lake Tribune; February 22, 2010
USFWS to make sage grouse decision this week.
Oil, gas, livestock and wind-industry groups are awaiting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's decision expected this week on sage grouse, as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife's decision could have considerable ramifications for those industries in Wyoming and other western states.
Casper Star-Tribune; February 22, 2010
N.M. site prepares for blast-off in space tourism.
Construction has begun on a portal for space tourism in the desert of New Mexico, with Richard Branson's Virgin Gallactic commercial space travel business signing a 20-year lease at the site.
New York Times; February 22, 2010
Federal EnergyStar program endorses so-so products, too.
Government auditors found that many of the products given the government's EnergyStar ranking for using less energy than other similar products adorned products that didn't live up to the hype, and that some products that didn't bear the logo were actually more energy efficient than some that did.
Washington Post; February 22, 2010
Nation's governors share concern that the worst is yet to come.
At the National Governors Association's winter meeting that began Saturday in Washington, D.C., governors said they feared that their states had not yet seen the worst yet, and that the fiscal year that begins July 1 would be the most serious test of those economies.
New York Times; February 22, 2010
GOP presidential hopefuls take a trial run of sorts.
Last weekend in Washington, D.C., two events gave potential Republican presidential candidates a chance to promote themselves and test their political strength: the annual Conservative Political Action Conference and the National Governors Association meeting.
Washington Post; February 22, 2010
Idaho fire district finds a way to put lien on homes it saves.
Boise Fire Department crews will not respond to fires outside the department's service area unless human life is threatened, a policy that has been in place for years but was ignored when the department responded to a fire call in an unincorporated area of Ada County in 2007, and for which the Idaho department has been unable to collect the $15,000 bill for its efforts.
Idaho Statesman; February 22, 2010
Congressional changes have big implications for Indian Country.
The announced retirements of U.S. Reps. Patrick Kennedy and Neil Abercrombie of Rhode Island and Hawaii, respectively, and of Sen. Byron Dorgan of North Dakota, all of whom are well-versed in Indian Country issues, and the loss of other key representatives on committees important to tribes, have tribal officials concerned about their voice in this Congress.
Indian Country Today; February 22, 2010
Drilling activity slows in natural-gas rich W. Wyoming.
Over the past decade, the number of natural gas wells in the Pinedale Anticline increased from 200 to 2,600, many of them approved with the use of categorical exclusions, but the slump in natural gas prices has slowed activity in Western Wyoming considerably, with the number of drilling rigs down from 60 in 2008 to 24 in 2009.
Salt Lake Tribune; February 22, 2010
USFWS director dies while on ski trip in Colorado.
Sam D. Hamilton, who capped his 30-year career with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service when he was named director in September, died Saturday while on a ski trip in Colorado, apparently from a heart attack.
New York Times; February 22, 2010
Bashing the federal government a plank in Wyoming campaigns.
Although Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal has yet to say if he's running for re-election, he and Republican candidate for governor, Ron Micheli, appear to share common ground when it comes to criticizing the federal government's role in Wyoming issues such as grizzly bear and wolf management or energy development.
Casper Star-Tribune; February 22, 2010
Utah AG says state can tag along on Montana gun fight.
Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff said that the state may not have to engage in an expensive fight with the federal government if Gov. Gary Herbert signs a bill that exempts guns and ammunition made and sold within the state from federal regulation, as Shurtleff believes Utah can tag along in a lawsuit filed over a similar law in Montana and peg the Beehive State's law on the outcome of that lawsuit.
Deseret News; February 22, 2010
Wyoming lawmakers begin to craft the budget.
The Wyoming House and Senate will begin drafting the budget for the 2011-2012 fiscal years this week, and legislative leaders from both sides of the aisle said the work will be tempered by the uncertain economy.
Casper Star-Tribune; February 22, 2010
Bank with ties to Montana, Wyoming prepares for IPO.
US Banker magazine ranked the privately held First Interstate Bank based in Montana with holdings in Wyoming and South Dakota the top in the nation's 100 mid-sized banks last summer; the family-owned bank has asked the Securities and Exchange Commission to approve a $115-million common stock offering.
Casper Star-Tribune; February 22, 2010
Montana resort attracts bargain-hunting skiers, snowboarders.
Moonlight Basin is in tough financial shape, but the operators of the ski resort in Montana said it's no Tamarack, an Idaho resort that didn't open this year due to financial troubles and where there's talk of selling off the lifts and other equipment to settle its debt.
