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Governor addresses Sen. McCain’s suggestion that water compact be ‘renegotiated’ (posted 8/26/08)
That isn’t to give water to upper basin states
Governor Freudenthal’s office
(Cheyenne) – The suggestion by Arizona Sen. John McCain that the 1922 Colorado Water Compact be ‘renegotiated over time’ was astonishing, Gov. Dave Freudenthal said today at a news conference in Casper.
"I was absolutely astonished that anyone running for president would suggest this. Now, he’s also from Arizona, and the lower Colorado River Basin states have wanted to reopen that compact for years. They have only one thing in mind when they say ‘reopen’ and that isn’t to give more water to upper basin states."
Last week in an interview with a Colorado newspaper, McCain said the compact between seven Western states doesn't address increases in population or changing water needs.
"I don't think there's any doubt the major, major issue is water and can be as important as oil. So the compact that is in effect, obviously, needs to be renegotiated over time amongst the interested parties," McCain told the Pueblo Chieftan. "I think that there's a movement amongst the governors to try, if not, quote, renegotiate, certainly adjust to the new realities of high growth, of greater demands on a scarcer resource."
Freudenthal said McCain’s statement was surprising. "I found it fairly astonishing. And of course, his staff then was backpedaling fast enough to go around a circus ring three times. I think what it suggests is that not everyone in the West shares Western values."
U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar of Colorado said he would actively oppose opening up the compact, since Colorado and other upper basin states would likely lose in any renegotiated deal. He said the move would only happen "over my dead body."
Freudenthal said the issue of water allocation in the West is incredibly complex.
"We have in this region really difficult water allocation systems that have been put in place. Some were negotiated, like the Colorado River Compact, and some are by court decree like our relationship with Nebraska over the Platte River. But I don’t think his suggestion was premised on the idea that he’d like to have the upper Colorado River Basin states keep their water – quite the contrary."
The Governor said the states named in the compact recently discussed new ways to work together on the challenges brought on by drought.
"The thing I thought was odd about it was that we’ve just been through a fairly lengthy set of discussions between the states in which we developed the manner and means by which we were going to deal with drought. So it struck me as incredibly inappropriate, right after we’ve been through these negotiations, for Sen. McCain to announce that it should be renegotiated. To some degree I think we’d be better off with someone who had never heard of the Colorado River Compact than somebody who has a predisposition about reopening it to the benefit of the lower basin states."
Freudenthal said water agreements in the West have only been forged after long, difficult negotiations that spanned decades.
"These relationships between the states with regard to the allocation of water, they’re not quite of biblical proportions, but they’re pretty severe and they are hard-fought. If you want to head into those, shall we say difficult waters - nobody wants to head into them unless they’re going to get something out of it. And in fact, what the lower basin states want is a bigger allocation of water from the upper basin. And for a state like Wyoming, that’s a very serious problem."
Study looks at oil & gas economics (posted 8/26/08)
Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!
The oil and gas industry in Wyoming significantly contributes to the Wyoming economy. According to a study conducted by Booz Allen Hamilton and commissioned by the Wyoming Heritage Foundation, oil and gas activities contribute:
• $18.6 billion in economic output or 32 percent of total economic activity in the state
• 43 percent of Wyoming’s Gross State Product
• 73,229 total employment or 20 percent of the employment in the state
• 25,149 oil and gas-related government employment, 38 percent of all government employment in the state
• $3.9 billion in labor earnings annually or 25 percent of the state’s total labor earnings
• Average annual earnings per worker for these activities are $53,000, which is 28 percent higher than the state average
• $2.0 billion in extraction tax revenue and over $62.8 million in sales and use taxes from development activities.
The report concludes that Wyoming’s oil and gas industry is a vital and significant economic driver of state’s economy.
For every job that the oil and gas industry directly employs, there are an additional 2.65 jobs created in downstream economic activity through businesses supporting this industry and employees spending their money in the economy.
