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Photo courtesy of Rick and Susie Graetz
Thursday, Aug. 30, 2012
produced daily by Shellie Nelson
Page 2
More news from the Rockies
Community
Chinese road officials in Montana to study wildlife crossings
A researcher from the China Academy of Transportation Sciences has been in Montana this past month to study overpasses and underpasses designed to allow wildlife to cross roads safely.
Missoulian; Aug. 30

Idaho county redesigns jail proposal, adds beds
The proposal to build a new jail in Idaho's Gooding County has again been reworked, this time to add 34 beds, raising the capacity of the proposed facility to 184.
Twin Falls Times-News; Aug. 30

Colorado brewery says Poudre River water still too tainted to use
Fort Collins-based New Belgium is fighting demands that the brewery go back to using water from the Poudre River for its beer brewing operations, saying that the High Park Fire left the river tainted.
Denver Post (KUSA-TV); Aug. 30

Environment
BLM supports wild horse sanctuary in Wyoming
On Wednesday, the Bureau of Land Management announced it would support the creation of a wild horse sanctuary on the 4,000-acre Deerwood Ranch west of Laramie that would provide range for up to 300 geldings gathered from public lands in Wyoming.
Casper Star-Tribune (AP); Aug. 30

Montana FWP wants to do mountain lion study in Bitterroot Mountains
Halfway through the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks' three-year study of elk in the east and west forks of the Bitterroot, mountain lions have emerged as the primary predator of elk calves, and the Ravalli County Fish and Wildlife Association this week pledged $10,500 toward a population study of the mountain lions in the Bitterroot Valley.
Ravalli Republic; Aug. 30

Idaho on the hunt for place for burned bear cub to recover
The little black bear with severely burned paws rescued from the 180,000-acre Mustang Complex fire in Idaho needs to find a place where he can get daily treatment, and Mark Drew, the state veterinarian is making inquiries.
Ravalli Republic; Aug. 30

Montana wildfire destroys 2 homes
The Nineteen Mile Fire south of Butte burned actively on Wednesday, and residents urged to evacuate had a hard time finding a safe way out of the Montana wildfire's path.
Montana Standard; Aug. 30

One Idaho wildfire closes highway, another prompts evacuation notices
The 111,838-acre Halstead Fire in southwest Idaho closed Highway 75 from Lower Stanley to Gardner Creek on Wednesday; evacuations in Featherville due to the 138,965-acre Trinity Ridge Fire are still in effect; and fire officials on the 150,000-acre Mustang Complex wildfire warned residents on both sides of Highway 93 near the Montana-Idaho border to be ready to evacuate on a moment's notice.
Idaho Statesman; Aug. 30

New fire restrictions imposed in W. Montana
Montana imposed new restrictions on campfires in state parks on Wednesday, as crews scrambled to get a handle on a number of wildfires burning in western Montana, including the Elevation Mountain Fire that is 30 percent contained. Contains updates on wildfires in the Bob Marshall wilderness and elsewhere in western Montana.
Missoulian; Aug. 30

Wildfire makes big run Wednesday deeper into Wyoming wilderness
On Wednesday, the North Buffalo Fire grew to more than 19 square miles after it made substantial gains in the Teton Wilderness in western Wyoming.
Casper Star-Tribune (AP); Aug. 30

NRCS awards $220K to Montana group to fight weeds along the Front
The Choteau-based Rocky Mountain Front Weed Roundtable received a $220,000 Conservation Innovation Grant from the Natural Resources Conservation Service to fight invasive weeds along Montana's Rocky Mountain Front.
Great Falls Tribune; Aug. 30

Politics
Wyoming governor talks energy at GOP national convention
As the chairman of the Republican Governors Association’s energy policy committee, Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead has been interviewed a couple of times during the Republican National Convention in Tampa, and he's had the opportunity to promote the state as well.
Casper Star-Tribune (AP); Aug. 30

President Obama to speak Sunday at University of Colorado-Boulder
As part of President Barack Obama's "Road To Charlotte" tour that will take him to the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C. that begins Tuesday, the president is planning a series of campaign stops, including one Sunday in Boulder at the University of Colorado.
Boulder Daily Camera; Aug. 30

Economy
Montana ranchers compete with out-of-state buyers for hay
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that the price of hay jumped up $50 a ton in just a week, as ranchers from drought-stricken states travel hundreds of miles to find feed for their livestock.
Billings Gazette; Aug. 30





Mountain West News is a program of the O'Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West
at The University of Montana.
"I 'm more interested in the fact that we have a benign process that uses no toxic chemicals that would produce leachate, and [it] would not affect the environment with or without groundwater. It's got the best environmental footprint of any project in our industry."

US Oil Sands CEO Cameron Todd, responding to the news that an administrative law judge affirmed Utah's decision that the company did not need a groundwater pollution permit for its planned tar sands mine.
- Salt Lake Tribune

On The Bookshelf
Barbara Theroux gives readers a preview of books to be released this fall

6/12/2013

Mountain West Voices
Hear weekly stories from the Rocky Mountain West as gathered by Clay Scott

6/19/2013:  Tap
6/12/2013:  An Afternoon Cigar
5/29/2013:  Like A Small Family
5/22/2013:  This Little Journey
5/15/2013:  A Long Way


Mountain West News is a program of the O'Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West



at the

The University of Montana