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Photo courtesy of Rick and Susie Graetz
Thursday, June 28, 2012
produced daily by Shellie Nelson

Editor's Notes...

West map In the Rockies today, the Waldo Canyon Fire in Colorado continues to lead the news, as the fire swept into Colorado Springs, destroying hundreds of homes.

And, as has been the case for this past week, coverage of wildfires in the West continues in our In-depth section.

Also in the news, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled this morning to uphold much of the 2010 Affordable Health Care Act, sending hospital stocks rising, and insurance company stocks falling.

In Canada, a Malaysian company has bid $5.5-billion for an Alberta company that it is partnering with to develop natural gas resources in British Columbia.

Petronas said the acquisition of Calgary-based Progress Energy Resources Corp. will help solidify its position as supplier of liquefied natural gas.

And Alberta-based Southern Pacific Resource Corp. announced a deal with CN Railway to ship bitumen from its oilsands operations south to Mississippi where the bitumen will be moved by barge to U.S. refineries on the Gulf Coast.

Rockies today

U.S. Supreme Court upholds most of 2010 Affordable Health Care Act
In a 5-4 decision handed down on Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld nearly all the provisions of the 2010 Affordable Health Care Act, including the mandate that all Americans have health insurance.
Salt Lake Tribune (AP); June 28


Wildfire destroys hundreds of homes in Colorado Springs
New aerial photos indicate that the Waldo Canyon Fire has destroyed hundreds of homes within the city limits of Colorado Springs, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation has joined local authorities in trying to find the cause of the Colorado conflagration.
Denver Post; June 28

Seven cities in the West make Top 20 list for economic rebound
On Wednesday, the Brookings Institution released its list of 100 metropolitan areas across the nation where recovery from the economic downturn was the strongest, and seven cities in the West were in the Top 20: Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale in Arizona ranked fifth; Boise-Nampa in Idaho, sixth; San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara in California, ninth; in Utah, Provo-Orem ranked 12th and Salt Lake City, 13th; Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro in Oregon and Washington ranked 17th; and Ogden-Clearfield, also in Utah, ranked 19th.
Salt Lake Tribune; June 28

Alberta oilsands operator to ship bitumen via rail to U.S. Gulf Coast
Calgary-based Southern Pacific Resource Corp. has signed a deal to ship oilsands from its Alberta operations by rail to a terminal in Natchez, Miss., and then by barge to Gulf Coast refineries.
Calgary Herald; June 28

Malaysian company bids to buy Alberta energy company
Petronas, Malaysia's state-owned oil and gas company, bid $5.5 billion to buy Alberta-based Progress Energy Resources Corp. to help develop natural gas resources in British Columbia to export to Asia.
Toronto Globe and Mail; June 28

Montana software startup gets some Silicon Valley training
Michael FitzGerald, John Brownell and Bruce Tribbensee, Missoula men who created Submittable, an online submission management software, are at Y Combinator, a three-month high-tech boot camp in California, where they learn how to grow their business from veterans of the business.
Missoula Independent; June 28

Opinion

Colorado needs to assess building policies as wildfire losses grow
The number of homes lost to wildfires in Colorado in the past two years is far larger than the number lost in the 30-year span between 1976 and 2006, a startling fact that should give communities and homeowners pause about just where homes should be allowed.
Denver Post; June 28

Beyond the region

Sockeye salmon returning to rivers in the Northwest in record numbers
The number of sockeye salmon crossing the dams on the Columbia River, including the Bonneville Dam near Portland, are up this year, with the number of sockeye navigating the Oregon dam daily more than annual numbers in some past years.
Idaho Statesman (AP); June 28

Biologist: Harper's Fisheries cuts put department back three decades
A retired federal biologist said the deep cuts the Harper government made to Canada's fisheries habitat program are the deepest in the program's 50-year history.
Vancouver Sun; June 28

Demand for electricity boosts natural-gas prices
As sweltering summer temperatures boost demand for electricity to run air conditioners, natural gas prices rose 6 percent on Wednesday.
Calgary Herald; June 28

