NEWS ROUNDUP

Powder River Basin methane projects limited The U.S. Bureau of Land Management can allow limited coalbed methane development in Montana's Powder River Basin while it completes an additional environmental study, a federal judge ruled Tuesday. U.S. Magistrate Richard Anderson's order essentially adopts a proposal by BLM to allow 500 federal, state and private coalbed methane wells a year in 229,000 acres of the Tongue River watershed just north of the Wyoming border while it studies phased development. Wells approved under Anderson's order also must comply with several measures BLM proposed to protect surface water and ground water quality and cultural resources. Anderson said BLM's proposal took the middle ground and presents "a balanced, equitable approach'' to coalbed methane development while it studies phased development, he said....
BLM Sells 30 Wild Horses to Cattle Rancher The Bureau of Land Management today announced that it is selling 30 wild horses to a Florida cattle rancher who will provide long-term care for the mustangs on his 1,000-acre ranch. Larry Jones, who owns and operates the Sarasota-area LB Ranch, is buying 16 mares and 14 geldings from the BLM under a new law passed by Congress. "Our agency is delighted to announce this sale to Mr. Jones, a rancher whose love for mustangs has led him to provide a home for 30 wild horses. The BLM encourages other ranchers who are interested in providing long-term care to consider buying wild horses available for sale," BLM Director Kathleen Clarke said. Jones and his wife, Barbara, run more than 500 cattle on their ranch. He says he has loved mustangs since he was a young man. "I've spent a lot of time with them," Jones said. "They taught me how to be a cowboy. They are unique - tough, sure- footed, and when you make a friend with a mustang, you've got a friend for life." The BLM has sold, or is completing the sales of, more than 1,400 wild horses under a law (Section 142 of Public Law 108-447) that took effect in December 2004....
Send power to California? Wyoming has the power source, and California's got the demand. Experts say if the forces aren't connected, California could suffer more blackouts, and Wyoming's electrical generating industry could remain static. On Monday, Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal joined governors from Utah, Nevada and California to announce a four-state partnership to create the "Frontier Line." It is an effort to connect Wyoming's vast electrical generation capacity from wind and coal to meet growing demand in California and other points west....
Montana Collaring plan could bust wolf management budget A legislative plan to put radio collars on gray wolves could bankrupt the state's fledging wolf management program, which is needed to delist wolves as an endangered species. Senate Bill 461 would require one wolf from every wolf pack near a population or livestock center wear a radio collar so the pack could be tracked. The bill easily passed the Senate, but once it hit the other chamber, the House Agriculture Committee amended it to require the state provide any landowner a free radio receiver to track wolves, as long as the person lives in an area frequented by wolves. The amended version won the initial approval of the House Tuesday. The amendment raised the bill's cost from $25,000 in 2006 to $385,000, which is about what the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks plans to spend on its recently created wolf management program in a single year....
Texas Landowners Conservancy Asks for Reaffirmation of 'Just Compensation' Right The Texas Landowners Conservancy, a group of ranchers, land stewards and homeowners, together with Texas Agriculture Commissioner Susan Combs, State Sen. Todd Staples and State Rep. Robby Cook, today announced filing of legislation that affirms Texans' constitutional right to be paid for land that has been devalued or rendered undevelopable as a result of environmental regulations. "Many jurisdictions in our state are rightly protecting our natural resources through water quality measures and more. However, the issue of excessive land use regulations and the impact on landowners who invested in Texas has to be considered," Combs said at a press conference at the State Capitol. "I authored the original Texas property owners' 'bill of rights' to protect landowners from abuses by governments. This bill today closes the loopholes and reaffirms our intent to honor the private ownership of land guaranteed in our Texas and U.S. Constitutions," Combs said....
