NEWS ROUNDUP 
 
How they're fighting fires  Where in past summers there would have been a dozen two- and four-engine air tankers flying out of Fox Field to blazes like the Pine and Foothill fires, this week there were two. In May, the U.S. Forest Service canceled contracts with the private companies that operate heavy air tankers -- mostly converted military surplus planes -- over safety questions following three fatal tanker crashes. After new inspections, it has renewed contracts on just seven planes nationwide. "We're missing an important tool in the toolbox," said Bureau of Land Management lead pilot Mike Lynn, walking by the two heavy tankers stationed Tuesday at Fox....
Drought kindles big fire season in West  As the story goes, it was Mrs. Murphy's cow kicking over a lantern that started the Great Chicago Fire in 1871. In southern California this week, a hapless red-tailed hawk got zapped on a power line, sparking a conflagration that drove hundreds of people from their homes, torched several thousand acres, and has yet to be contained. So far this year, the summer fire season has taken off like sparks through dry tinder. Up to this point in the June to October wildfire season, the number of acres burned is double the average for the past decade - already more than what burned in all of 2003. As the week started, 28 large fires were burning over 3.4 million acres....
Democrats see campaign issue in Bush forest rule  Democrats Tuesday sought to make a campaign issue of a Bush administration plan to scrap proposed protections for federal forests and said the move represented a broken environmental promise to the public. "This will be an election-year issue because the administration has gone back on its promise," Sen. Maria Cantwell, a Washington Democrat, said at a Capitol Hill news conference. "They never intended to defend the (forest-protection) rule in the first place."....
Editorial: Another bureaucratic level  To Gail Kimbell, the Forest Service's newly appointed Region 1 chief, changing politics might alter the rhetoric over management of this country's national forests, but the work on the ground remains essentially unchanged. Kimbell, who visited the IR's Editorial Board Tuesday as part of her get-acquainted tour of the national forests under her direction, said the agency's passion for managing the land is the same today as it was at the start of her career three decades ago. But distractions - from endless litigation over Forest Service operations to the pendulum swings of presidential politics - are impossible to ignore....
Healthy Forests rules please new forester  In a lively discussion with the Independent Record's editorial board on Tuesday, Gail Kimbell — the new regional forester for Montana and parts of the Dakotas, Wyoming and Idaho — touched upon issues ranging from proposed federal guidelines on roadless areas and off-highway vehicle use to gas and oil leasing on the Rocky Mountain Front. Kimbell hasn't made many changes since March, when she took the helm of Region 1, an area that includes about 25 million acres of federally managed grassland and national forests. She noted that her ultimate goal is the restoration of robust forest ecosystems under the Healthy Forests Initiative, an act that she worked on in recent years in the Washington, D.C., office. "I was very involved with pieces of the Healthy Forests Initiative," Kimbell said. "I'm pleased to see ranger districts using the tools developed as part of the Healthy Forests Initiative."....
Column: Using Bush’s Playbook, Kerry could Employ Executive Orders to Create a Sustainable Century  When John Kerry assumes the presidency in January, he’ll most likely face the same divided Congress George W. Bush did, and, like Bush he’ll need to rely on historic events and gullible senators from the opposite party to push through even a modest legislative agenda. Facing these challenges, Bush has achieved far more of his environmental agenda of self-regulation and under-enforcement through executive action than legislative proposals before Congress. It’s hard to imagine that Congress would vote to transfer billions of dollars from California consumers to energy companies—or stop enforcing the nation’s environmental laws and let corporate polluters off the hook for paying to clean up toxic waste—yet Bush has achieved all this and more through executive action. With acknowledgements to the current president, what follows is a list of four executive actions President Kerry could rip from President Bush’s playbook to create a new sustainable century....
FOREST SHOWDOWN: EQUESTRIAN CAMPGROUND OWNERS BATTLING FOREST SERVICE OFFICIALS OVER OPERATING PERMIT POLICY    Owners of equestrian campgrounds adjacent to the Shawnee National Forest are circling their wagons in preparation for a showdown with the U.S. Forest Service over a new operating permit policy. Campground owners are upset at what they say is unwarranted intrusion and discrimination against their businesses. They cite new fees and new regulations that potentially would allow the government to set the fees they charge their customers. Forest service officials, however, say they are trying to do what's fair....
