The “green” rating of Montana’s congressional delegation released

The League of Conservation voters has released its 2007 congressional vote rating.

New US Senator Jon Tester is the greenist with an 80% rating. Long time Senator Max Baucus is above the middle (typical place for him is near the middle). Baucus got 67%. The lone Republican, Denny Rehberg got 10%.

Story in the Helena Independent Record. Tester rates greenest. By IR State Bureau.

British Petroleum’s plans for thousands of coal bed methane wells near Glacier NP are dropped

This is great news! BP drops Flathead coal-bed plan. By Michael Jamison. Missoulian.

I recently did a story on the grave threat of these wells to the water, air and land in British Columbia just NW of Glacier National Park.

The plans for the huge mountaintop coal mine (the Cline Mine) remain, however.

Here is the most extensive article. BP Drops Coal-Bed Methane Exploration Project North of Glacier Park. Flathead Beacon. By Dan Testa.

Loaded for politics, not bears or criminals. Guns in the national parks

“Wild Bill” has a good opinion piece on this.  As I said earlier, this was an issue created for the election. It is not from the grassroots . . . . “This amendment and, it seems, most other gun legislation, isn’t about guns or the Second Amendment. It’s all about politics, and the gun lobby is panicked about who might be living in The White House next year.”

More Guns in National Parks. By Bill Schneider. New West.

With global warming, pythons! could squeeze lower third of USA

Pythons could squeeze lower third of USA. USA Today. By Elizabeth Weise

Ethanol Boom Saps Water in the West

Corn ethanol production not only fails to produce much net energy, it is depleting water supplies.

Ethanol Boom Saps Water in the West. By Jim Moscou. Newsweek Web Exclusive

Bush Administration Plan to Remove Wolf Protections Draws Criticism

 “If a wolf turns up in Rocky Mountain National Park, it will be protected by the Endangered Species Act. But plans by the Bush administration to remove ESA protection from Yellowstone’s wolves could make it incredibly hard for the predators to migrate down to Colorado.”

The above is from an article on delisting in National Parks Traveller.