Stakeholder Input Sought for Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program
October 2008 -- The 2007 Farm Bill has made available $18 million in fiscal year 2009 to fund a Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) through a competitive grants process administered by CSREES. Stakeholder input for the FY 2009 funding cycle will continue through November 14, 2008. The Request for Applications is expected to be released in January 2009 with a 60-day open period. CSREES is seeking stakeholder comments from the public in developing and implementing regulation for BFRDP. Comments must include the reference: CSREES-2008-0003, and must be received by close of business on Friday, November 14, 2008.
EPA Cites Cost as Number One Reason for not Declaring Public Health Emergency
September 2008 -- Though the level of asbestos contamination in and around Libby, Montana makes it a public health hazard, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has declined to designate it as a public health emergency. Why? According to one EPA official's comments, the EPA was concerned that, though warranted, such actions could spark an expensive, nation-wide asbestos remediation program, as well as bring about panic around the country.
Western Climate Alliance Announces New Plan
24 September 2008 -- The Western Climate Initiative - a group which includes Arizona, Utah, Montana, New Mexico, California, Oregon, Washington, and a few Canadian provinces - have announced their newest plan to reduce carbon emissions by 15% by 2020.
Montana and Wyoming Try to Get Kids Back Outside
September 2008 -- With video games, computers, and hundreds of television channels, today's children have plenty of indoor technologies to distract them from outdoor pursuits and hobbies. In response, states in the West are holding summits to address these issues and plan strategies for getting even rural children back outside. For example, the Montana Children and Nature Summit is being held in Helena, MT on Tuesday, 23 September.
National Park Service Announces Plan for Uranium Mine Clean Up Near Grand Canyon
September 2008 -- The NPS recently announced plans to remediate the area around Orphan Mine, just 2 miles from Grand Canoyn Village. The NPS hopes that the mine, which operated until 1969 and still has high levels of contamination, will be included as part of the federal Superfund program.
GAO Report Finds Taxpayers Cheated out of Oil and Gas Royalties
September 2008 -- The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently released a report that found that the Mineral Management Service did such a poor job of monitoring oil, gas, and other energy/natural resource extraction operations in the West - especially in Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah - that taxpayers may have been cheated out of billions of dollars in royalties.
USDA Announces $4 Million in Awards Granted to Tribal Colleges
19 September 2008 -- The USDA Agriculture Secretary announced today that tribal colleges throughout the US have been awarded $4 million in grant monies through the USDA Rural Development Tribal College Grant Program. The grants will allow many local colleges to make infrastructure improvements, as well as improving conditions and technologies in individual classrooms.
Yucca Mountain Application Now Under Review
September 2008 -- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has officially begun to review the application for storing radioactive waste within Yucca Mountain in Nevada. The federal government's application specifies their plans for building a low-level radioactive waste repository within the mountain and has stirred up much controversy for the past few years.
US Has Highest Jobless Rate in 5 Years
September 2008 -- Affecting rural and urban Westerners alike, the newest unemployment numbers reflect the reality many of us have been living for months. August unemployment rates jumped to 6.1%, the highest percentage of unemployed persons in the US in 5 years. In addition, the rate has risen steadily over the past 8 months.
Oil Shale Deposits in 3 Western States in BLM's Energy Plans
September 2008 -- The Bureau of Land Management has recently announced that it plans to open nearly 2 million acres of public lands to oil shale development, including lands in Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah. The report, released a month later than planned, opens up the issue to a public opinion comment period but little is known about what technology will be used for the shale extraction.
Home-Generated Wind Power?
September 2008 -- As alternative and renewable sources of energy become a national focus, people have been buying up small, home-sized versions of the large wind turbines. While the latter have been growing in size, scope, and are creating relatively cheap energy, we have yet to see if the small, home-based turbines will be as efficient and cost-effective.
Utah Becomes the Only State Accepting Low-Level Nuclear Waste
September 2008 -- Utah state officials have recently become concerned over the state's growing reputation as a storage site for low-level radioactive waste, particularly the county of Tooele in the northern part of the state. The public is also growing increasingly concerned about both the reality and reputation that come along with an image as a storage state for most of the low-level radioactive waste produced, now that another plant in South Carolina has closed.
New Alternative Power Plant Opens in Arizona
September 2008 -- Earlier this month, the state of Arizona celebrated the grand opening of a new renewable energy power plant. The plant will produce electricity from wood chips.
Montana Town May be Designated Superfund Site
September 2008 -- High levels of arsenic, lead, and other heavy metals have been found around an old smelter site in the Montana town of Black Eagle. The town may be designated as a Superfund site as a result, though some local residents and homeowners have taken issue with the designation. This despite the extra remediation money such a designation could bring to the small town.
USDA Anounces Recipients of Value-Added Grant
September 2008 -- The USDA recently announced the names of the 144 recipients of its $19 million in grant monies for its Value-Added Producer Grant porgram. Grants were given to people or organizations with the most innovative proposals in terms of adding value through diverse agricultural practices, through the marketing and implementation of renewable energies, etc.