Column: Off-road vehicles out of control   Herds of monsters are defiling the woods, and forest officials admit they can't control the destruction and disruption. It's those darn "minibikes, amphibious vehicles, snowmobiles, off-highway motorcycles, go-carts, motorized trail bikes and dune buggies," according to proposed rules that aim to reign in the stampede.  While the Bush administration contrives to overturn roadless protection and open vast areas of backcountry to more road-building for logging and energy development, the U.S. Forest Service can't handle vehicle abuse on roads and trails it already owns....
Group pushes buyout of mineral rights below Padre Island  The Sierra Club on Tuesday renewed its push for a federal buyout of the mineral rights below Padre Island National Seashore and called on Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson to help. Patterson, however, said his position has not changed. "The minerals are not for sale," Patterson said. "We get a better deal for developing the resource over time than we do from some arbitrary buyout." The Sierra Club made the pitch as it released a report, "Wildlands at Risk," that highlights 25 places across the country, including Padre Island National Seashore, it says are at risk because of Bush administration policies....
New plan for snowy plover drops most contentious restrictions   Oregon officials are backing away from some of the most severe beach restrictions they proposed earlier this year in an effort to save the snowy plover, one of Oregon's threatened shorebirds. Earlier, the Oregon Department of Parks and Recreation suggested closing 25 percent of the state's sandy beaches to kite flying, dog walking and other recreational activities in the hopes of boosting the numbers of plovers, which make their nest in the sand where they are easily crushed underfoot....
Mountain Lion Blamed For Horses' Injuries  Two horses were seriously injured when they were attacked by a mountain lion or fled from one, wildlife officials and the horses' owner said.  A thoroughbred mare's chest was cut deeply on July 11 and an Appaloosa mare's underbelly was slashed open two days later, said Woody Capper, the horses' owner.  Capper believes both were attacked by a mountain lion. Perry Will, a Colorado Division of Wildlife officer, said it was more likely the animals were hurt when they ran into a tree or a fence when trying to escape a lion....
Otero Mesa protections adopted  The state Oil Conservation Commission has passed additional environmental protections for the Otero Mesa, in the event of future gas and oil drilling there.The commission voted last week to prohibit the use of evaporation pits and to impose additional requirements for injection wells, which are used to return produced water into the ground, in specified parts of Otero and Sierra counties.The decision follows an executive order signed Jan. 31 by Gov. Bill Richardson urging the Commission to ban pits at Otero Mesa....
Judge axes grazing preference A judge has issued a stunning reversal of state grazing law, saying current holders of state livestock grazing leases cannot renew their lease simply by matching the highest competing bid. State District Judge Jeffery Sherlock of Helena said the long-standing "preference right" law is unconstitutional because it prevents the state Land Board from deciding who would be the best lessee of state lands. Tommy Butler, chief attorney for the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, said Tuesday the ruling is "the most profound case I've encountered since I've been here as far as state lessees," affecting more than 10,000 lessees on millions of acres of state land....
Ex-EPA director dies Anne McGill Gorsuch Burford, a 1970s Colorado legislator who served two stormy years as Ronald Reagan's first Environmental Protection Agency director, died Sunday at the age of 62. Burford was an early proponent of the policies made part of U.S. culture by President Reagan, recalled Steve Durham, who served in the state legislature with her and later was regional administrator of the EPA while she ran the entire agency....
Landmark tribal water rights deal nears Senate floor  Senate committee members Tuesday assured quick passage of one of the largest tribal water rights agreements in the West.Nez Perce tribal leaders and Idaho officials testified before the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs for the Nez Perce-Snake River Water Rights Act. Both sides declared victory for tribal and non-tribal water users. The estimated $193 million agreement could put to rest 180,000 river water claims....
Pipeline proposal creates demand for study  The Bush administration wants to broaden opportunities to use a utility corridor designed for a water pipeline from Lincoln County to Las Vegas, while a county official and environmentalists are asking for a study of how much water is available. The Southern Nevada Water Authority and the Lincoln County Water District should not be the only utilities allowed to use the proposed corridor on federal land, said Rebecca Watson, Interior Department assistant secretary of land and minerals management....
