NEWS ROUNDUP

U.S. Fish and Wildlife won't list mountain plover as threatened The mountain plover won't be placed on the threatened species list because new information indicates the bird's population is holding steady, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Monday. Studies show agricultural areas provide alternate nesting habitats for the bird rather than destroying nesting areas as feared, the agency said...BLM sees positive results from work to rehab areas burned in Grizzly Gulch Fire Progress is being made to repair damage from the Grizzly Gulch Fire of 2002 which burned near Deadwood and Lead, an advisory council to the Bureau of Land Management heard last week...Wildfire evacuees return home Evacuees were returning home Monday as mild weather helped firefighters gain on a wildfire that had blazed through old brush and timber. The fire, in the San Bernardino National Forest about 60 miles east of Los Angeles, was 35 percent contained early Monday after charring about 1,300 acres, the U.S. Forest Service reported... A Battle for Turf Where the Grizzlies Ruled A major potential threat, they say, is a copper and silver mine that is planned in the bears' remaining habitat. Nine environmental groups filed a lawsuit in federal court in July to overturn approval for the mine given by the Kootenai National Forest. The federal Fish and Wildlife Service signed off on the mine, saying it would not harm the bears...Builders take aim at Alaskan timber restrictions The National Association of Home Builders is urging the U.S. Forest Service to ensure an adequate supply of timber nationwide and to protect the economic livelihood of builders and other local businesses in Alaska by exempting the Tongass and the Chugach National Forests from consideration under the proposed Roadless Area Conservation Rule for national forests."Placing restrictions such as the ones in the Roadless Rule on timber harvests will result in higher and more volatile lumber prices, and will negatively affect housing affordability across the nation," said Jerry Howard, NAHB's executive vice president and CEO...Investigators look for cause of Aspen wildfire While dozens of firefighters tried to contain a wildfire that devastated a mountaintop community earlier this summer, a smaller group was focused on a much more delicate but nevertheless important task. Investigators using a combination of science and old-fashioned detective work were looking for clues that would answer the key questions: How did the Aspen fire start? And Why?...Americans to Lend Hand to Their Public Lands on Sept. 20 Thousands of Americans will take part in those and hundreds of other projects on Saturday, Sept. 20, as part of the 10th annual National Public Lands Day (NPLD). Each year, the country's largest volunteer, hands-on effort draws volunteers from every state to provide the "Helping Hands for America's Lands."...Ranger keeps cool during bear encounters One day about 10 years ago, Harry Tullis got up, went to work and was charged by a 700-pound grizzly bear. But it was just another day at the office for Tullis, who since 1989 has worked as a wilderness ranger for the Juneau Ranger District on Admiralty Island, home to one of the densest bear populations on earth...Where We Agree On Preserving Forests Edward O. Wilson is fighting battles from 20 or 30 years ago ["Selling Out Our Forests," op-ed, Aug. 28]. Today, nobody in the Forest Service is making an "economic argument for increased road-building." We have learned that what we leave on the land is more important than what we take away... World Parks Congress tackles obstacles Conservationists gather in South Africa this week to discuss how to preserve the planet’s natural heritage, with experts warning that more than 11,000 species of animals and plants risk extinction... Big Straw may be fiscally 'unfeasible' The price tag for moving water from the Utah border to the Front Range isn't known, but it's likely to be a shocker. "We are not far enough along to give a dollar estimate," said Blaine Dwyer of Boyle Engineering Corp., which has a $500,000 contract to study the costs of the Big Straw proposal...>"You Just Can't Win With the Environmentalists" Eco-friendly windmills are killing birds in the Altamont Pass.......... At one point in time, the environmentalists didn't want us to harvest old-growth redwood trees. Then, they extended their purview. Now, they don't want us to cut down any trees for fear that a lumber company would make a profit. Far better to have huge wildfires than to risk that. The same goes for oil drilling. Once, they objected to drilling in the Arctic Preserve. Now, that has broadened into no oil drilling at all. They just never are satisfied...