View profile

CWD creep

Rockies Today
CWD creep
By Mountain West News • Issue #263 • View online

The superspreading of chronic wasting disease
CWD detected in Livingston-area hunting district for the first time
Chronic wasting disease has been detected in a hunting district near Livingston, Montana, for the first time, wildlife officials announced on Friday. A white-tailed deer that was killed by a hunter in Hunting District 317 tested positive for the infectious prion disease, which is 100% fatal in deer, moose and elk. CWD was first detected in Montana’s wild herds in 2017 and it has since spread to most of the state.
www.bozemandailychronicle.com  •  Share
CWD is here: What does this mean for Idaho?
CWD is here: What does this mean for Idaho?
“The department is putting all of their resources, other projects will take a backseat to this,” said Idaho Fish and Game’s Terry Thompson. “Because this could have population-level impacts on our deer and elk herds. Kind of a big deal.”
magicvalley.com  •  Share
In Wyoming, CWD makes more inroads into elk feeding region
In Wyoming, CWD makes more inroads into elk feeding region
Chronic wasting disease has been detected in elk that dwell along the southwestern flank of the Wind River Range in an area where 80% or so of the animals congregate each winter on densely-packed feedgrounds.
www.jhnewsandguide.com  •  Share
CWD creeps into two new swaths of the Bridger-Teton National Forest
CWD creeps into two new swaths of the Bridger-Teton National Forest
A deadly and degenerative neurological disease that’s slowly spreading through elk and deer herds across the country has officially made new inroads into two prized western Wyoming hunting areas: the Teton Wilderness and Greys River watershed.
www.jhnewsandguide.com  •  Share
States grappling with CWD could soon have some help from Congress
States grappling with CWD could soon have some help from Congress
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Chronic Wasting Disease Research and Management Act on a 393-33 vote Wednesday. The legislation directs the USDA to establish a research and management program focused on the fatal neurological disease. It would commit $70 million annually to fighting the disease, with half going to research and half to states and tribes.
www.spokesman.com  •  Share
CWD expert: Wolves and hunters can help minimize spread of deadly protein
CWD expert: Wolves and hunters can help minimize spread of deadly protein
Idaho’s most controversial predator could play a role in managing the spread of a deadly deer and elk disease, according to a leading research scientist.
lmtribune.com  •  Share
The latest CWD distribution map:
On borrowed time
Is Utah already overusing its share of water from the Colorado River?
Under pressure from climate change the Colorado River’s flows have declined to the point that Utah, New Mexico and Colorado are now using about 500,000 acre-feet more than their annual share, according to a report released Monday by Utah Rivers Council and several other environmental groups.
www.sltrib.com  •  Share
With the Colorado River in crisis, those who decide its future gather under one roof
With the Colorado River in crisis, those who decide its future gather under one roof
The annual Colorado River Water User’s Association conference in Las Vegas will be in the spotlight this year, as climate change shrinks water supply.
www.kunc.org  •  Share
Amid drought, one tribe seeks to offer water for lease, another moves to conserve more
Amid drought, one tribe seeks to offer water for lease, another moves to conserve more
As tribal leaders prepare to take a greater role in a regional forum on Colorado River issues, a new bill to allow at least one tribe to lease water is making its way through Congress, while another tribe tries to forestall further cuts to water delivery.
www.azcentral.com  •  Share
Colorado wants to keep investors from flipping water rights. Let the speculation begin.
Colorado wants to keep investors from flipping water rights. Let the speculation begin.
Legislators want to tackle water speculation after two companies buying up water rights in Grand Valley and the San Luis Valley sparked fears.
coloradosun.com  •  Share
Fires, landslides, lack of snow: The ski industry girds for battle
Fires, landslides, lack of snow: The ski industry girds for battle
From firestorms in California’s Tahoe region to melting glaciers in the Alps, ski areas face a daunting array of environmental threats. Here’s what some resorts are doing.
www.nytimes.com  •  Share
Snowpack forecast indicates little to no drought relief
Snowpack forecast indicates little to no drought relief
Wyoming could see “normal to below normal” snowpack this winter and early spring, bringing little relief to drought conditions.
wyofile.com  •  Share
Winter without snow is coming
Winter without snow is coming
“This is not an issue in a hypothetical future.”
www.hcn.org  •  Share
Interior designs
Tracy Stone-Manning's plans to rebuild the BLM
BLM’s first confirmed director in five years talks about access, equity, and the future of public land in the West.
www.outsideonline.com  •  Share
Utah, Interior prep land exchange in shadow of legal battle
Utah, Interior prep land exchange in shadow of legal battle
Even as Utah’s elected leaders are gearing up to file a lawsuit over the boundaries of the Bears Ears National Monument, state officials are quietly moving to accept that the site’s 1.36-million-acre footprint could be a reality. Both the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration and the Interior Department confirmed to E&E News last week that work has begun on an exchange for the approximately 135,000 acres of state-owned land inside the monument’s new boundaries.