Google's 'onshoring' manufacturing Nexus Q
Since the 1990s, Apple, Hewlett-Packard and Dell have shipped manufacturing of their electronic products to China, but now Google has begun manufacturing the new wireless home media player in the United States.
New York Times; June 28

In depth

Crews begin 'mop-up' work on Colorado's High Park Fire
Hundreds of Coloradans forced from their homes by the High Park Fire near Fort Collins can begin returning to their homes today, as the fire is completely contained and crews are at work putting out hot spots.
Denver Post; June 28

Crews on path to fully contain Flagstaff Fire in Colorado this weekend
A federal incident team took the helm of the Flagstaff Fire in Boulder on Thursday, and crews have the Colorado fire 30 percent contained, allowing some evacuees to return to their homes.
Boulder Daily Camera; June 28


  • Colorado city mulls charges in fireworks-ignited wildfire
    Two teenagers shooting off fireworks sparked a wildfire in Glenwood Springs that threatened homes before being extinguished and the Colorado city is mulling charging the teens with felony fourth degree arson.
    Aspen Times (Post Independent); June 28

Montana wildfire races across near 12,000 acres
Gusty winds helped the Bear Trap 2 fire near Norris grow to nearly 14,770 acres on Wednesday, but crews said weather forecast and the addition of two bulldozers to help build containment lines should help them get the Montana fire corralled yet this week.
Montana Standard; June 28

Wildfire gallops across 110K acres in Montana in less than a day
Gov. Brian Schweitzer called the Ash Creek fire burning near the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation in southeastern Montana, which has burned 18 homes and is more than 110,000 acres in size, the most dangerous in the state.
Flathead Beacon (AP); June 28

Wildfire near Montana's capital city nearly 35 percent contained
Crews battling Montana's Corral Fire, which has burned four homes and 1,851 acres near Helena, got a helping hand from the weather on Wednesday, getting containment lines in place along about 35 percent of the fire.
Helena Independent Record; June 28

Montana wildfire's costs exceeds half-a-million dollars
The Pony Fire that has burned 6,400 acres in southwestern Montana had cost $500,000 to fight as of Tuesday evening.
Montana Standard; June 28

Crews have one Montana wildfire contained, make progress on another
The 3,000-acre Hawk wildfire burning south of Roundup in southeastern Montana was fully contained on Wednesday, while crews on the 18,500-acre Dahl fire, burning in the same area of the state, were building containment lines on the west and south sides.
Billings Gazette; June 28

Old, new wildfires in Utah stretch resources thin
The largest fire in Utah, the 46,190-acre Wood Hollow Fire in Sanpete County, has killed one man and destroyed dozens of homes, and on Wednesday, two new fires ignited: The Clay Springs Fire in Millard County burned 17,000 acres and forced the evacuation of Oak City and Fool City; and the New Harmony Fire in Washington County quickly scorched 2,000 acres, requiring the evacuation of Bumblebee.
Salt Lake Tribune; June 28

One Wyoming wildfire nearly under control, while new ones erupt
Some firefighting equipment and personnel were released from the Russell's Camp Fire in the Medicine Bow National Forest in Wyoming on Wednesday, while strong winds pushed the Fontenelle Fire in the Bridger-Teton National Forest to nearly 19 square miles with no containment; and new fires were sparked in the northern part of the state.
Casper Star-Tribune (AP); June 28

Wildfire smoke prompts air quality warning in Wyoming city
Smoke from wildfires in Wyoming and other states has degraded air quality in Casper, where city officials issued a health warning.
Casper Star-Tribune; June 28



Mountain West News is a program of the O'Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West
at The University of Montana.
"W e have resources on this fire from an alphabet soup of agencies. Our resources have wheels, they have tracks, they have rotors, they have wings."

Rich Harvey, fire incident commander on the Waldo Canyon Fire that has destroyed hundreds of homes in Colorado Springs, Colo.
- Denver Post

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

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