Media Resources: In The News

Obama Moves Quickly to Preserve the West

November 5, 2009 - Excerpts: "The environmentalists have been waiting in the wings for eight years," said Paul Lewis, assistant professor of political science at Arizona State University. "Now, they have a chance to be heard again." more

Adobe Town Lease Sale on Hold

November 5, 2009 - Excerpts: Wyoming Bureau of Land Management officials announced Wednesday they had deferred 15 oil and gas lease parcels from being included in a Dec. 1 public auction, "pending Washington Office guidance on wilderness issues." The lease parcels in question total 14,842 acres. The parcels reside within a citizens' proposed wilderness area at Adobe Town in south-central Wyoming -- a highly sensitive terrain decorated with sand stone spires. The area is so remote, it's usually where Wyoming's state logo is stamped on maps. more

Interior Science: Acting responsibly on warming

November 3, 2009 - Excerpts: Salazar has taken a wise step to help the country deal with the growing impacts of warming. He has issued a "secretarial order" creating a Climate Change Response Council. It will coordinate DOI agencies, including the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service and the Forest Service, with state and local governments to "address current and future impacts of climate change on America's land, water, ocean, fish, wildlife, and cultural resources," monitor changes and collect data in eight regions and educate the public. more

Religious Group Pushes to Protect San Gabriel Mountains

October 31, 2009 - Excerpts: An activist religious group has joined the effort to designate the San Gabriel Mountains as a national recreational area eligible for additional federal resources including law enforcement personnel, interpretive signs and hiking trails. The group, Progressive Christians Uniting, is touting the proposal to congregants of dozens of San Gabriel Valley churches near the 650,000-acre range that constitutes about 70% of Los Angeles County's open space. more

Senate Okays Funds for Congaree Park

October 30, 2009 - Excerpts: The U.S. Senate has approved $1.3 million to expand Congaree National Park, a 26,000-acre nature preserve in lower Richland County. The decision, announced Thursday night, is intended to help link the park's main section with a newer section along U.S. 601. In addition to the $1.3 million the Senate approved, the park will need another $1.3 million to complete the link, according to a news release issued by a representative of the park. more

Defending the Not-Quite-Wild

October 30, 2009 - Excerpts: What is really special about the Roan Plateau, these lands in particular, is the incredible energy density beneath it,” said Duane Zavadil, vice president of the Bill Barrett Corporation, a Denver energy company that holds drilling rights to the Roan. The company’s plans are at the center of a battle over the future of the plateau, one that could influence the fate of thousands of acres in the high country known as the intermountain West. more

Obama administration inches away from 'time out' for roadless forest logging

October 29, 2009 - Excerpts: This month, the Agriculture Department returned to the Forest Service the authority to undertake certain projects in roadless forests without the secretary's approval. Specifically, local land managers are now free to approve the "cutting, sale, or removal of generally small diameter timber when needed for one of the following purposes: …That's according to a letter (PDF) from Joel Holtrop, deputy chief of the national forest system, to regional and local forest officials. more

Bogus bidder argues he had to act

October 27, 2009 - Excerpts: In court papers filed Monday, attorneys Ron Yengich, Elizabeth Hunt and Pat Shea detailed how and why DeChristopher would defend himself from felony charges stemming from his bogus bidding at the Bureau of Land Management's Dec. 19 auction. U.S. District Judge Dee Benson, who a month ago said he was disinclined to allow what is called a "necessity" or "choice of evils" defense, asked the attorneys for the explanation before he rules on a prosecution motion to block the defense. more

Doctors see climate change as dire health threat

October 23, 2009 - Excerpts: A coalition of Utah physicians and medical professionals are calling climate change the single biggest global threat to public health and stress its dire impacts will have far-reaching consequences for the state. In a panel discussion Thursday at the University of Utah School of Medicine, physicians warned of increased dust storms with greater intensity, longer fire seasons, decreased air quality and periods of drought followed by torrential rainstorms. more

The Latest Online Gaming Winners? Worthy Charities

October 22, 2009 - Excerpts: A fast-growing web site, GamesThatGive.net, couldn't have come along at a better time. As you may know, because of the bad economy, this hasn't been an easy time for nonprofits and charities to raise money. At least, not by traditional methods. …GamesThatGive is the brainchild of Adam Archer, who was part of the Apple design team that developed the iPhone. more