Alaska's U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Mark Begich have introduced legislation to repeal the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which restricts road building and other activities in areas of federal forest lands.

Management of those federal forest lands could change, as the U.S. House subcommittee on natural resources is considering a proposal to create federal forest trusts, similar to those in use in 22 states, which would allow federal forest lands to be managed to increase revenue.

In Utah, the state House approved a measure that would provide $450,000 to analyze the effect of transferring federal lands to the state to manage.

In Montana, where the state's wolf hunting and trapping season is set to end on March 1, wildlife officials said 53 more wolves were killed this hunting season than last year, with most of the 219 wolves taken in western Montana.

In Wyoming, state senators frustrated with a lack of success on passing legislation to curb potential federal regulations on guns, slipped an amendment into a bill that increases licenses for bison hunts to provide $250,000 to the state attorney general's office to fight any federal regulations that limit Wyoming residents' ability to hunt big game.

House members were incensed by the amendment, but faced with the end of the legislative session, went ahead and voted to approve the amended legislation.

Gov. Matt Mead is having his staff review the measure to see if it will pass legal muster.