Hatch: Don't move N-waste Sen. Orrin Hatch says he would be "elated" if the Bush administration decided to keep nuclear waste at the reactors that produced it. In an interview Monday, the Utah Republican said he believes storing spent fuel rods at the reactors until they can be reprocessed is the best solution to the nation's nuclear waste problem. But he added that political realities dictate that he remain a supporter of burying the waste inside Nevada's Yucca Mountain as the best bet for keeping it out of Utah. Hatch's nuanced stance reflects the growing support from Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., the state's congressional delegation, and other state officials arguing that storage at the reactors is the best way to block a proposal by Private Fuel Storage (PFS) to temporarily store 44,000 tons of waste on the Skull Valley Goshute Indian Reservation 45 miles southwest of Salt Lake City....
Groups Differ On Tactics, Issues In Fighting For Environment The environment has become a political battleground in Arizona. The reasons come down to water and land. Frenzied urban growth is pushing open space and wildlife habitat beyond the reach of an afternoon Sunday drive. Determining the future for large tracts of state trust land has become a battle of competing interests — cities, developers, ranchers and environmental groups. And the environmental groups themselves are split over the details. There is not water, water everywhere, and — during the state’s prolonged drought — developers and environmental groups are fighting over what remains. Given Arizona’s conservative bent, it could be tempting to view the environmental groups as the underdogs. But they have proven themselves to be skilled political players. They have statewide memberships numbering in the thousands. In general, they appear to have broad public support when speaking out for clean water, clean air and wildlife protection. In the trenches, however, these groups differ in their tactics. They often disagree over the best way save to save the forests and preserve open space....
Noah's arch envisioned for Vail Pass Someday as you slip down the west end of Vail Pass on Interstate 70, you may go under an overpass spanning the highway. It won't be for traffic or pedestrians, but for deer, elk and other wildlife - a north-south corridor to help wildlife navigate I-70, which has become the "Great Wall of China" for many species. Members of the Southern Rockies Ecosystem Project and Wilderness Workshop, who proposed the project, have received support from the town of Vail, Eagle County, the Colorado Department of Transportation and U.S. Forest Service. The proposal calls for an overpass like two in Alberta, Canada, on the Trans-Canada Highway in Banff National Park. The crossing structures in Banff are an experiment, and their effectiveness is being evaluated. The groups asked U.S. Rep. Mark Udall and U.S. Sens. Ken Salazar and Wayne Allard of Colorado for help in funding the $4.5 million needed for the overpass....
Neptune tankers deemed 'ineligible' As the U.S. Forest Service starts handing out contracts for slurry bombers for the upcoming fire season, Neptune Aviation's airtankers remain "ineligible" for service, an agency spokeswoman said Tuesday. But Kristen Schloemer, president of the Missoula-based Neptune, remained optimistic and said she hasn't seen anything official from the Forest Service. Several weeks ago, Neptune responded to a nationwide request for bids for 20 fixed-wing airtankers. The value of the aerial firefighting contracts is difficult to determine, because it depends on how much time the tankers spend in service. The contract includes a fee for daily availability - about $9,000 each - for the seven aircraft and an hourly flight rate of about $5,300. Other factors also affect the cost. In past years, the budget for 33 airtankers for a season was about $20 million, Davis said....
Caustic rain and fog lash the Columbia Gorge in winter, research finds The Columbia River Gorge, protected as a national scenic area for its rocky landscapes and natural vistas, endures acid rain and fog as severe as what falls in industrial East Coast regions. Air pollution from Eastern Oregon and Washington laces gorge clouds with some of the nation's highest levels of certain harmful compounds, turning fog and drizzle nearly as acidic as vinegar, new federal research shows. Gorge fog and rain collected over four months ending about a year ago were typically as caustic as in Pittsburgh, for example, and commonly 10 times and sometimes 30 times more acidic than usual Northwest rainfall. Those levels are known to injure trees and wildlife, though minimal research has been done to document the extent of ecological damage in the gorge....
Feds agree to study status of steelhead The National Marine Fisheries Service has agreed to study whether Puget Sound steelhead deserve protection under the federal Endangered Species Act. In a petition filed in September, a retired fish biologist from Olympia urged the government to list the fish as threatened, saying, "Nearly all the river systems have distinct downward trends in population abundance and are not even coming close to replacing themselves from generation to generation." On Tuesday, NMFS said the petition made a strong enough case to warrant a full-scale biological review....
