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Archived Outdoor Recreation News Articles:
Greening One of the World's Greenest Places: Yellowstone National Park
07/27/2010
Even if you've never set foot in Yellowstone National Park, you know its iconic natural splendors: Old Faithful, Mammoth Hot Springs, and the like. What you may not know -- even if you've been there -- is that Yellowstone is the largest essentially untouched ecosystem in the lower 48 states. And while its status as a national park means its "protected," that doesn't mean its 2.2 million acres are safe.
Original Story
Coalition releases annual environmental report card for ski areas
12/02/2009
Three ski areas in Southwest Colorado won laurels for their environmental stewardship, but they were chided for their expansion and development plans, according to an "environmental report card" released this week.
The Ski Area Citizens' Coalition issued letter grades to 84 ski resorts in 11 states: Purgatory at Durango Mountain Resort received a "C," and Telluride Ski Resort and Wolf Creek Ski Area received a "B."
For the first time ever, the report card features a list of "Little Ski Areas that Rock" - small resorts in the uphill transportation business that are too small to be graded.
Original Story
Clearing up the Clean Water Act
10/05/2009
When Congress passed the Clean Water Act in 1972, lawmakers clearly hoped to clean up polluted rivers and lakes, not promote the travel of boats. Yet two Supreme Court rulings this decade, and the ensuing interpretations of those rulings by the Bush administration, have sabotaged the law's intent. Presently, Congress is considering the so-called "Clean Water Restoration Act" to repair the damage done over the last decade.
Original Story
Federal judge rejects Administration's attempt to weaken pesticide rules
08/30/2006
A federal judge in Seattle has rejected a Bush administration decision to weaken rules governing pesticide use. U.S. District Judge John Coughenour cited a "total lack" of scientific justification for the change and noted that there were "disturbing indications" the administration deliberately muted dissent from government scientists. In 2004, the administration created a new rule allowing it to ignore the "consultation" requirement of the Endangered Species Act. It claimed that requiring multiple agencies to agree on potential effects of pesticides was a logistical nightmare; instead, EPA should decide on its own. Coughenour's action throws out the new rule, requiring the EPA to once again consult with other federal and state agencies when considering pesticide effects on threatened and endangered species.
Original Story
National Parks at Turning Point
08/22/2006
The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) released the "Turning Point", a report which states air pollution is a significant challenge for the national parks system. According to the report, more than 150 of the 390 national park units in the National Park System are found in parts of the country where air pollution exceeds federal standards.
"The country is poised to build a whole new generation of coal-fired power plants based on outdated designs, and oil and gas development is proceeding at record pace near national parks in the West," said NPCA Clean Air Director Mark Wenzler. "These two forces are likely to erase decades of hard-fought improvements to national park air quality unless we act now this is our Turning Point."
NPCA's report offers ten recommendations for cleaning the air in the national parks, including: 1. Finish the job of cleaning up outdated power plants, 2. Require new power plants to use the lowest polluting technologies, 3. Ensure that legal limits on park air pollution are not exceeded, 4. Eliminate toxic "hot spots" by enacting stronger power plant mercury controls, and finally 5. Fully fund the National Park System
Original Story
U.S. government agencies hold listening sessions on cooperative conservation
08/01/2006
Citizens are invited to participate in listening sessions across the country to exchange ideas on incentives, partnership programs, and regulations that can improve results and promote cooperative conservation and environmental partnerships. The White House Council on Environmental Quality, Secretaries of Agriculture, Interior, & Commerce, & the EPA Administrator are hosting the meetings. The President's Conference on Cooperative Conservation in August 2005 identified 3 broad approaches to improving conservation results: promoting cooperation within the federal government, promoting cooperation between the federal government and others, and eliminating barriers to cooperation. The listening session topics will include:
* How can the federal government enhance wildlife habitat, species protection, and other conservation outcomes through regulatory and voluntary conservation programs?
* How can the federal government enhance cooperation among federal agencies and with states, tribes, and local communities in the application of environmental protection and conservation laws?
* How can the federal government work with states, tribes, and other public- and private-sector partners to improve science used in environmental protection and conservation?
* How can the federal government work cooperatively with businesses and landowners to protect the environment and promote conservation?
* How can the federal government better respect the interests of people with ownership in land, water, and other natural resources?
The meetings will help inform and guide senior federal officials in enhancing the Administration's cooperative conservation programs and policies. The first of at least two dozen to be held around the country, are scheduled at the following locations: Spokane, Wash., Aug. 9; Helena, Mont., Aug. 14; Roanoke, Va., Aug. 14; Boise, Idaho, Aug. 21; Fairbanks, Alaska, Aug. 28; Jefferson City, Mo. Aug. 29; Redding, Calif., Sept. 13; Colton, Calif., Sept. 14.