There is considerable downstream state and local government and educational jobs and labor earnings associated with the substantial state and local taxes paid by the industry. This industry is unique in creating these types of considerable rollover employment and earnings effects in the Wyoming economy.
To learn more, click on the link below.
Related Links:
Wyoming Business Alliance/Heritage Foundation - Read or download the study here.
Boy Scout contracts plague (posted 8/26/08)
The Wyoming Department of Health reports state health officials are investigating a case of bubonic plague in an out-of-state resident who recently visited Teton County and Yellowstone National Park.
The young adult traveled to multiple sites in the area with a group of Boy Scouts from July 26 to August 3, said Dr. Tracy Murphy, state epidemiologist with the Wyoming Department of Health.
"The individual traveled to Yellowstone National Park, Bridger-Teton National Forest and other sites within Teton County. He was involved in a combination of activities during his visit that included working on a service project, camping, sightseeing and participating in sports."
Wyoming Department of Health staff will participate in an environmental investigation with other agencies this week to look for fleas and animal carcasses in areas where the individual visited.
"At this time the exact location where the exposure to the disease occurred is not known and it is likely we will never determine that level of detail," Murphy said.
Dr. Karl Musgrave, state public health veterinarian with the Wyoming Department of Health, said that while the risk for humans to contract plague is relatively low in Wyoming, the disease has been documented in animals in 22 of Wyoming's 23 counties since records were kept.
This is the sixth human case of plague thought to be acquired in Wyoming since 1978. The most recent human case of plague in Wyoming was acquired in Goshen County in the fall of 2004. Other recorded cases involving residents include a 1978 Washakie County case, a 1982 Laramie County case, a 1992 Sheridan County case that resulted in death and a 2000 Washakie County case.
"It’s safe to assume that the risk for plague exists all around Wyoming," Musgrave said. "And while the disease is rare in humans, it is important that people take precautions to keep exposure to the disease to a minimum."
Ways to avoid the plague include:
- Avoiding unnecessary contact with rodents and their nests and burrows.
- Avoiding unnecessary contact with sick or dead animals, especially rodents and rabbits, and wearing protective gloves when handling sick or dead animals.
- Having ill pets, such as cats and dogs, examined by a veterinarian.
- Avoiding areas where a large number of unexplained rodent deaths have been observed.
- Keeping pets away from rodent nests and burrows by keeping them leashed.
- Treating pets with flea preventatives (see your local veterinarian for more information).
Murphy said that the typical sign of the most common form of human plague is a swollen and very tender lymph gland, accompanied by pain. The swollen gland is called a "bubo" (hence the term "bubonic plague"). Bubonic plague should be suspected when a person develops a swollen gland, fever, chills, headache, and extreme exhaustion and has a history of possible exposure to infected rodents, rabbits, or fleas. Murphy advised anyone experiencing these symptoms to see their healthcare provider.
Frequently Asked Questions about Plague (based on information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention):
Q. How is plague transmitted?
A. Plague, caused by a bacterium called Yersinia pestis, is transmitted from rodent to rodent by infected fleas.
Q. How do people get plague?
A. Plague is characterized by periodic disease outbreaks in rodent populations, some of which have a high death rate. During these outbreaks, hungry infected fleas that have lost their normal hosts seek other sources of blood, thus increasing the increased risk to humans and other animals frequenting the area. Rock squirrels and their fleas are the most frequent sources of human infection in the southwestern states. Other rodent species, such as prairie dogs, wood rats, chipmunks, and other ground squirrels and their fleas suffer plague outbreaks and some of these occasionally serve as sources of human infection. Deer mice and voles are thought to maintain the disease in animal populations but are less important as sources of human infection. Other less frequent sources of infection include wild rabbits, and wild carnivores that pick up their infections from wild rodent outbreaks. Domestic cats (and sometimes dogs) are readily infected by fleas or from eating infected wild rodents. Cats may serve as a source of infection to persons exposed to them. Pets may also bring plague-infected fleas into the home.