Billings Gazette; February 22, 2010
Newly formed Idaho company snags wind-turbine contract.
River's Edge Energy, Inc., a new company in Idaho, announced it will begin assembling wind turbines at a facility at the Pocatello airport, and that it signed a contract with All Bright International to sell and install wind turbines across the country.
Idaho Statesman; February 22, 2010
As Arizona state parks close, security concerns rise.
The first round of state park closures begin this week in Arizona, although the state is as yet unable to detail how they'll secure the parks and protect the assets contained within them.
Arizona Republic; February 21, 2010
Some Idaho bills beat back Beltway's influence in Gem State.
Idaho lawmakers will take up a smattering of measure that attempt to limit the reach and control of the federal government in the state, including one that would allow the state to sue the federal government should health care reform pass, and bills that pit the state against local governments, such as the dairy industry's fight to get the state to step in and curtail counties' right to regulate confined animal feeding operations.
Idaho Statesman; February 21, 2010
Wyoming's proposed wind tax creates swirl of controversy.
Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal and the state lawmakers who support his proposed $1-per-megawatt tax on the wind industry said it's only fair the industry pay its own way, while those opposed to the tax said it will dampen enthusiasm for projects in what is arguably the windiest state in the nation.
New York Times; February 20, 2010
Research shows trees growing faster, fatter.
Jess Parker, a forest ecologist at the Smithsonian Institution, has spent the last 22 years measuring trees on the East Coast, and found that they were growing two to four times faster than expected, and a similar trend has been reported around the world, except in the tropics where some studies have indicated trees are growing more slowly.
Washington Post; February 20, 2010
Federal government considers Montana's grasslands for protection.
Interior Department officials have mapped out more than a dozen sites in Arizona, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, California, Washington and Oregon that they are considering for protection due to their scenic beauty, geologic importance or species habitat, including the Northern Montana prairie.
Great Falls Tribune; February 19, 2010
Utah congressional delegation 'outraged' at Interior's plan.
Utah's congressional delegation responded angrily to the Interior Department's preliminary identification of 12 areas in nine states that should be considered for federal protection, including the San Rafael Swell in south-central Utah and Cedar Mesa in San Juan County.
Salt Lake Tribune; February 19, 2010
Two sites in Colorado on list for possible special designation.
Colorado Department of Natural Resources spokesman Theo Stein said he expected Gov. Bill Ritter would talk with Interior Secretary Ken Salazar about the federal government's interest in putting new protections in place on two sites in the state: the Vermillion Basin in northwest Colorado and the high peaks between Silverton and Lake City.
Grand Junction Sentinel; February 19, 2010
Two firms acknowledge using diesel in fracking despite 2003 vow.
A congressional committee released information Thursday that confirmed that Halliburton and BJ Services, two of the three largest companies that use hydraulic fracturing during drilling operations, used diesel fuel in the chemical cocktail injected under high pressure between 2005 and 2007, despite signing a voluntary agreement in 2003 with the federal Environmental Protection Agency not to do so.
Durango Herald; February 19, 2010
Wyoming House sends wind-tax bill to the Senate.
Legislation to impose a $1-per-megawatt tax on wind-produced energy sailed through its third and final vote in the Wyoming House and is now awaiting action in the Senate.
Casper Star-Tribune; February 19, 2010
California, Oregon sign Klamath water accord.
Representatives of 30 interested parties, including the states of California and Oregon as well as the federal government, gathered in Salem on Thursday to sign agreements on water use in the Klamath Basin that could mean the removal of four dams on the Klamath River.
Portland Oregonian; February 19, 2010
Most federal stimulus money for clean energy still in the bank.
Roughly $90 billion in the $787-billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, or stimulus bill, was earmarked for clean-energy programs, and to date about a third of that amount has been put to use, which is about the same ratio of federal stimulus fund spent - $263 billion - versus funds available.
Christian Science Monitor; February 19, 2010
Air Force, Mountain Home base host Idaho meeting on F-35 mission.
Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho is one of the bases under consideration by the Air Force for its new F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter, and on Thursday, residents of the Magic Valley turned out to share their views on the proposal with Air Force officials.
Twin Falls Times-News; February 19, 2010
New gun policy takes effect in national parks Monday.
On Monday, visitors to the 392 national parks may be able to carry concealed and loaded guns into those parks, depending upon the laws of the state in which the parks are located.
