Indy Blog, Missoula News

Rockies Today, May 17

Mountain West News — Fri, 17 May 2013 11:01:00 -0600

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U.S. Interior Department releases new version of hydraulic-fracturing regs
The new proposed federal regulations for hydraulic fracturing were released by the U.S. Interior Department on Thursday, and public comment will be taken for 30 days, but environmental groups already said the new rules, which allow companies to shield some chemicals used in the process from disclosure, are too lax, and the oil and gas industry are already saying the regulations are too onerous.
New York Times; May 17

Wyoming gets a head's up on federal fracking rules
Interior Secretary Sally Jewell called Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead to give him a brief description of federal rules on hydraulic fracturing, rules Mead said are not needed given the state's regulations on the drilling process.
Casper Star-Tribune; May 17

Annual survey in Montana's Bitterroot Valley finds more elk
The annual spring aerial survey of Montana's Bitterroot Valley found 7,373 elk, up from the 6,238 elk counted last year, and the fourth highest number since the survey began 48 years ago.
Ravalli Republic; May 17

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Rockies Today, May 16

Mountain West News — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:53:00 -0600

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Montana man arrested, charged with arson in wildfire starts near Helena
Lewis and Clark Sheriff Leo Dutton said a Helena man is in custody and will face multiple counts of arson for a series of wildfire starts near Montana's Capital City, including the 55-acre fire that started Tuesday near the historic McMaster ranch.
Helena Independent Record; May 16

Montana county commission wants to talk water with USFS, DNRC
After learning that Ravalli County's objection to the U.S. Forest Service's attempt to gain in-stream water rights on two streams had been denied by the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, the county commission has invited Tom Tidwell, chief of the U.S. Forest Service, and the top officials of the DNRC to come and talk with them about the Forest Service's plan to pursue in-stream water rights on 11 streams in the Bitterroot National Forest.
Ravalli Republic; May 16

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Rockies Today, May 15

Mountain West News — Wed, 15 May 2013 11:01:00 -0600

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House panel begins digging into wind-power's pass on eagle deaths
On Tuesday, the House Natural Resources Committee announced it plans to find out why the wind energy industry has seemingly received a pass from the Obama administration for killing hundreds of thousands of birds, including eagles.
Denver Post (AP); May 15

USFWS plan for Idaho wildlife refuge sparks water fight with Canyon County
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working on its management plan for the Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge that includes rules for the 9,000-acre Lake Lowell, but on Tuesday, the Canyon County Commission laid out its position that the lake belongs to the irrigators and the state, and the county will not enforce any federal rules on the lake, and will withdraw any aid provided to the refuge should federal agents be brought in to enforce on-water rules.
Idaho Statesman; May 15

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Your future, a little early

Rob Brezsny — Wed, 15 May 2013 09:00:00 -0600

Find Rob Brezsny's "Free Will Astrology" online, every Wednesday, one day before it hits the Indy's printed pages.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): In the alternate universe created by Marvel comic books, there is a mutant superhero called Squirrel Girl.…

BREAKING: Montana Supreme Court reinstates Barry Beach conviction

Jessica Mayrer — Tue, 14 May 2013 17:27:00 -0600

The Montana Supreme Court ruled today in a 4-3 decision to reinstate Barry Beach’s 1984 conviction for murdering 17-year-old Kim Nees on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. Beach was released from prison in December 2011 while the Supreme Court considered his case, and has been living and working in Billings.…

Staffers at Partnership Health Center in Missoula allege harassment, wrongful discharge

Jessica Mayrer — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:19:00 -0600

Since February, six Partnership Health Center staffers have filed lawsuits alleging a range of grievances against the Missoula clinic including harassment, wrongful discharge and that management required employees to perform tasks without pay.

“We consider this to be a serious and pervasive problem in this workplace and felt that we had a responsibility to file these lawsuits,” says Great Falls attorney Elizabeth Best, who represents the plaintiffs in six separate cases.

Partnership provides healthcare and dental services to roughly 10,000 repeat patients each year and more than half of those patients are uninsured.…

Rockies Today, May 14

Mountain West News — Tue, 14 May 2013 10:50:26 -0600

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BLM completes series of meetings on Montana Hi-Line management plan
Monday evening's meeting in Great Falls was the last of five the Bureau of Land Management hosted to gather public comment on its proposed management plan for 2.4 million acres of public land along Montana's Hi-Line, with 140 people in total attending the five meetings that addressed sage grouse habitat and energy development.
Great Falls Tribune; May 14

As Ag, Interior secretaries vow to find wildfire funds
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Interior Secretary Sally Jewell were the bearers of bad news in Boise on Monday, where they said Bureau of Land Management funds for fuels reduction may have to be diverted to fight wildfires.
Idaho Statesman; May 14

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Rachel Maddow calls out white "nationalist" nonprofit in Flathead