Original Story
Edison Electric agrees with federal agencies to reduce pesticide use
07/03/2006
EPA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Edison Electric Institute and five federal agencies to establish sound Integrated Vegetation Management (IVM) practices in order to reduce adverse impacts to the environment and the public while ensuring reliable electrical service. IVM practices reduce the need for pesticides along rights-of-ways and provide better control of invasive species. The federal agencies involved in the MOU include the Forest Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Park Service of the Department of the Interior. Edison Electric Institute is the association of U.S. shareholder-owned electric companies, international affiliates and industry associates worldwide. EEI's members serve 71 percent of all electric utility customers in the nation.
Original Story
State impacts of global warming
06/05/2006
State by state global warming impact reports are available from www.targetglobalwarming.org, which also offers many action ideas for reducing the threat. The web site highlights results from a National Wildlife Federation poll of sportsmen and women. The overwhelming majority of hunters and fishermen agree with the consensus in the scientific community that global warming is real, that it already is eroding their quality of life, and that it poses a definite threat to the future of two things they love: fish and wildlife. More on the report is available at http://fieldandstream.blogs.com/news/2006/05/a_survey_recent.html
Original Story
MT: Timber and conservation groups
seek solutions
05/03/2006
A collaborative group of timber industry and conservation groups formed in January when the sometime adversaries found common ground regarding the Beaverhead - Deerlodge National Forest Plan. Their resulting Partnership Strategy was re leased in late April for review by the US Forest Service and County Commissioners. The strategy aims to increase timber harvests , Wilderness areas, and opportunities for hunting, fishing, and recreation. Stewardship contracting would use timber revenue to fund stewardship projects. (At the website, click on "Project Websites.")
Original Story
WY: Grand Teton Lodge Company featured for environmental performance commitment
03/17/2006
Grand Teton Lodge Company, operator of lodging, restaurants and activities in Grand Teton National Park, was Wyoming's first member of the Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Performance Track program. Achieving International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14001 certification for an environmental management system is a Performance Track prerequisite. GTLC is one of the first lodging companies in the U.S. to achieve certification. The company's award-winning Envision program takes a comprehensive, systematic approach to sustainable business practices that preserve the environment. The company's environmental values promote Renewable Energy, Elimination of Waste, Protection of Wildlife Habitat, and Environmental Education.
Original Story
Cree Village Ecolodge: An Eco-Friendly Inn
12/28/2005
The Ecolodge opened in summer 2000. Today, visitors from around the globe discover the best of the traditional Cree culture, as well as diverse outdoor activities, a comfortable bed and excellent meals, all wrapped up in the vast Canadian north in an ecologically friendly building and environment. Ecological innovations include the heating system, natural ventilation, low emission paints, energy-efficient lighting, biodegradable cleaning supplies and natural, organic furnishings.
Original Story
Wyoming: Yellowstone National Park Reports Less Air and Noise Pollution
11/08/2005
Worker exposure to air and noise pollution that Yellowstone National Park has lessened after new limits on the number and type of snowmobiles allowed in the park went into effect, a National Park Service study shows. The study is one of several that park officials will take into account as they develop a long-range winter use plan for the park and nearby Grand Teton National Park. This study focused on employee exposure to certain air contaminants and noise related to snowmobile use. Other studies are looking at such things as the effects on wildlife and ambient air quality.
Original Story
Wyoming: Judge Rejects Challenge to Snowmobile Limits in Yellowstone, Grand Teton Parks
10/19/2005
U.S. District Judge Clarence Brimmer rejected a challenge, by the state of Wyoming and the Wyoming Lodging and Restaurant Association, of regulations limiting snowmobiles in the parks and requiring that all snowmobilers be accompanied by commercial guides. The parks are currently operating under interim rules that permit 720 guided snowmobilers per day at Yellowstone and a combined 140 per day at Grand Teton and on the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway, which connects the parks. The National Park Service is drafting final snowmobile rules that are expected to be released next year.
Original Story
Utah: Manmade Snow May Damage Forests
10/17/2005
Utah State University researchers are looking at whether a substance used to improve manmade snow can damage a root fungus that benefits Utah's alpine forests. Snowmax, which provides a nucleus for snowflakes to develop around, contains a protein derived from naturally occurring bacteria, Pseudomonas syringae. Biologists say they may be able to alter the bacterium to make it harmless, but they're years away from finding a solution.
Original Story
Hualapai Tribe At Odds with Park Service Over Recreation in Grand Canyon
10/14/2005
Arizona's Hualapai Tribe and the National Park Service are locked in a battle as to who controls the river along the 108-mile northern boundary of the reservation, in the Grand Canyon. The river tour industry transports nearly 25,000 people annually through the Grand Canyon. The Hualapais claim an executive order, signed by President Arthur in 1883, gives them control of the northern boundary of the river. A federal solicitor declared in 1999 during a water rights case that the tribal boundary was actually at the high water mark, giving the tribe would have no claim to the river at normal levels. Friction is building as the Park Service prepares to complete its long-awaited Colorado River Management Plan, which will regulate the number of people on river trips passing through the Grand Canyon.