Washington Post; February 19, 2010
Idaho Fish and Game: Hunters over-estimate size of wolves taken.
Idaho Fish and Game officials said most of the wolves taken by hunters in Northern Idaho, as well as those killed by vehicles, weighed considerably less than 100 pounds, with the one exception being a wolf taken in Boundary County that weighed more than 130 pounds.
Spokane Spokesman-Review; February 19, 2010
Obama arrives in Nevada with millions for homeowners, solar power.
President Barack Obama is in Nevada, where he attended a fundraiser Thursday night in Las Vegas for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and the president is expected to announce today a $2.9 million grant for Nevada Solar One, as well as at least $100 million more in mortgage relief for Nevada homeowners.
Las Vegas Review-Journal; February 19, 2010
Idaho panel makes more cuts, balances state's budget.
Idaho Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter applauded the Joint Finance-Appropriations committee's work to balance the 2010 budget that included a 7.1% across-the-board reduction in general fund appropriations.
Idaho Statesman; February 19, 2010
Idaho Senate panel tweaks fire safety rules for rural homes.
The Idaho Senate Commerce Committee approved legislation on Thursday that exempts rural single-family homes built on five-acre parcels from International Fire Code water supply and access rules, unless a county specifically adopts the code; the measure now moves to the full Senate for a vote.
Idaho Statesman; February 19, 2010
One of 3 immigration-related bills off the table in Idaho.
The Idaho House State Affairs Committee voted Thursday to kill a bill proposed by Reps. Raul Labrador and Phil Hart that would have suspended for a year the business license of any company found to have knowingly hired illegal workers.
Idaho Statesman; February 19, 2010
Utah Legislature sends illegal-abortion bill to governor.
A bill that would charge an expectant mother with homicide for an "intentional, knowing, or reckless act" that causes an illegal termination of her pregnancy was passed by the Utah Senate Thursday and heads to Gov. Gary Herbert for action.
Salt Lake Tribune; February 19, 2010
Wyoming Senate passes bill to fund study on I-80 tolls.
A bill approving a $350,000 feasibility study on imposing tolls on Interstate-80, the freeway that cuts an east-west path across Wyoming, passed its third and final vote in the state Senate on Thursday and now heads to the House for a vote.
Casper Star-Tribune; February 19, 2010
Study will examine impact of locally grown food in Idaho, Oregon.
Crossroads Resource Center in Minneapolis will study local food systems in seven counties Southwest Idaho and two counties in Oregon to analyze weaknesses in existing local food systems and provide data on how to improve production and distribution of local foods.
Idaho Statesman; February 19, 2010
Utah-based EnergySolutions gets new CEO.
EnergySolutions Chief Executive Officer Steve Creamer resigned Friday, and Val John Christensen was appointed to take his place effective immediately.
Salt Lake Tribune; February 19, 2010
Westgate Resorts to auction 48 condos in Utah's West Park City.
Westgate Resorts chief operating officer said the success of its auction of condominium units in Park City last month prompted the scheduling of an auction of four dozen units in the main village at The Canyons Resort in Utah's West Park City in March, and that minimum bids for the units would be set at approximately 56 percent of their last asking prices.
Salt Lake Tribune; February 19, 2010
Utah company promises to build plant in Missouri.
Utah-based Manna, a Provo company with 23 employees, announced it would build factories in Missouri to manufacture environmentally-friendly home generators and food products, as well as portable emergency rooms, with Odessa providing $90 million in bonds and the property for the facilities.
Kansas City Star; February 19, 2010
Idaho town a third of its way on town square fundraising.
Ketchum needs to raise $474,500 to realize its vision for a square in the heart of the Idaho town for concerts, farmers' markets and other public gatherings, with $355,800 of that needing to be raised before construction begins in May; $188,050 has been raised in just two weeks.
Idaho Mountain Express; February 19, 2010
New study says agriculture a $15-billion industry in Utah.
A new Utah State University study on agriculture's role in the state's economy took a broader approach than previous studies, pulling in food processing plants and dollars spent by farmers to compile its estimate of a $15-billion annual contribution to the state's economy.
Salt Lake Tribune; February 19, 2010
Montana begins moving bison to Ted Turner's ranch.
On Wednesday, 80 bison, mostly pregnant females, were shipped from holding facilities north of Yellowstone National Park in Montana to Ted Turner's 12,000-acre Green Ranch west of Bozeman, and today eight bulls will be shipped to the ranch, completing a controversial transfer that will keep the bison on private land for five years in exchange for 75 percent of the bison born during that period.