New task force reviewing environmental policy law Republican leaders of the House Resources Committee said Tuesday they are forming a task force to look at ways to streamline the National Environmental Policy Act. The landmark law, signed by President Nixon in 1970, serves as the basis for federal management of forests, watersheds and other resources. It requires federal agencies to conduct sometimes lengthy environmental reviews before approving projects or issuing permits for actions on public land. The Bush administration has blamed NEPA for bureaucratic gridlock, while environmentalists praise it as an important way to limit development and force protections for endangered species. The 20-member task force will be chaired by Rep. Cathy McMorris, R-Wash., and will include 11 Republicans and nine Democrats, said Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Calif., Resources panel chairman....
Tribe says sheep habitat designation derails development plans A Coachella Valley tribe filed a federal lawsuit claiming the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is trying to derail development on its sovereign territory with protections for endangered Peninsular bighorn sheep. The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, which operates casinos in Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage, said in the suit filed Monday that government sheep protections threaten any future development plans the tribe might have on western Coachella Valley reservation lands. "We haven't gotten a copy of the lawsuit yet," said Jane Hendron, a spokeswoman for the Carlsbad Fish and Wildlife office. The suit seeks a judgment on 10 claims ranging from a federal failure to perform an adequate economic analysis to federal violation of an executive order on tribal relations. It also seeks a restraining order on each claim against the Fish and Wildlife ruling on the critical habitat....
Big-Game Hunting Brings Big Tax Breaks The ibex head was jammed next to the moose, whose velvety antlers brushed against a rare red lechwe and an African bongo. Below them were several preserved bobcats, and at the far end of the storage container stood endangered leopards, frozen in lifelike mid-prowl. In all, there were more than 800 big-game and exotic animals piled into an old railroad car behind the Wyobraska Wildlife Museum, a modest and lightly visited facility here, far from any population center. It was just one of four large containers packed with animal mounts and skins -- trophies shot on expedition or safari to places such as South Africa, Mongolia and game-hunting parks in Texas. Often appraised for many times their market value, the trophies can yield hefty income tax deductions if nonprofit organizations agree to accept them as charitable gifts. And the Wyobraska museum and others have been more than willing. According to critics in Congress, top officials at natural history museums and animal rights advocates, this form of charitable giving allows wealthy hunters to go on big-game expeditions essentially at taxpayers' expense -- an arrangement so blatant that one animal trophy appraiser advertises his services under the headline: "Hunt for Free."....
Colorado River states at odds over Powell releases A federally imposed deadline to create a drought management plan for the Colorado River came and went last week, with officials from the seven states that rely on the river at loggerheads over how much water should be released downstream from Lake Powell. Members of the Colorado River Compact gathered in Las Vegas on Monday in a bid to restart discussions and craft a proposal for Interior Secretary Gale Norton by the middle of the month. But after two hours of negotiations, it appeared that adhering to the new timeline is looking pretty iffy as well. "We all agree that there's a better way, a more efficient way of operating the reservoirs on the Colorado River system in a way that will benefit all of the users," Larry Anderson, director of the Utah Division of Water Resources, said via telephone. "But those are long-term discussions. The real question is, what can we do today?"....
Pyramid Lake fish flourish in big runoff In another sign of a welcome wet winter after five that failed to produce an adequate runoff, a scientist is predicting a record spawn of Pyramid Lake's endangered cui-ui fish. More than 300,000 cui-ui had swum through Marble Dam's fish-passage facility and into the lower Truckee River by Monday in a spawn expected to attract more than 800,000 fish by the time runoff peaks sometime in May, according to Lisa Heki, fisheries program manager for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Reno. "I've never seen these numbers this early," Heki said. Drought conditions didn't allow a spawning run for the cui-ui last year or in 2001. There were limited spawns in 2002 and 2003. This year's spawn is expected to substantially surpass the previous record of 585,000 fish set in 1999....
