Missoulans protest Alberta-bound tar sands equipment trucking

Over 200 trips of these giant oil equipment pieces to go through U.S. 12 in Idaho and NW Montana-

I think perhaps there has been too much attention in this forum on elk in Lolo.  Elk are important, but fishing, scenery, wilderness, and property of local people are more important. U.S.Highway 12 is one of Idaho’s most scenic highways. It goes through scenic canyon and between wild country following the Clearwater River, then the Lochsa River up and over Lolo Pass into Montana.

The exploitation of Alberta’s tar sands are well known as perhaps the single most environmentally destructive project on the planet (at least until the Deepwater Horizon blowout in the Gulf of Mexico). Now that destruction has spread to Idaho and Montana with these massive loads which require “improving” Highway 12 and other highways in Montana.

Some of the good folks in Missoula are fed up with oil company damages and protested. Protest rally. By Rob Chaney. Missoulian.

We will be following this more from now on.

Deadly bighorn pneumonia east and southeast of Missoula spreads still further.

Both upper and lower Rock Creek herds are now infected-

Worse, the terrain is too rough in lower Rock Creek to cull the herd.

It appears that over 400 bighorn are at risk. Well over a hundred have already be culled. Others have just died on their own.

Pneumonia confirmed in Upper Rock Creek bighorn sheep herd. By Rob Chaney. Missoulian

Update 2/3/10: I’ve put together maps showing the locations of the bighorn populations that have shown signs of pneumonia across the west with some close-up maps of the areas.  The green areas are where bighorns currently live and the red areas are those showing signs of pneumonia.  Ken Cole

Map of the sick bighorn populations in the west

Bighorn east of Missoulia are dying like flies

Pneumonia in bighorn has now spread to Rock Creek-

It just keeps getting worse for the bighorn hit by the pneumonia outbreak near Missoula. Bighorn sheep in Rock Creek latest hit by fatal pneumonia outbreak. By Rob Chaney. Missoulian.