Column: One for the Ninth  This afternoon, the U.S. Senate will consider President Bush's nomination of my friend Bill Myers to serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. To say the least, the Ninth Circuit is not a centrist court. Rather, it is widely known as the most liberal circuit court in the land.  Given the Ninth Circuit's extremely bizarre record, it should come as no surprise that the vast majority of its judges, 17 out of 26, were appointed by Democratic presidents. In light of this obvious imbalance, one would think that U.S. senators from across the political spectrum might welcome the nomination of Bill Myers, a mainstream conservative from Idaho, to serve on that court. Unfortunately, however, many of the Democratic senators are now threatening to filibuster this fine nominee, who would assure a restoration of badly needed balance to the Ninth Circuit....
GOP can't break filibuster on judicial nomination  The Senate rejected a judicial nominee on Tuesday who Republican lawmakers from Wyoming said would have added a much-needed conservative voice on Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.Republicans were unable to gather the 60 votes needed to cut off debate on the nomination of William G. Myers III. The effort failed by a vote of 53 to 44. It is unclear if his nomination will be brought up again....
States to Sue Over Global Warming Dissatisfied with the Bush administration's policies on global warming, attorneys general from California and seven other states plan today to sue five large energy producers who they contend are responsible for nearly 10% of the heat-trapping gases that the United States is releasing into the atmosphere.In an unusual legal maneuver, the states are seeking to force the electricity providers to curb carbon dioxide emissions by arguing that the releases violate an arcane series of "public nuisance" prohibitions against endangering the health of the commons that the U.S. copied from English common law.  The lawsuit is expected to be filed by Democratic attorneys general from California, New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Iowa, Wisconsin, Rhode Island and Vermont. New York City's corporations counsel, also a Democrat, is expected to join the suit as well. It is aimed at four private companies — Cinergy Corp., Southern Co., Xcel Energy and American Electric Power Co. — as well as one public utility, the Tennessee Valley Authority....
Brucellosis revives feedground debate   Some conservationists want some of western Wyoming's state elk feedgrounds closed after the discovery of brucellosis in cattle in Sublette, Washakie and Teton counties. They say feedgrounds help spread the disease from elk to livestock. A 19-member task force appointed by Gov. Dave Freudenthal is studying the feedground issue and could recommend changes later this year. Elk have been known to overrun cattle pasture near feedgrounds. It happened during the winter of 1995-96, when deep snow forced elk to lower elevations, including the state's Bench Corral feedground near Boulder....
Horses help people turn lives around  The chief therapist in Megan Keller’s practice weighs 1,000 pounds, wears horseshoes and answers to “Cowboy.”  For a year, Keller has been offering equine-assisted psychotherapy.  Keller calls the therapy Equassist. She is a member of EAGALA, Equine-Assisted Growth and Learning Association....
Cattle ranches nudged into computer age on branding  Ranchers are being nudged further into the computer age by a former New Mexico state brands supervisor who has developed software that instantly matches hot-iron brands with cattle owners and ranch locations. The software, expected to be commercially available this fall, comes at a time when the government is seeking faster, more detailed information about livestock, particularly during disease outbreaks....
'Alamo' at home in Hill Country  Standing in the middle of the movie set built for the recently-released "The Alamo," you can almost imagine the action and feel the passion of less than 200 men who stood up to General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, dictator of Mexico, that fateful day, March 6, 1836.  As a fourth-generation rancher, Eugene grew up on the ranch, and he and Jean, who grew up in Dripping Springs, have lived on the ranch for the last 42 years. Daughter Tara lives in Austin, but worked with the filming of the movie as an assistant to one of the actors. Because Tara has worked with the Texas Film Commission in Austin, the "powers that be" were aware of the Reimers' ranch. The scenic ranch was selected over 80 other locations in 13 western states and Calgary, Canada, according to Touchstone Pictures.  According to information released by Touchstone Pictures, the set stands on 51 acres and is said to be "the largest free-standing set ever built in North America."....