Yosemite Gets Back to Nature With Extreme Makeover This spring, visitors to California's Yosemite National Park will get an added bonus, in addition to the usual blackbird sightings, uncrowded roads, and other pre-summer perks. They'll be the first to trod the rehabilitated trails to the base of Yosemite Falls, the highest waterfall in North America. The 13.5-million-U.S.-dollar, ten-year project to restore the falls area wraps up on April 18. The redesign covers 52 acres (21 hectares). It includes areas of native-plant restoration, a loop trail with benches, and interpretive displays about Native American culture and Yosemite history. In addition, the new paths allow disabled access to Yosemite Falls for the first time....
Ethics inquiry stalled at BLM The Interior Department's inspector general said Tuesday that he is growing frustrated with delays in wrapping up an ethics inquiry into the conduct of Bureau of Land Management Director Kathleen Clarke, a former Utahn. "We're way, way past the point where we should have had an answer," said Earl E. Devaney, whose office began investigating Clarke for potential conflicts of interest nearly two years ago. The investigation focuses on whether Clarke, previously director of the Utah Department of Natural Resources, improperly took part in meetings regarding an aborted land exchange between the BLM and Utah's School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration....
Fort Huachuca area lenders challenged for San Pedro River harm The Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) has filed a lawsuit today in U.S. District Court in Tucson to remedy failure by the Veterans Administration (VA), the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and the Small Business Administration (SBA) to disclose the full extent of the damage caused by their lending, loan guarantee, and underwriting programs in the Fort Huachuca area. EarthJustice represents CBD in these efforts to protect the San Pedro River. Failure by the VA, FHA and SBA to examine the environmental impact of their actions and failure to explore alternative agency actions are illegal under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).[1] NEPA requires that agencies evaluate their actions’ environmental impact and explore alternatives prior to the initiation of agency activities.[2] FHA officials admit that they are violating the law.[3] VA and SBA officials continue endeavoring to cover-up their illegal activities.[4]....
County backs conservation plan for private ranch land The Deschutes County Commission voted Monday to support a plan to put more than 1,000 acres of private ranch land in the hands of the Deschutes Basin Land Trust — a plan that proponents said could be a boon to wildlife. "Because salmon and steelhead will someday be swimming through that property — because deer and elk migrate through there, it would provide a real resource for the community," said Brad Chalfant, executive director of the land trust. Commissioners voted 2-1 to endorse a plan to purchase a conservation easement from Bob and Gayle Baker. The couple owns the property along Squaw Creek, downstream of Sisters....
Friedman Fighter As the green movement fends off accusations of impotence, Thomas Friedman has hatched an idea that could make a man out of environmentalism. In January, the three-time Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for The New York Times debuted his "geo-green" strategy, a powerful proposal for reframing America's quest for energy independence to appeal to hawkish neocons and lily-livered tree-huggers alike. By aggressively curbing America's energy consumption, Friedman argues, the Bush administration could reduce the global price of oil to the point where it would force regimes in the Middle East to diversify their economies, thereby priming them for democratic reform. Added geo-green benefits would include jumpstarting America's 21st century clean-energy economy, addressing the global-warming crisis, and allaying international umbrage over the Bush administration's royal diss on Kyoto....
Cutting/Rodeo Notes A year ago, Mary Jo Milner of Southlake won the NCHA Super Stakes non-pro title aboard a horse named Genuine Gold Cat. At the time, the mare competed in the show's division for 4-year-old horses who are first-year competitors. This year, Genuine Gold Cat is a contender in the non-pro 5- and 6-year-old division. Genuine Gold Cat advanced to the Super Stakes Classic non-pro final after turning in a score of 216 Monday night at Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum....
Want to see a real rodeo? Go to Oakdale If it were just a rodeo, the Oakdale Saddle Club Rodeo wouldn't have survived 54 years. In Oakdale, the rodeo is more than a gathering of the best cowboys in the world. It's an affirmation of an attitude, a down-home way to merge the past with the present. And when the rodeo kicks off this Friday for the 54th time, it again reveals two things: 1. How the event is perceived by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), and 2. How it's perceived by the citizens of this cowboy town. Both perceptions are favorable, to be sure....

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