www.eenews.net  •  Share
The Bears Ears shuffle
The Bears Ears shuffle
Preservation vs. exploitation in southeast Utah, a five-year review.
www.durangoherald.com  •  Share
Arches is the latest U.S. national park to roll out timed reservations as visits surge
Arches is the latest U.S. national park to roll out timed reservations as visits surge
The Utah national park joins Glacier and Rocky Mountain in setting up a timed entry reservation system to deal with a gush of visitors that began during the COVID-19 pandemic.
www.npr.org  •  Share
Glacier National Park unveils details for 2022 reservation system
Glacier National Park unveils details for 2022 reservation system
In addition to requiring tickets for visitors entering the Going-to-the-Sun-Road corridor, a reservation will also be necessary to access the park from Polebridge.
flatheadbeacon.com  •  Share
Rare earth
EPA faults uranium processor for not keeping Superfund waste covered
The EPA has ordered a halt to deliveries of waste from Superfund sites to a Utah uranium mill in San Juan County after determining its impoundment had not been operated properly, potentially resulting in excessive radon emissions. The White Mesa facility is better known as the nation’s last operating uranium mill, but it also stores dangerous waste from out-of-state cleanups. This waste often contains trace amounts of uranium and vanadium that Energy Fuels can extract by reprocessing the material. It also can emits radon, a radioactive gas that can cause lung cancer.
www.sltrib.com  •  Share
In high-tech Utah, is lithium mining the industry of the future?
In high-tech Utah, is lithium mining the industry of the future?
Once too costly to extract, new technology has made Utah’s lithium accessible for the first time, potentially unlocking an essentially inexhaustible supply of lithium in the Great Salt Lake. The state’s fraught history with mining may be the resource’s only remaining barrier.
www.utahbusiness.com  •  Share
Cortez Masto targets greens' last hope to curb mining
Cortez Masto targets greens' last hope to curb mining
Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto is seeking to strip language from the House-passed reconciliation bill that would fund new federal regulations on the mining industry to protect public lands. Nevada is set to become an even busier mining hub as companies look to develop expensive operations, such as the Thacker Pass mine in northern Nevada, that could feed large amounts of lithium and other metals to manufacturers of electric vehicles and renewables.
subscriber.politicopro.com  •  Share
Rare earth developer secures funding for demonstration processing plant in Wyoming
Rare earth developer secures funding for demonstration processing plant in Wyoming
Rare earths are key components of technologies like cell phones, computers, televisions and batteries, and are used in industrial processes like petroleum refining and glass making. Because wind turbines, solar panels and electric cars require them, too, the expansion of clean energy technologies is driving up demand for rare earth elements.
trib.com  •  Share
Living on the line
Colorado’s affordable housing crisis—and the people living through it
There is an equation in Colorado that, for years, has failed to add up. It’s the math of a population boom and a desperate lack of affordable housing. Multiply it by a deadly pandemic and the numbers tell a grim picture of what it costs to live here. Demand has outpaced the supply of housing in general, and the supply of homes for people who make less than $45,000 a year is practically nonexistent. Colorado Public Radio set out to explore the issue in this seven-part series about the people who are directly feeling the impact of the affordable housing crisis. The people walking the line between those who can afford to live in Colorado and those who can’t.
www.cpr.org  •  Share
Ada County housing prices leap up in November
Ada County housing prices leap up in November
The cost for new homes in Ada County has hit another milestone, with a multitude of factors contributing to sky-high prices.
www.boisestatepublicradio.org  •  Share
The discussion surrounded a proposed 205-bed homeless shelter for Interfaith Sanctuary located at the former Salvation Army store on State Street. The proposal has generated consistent controversy among neighborhood advocates since Interfaith announced the purchase in April.
www.idahostatesman.com  •  Share
Boise council to consider regulating Airbnbs
Boise council to consider regulating Airbnbs
As the Treasure Valley continues to struggle with a massive shortage in affordable housing, some advocates have pointed to regulating the industry as a way to free new units for renters and potential homeowners.
www.idahostatesman.com  •  Share
RVs have become a haven for Salt Lake City’s homeless and a headache for residents
RVs have become a haven for Salt Lake City’s homeless and a headache for residents
The proliferation of RVs on Salt Lake City streets has caused frustrations within some communities, and city leaders are searching for the best way to respond.
www.sltrib.com  •  Share
Aspen suspends new home construction permits as it drops the hammer in the name of affordability
Aspen suspends new home construction permits as it drops the hammer in the name of affordability
Aspen emergency ordinance also cut off new short-term rental permits as the posh Pitkin County ski town wrestles with lack of workforce housing.