Bozeman Daily Chronicle; February 18, 2010
SUWA wins right to fight in Utah oil, gas lease lawsuit.
Southern Utah Wilderness Association won its bid to represent its interest in a federal lawsuit filed by three Utah counties and three oil companies over 77 disputed oil and gas leases sold in 2008 and rescinded in 2009 by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar.
Salt Lake Tribune; February 18, 2010
For many Idaho hunters, wolves remain elusive targets.
There are just six weeks left to hunt wolves in the Idaho districts where the season remains open, and some hunters are still empty-handed with only 155 of the allotted 220 wolves taken so far.
Spokane Spokesman-Review; February 18, 2010
Wyoming city one of 3 possible sites for new data center.
Cheyenne is on the short list of potential sites for a $750-million-plus computer data center, and the company proposing to build the center is reportedly awaiting the outcome of a bill before the Wyoming Legislature that waives sales tax on computer equipment for data centers.
Casper Star-Tribune; February 18, 2010
Arizona will spend significant funds to close state parks.
It will cost Arizona an estimated $1.4 million to close its 13 less-profitable state parks, about $2.1 million less than what it would cost to keep them open, except in the case of Fort Verde Historic State Park, where it's going to cost the state about $46,000 more to close that park than to keep it open.
Arizona Republic; February 18, 2010
President's environmental decisions loses him some support.
With the economic crisis and the fight over health care reform, progress on some of President Obama's environmental agenda has slowed, disappointing environmental groups with the lack of progress on such issues as climate change, but for some, the president's support of nuclear power was the final straw.
New York Times; February 18, 2010
U.N. climate chief resigns.
UN climate chief Yvo de Boer announced he was leaving the post he has held since 2006 on July 1 to take a job with KPMG, a private consultancy group.
Toronto National Post; February 18, 2010
Army of retirees take up the slack at nation's campgrounds.
Budget cuts have left personnel of parks and wildlife agencies stretched too thin to do it all, and more and more are depending on retirees who trade a campsite for doing 20-30 hours of work a week.
New York Times; February 18, 2010
White House details how stimulus programs affected Utah.
The White House released data Wednesday that said over the past year federal stimulus programs created or saved 18,000 jobs in Utah and that $1.9 billion in federal funds had flowed into the Beehive State, with more than $1.1 billion of the money already spent.
Deseret News; February 18, 2010
Federal government denies funds for Salt Lake City's streetcar project.
Salt Lake City's Sugar House streetcar plan didn't win federal stimulus funds, but the Utah city's officials said they'll try again for the second round of $600 million in additional Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants to be released later this year.
Salt Lake Tribune; February 18, 2010
Utah fiber-optic network reaches out to Google.
The mayors of the 10 Utah cities that are members of the financially strapped quasi-public Utopia, short for Utah Telecommunication Open Infrastructure Agency, welcomed the news that Google is searching for partners to develop high-speed fiber-optic networks and are planning to aggressively lobby the Internet giant to pick UTOPIA as a partner.
Salt Lake Tribune; February 18, 2010
Idaho city contemplates partnering with Google.
Nampa city officials are asking residents of the Idaho city what they think of a proposal to partner with Internet giant Google on a project to bring high-speed Internet service to the city.
Idaho Statesman; February 18, 2010
NPS hosts meeting in Montana on Yellowstone winter use plan.
The National Park Service will hold a meeting tonight in Billings, Mont., on its long-term winter use plan for Yellowstone National Park, and will host another such meeting in Wyoming on March 15 in Cheyenne.
Billings Gazette; February 18, 2010
Utah senator warns Tea Party endangers GOP party.
Tea Party organizers said Sen. Orrin Hatch is woefully out of touch, after the Utah senator criticized the grassroots group for dividing the Republican Party and clearing the way for Democrats to win key seats.
Salt Lake Tribune; February 18, 2010
Nevada legislators ask businesses to pony up funds.
Nevada's Democratic lawmakers said Gov. Jim Gibbon's proposed budget plan makes too deep of cuts and they put the call out to businesses and industries in the state to voluntarily pay millions of dollars in taxes and fees to help address the state's $887-million budget shortfall.
Las Vegas Review-Journal; February 18, 2010
Bill to pay Utah farmers to not develop land stalls in committee.
