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Change in the weather coming – SNOW! (posted 8/28/08)
Major storm system could bring snow to high country Labor Day weekend
National Weather Service
A major storm system is poised to affect western and central Wyoming Labor Day weekend.
The first significant storm of the late summer season is expected to affect western and central Wyoming Sunday and Labor Day. The storm system will move into the Pacific Northwest early Sunday and then strengthen as it drops into the northern Great Basin on Labor Day.
Showers and thunderstorms are expected across much of western Wyoming on Sunday. Some of these storms will likely be quite strong and possibly severe with large hail and strong wind gusts. Scattered showers and thunderstorms will also spread east of the divide by Sunday evening and continue overnight.
On Labor Day, the storm system will draw closer to western Wyoming with sharply colder air quickly spreading into the area. Snow levels will likely drop to as low as 8000 feet during the afternoon with some heavy snow possible in the western mountains. A steady rain with possible embedded thunderstorms will prevail east of the divide as a moist northerly flow prevails. Temperatures will be considerably colder on Labor Day with highs only in the 50s and 60s with upper 30s and 40s in the high country. Snow levels will likely drop even further Monday evening to as low as 6500 to 7000 feet across northern Wyoming and 7500 feet in the Wind River Mountains.
Significant snowfall is possible in the western mountains on Labor Day, especially by afternoon and evening. Snowfall amounts are still uncertain at this time, but some of the western mountains over 8000 to 9000 feet could receive 6 to 12 inches of snow with even more above 10000 feet.
Campers, hikers, agricultural interests and other recreational enthusiasts should stay abreast of the latest weather forecasts and be prepared for a major change to colder and wetter weather late in the Labor Day weekend. The potential for significant snowfall does exist for the western mountains above 8000 to 9000 feet on Labor Day, spreading into the Big Horn Mountains Monday night and early Tuesday.
FOR:
Yellowstone National Park
Absaroka Mountains
Cody Foothills
North Big Horn Basin
Southwest Big Horn Basin
Southeast Big Horn Basin
Owl Creek and Bridger Mountains
Bighorn Mountains West
Bighorn Mountains Southeast
Northeast Johnson County
Southeast Johnson County
Teton and Gros Ventre Mountains
Jackson Hole
Wind River Mountains West
Wind River Mountains East
Upper Wind River Basin
Wind River Basin
Lander Foothills
Green Mountains and Rattlesnake Range
Natrona County Lower Elevations
Casper Mountain
Star Valley
Salt River and Wyoming Ranges
Upper Green River Basin Foothills
Upper Green River Basin
South Lincoln County
Rock Springs and Green River
Flaming Gorge
East Sweetwater County
Related Links:
www.weather.gov/riverton National Weather Service – Riverton, Wyoming
The New Fork Fire smoke is clearly visible from Pinedale. This picture was taken Wednesday afternoon, August 27. It has reached Pine Mountain, almost into the Pine Creek watershed. Photo by Bob Rule, KPIN 101.1 FM.
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Pinedale Ranger District urges caution – Fire Danger Very High (posted 8/28/08)
Bridger-Teton National Forest
(Pinedale) – The New Fork Fire on the Pinedale Ranger District continues to burn inside the Bridger Wilderness Area and has been putting up more smoke in the last several days. The fire ignited on July 29 on the bank of New Fork Lake north of the town of Pinedale and has burned 13,400 acres to date. Currently there are two fire specialists on site monitoring the fire.
According to Mark Randall, Assistant Fire Management Officer, "This fire is probably going to keep burning until snowfall." Randall also said that fire activity will greatly increase whenever the weather is hot and dry like it was this last weekend causing visible smoke plumes.
"One thing we really want to stress to people who plan to camp and hike in the Wilderness is safety. Even areas of the fire that are no longer actively burning are extremely dangerous." Some of the hazards that exist are falling snags, rolling rocks and other debris, burned out stump holes, and hidden pockets of heat.
Forest Officials advise visitors to the Bridger Wilderness to avoid hiking trails out of Spring Creek Park Trailhead which are Trapper Lake Trail and Glimpse Lake Trail. Campsites to steer clear of when planning itineraries include Trapper Lake, Little Trapper Lake, Section Corner Lake, Prospector Lake, Trail Lake, and Glimpse Lake. "These areas aren’t closed but we want people to use some common sense and be safe when they’re out there." Randall stressed.
Fire danger on the Bridger-Teton National Forest is at Very High. All visitors are urged to use extreme caution with fire. Never leave a fire unattended and always be sure to completely extinguish all campfires.
