NEWS ROUNDUP

West's governors gather, vow to fix global warming The governors of California, Washington and Oregon, accusing the Bush administration of "foot-dragging" in the fight against global warming, announced Monday they plan to develop a joint strategy to reduce pollution. California Gov. Gray Davis and Washington Gov. Gary Locke, joined by environmental activists, unveiled the pact at a state park offering smog-shrouded views of Los Angeles. Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski, who was unable to attend, endorsed the plan in a statement...Senators strike forest accord Under the proposal, the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management would be authorized to limit environmental analysis required by the 1969 National Environmental Policy Act. It also would require lawsuits to be filed at the beginning of the process and require courts to re-evaluate preliminary injunctions every 45 days. Preliminary injunctions stop action on a project until the litigation is completed, which due to appeals can often be months or years. The expedited process could be used on up to 20 million acres of federal lands. Environmentalists, who opposed the House bill, were upset to learn that the Senate was likely to follow in the other body's footsteps...Panel urges environmental fast track IN A 90-PAGE REPORT, the group calls on several federal agencies to create categories of projects, using broad criteria, that would be deemed to have no environmental impact. If a project fit into one of those broad categories, no further environmental assessments would be required, officials said. Other recommendations include drafting new federal regulations for managing fisheries, forests and other resources and creating a citizen's guide to help people better understand the 1970 National Environmental Policy Act...NOTE: you can see a copy of the NEPA report here. Wildfire Continues to Burn; 3000 Acres So Far A fire set on purpose in Utah's Wasatch County, has become a nagging headache for the Forest Service. The controlled burn jumped the fire line and raged out of control last night. And today,smoke from that fire poured out of the canyons, and left a smelly blanket over the Salt Lake Valley...Memorandum signed to improve access The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has joined the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation and 17 other public and private partners in signing a Memorandum of Understanding dedicated to improving and maintaining access to public lands for hunters and anglers. "This is an important effort for our nation's sportsmen and women," said Service Director Steve Williams. "There are some locations in the United States where the Federal government is the single largest land owner. Public access is critical to allow hunters and anglers to fulfill their vital role in responsible management of our fish and wildlife resources."...Bingaman measure would keep forest thinning, fire-fighting funds separate To reduce such threats, U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) introduced an amendment, on Monday, to the 2004 Interior Appropriations Bill. The amendment gives the U.S. Department of Agriculture Department up to $250 million annually in additional forest fire fighting funds. (The U.S. Forest Service is under the USDA' auspices.) "(This) is intended to put an end to the Forest Service's practice of borrowing funding from key forest thinning programs” and failing to restore those funds"in particularly harsh fire seasons," Bingaman's release stated...Federal agencies sued over mountain water A group of property owners in the Sacramento Mountain Watershed Restoration Corporation filed suit Friday in federal district court against the U.S. Forest Service and other federal agencies over authorizations for municipal water projects on forest lands. The group of property owners filed the lawsuit so it would require federal agencies to consider the effects of municipal water diversions on the Sacramento Mountain community, Rick Warnock of SMWRC said. Joe Garcia of the U.S. Forest Service had not been notified of the lawsuit yet and had no comment...Proposed Tongass sales limit survives vote U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, has scotched efforts to kill his proposal to put time limits on lawsuits against certain Tongass National Forest timber sales. An attempt by U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., to remove a Tongass timber sale amendment in a budget bill failed Tuesday by a vote of 52-44... Wildfire leaves hidden hazards Falling trees and hidden holes are just some of the dangers on the thousands of acres that remain closed in the mostly contained B and B Complex fire area. And it's not clear when the land will be cleaned up and fully available again to public access. "This fire is so huge, it's hard for us to make an impact," said Kris Martinson, community relations team leader for the Sisters Ranger District... Park County commission plans more action on wolves Park County commissioners are planning to send a letter to the federal government supporting Wyoming's controversial wolf management plan under review. The three-member board also vowed Tuesday to approve its third resolution stating its concerns about the future of wolf management in northwest Wyoming...Regulators focus on monitoring plan U.S. Bureau of Land Management officials in Wyoming and Montana are preparing to roll out a massive monitoring program for coalbed methane gas development in the Powder River Basin...Earthjustice Makes Citizens' Case for Wilderness Protection at Supreme Court Earthjustice filed papers with the US Supreme Court today opposing Bush administration efforts to strip citizens rights to protect wild public lands. The conservation group asked the court to let stand a Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling finding that average American citizens have the right to enforce laws that protect public lands... Klamath River salmon run a smooth one A year after 33,000 salmon died in the Lower Klamath River, things seem to be flowing along smoothly for this year's return of chinook salmon spawners - a run that appears to be slightly above average...Feds to review A-LP cost overruns The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has undertaken a detailed internal review to determine why the Animas-La Plata Project is now expected to cost nearly 50 percent more than the bureau once projected. U.S. Rep. Scott McInnis raised the possibility that the cost increase might involve lawbreaking. While the entire increase might be legal and justified, McInnis said in an interview, the U.S. Justice Department should become involved if the bureau's review reveals any criminal behavior... Mad cow scare traps U.S. calves in Canada One month ago, Asmussen effectively lost an entire herd of healthy prime yearlings, $1 million worth, to a disease that terrifies an industry even as it sounds like a Saturday morning children's cartoon: mad cow. And he did so without a single infected animal. His situation has governments, ranchers and politicians in two countries offering sympathy but little else... Schneeberger finishes first, second to earn $10,549 Jerome Schneeberger pocketed a record $10,549 in Tuesday's Open Division competition to highlight the opening day of the $500,000 United States Calf Roping Association National Finals at Lone Star Arena. Schneeberger, currently ranked fourth in the PRCA tie-down standings with year to date earnings of $84,448, won first and second in the Showdown Finals to earn the big paycheck. The Ponca City, Okla., professional had a four head time of 37.65 seconds to capture first, and 38.94 seconds to finish runner-up...