NEWS ROUNDUP

Forest Service chief: 'Roadless' ruling won't be appealedThe head of the U.S. Forest Service expects no immediate impact from a government decision upholding a court ruling that lifted a ban on road building in a third of America's national forests. The Justice Department's decision not to appeal U.S. District Judge Clarence Brimmer's ruling on the so-called roadless policy was welcomed yesterday by industry groups and left environmentalists grumbling...It's not easy being green For years, the rigs used by the U.S. Forest Service have been a familiar green, an agency tradition almost as old as the Smoky Bear image. But that, said Willie Boyer, is changing over time...Forest Service says old Colorado ski lodge has to go Berthoud ski area has offered to sell its 30,000-square-foot base lodge to the Forest Service for $1, but the agency doesn't want it. Instead the Forest Service wants the building removed...Study: Forest Service, Interior lack fire prevention priorities Areas at risk for major wildfire may not be getting the attention they deserve because government agencies have not provided a comprehensive, uniform risk assessment that would enable projects to be prioritized, said a congressional study released Monday. The Forest Service and the Interior Department are not sure how much land is at risk for a major wildfire, what areas are in the most immediate danger or how much it will cost to reduce the risks by thinning, said the report by the General Accounting Office, the investigative arm of Congress... Governors want more money for endangered species The nation’s list of endangered species is often a dead end for the animals and plants placed on that list, the country’s Western governors said, and Monday these dignitaries called for stronger population recovery programs in the federal Endangered Species Act. The members of the Western Governors’ Association passed two resolutions, asking the federal government to provide more funding for endangered species and to work with states in developing specific strategies needed to move species off the list. The governors also want the Endangered Species Act to be amended to reflect a more comprehensive, recovery-based philosophy... Governors, feds pledge wildlife cooperation When it comes to the federal Endangered Species Act, state and federal governments both can benefit from working together, western governors and two of the nation's top wildlife officials agreed Monday. "We're actively reaching out to state fish and wildlife agencies" for their experience and expertise, said Steve Williams, director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the federal agency in charge of most endangered species issues...Secretary Norton Announces $12.9 Million in Grants To Support Conservation in 40 States and Puerto Rico Interior Secretary Gale Norton today announced that the department has awarded $12.9 million in cost-share grants under President Bush's Cooperative Conservation Initiative to complete 256 conservation projects in conjunction with states, local communities, businesses, landowners, and other partners...Lawmakers slam Endangered Species Act In a field hearing here to discuss the effects of a recent 10th Circuit Court decision decreeing that under the Endangered Species Act the Rio Grande endangered silvery minnow has a higher priority for water than any other user – including farmers, ranchers and municipalities – members of the U.S. House Committee on Resources pulled no punches in declaring the law was harming the American way of life in the West and had to be "fixed."... Ash readers comb forest A different kind of fire team hit the charred slopes around Highway 330 last week, even as crews continued to search for smoldering stumps and tendrils of smoke still drifted into the air. This team carried narrow shovels, not chain saws, dispensed water in droplets, not deluges, and found yellow-legged frogs far more interesting than orange flames...Forest official surveys bark beetle damage When Regional Forester Harv Forsgren surveyed the bark beetle damage in the Pine area on his first visit to the Rim country recently, he was taken aback. "It was pretty eye-opening to just look at the amount of fuels in and around that community," Forsgren said. "Pretty frightening."...Napolitano says Congress not focused on forest money Gov. Janet Napolitano said Tuesday she fears that Congress won't provide adequate funding to thin national forests, leaving the state in jeopardy at the start of next year's fire season...Conservationists hitch ride with Lewis, Clark Nobody is saying that Meriwether Lewis and William Clark would have sided with salmon advocates calling for the removal of four Snake River dams. But as the nation commemorates the bicentennial of the Corps of Discovery, conservationists are linking the 19th-century heroes to presentmodern-day campaigns aimed at protecting wildlife, wild rivers and wild lands... Did Someone Burn 9/11 Memorial Flag At Top Of Thirteener? An American flag placed atop a 13,589-foot mountain as a memorial to the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks was torched, and sheriff's deputies are investigating...BLM moves land auction to Las Vegas casino arena The Bureau of Land Management has moved its next Southern Nevada land auction to a Las Vegas casino arena, citing demand from developers who overflowed a similar auction earlier this year...Leavitt's land record to be eyed Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt's dealings on Utah's vast public lands are expected to come under close scrutiny as the Senate begins debate on whether to confirm him as President Bush's point man on the environment... Helicopter pilot herds mustangs The days of the aerial barnstormer traveling from town to town and amazing the locals are a romantic part of the history books. Likewise, the mustanger has been relegated to the movie screen. Allen Carter of Minersville, Utah, is a throwback. Last week he flew his Bell 47 turbine-powered helicopter to Cedarville. His job: a modern-day barnstorming mustanger...Flathead Reservation water talks to restart After a lengthy delay, negotiations for an interim water rights agreement between tribal, state and federal governments on the Flathead Reservation will resume soon, Clayton Matt, a tribal spokesman, said Monday...