Q. What is the basic transmission cycle?
A. Fleas become infected by feeding on rodents, such as the chipmunks, prairie dogs, ground squirrels, mice, and other mammals that are infected with the bacteria Yersinia pestis. Fleas transmit the plague bacteria to humans and other mammals during the feeding process. The plague bacteria are maintained in the blood systems of rodents.
Q. Could you get plague from another person?
A. Yes, when the other person has plague pneumonia and coughs droplets containing the plague bacteria into air that is breathed by a non-infected person.
Q. What are the signs and symptoms of plague?
A. The typical sign of the most common form of human plague is a swollen and very tender lymph gland, accompanied by pain. The swollen gland is called a "bubo" (hence the term "bubonic plague"). Bubonic plague should be suspected when a person develops a swollen gland, fever, chills, headache, and extreme exhaustion, and has a history of possible exposure to infected rodents, rabbits, or fleas.
Q. What is the incubation period for plague?
A. A person usually becomes ill with bubonic plague two to six days after being infected. When bubonic plague is left untreated, plague bacteria invade the bloodstream. When plague bacteria multiply in the bloodstream, they spread rapidly throughout the body and cause a severe and often fatal condition. Infection of the lungs with the plague bacterium causes the pneumonic form of plague, a severe respiratory illness. The infected person may experience high fever, chills, cough, and breathing difficulty, and expel bloody sputum. If plague patients are not given specific antibiotic therapy, the disease can progress rapidly to death.
Q. What is the mortality rate of plague?
A. About 14 percent (1 in 7) of all plague cases in the United States are fatal.
Q. How many cases of plague occur in the U.S.?
A. Human plague in the United States has occurred as mostly scattered cases in rural areas (an average of 10 to 20 persons each year). Globally, the World Health Organization reports 1,000 to 3,000 cases of plague every year.
Q. Is the disease seasonal in its occurrence?
A. No, plague can be acquired at anytime during the year.
Abandoned hippy vehicle still sits in the parking area on the forest
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Did the Rainbows clean up their camp? (posted 8/25/08)
Everyone is gone now, so we went back in to take a look
Pinedale Online!
The Rainbow Family chose the Big Sandy area of the Bridger-Teton National Forest for their 2008 national gathering centered around the week of the 4th of July. The early predictions were that it was possible as many as 15,000 to 30,000 people might attend. One of the big concerns was the impact that many people would have on the land and resources.
We visited the camp on June 30th to have a look and posted those photos in a story (see link at the end of this article).
We went back for a visit on Saturday, August 23rd to see the camp after everyone had left to see what the reclamation looked like. Click on this link to see what we found... : Did the Rainbows clean up their camp? (49 photos)
Related Link:
June 30th visit to the Rainbow Camp (47 photos)
Rock Springs, I-80, Dewar Drive road construction update (posted 8/24/08)
Wyoming Department of Transportation
(Rock Springs) - Contractors for the Rock Springs Marginal, Dewar Drive/Pilot Butte Project, say the week of Aug. 25 will bring several shifts in traffic lanes as work progresses on Dewar Drive.
Tuesday, Aug. 26, the intersection with the north service road by Walgreens will close as the east side of Gateway Boulevard is torn out and replaced. As this part of the work commences, traffic will be shifted to the west side of Gateway Boulevard, onto the new concrete lanes and traffic lights realigned with traffic.
On Wednesday, Interstate 80 eastbound on and off ramp traffic will be shifted off the current ramps and onto temporary ramps so the existing concrete can be removed. I-80 eastbound off ramp traffic will need to slow down and be alert for these changes.
Motorists are advised to obey posted speed limits, devote their full attention to the flaggers and changes in traffic patterns, traffic control devices, signing, and lane markings to get through these construction areas safely. They should also increase their usual following distance, move into the correct lane well in-advance, restrict cell phone usage or other distractions, and be aware of their surroundings.