Utah House Rep. Jack Draxler said the term "conservation" appeared to put some lawmakers off of his bill that would pay farmers to keep their land in production and not develop it, using funds from the sale of agricultural lands for development to pay for the program.
Salt Lake Tribune; February 18, 2010
Wyoming House gives wind-tax bill a second nod.
Legislation to impose a $1-per-megawatt-hour tax on wind-generated electricity passed a second reading in the Wyoming House; the bill faces a third vote before it can move to the Senate.
Casper Star-Tribune; February 18, 2010
Idaho mining company reports 3rd highest profit in 119 years.
Hecla Mining Company officials credited the Idaho company's income of $54.2 million in 2009 - the third highest ever reported in the firm's 119-year history - to owning all the record production of silver, zinc and lead at the Greens Creek mine, as well as to last year's high metals prices.
Coeur d'Alene Press; February 18, 2010
Ski industry fends off OSHA push on explosive controls.
The ski industry's near perfect record on handling explosives used for avalanche control helped push back the new set of regulations proposed by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Denver Post; February 18, 2010
Idaho's newest nurses face tough job market.
A few years ago, Treasure Valley hospitals were recruiting nursing students still in their sophomore year to fill jobs, but things have changed now in Idaho, with the national economic situation leading to fewer patients in hospitals, more retired nurses returning to work, and the bumper crop of nursing school graduates all vying for few open jobs.
Idaho Statesman; February 18, 2010
Northern Nevada works to draw medical companies to state.
Members of the Northern Nevada Development Authority are at the Medical Design and Manufacturing West trade show in Anaheim, Calif., making their pitch to convince medical device manufacturers to move their businesses to Nevada.
Nevada Appeal; February 18, 2010
Opinion
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
Sage grouse numbers indicate species doesn't need protection.
There are currently about 200,000 sage grouse in Wyoming, where roughly half the world's sage grouse are found, and that number alone should be proof enough that the species is holding its own and doesn't need federal endangered species protections.
Casper Star-Tribune; February 26, 2010
Idaho county, city officials need to focus on the economy.
Officials of Blaine County and the cities in the Idaho county need to stop focusing on growth management and instead focus on rebuilding the local economy left in tatters by the Great Crash of 2008.
Idaho Mountain Express; February 26, 2010
Idaho residents need to learn there's no free fire protection.
Boise's ongoing fight to recoup firefighting costs in protecting a residence in unincorporated Ada County several years ago provides a needed reality check on unchecked growth and its consequences - one that the Idaho county's officials need to remember when growth returns to Ada County.
Idaho Statesman; February 26, 2010
Wyoming Senate should kill concealed weapons bill.
Wyoming's current conceal-carry gun law has been touted by the National Rifle Association for years as the standard other states should adopt; given that the proposed changes in the bill passed by the House aren't needed and are opposed by law enforcement officials, the Wyoming Senate should give the bill a good hard look and then shoot it down.
Casper Star-Tribune; February 25, 2010
Nevada senator makes poor choices for budget panel.
All bets that the federal commission charged with reining in the massive federal deficit will succeed are now off, given Nevada Sen. Harry Reid's appointment of three of his free-spending cronies for the board: Montana Sen. Max Baucus, Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin and North Dakota Sen. Kent Conrad.
Las Vegas Review-Journal; February 25, 2010
Idaho could do more to speed up use of solar power.
There is much Idaho could do to make solar power more inviting to residents and businesses, such as offer feed-in tariffs for solar developers and remove any limits on how much power produced by solar projects can be sold back to the grid. A column by Rocky Barker.
Idaho Statesman; February 22, 2010
Utah HB 141 best stream-access solution for the state.
Utah lawmakers will consider two bills designed to clarify public stream access; House Bill 80 simply goes too far, granting access to every body of water in the state, while House Bill 141 shores up the rights of private property owners while giving the public access to waters that have been generally open to the public for more than a decade.
Salt Lake Tribune; February 21, 2010
Make Utah a test state for some federal programs.
Give Utah back the money taxpayers pay to the federal government for a few programs that are primarily managed at the state level - education, transportation and Medicaid - and give the state a chance to prove that the money is better managed by the state without onerous federal regulations and policies. A guest column by Sen. Michael G. Waddoups, president of the Utah Senate; and Rep. David Clark, Speaker of the Utah House of Representatives. Both are Republicans.
Washington Post; February 19, 2010
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