Original Story
Fish and Wildlife Designate Bull Trout Habitat in Four States
10/05/2005
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said it will designate 3,780 miles of streams and 110,364 acres of lakes and reservoirs in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana as critical habitat for the threatened bull trout, much less than federal biologists initially proposed. The final designation is 18% of the total area proposed in 2002 and includes waters in Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon.
Original Story
New Tool: Sustainable Tourism Guide
10/04/2005
The travel and tour industry has a new resource to help companies prevent pollution. The online "Guide to Sustainable Tourism" is a free tool that is part of Sustainable Travel Internationals Sustainable Tourism Eco-Certification Program. It may also be used by companies who may not be ready to pursue certification but are interested in integrating sustainable practices into their business operations.
Original Story
Montana: Nature-based tourism workshop planned for October
09/19/2005
Anyone interested in making a business out of sharing their love and knowledge of the outdoors can sign up for a nature-based tourism workshop to be held Oct. 13 in Anaconda. Registration is open to the public. The cost, which includes lunch, is $45 for those registering before Oct. 7 and $50 at the door. For information on registration, contact MSU Extension, Deerlodge County, at (406) 560-4735. The one-day workshop, which will discuss nature-based business opportunities in southwest Montana, is co-sponsored by Montana State University Extension, Headwaters Resource Conservation and Development and the Southwest Montana Small Business Development Center.
Original Story
Colorado: 2005 Pollution Prevention Champion Awards
08/08/2005
The Colorado Pollution Prevention Program and Colorado Environmental Partnership are soliciting nominations for individuals or teams that lead their organizations to improve environmental performance through pollution prevention. Deadline is August 24th. Eligible nominations will be from industry, educational institutions, public interest groups, retail businesses, local, state or federal government, tourism and recreation organizations. Awards will be presented at a recognition event hosted by the Denver Museum of Nature and Science in October 2005.
Original Story
Montana: Land Sale Protects Ranch for Public Use
07/29/2005
Dolly and her brother, James "Bud" McMaster have sold their 5,636-acre ranch to the nonprofit Conservation Fund who then will sell it to the Bureau of Land Management. The ranch has long been coveted by developers who have wanted to subdivide the land. Now the ranch will become public property where people can ride bikes and horses, and be able to hike and hunt. The plan also calls for a portion of the Ranch, along with the 1,900 acres that abut the Missouri River between Eagle Bay Drive and Keir Road, to be managed as a grass bank. This will allow that during times of drought, wildfire or other difficulties, ranchers who run out of forage for their cattle can ask to graze their animals there.
Original Story
Montana: Funds Available For Gallatin River Assessment
07/18/2005
The Montana Department of Environmental Quality has come up with $200,000 for an environmental assessment on the Gallatin River. The Board of Environmental Review directed the DEQ to conduct an EIS on the river to determine whether the Gallatin merits Outstanding Resource Water status for 38 miles from where it leaves Yellowstone National Park to the confluence with Spanish Creek.
Original Story
Final Clean Air Visibility Rule for Haze in National Parks
06/17/2005
The Clean Air Visibility Rule signed by the EPA will help achieve the Clean Air Act's long-term goal to restore visibility in America's national parks and wilderness areas. The states will be required to identify older industrial facilities and power plants that affect visibility in specially protected areas and then determine the types
of emission controls that those facilities must use to control their
emissions, resulting in improved visibility, air quality, and public
health.
Original Story
Colorado: University Heads Forest Restoration
06/14/2005
Colorado State University has been selected to develop the Colorado Forest Restoration Institute, as a result from the passage of the Southwest Forest Health and Wildfire Prevention Act enacted by Congress in 2004. Their purpose, is to restore the health of Colorado forests and reduce catastrophic wildfires by providing the best available science in forest ecology, restoration and management.
Original Story
Tribal Golf Courses Go Green
06/13/2005
(Indian Country Today) As tribal governments become more involved in recreation industries like casinos, they are also seeking to offer their patrons a challenging golf experience that is aesthetically and environmentally pleasing.
Original Story
World Wilderness Conference Highlights Native Lands Issues
06/07/2005
The 8th World Wilderness Congress (WWC) will be held September 30 - October 6, 2005 at the Egan Convention Center in Anchorage, Alaska. The conference will bring together indigenous groups from the United States, Canada, Central and South America, Asia and Africa with the goal of forming an international Native Lands and Wilderness Council. Participating groups will present case studies of indigenous conservation initiatives, and groups that have developed or are developing conservation projects on their traditional wild areas will share their experiences. The Conference is sponsored by the WILD Foundation.
Original Story