Alex Sakariassen — Mon, 13 May 2013 15:56:00 -0600

Late last week, MSNBC's Rachel Maddow took a deep look at a white supremacist think tank in the Flathead Valley and its ties to the nation's ongoing debate over immigration reform. Her May 9 segment called out a Whitefish-based nonprofit known as the National Policy Institute, a group that bills itself as "an independent research and educational foundation" working for "the people that bears the unique heritage of Europe, Christianity, cultural excellence, and the scientific awakening"—or, more concisely, "White Americans."…

Rockies Today, May 13

Mountain West News — Mon, 13 May 2013 11:06:00 -0600

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Water-rights issue snarls Montana town's project
Last Friday, the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation put funding for the Conrad/Brady pipeline project, designed to provide Brady residents until the Pondera County Canal and Reservoir Co.…

Why you shouldn't gamble at a carnival (and more from In Other News)

Roland Sweet — Mon, 13 May 2013 09:00:00 -0600

Curses, Foiled Again
A teller at a Washington, D.C., bank failed to comply with a robber’s demands because she didn’t understand them. The holdup note read simply “100s 50s 20s 10s.” Authorities said the teller handed the note back to the robber, who added “all mona.” Still not comprehending, she told him to leave.…

Hangriest Hour: The Bavarian Brat

Alex Sakariassen — Fri, 10 May 2013 16:03:00 -0600

When you're hangry and thirsty on a Friday afternoon, it's tough to know which call to heed. Fortunately we found a way to satisfy both...…

Rockies Today, May 10

Mountain West News — Fri, 10 May 2013 11:09:00 -0600

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Montana FWP commission takes testimony on changes to wolf hunt rules
At the meeting Thursday of the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission, sportsmen's groups spoke in support of an extended hunting season for wolves, as well as allowing hunters and trappers to take up to five wolves per hunting season, and wildlife advocates argued that the changes are too liberal and will give the state a black eye.
Helena Independent Record; May 10

Officials in E. Montana criticize governor's veto of oil, gas impact funds bill
Montana Gov. Steve Bullock said House Bill 218, which would have provided $35 million in state funding to communities in the eastern portion of the state where oil and gas development is straining resources and infrastructure, was one of several bills he had to veto because they pushed spending beyond revenue.
Helena Independent Record; May 10

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DOJ concludes UM investigation

Jamie Rogers — Thu, 09 May 2013 13:37:00 -0600

During a joint press conference this morning, University of Montana President Royce Engstrom and representatives from the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorneys Office revealed findings from the DOJ and Department of Education's year-long investigation into UM's handling of sexual assaults. The presser was relatively uninformative, with U.S. Attorney Michael Cotter thanking Engstrom for his cooperation and leadership, Engstrom complimenting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Roy Austin for the DOJ's smooth and efficient investigation, and all of them concurring that the "agreements" reached between the agencies and the university to make the campus safer would be implemented swiftly and effectively.…

Mixed messages on methane

High Country News — Thu, 09 May 2013 11:30:00 -0600

There was a time when environmentalists were all googly-eyed about natural gas, primarily because the cleaner-burning fossil fuel was far more climate-friendly than coal — or so it seemed. The Sierra Club and Chesapeake Energy even became allies in the fight to phase out coal.…

Rockies Today, May 9

Mountain West News — Thu, 09 May 2013 10:39:00 -0600

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Ambre Energy, Cloud Peak deal to export Montana coal stalls
Australia-based Ambre Energy's deal to take full control of Cloud Peak's Decker coal mine in Montana near the Wyoming border has stalled again, with the parties seeking an extension of the May 10 deadline to finalize the deal to July 12.
Flathead Beacon (AP); May 9

Colorado county sheriff opens investigation of wild-horse buyer
After a ProPublica investigation found that Tom Davis, a Colorado horse buyer, had purchased more than 1,700 horses from the Bureau of Land Management, but could only account for 765 of the horses he had transported elsewhere, officials in the state have been debating who should investigate Davis for not adhering to state brand inspection laws, and last week the Conejos County Sheriff's Office opened an investigation.
Colorado Springs Gazette; May 9

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Rockies Today, May 8

Mountain West News — Wed, 08 May 2013 10:56:00 -0600

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Montana consumers, farmers divided on bill to label genetically modified foods
Montana U.S. Sen. Jon Tester supports the "Genetically Engineered Food Right-to-Know Act," which would require all foods that contain genetically modified organisms be so labeled, but Montana farmers who grow GMO corn, sugar beets and alfalfa, oppose the measure, while natural food stores say voluntary labeling of non-GMO foods is taking off.
Billings Gazette; May 8

Drones used to count sandhill cranes in Colorado, pygmy rabbits in Idaho
Technology developed for military use has been given a new mission monitoring the natural world, with drones equipped with thermal imaging used to count roosting sandhill cranes at night in Colorado and pygmy rabbits in Idaho's backcountry.
New York Times; May 8