Proposed Pinedale RMP and Final EIS available (posted 8/22/08)
30-Day public comment period ends September 21, 2008
Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Pinedale Field Office is releasing the Pinedale Resource Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement (PRMP/FEIS) on Aug, 22, 2008, starting a 30-day protest period. The PRMP provides a framework for the future management direction and appropriate use of BLM-administered lands and resources located in Sublette and Lincoln counties, Wyo.
The document was prepared by the BLM in consultation with cooperating agencies, taking into account public comments. The PRMP/FEIS contains responses to public and agency comments received on the Draft RMP/EIS released last year as well as adjustments made as a result of those comments.
Printed copies of the PRMP/FEIS are available for review at the BLM offices in Pinedale and Cheyenne, Wyo. The document is also available on the Pinedale RMP revision website at www.blm.gov/rmp/pinedale/ and a limited number of printed copies and compact disks (CDs) are available on request by calling (307) 367-5300.
Protest Period:
The 30-day protest period ending on September 22, 2008, provides the opportunity for those who participated in the planning process to protest the proposed RMP and associated land use planning decisions. Only those persons or organizations who participated in the planning process may protest. The protesting party may only raise issues submitted during the planning process leading up to the publication of this PRMP. These issues may have been raised by the protesting party or others. New issues may not be raised at the protest stage.
Protests must be submitted in writing to one of the following addresses: Regular Mail -- Director (210), Bureau of Land Management, Attn: Brenda Williams, P.O. Box 66538, Washington, D.C. 20035 or Overnight Mail -- Director (210), Bureau of Land Management, Attn: Brenda Williams, 1620 L Street, N.W., Suite 1075, Washington, D.C. 20036. Critical elements to be included in a protest are listed in the "Dear Reader" letter of the PRMP/FEIS. To be considered timely, protests must be postmarked no later than the September 21, 2008 deadline. No extensions will be granted.
For further information contact Kellie Roadifer, Bureau of Land Management, 1625 West Pine, or P.O. Box 768, Pinedale, WY 82941, (307) 367-5309.
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Editor’s Note: This is a two-volume, 1600-page document which includes a CD of the response to public comment. CDs of the RMP/EIS are available from the Pinedale BLM office.
Explosive device
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Explosive device found by arrowhead hunter (posted 8/22/08)
24 miles north of Rock Springs
Sweetwater County Sheriff's Office
Another explosive device was safely destroyed by the Sweetwater Bomb Squad on Wednesday, August 20, 2008, according to Sweetwater County Undersheriff Craig Jackson.
A Rock Springs man out arrowhead hunting found the device in the sagebrush about 24 miles north of Rock Springs and notified authorities.
Jackson said the device was a seismic charge used in oil exploration operations weighing about four pounds. White in color, about two feet long and approximately three inches in diameter, the device’s charge was the general equivalent of several sticks of dynamite.
Bomb Squad technicians Corporal Debbie Tippy of the Green River Police Department and Detective Tony Niemiec of the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office exploded the device around 5:00 PM Wednesday.
Only a few days ago bomb techs disposed of a package of blasting caps turned into the Daggett County Sheriff’s Office in Manila, Utah.
"The man who called in did exactly the right thing," Jackson said. "It would be impossible to exaggerate the danger in handling such materials and devices. If you encounter one, get away from it and call in immediately."
The Sweetwater Bomb Squad is a team comprised of specially-trained officers from the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office and the Rock Springs and Green River Police Departments.
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Editor’s Note: Sweetwater County Sheriff's Office Detective Dick Blust told Pinedale Online the Sheriff’s Department does not believe these recent incidents with explosives are connected with each other in any way, or that there is foul play involved in any of the incidents. He said should the public ever encounter this kind of a device, to use extreme caution and notify authorities immediately.
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