Climate change called a security threat

Story in the LA Times. Climate change called a security threat. By Karen Kaplan and Thomas H. Maugh II, Times Staff Writer

It is a security threat. It’s a political threat too. You can trace Bush’s decline to the summer of 2005 when Katrina hit, although she only tipped over an edifiice that was already starting to crumble.

Does anyone want to take bets about the hurricane season this summer now that El Nino has dissipated. Will there be another Katrina and a similarly inept response?

How many forest fires in the West this summer? The heavy wood is very dry outside the Pacific Northwest?

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Rocky Mountain Front gas lease ban is working

So far just one place has been saved from all the gas development in the West. It’s the Rocky Mountain Front in Montana.

Story in the Great Falls Tribune. Rocky Mountain Front lease agreement starts something good.

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Here is the earlier story from Dec. 10, 2006. Rocky Mountain Front (MT) finally protected from oil and gas in massive catch-all bill

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Freudenthal calls for grizzly lawsuits to be filed in Wyoming

People can file the lawsuits in Idaho, Montana or Wyoming. It depends on where it is convenient for the group. Why should an Idaho group have to file in Wyoming? This is a federal issue and there is a federal court in Idaho, one in Montana, and one in Wyoming. It’s plainly obvious there are grizzly bears in Idaho’s part of the Greater Yellowstone. Everyone read about the mauling last weekend near Tetonia, Idaho.

The number of bears in the state doesn’t make any difference legally. Furthermore, the threats to bears are not all in Wyoming and some of the threats, like global warming, are diffuse.

Here’s the story about Dumb Dave the governor and his views on the issue.

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New Colorado Wildlife Commissioners bring hope for conservation

For wildlife there are few appointments as important as the commissioners of Fish and Game, Game and Fish, Wildlife, or Wildlife and Parks, and various other names in states.

Too often those people have no formal training or experience in what they will be overseeing. They tend to be “good ol boys and gals” instead. Sinapu reports a hopeful change in Colorado.

New Colorado Wildlife Commissioners bring hope for conservation. Wild Again

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Zimo: Sage grouse habitat needed to survive is disappearing

The vast sea of sagebrush in the West has been badly disrupted by livestock grazing, the spread of highly flammable cheat grass, and developments. The sage grouse and many other sagebrush species are in trouble.

Story in the Idaho Statesman.

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Red Alert on Energy Leases in Montana

We’ve already seen it in Wyoming. The state is going to be pretty much destroyed and now the energy companies are beating a path to Montana.

Bill Schneider sounds the warning from Helena. Red Alert in New West.

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Public comments say Slow the gas development around Pinedale

The BLM has held public hearings around Sublette County, WY as well as Rock Springs, and the public wants the massive pace of natural gas development slowed.

Story in the Casper Star Tribune by Whitney Royster.

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Watch the video on the Upper Green River Valley: the view from above. From Skytruth.

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