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Your future, a little early

Rob Brezsny — Wed, 08 May 2013 09:00:00 -0600

Find Rob Brezsny's "Free Will Astrology" online, every Wednesday, one day before it hits the Indy's printed pages.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): The Tarahumara Indians of northwestern Mexico are renowned for their ability to run long distances.…

Boundary water disputes

Marshall Swearingen — Tue, 07 May 2013 14:56:00 -0600

Imagine discovering that the clear, rushing water of the river in your remote neck-of-the-woods is contaminated with nitrates, sulfates, and selenium — a toxic heavy metal that causes deformities in fish. Then, to complicate things, imagine that the source of the pollution is upstream in another, neighboring country with its own leaders and environmental laws.…

Rockies Today, May 7

Mountain West News — Tue, 07 May 2013 10:42:00 -0600

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Idaho, Montana, Wyoming protest USFWS's plan to protect wolverines
In response to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's proposal to list wolverines as threatened across the lower 48 states, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming have formally opposed such a listing, saying the species is doing just fine on its own.
Flathead Beacon (AP); May 7

USFS announces contractors to provide 7 air tankers to fight wildfires
After the U.S. Forest Service announced it had selected the contractors to provide seven bigger, faster air tankers to help fight wildfires, Colorado U.S. Sen. Mark Udall asked that the bidding process not be challenged as that would delay the air tankers' arrival to help in what could be a rough wildfire season.
Flathead Beacon (AP); May 7

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Rockies Today, May 6

Mountain West News — Mon, 06 May 2013 11:07:00 -0600

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BIA, Colorado company embroiled in dispute on Montana energy leases
The Bureau of Indian Affairs made formal demand that Denver-based Anschutz Exploration Corp. make required payments on oil and gas leases to 41 allotment owners on the Blackfeet Reservation, but the Colorado company, which is in the process of ending its drilling operations on the Montana reservation, said it was in the process of negotiating some of the leases, and no payment will be made until those talks are resolved.
Great Falls Tribune; May 5

USFWS releases draft management plan for Montana grizzly bears
Last Friday, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released a draft conservation plan prepared by that and other federal agencies, the state and tribal governments to manage grizzly bears in northcentral and western Montana if and when federal protections for the species are removed.
Great Falls Tribune; May 5

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Why Norwegians are divided by bark (and more from In Other News)

Roland Sweet — Mon, 06 May 2013 09:00:00 -0600

Curses, Foiled Again
Two car thieves being chased by police holed up in a house in New Haven, Conn., while a dozen officers surrounded the building. When hostage negotiators threatened to unleash canine units, the suspects heard barking and surrendered.…

Baucus and a new brew

Alex Sakariassen — Fri, 03 May 2013 17:33:00 -0600

Sen. Max Baucus stepped before a crowd of conservationists, ranchers and craft brew fanatics at Tamarack Brewing's Missoula location this afternoon with an intriguing announcement: Montana beer and Montana politics have merged. At some point this summer, Tamarack will tap it's latest recipe: a saison brewed with state-grown malt, honey and spruce tips.…

Happiest Hour: Five beers we’re most looking forward to trying at Garden City BrewFest

Jessica Mayrer — Fri, 03 May 2013 15:45:00 -0600

I've been daydreaming about sipping the vast selection of beer that will be on hand at the Garden City Brewfest at Caras Park tomorrow — and I’m not the only one. My colleagues seem similarly distracted.…

Rockies Today, May 3

Mountain West News — Fri, 03 May 2013 12:59:00 -0600

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U.S. study finds complex stew of causes in loss of honeybees
Pesticides, parasites, poor nutrition and a lack of genetic diversity were all cited as reasons for the loss of honeybees in the United States in a federal report released Thursday.
New York Times; May 3

Laboratories in Idaho, Washington, Alaska step up testing for salmon virus
Alexandra Morton has warned for years that infectious salmon anemia is a threat to wild Pacific salmon, and the Canadian biologist said she bought a farmed salmon with the virus last year, but scientists and government testing groups in Canada and the United States said they've not been able to find the virus, but testing has been stepped up in the U.S., with samples shipped to laboratories in Idaho, Washington and Alaska for testing for the disease.
New York Times; May 3

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Rockies Today, May 2

Mountain West News — Thu, 02 May 2013 10:38:00 -0600

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Montana wildlife commission to consider changes to wolf hunting rules
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks personnel have recommended that the state's wolf hunting season start a month earlier, and that those with wolf permits be allowed to take a total of five wolves, and next week the state Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission will take up those proposals.
Helena Independent Record; May 2

NIFC predicts above-normal wildfire potential in Idaho, Montana
On Wednesday, the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise issued its first wildfire outlook report that said portions of Idaho and Montana could see above-normal wildfire activity, as could areas of the West Coast and the Southwest.
Idaho Statesman (AP); May 2

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