coloradosun.com  •  Share
Sublette OKs billionaire’s resort where deer and antelope play
Sublette OKs billionaire’s resort where deer and antelope play
In a showdown pitting Wyoming values of property rights against the desire for a quiet, rural lifestyle, Sublette County commissioners came down on the side of property rights last week, approving a billionaire’s high-end resort and stunning his neighbors who said it would forever disrupt their iconic mountain valley.
wyofile.com  •  Share
Why Americans are rethinking where they want to live
Why Americans are rethinking where they want to live
Housing costs are one indicator of where people are going. Kalispell, Montana, has seen the largest increase in property values in the country—with the average home up nearly 50% year-over-year. Second is Austin, Texas, followed by Boise, Idaho. Towns that people might never have considered living in full-time have become contenders. Traditional vacation destinations—including Bend, Oregon and California’s Lake Tahoe—have seen a surge of interest.
www.economist.com  •  Share
What else we're reading today
When dams fell, salmon returned
When dams fell, salmon returned
In western Washington’s Elwha River, the removal of two dams led to a resurgence of fish runs; could a similar scenario play out on the Snake River?
lmtribune.com  •  Share
What is NorthWestern Energy’s liability for river and wildfire damages?
What is NorthWestern Energy’s liability for river and wildfire damages?
Regulatory agencies and legal professionals weigh in on NorthWestern Energy’s potential responsibilities in the wake of the Hebgen Dam malfunction and the West Wind Fire.
montanafreepress.org  •  Share
Neguse wildfire bill would offer relief from smoke effects
Neguse wildfire bill would offer relief from smoke effects
A Colorado congressman has proposed legislation offering assistance to people most at risk of health effects from inhaling wildfire smoke.
subscriber.politicopro.com  •  Share
NWCG publishes video about firefighter mental health
NWCG publishes video about firefighter mental health
If you are a firefighter or the spouse or family member of one, spend 18 minutes watching this video.
wildfiretoday.com  •  Share
Mining company will pay $1.6 million in Gold King Mine spill lawsuit
Mining company will pay $1.6 million in Gold King Mine spill lawsuit
A Denver mining company will pay the state of Colorado $1.6 million in a settlement connected to the 2015 Gold King Mine spill, which infamously turned the Animas River a sickly hue of orange.
www.cpr.org  •  Share
Enviros decry EPA's defense of a Utah haze rule
Enviros decry EPA's defense of a Utah haze rule
The Biden administration indicated in a late filing Friday that it will defend a Utah regional haze rule, prompting dismay from environmental groups that say the rule does little to reduce emissions from two of the state’s coal-fired power plants.
subscriber.politicopro.com  •  Share
Some worried western Montrose County would fade after the coal plant closed. It hasn’t.
Some worried western Montrose County would fade after the coal plant closed. It hasn’t.
The West End of Montrose County, which lost its coal plant and mine years ago, offers a glimpse of the future for Colorado.
coloradosun.com  •  Share
Coal interests press Supreme Court to limit EPA reach
Coal interests press Supreme Court to limit EPA reach
Coal companies and Republican-led states yesterday called on the Supreme Court to constrain EPA from going as far as the Obama administration did when it crafted a systemwide approach to curb carbon emissions from existing power plants.
subscriber.politicopro.com  •  Share
Broader tribal sovereignty at stake in federal Indian Child Welfare Act case
Broader tribal sovereignty at stake in federal Indian Child Welfare Act case
A federal law to protect Native families from being separated is on a likely path to the Supreme Court where the 41-year-old law could be upended, threatening tribal sovereignty. And while child welfare is the specific issue at the heart of the case, tribal advocates fear the real goal of the deep-pocketed effort to overturn the law is an erosion of tribal sovereignty to benefit special interests, particularly extractive industries, hoping to profit from tribal lands.
dailymontanan.com  •  Share
Two years after B.C. passed its landmark Indigenous Rights act, has anything changed?
Two years after B.C. passed its landmark Indigenous Rights act, has anything changed?
The province promised to align all of its laws with the principles of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, but a full two years in, only one clause of one B.C. statute has been amended.
thenarwhal.ca  •  Share
Alaska’s absent snowy owls
Alaska’s absent snowy owls
The only reliable snowy owl breeding site in the United States has a conspicuous shortage of owls.
hakaimagazine.com  •  Share
Three loud climate warning signals
Three loud climate warning signals
This week is bringing several fresh signals of a warming planet and the deepening perils that come alongside higher temperatures.
www.axios.com  •  Share
Rockies Today is edited by Matthew Frank, fellow in regional journalism at the O’Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West at the University of Montana.
Did you enjoy this issue?
Mountain West News

The big stories up and down the Rocky Mountains

In order to unsubscribe, click here.
If you were forwarded this newsletter and you like it, you can subscribe here.
Powered by Revue
O'Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 59812