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Photo courtesy of Rick and Susie Graetz
Monday, Sept. 17, 2012
produced daily by Shellie Nelson
Page 2
More news from the Rockies
Community
Smoke from wildfires prompts air quality alert in Idaho city
Smoke from the 9,000-acre Wesley Fire and the 29,000-acre Sheep Fire, both burning northwest of Boise, as well as the 73,600-acre Cache Creek fire burning on the Washington-Oregon border, poured into Idaho's Treasure Valley on Sunday.
Idaho Statesman; Sept. 17

Montana city applies to be among Bloomberg's boldest innovators
Bloomberg Philanthropies, a project of philanthropist and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, is offering millions of dollars to cities that come up with innovative solutions to improve peoples' lives, and Missoula, Mont., has applied for funds from the Bloomberg Philanthropies' Mayors Challenge.
Missoulian; Sept. 17

Salt Lake County plans watershed symposium in Utah
Policymakers, environmental advocates, people in water-related positions, as well as students and teachers, are being urged to register by Wednesday for Salt Lake County's symposium on the Utah county's watershed that is scheduled Sept. 26-28 in West Valley City.
Salt Lake Tribune; Sept. 15

Interior West cities a draw for retiring baby-boomers
Not all retirees seek the sunshine and heat of Arizona and Florida, and on the list of preferred destinations for those who seek a place to retire with four seasons are Ruidoso, N.M.; Durango, Colo.; St. George, Utah; Coeur d'Alene, Idaho; and Kalispell, Mont.
Ravalli Republic (AP); Sept. 15

Environment
Federal appeals court upholds Utah activist's conviction on fraudulent bids
Tim DeChristopher, who was convicted of submitting fraudulent bids on energy leases in Utah nearly four years ago, lost his appeal of his conviction on Friday, when a three-judge panel of the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals voted 2-1 to uphold the lower court's decision.
Salt Lake Tribune; Sept. 15

Crews have wildfire in Montana's Bitterroot Valley 25 percent contained
The Sawtooth Fire in Montana's Bitterroot Valley held at roughly 4,700 acres over the weekend.
Missoulian; Sept. 17

Target shooters believed to have ignited another Utah wildfire
Investigators believe that target shooters started the wildfire that has burned 350 acres on West Mountain in Utah County since igniting Sunday evening.
Salt Lake Tribune; Sept. 15

Montanans have varying reasons for taking wolf-trapping classes
Not everyone who showed up to take the necessary class in Billings to be certified to trap wolves in Montana planned to trap wolves, with an elk-hunting guide taking the class to learn more about wolves and a trapper who wanted to be prepared if he inadvertently caught a wolf in a trap meant for another animal.
Billings Gazette; Sept. 17

Politics
Wyoming federal lawmakers vow to get AML funds restored
Wyoming U.S. Rep. Cynthia Lummis said the budget extension passed by the U.S. House last week that is expected to be passed by the Senate and signed into law by President Obama unfairly limits Wyoming's share of Abandoned Mine Lands funds at $15 million, and Lummis, as well as Sen. John Barrasso, vowed to get that provision changed.
Casper Star-Tribune; Sept. 15

Colorado ballot initiative would make changes to state's hiring practices
Gov. John Hickenlooper is leading the campaign to get Amendment S, which makes a slate of changes to the state's hiring procedures, passed by Colorado voters in November.
Durango Herald; Sept. 16

Economy
Regulatory gap allows many B.C. sawmills to avoid inspections for fire risk
After two sawmills in British Columbia exploded and killed workers, the B.C. fire commissioner's office found that there few fire risk inspections of sawmills were being done, even though the B.C. Fire Services Act requires such inspections.
Vancouver Sun; Sept. 17

Idaho's economic forecaster reworks prognostication formula
Derek Santos, Idaho's chief economist, said lessons learned from the recession, and forecasters' predictions about recovery that did not materialize, has made him less reliant on federal data and more reliant on state data.
Idaho Statesman; Sept. 17

Northwest Advanced Renewables Alliance meets in Montana
At the Northwest Advanced Renewables Alliance's meeting in Montana last week, researchers provided updates on their progress to create a jet fuel from woody biomass.
Missoulian; Sept. 16

Finalists named in Idaho's Innovator of the Year contest
A building materials developer, a children's food processor and a researcher in the field of entrepreneurship are vying to win the Innovator of the Year award, which will be announced at the seventh annual Idaho Innovation Awards ceremony on Oct. 2.
Idaho Statesman; Sept. 15





Mountain West News is a program of the O'Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West
at The University of Montana.
"A s a western hunter, I don't want to see animals suffer. But I learned a lot today. I had no idea that they can be released and the trap doesn't break their leg. I had no idea that Fish and Wildlife use these same traps to collar and release the wolves."

Marshall Tate, a Big Sky-based elk-hunting guide, about lessons learned at the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks' class on wolf trapping.
- Billings Gazette

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
Roundtable on the Crown of the Continent's Third Annual Conference: Pathways to Prosperity: Caring for Communities in the Crown of the Continent, Fernie, B.C.

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

5/22/2013:  This Little Journey
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