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Photo courtesy of Rick and Susie Graetz
Thursday, Sept. 6, 2012
produced daily by Shellie Nelson
Page 2
More news from the Rockies
Community
Cache County official says Utah's winter air-quality plan too heavy handed
The Utah Air Quality Board gave preliminary approval to 17 measures designed to cut winter-time ozone pollution in northern Utah, but Cache County councilman Craig Peterson, a member of the Board, voted against a measure requiring emissions-testing on cars and trucks, saying it would cost too much to implement and would have too little benefit.
Salt Lake Tribune; Sept. 6

Intermountain Gas Co. seeks lower rates for Idaho customers
Citing sustained low natural gas prices, Intermountain Gas Co. has asked the Idaho Public Utilities Commission to approve a 7.1 percent rate reduction.
Idaho Statesman (AP); Sept. 6

Environment
Idaho biologists link death of whitefish to parasite
The death of dozens of whitefish in rivers and streams in the Snake River watershed in Idaho is due to warmer water that allowed the parasite Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae to thrive and kill younger whitefish.
Jackson Hole Daily; Sept. 6

USFS mulls changes in heavily used wilderness areas in Colorado
Five wilderness areas in Colorado around Aspen get heavy use, and the U.S. Forest Service will begin a process to assess if changes need to be made to address the effects of visitor pressure.
Aspen Times; Sept. 6

Author shares lessons learned in B.C. pine beetle invasion
At a presentation Wednesday afternoon on the University of Montana campus in Missoula, investigative journalist Andrew Nikiforuk shared his firsthand observations of the pine beetle's effects on forests of British Columbia, the country's attempts to ward off that invasion, and the outcome of those efforts.
Missoulian; Sept. 6

Wolf hunt closed in one Montana district
An archery hunter cow-calling an elk drew in a wolf that he shot and killed, prompting the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to close the hunt in the North Fork Flathead's wolf management Unit 110.
Kalispell Daily InterLake; Sept. 6

Weevils released onto the blooming knapweed on Montana's Rocky Mountain Front
Members of the Rocky Mountain Front Weed Roundtable again released hungry weevils on patches of blooming knapweed around the 3-million-acre project area in Montana.
Great Falls Tribune; Sept. 6

Cooler nights slow wildfires' progress in Montana
There are currently 28 wildfires burning in Montana, and with no season-ending event in the forecast for the next couple of weeks, most of those fires will continue to burn.
Flathead Beacon (AP); Sept. 6

Canada lends air power to wildfire fight in Montana
Under an international agreement, three heavy air tankers, two smaller lead airplanes and two helicopters, and their crews, from Canada have been on loan to Montana to help fight wildfires.
Billings Gazette; Sept. 6

Montana wildfire cancels proposed timber sale in Custer National Forest
This summer, the Ash Creek wildfire burned through the entire Beaver Creek Landscape Management Project in the Custer National Forest in Montana, eliminating the need for the fuels reduction project.
Billings Gazette; Sept. 6

Politics
GOP VP nominee Ryan in Utah for fundraisers
Republican vice-presidential nominee Paul Ryan spoke at two fundraisers in Utah on Wednesday, his first public appearances since accepting his party's nomination.
Salt Lake Tribune; Sept. 6

Montana schools chief speaks at Democratic National Convention
Denise Juneau, Montana's state superintendent of public schools, spoke Wednesday night at the Democratic National Convention.
Great Falls Tribune; Sept. 6

Colorado governor takes the podium at Democratic National Convention
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper spoke in support of President Obama at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday night.
Durango Herald; Sept. 6

Economy
Rising corn prices affects Idaho's dairies, poultry producers, restaurants
Drought in the Midwest has wilted this year's corn crop, sending prices up to $8 a bushel, a marked increase in price that will send costs at Idaho's dairies, poultry farms and restaurants up--and will raise prices at the grocery stores as well.
Idaho Statesman; Sept. 6

Montana senator applauds Japan's move to lift beef restrictions
On Wednesday, food safety specialists in Japan recommended that the country ease its restrictions on U.S. beef, a first step toward broadening the market for Montana ranchers.
Billings Gazette; Sept. 6

USDA declares disaster emergency in 4 Montana counties
Farmers and ranchers in Broadwater, Gallatin, Jefferson and Butte-Silver Bow counties are now eligible for low-interest emergency loans after the U.S. Department of Agriculture declared those Montana counties disaster areas.
Billings Gazette (AP); Sept. 6





Mountain West News is a program of the O'Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West
at The University of Montana.
"I t's not a level playing field. I don't think in reality that the farmer can compete with the oil and gas companies for that water. Their return is a hell of a lot better than ours."

Peter V. Anderson, a farmer in eastern Colorado, about bidding against energy companies for water.
- New York Times

On The Bookshelf
Barbara Theroux of Fact & Fiction reviews Christine Byl's "Dirt Work: An education in the woods

5/15/2013

Mountain West Perspectives
Study uncovers the restoration realities in Montana


4/15/2013

A Look Ahead
Sept. 5: Andrew Nikiforuk will present a seminar on "Empire of the Beetle: How Human Folly and a Tiny Bug are Killing North America's Great Forests," 3:10 p.m., Gallagher Business Building Room 123, University of Montana campus, Missoula

Sept. 5: Author George Black's presentation on "Civilizers, Soldiers, Explorers, andthe Creation of Yellowstone National Park," 7 p.m. 123 Gallagher Business Building, University of Montana, Missoula campus

Sept. 5: University of Montana's President's Lecture Series begins with a presentation by Andrew Nikiforuk titled "The Energy of Slaves: Oil and the New Servitude," 8 p.m., University Center Ballroom, Missoula campus.

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

5/15/2013:  A Long Way
5/8/2013:  Making Roots
5/1/2013:  Cancer in the Real World
4/24/2013:  Sheep Country
4/10/2013:  Shearing Sheep


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



at the

The University of Montana