Photos by Dave Bell, and Bob Rule-KPIN 101.1 FM
For more photos of the fire on Wednesday, click on this link: New Fork Fire revives (8 photos)
Related Links:
New Fork Fire - August 27, 2008 - Photos by Dave Bell
Inciweb: New Fork Fire
Governor proposes reactivation of Homestead Tax exemption (posted 8/28/08)
Proposed for short-term property tax relief - Would cost State $29-56 million in revenue
Governor Freudenthal’s office
(Cheyenne) - To help Wyoming homeowners who are struggling with the increasing costs of food, gasoline and home heating fuel, Gov. Dave Freudenthal has proposed the reactivation of the homestead property tax exemption as a means for short-term relief. Last year the Governor’s targeted proposal to offer tax relief to Wyoming seniors did not gain support in the Wyoming Legislature.
In a letter to Sen. Jim Anderson and Rep. Rodney "Pete" Anderson, chairmen of the Wyoming Legislature’s Joint Revenue Committee, Freudenthal said he aimed to submit a proposal this year that would offer between $184 and $291 in property tax relief for Wyoming homeowners.
"The Wyoming Legislature has not been particularly interested in property tax relief, but I am going to try again and have suggested that we consider a reactivation of the homestead exemption," he said. "I look forward to working with the committee on this along with other suggestions."
The homestead exemption was originally passed in 1979 as a tax exemption and then modified to a tax credit in 1980. "Both the Attorney General and LSO have suggested that given the 1988 constitutional amendment creating the tier system, it may be advisable to recast the credit as a true exemption and stay within the clear language of Article 15 § 12 of the Wyoming Constitution," Freudenthal said.
Based on data developed by the Department of Revenue, an exemption of $3,000 or $5,000 of assessed value for an owner occupied residence would cost the State $29 or $56 million respectively. This would produce an average of $184 or $291 in tax relief per owner occupied residence.
As a long-term solution, the Governor suggested that the Legislature might consider a proposal offered by Representative Simpson last session to create a separate constitutional tier for residences with a restriction on the amount of separation between the residential assessment ratio and assessment ratio for the "other property" class.
"This would allow future legislatures the opportunity to provide permanent relief for residential property taxpayers. Since we have both the 2009 and 2010 sessions to consider this option, we have time for discussion of the pros and cons of this suggestion," he said.
Click here for the text of the Governor’s letter: Governor proposes reactivation of Homestead Tax exemption
Appeals Court ruling finds Wyoming law insufficient to restore Federal firearm ownership rights (posted 8/28/08)
Governor Freudenthal’s office
(Cheyenne) – A Wyoming law intended to balance the rights of individuals to own firearms with the State of Wyoming's ability to keep previous domestic violence offenses on the criminal records of offenders has been struck down by the Tenth Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals.
The Court issued its decision yesterday regarding the Wyoming law that was intended to restore federal firearms rights by expunging prior state misdemeanor domestic violence convictions. The Tenth Circuit held that Wyoming's law was flawed because it permits the prior conviction to be considered in the event that the same person should be convicted of a second offense. In effect, the Tenth Circuit's decision frustrates the intent of the Wyoming statute.
"Although a petition to the United Supreme Court to review the decision is an option, such petitions are rarely granted under the circumstances presented here," said Wyoming Attorney General Bruce Salzburg. "The Wyoming Legislature will have an opportunity to review the Tenth Circuit's decision and consider whether the Wyoming law should be
amended to address what the Tenth Circuit considered to be a defect in our expungement statute."
In 2004, the Wyoming Legislature enacted a law, Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 7-13-1501, that granted those previously convicted of a misdemeanor crime in Wyoming with a one-time right to petition the convicting court for an expungement of that misdemeanor record for the specific purpose of restoring "any firearm rights lost[.]" However, the law does not allow the records of the prior conviction to be destroyed, and the existence of the prior conviction could still be used to enhance the sentence in any future criminal cases.
Shortly after enactment of the law, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (BATF) contacted the Wyoming Attorney General’s office and advised that the BATF did not consider the Wyoming law as restoring federal firearms rights. Wyoming sued the BATF in Federal District Court seeking recognition of its law.
The Federal District Court did not agree with the state’s interpretation of Wyoming and federal law, and the state appealed. Yesterday’s decision upholds the decision of the Federal District Court.
The Tenth Circuit ruled that because Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 7-13-1501 does not completely remove the effects of the prior misdemeanor conviction, it is not a true "expungement" for the purpose of eliminating federal firearms disabilities.
The Wyoming Attorney General’s Office is still reviewing the decision, but advises individuals who have received an expungement pursuant to Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 7-13-1501, that federal law enforcement may view their possession of any firearm to be a violation of federal law.
"This decision has an impact on any person whose misdemeanor conviction has been expunged under our State law, with regard to their ability to lawfully own or possess firearms. It will further impact qualification for concealed carry permits under the State law."
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.
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