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Photo courtesy of Rick and Susie Graetz
Monday, July 2, 2012
produced daily by Shellie Nelson
Page 2
More news from the Rockies
Community
 Montana college offers 1-day course in Bakken oilfield basics
The Bitterroot College of the University of Montana will offer "Bakken Oil and Gas Field Basics" on July 13 and 20 in Hamilton.
Ravalli Republic; July 2

Idaho, federal agencies team up on Main Street project
The Idaho Department of Commerce and the National Trust for Historic Preservation have formed an alliance to help Idaho towns preserve their historic downtown areas and spur economic development.
Idaho Statesman; July 2

U.S. Patent Office will bring $440 million to Denver
In advance of the U.S. Department of Commerce's anticipated announcement Monday of the location of three satellite U.S. Patent Offices, the Denver Post reported that Denver, Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas; and San Jose, Calif., were the locations.
Denver Post; July 2

Tribes
 Blackfeet women lead effort to stop hydraulic fracturing on Montana lands
Nearly all of the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana is under lease for energy exploration, and a new grassroots group, Blackfeet Women Against Fracking, has been formed to protect cultural sites and the ecosystem.
Missoulian; July 2

Environment
 Public comments on Wyoming-Idaho transmission line due by Aug. 3
The Bureau of Land Management will take public comments until Aug. 3 on the additional analysis done on how the proposed Gateway West transmission line project could affect sage grouse.
Casper Star-Tribune; June 30

BLM provides water to wild horse herds in Colorado
The Bureau of Land Management is hauling water to two 500-gallon tanks recently placed south of Rangely, Colo., for wild horses in the West Douglas Herd Area where drought has dried up water sources.
Grand Junction Sentinel; July 2

Low river flows affects ranchers, anglers in Colorado
Hot temperatures and low water flows are stressing Colorado's cold-water fisheries, and Trout Unlimited has asked its members to restrict their fishing to cooler parts of the day, while ranchers along the Fraser River and the upper portions of the Colorado River are planning to cut their hay crops about three weeks earlier than normal as their irrigation water is running out.
Denver Post; July 2

Politics
 Wyoming federal lawmakers vow to wrest AML funds away from road bill
Wyoming U.S. Sens. John Barrasso and Mike Enzi, along with U.S. Rep. Cynthia Lummis, were angry about Congress' decision to divert $700 million of Abandoned Mine Lands funding over the next decade to fund transportation projects, and vowed to get those funds back.
Casper Star-Tribune (AP); June 30

Alberta city new hotspot for consulates
As governments around the globe close consulates and reduce foreign-service budgets, Calgary is an exception as Britain expanded its trade office in the Alberta city to a full consulate last week; France opened a consulate there last year; and the U.S., China and Japan have all expanded staff or opened offices there.
Toronto Globe and Mail; July 2

Legislature
 Idaho legislators questions if they have time to set up health exchange
State legislators from Idaho were sure that the 2010 Affordable Care Act would be found unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court and did not work on setting up a health care exchange required to be in place by the end of this year, and now those lawmakers said they're unsure they can get the exchange up and running by then, which means the federal government will put an exchange in place in the Gem State.
Idaho Statesman (AP); June 30

Economy
 Another coal mine in NE Wyoming lays off employees
Employees at the Buckskin Mining Co.'s mine in Wyoming's Campbell County were told Friday that layoffs were coming.
Casper Star-Tribune (AP); June 30

Wyoming adds one energy drilling rig
Baker Hughes Inc.'s weekly drill rig report issued Friday said that Wyoming had added one rig, as did Alaska, and Colorado added two.
Casper Star-Tribune (AP); July 1

Idaho plant manufactures oilfield worker housing
Alberta-based ATCO has begun producing worker housing for oilfields at its new plant in Pocatello, providing 190 new jobs in eastern Idaho.
Idaho Press-Tribune; July 1
Mountain West News is a program of the O'Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West
at The University of Montana.
"W e've always had bark beetle infestations, but we've never had anything that's been so widespread and spread so quickly. The only place it's really starting to slow down is just where we're starting to run out of trees."

Tom Tidwell, chief of the U.S. Forest Service, discussing the beetle infestation that has changed the West's landscape and wildfire behavior.
- Idaho Statesman (AP)
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
July 21: Montana Renewable Energy Fair, National Center for Appropriate Technology, Butte
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