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South Barker Fire at 39K and toasting |
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By: Gary Stivers |
9/4/2008 |
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Cool fall temps have subdued Idaho's fire season a little. The South Barker that smoked us in late Aug. reached 34K acres but is much more tame these days. A (temporary) warming trend could heat things up for a while. |
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'Nature Fire' toasting the Picabo Hills |
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By: Gary Stivers |
8/28/2008 |
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The Bureau of Land Management and firefighters from the Carey, Hailey and Wood River Rural depts. since Wednesday evening have been fighting a 10,000-acre human-caused "Nature Fire" just south of Picabo. |
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South Barker fire smokes Alturas Lake |
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By: Gary Stivers |
8/27/2008 |
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Those planning on avoiding the Wagon Days crowds had best avoid the Sawtooth Valley's lakes. Alturas Lake is experiencing heavy smoke from the 23,691-acre South Barker blaze and the other lakes are suffering also. |
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BLAINE COUNTY SOLID WASTE COORDINATION MEETING AGENDA |
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By: Craig Barry, ERC |
8/25/2008 |
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The High Cost of a Green Lawn |
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By: Christine N. Cole |
8/22/2008 |
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Wouldnt it be nice to have all of Blaine County pesticide and herbicide free? |
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The promise and peril of shale oil |
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8/14/2008 |
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From our partners at NewWest.net, we bring an energy story worth hearing as it's domestic and here in the Rocky Mountain West. Colorado's oil shale, a difficult recovery prospect but Shell Oil thinks it's worth pursuing. |
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It's tough being Green, but we can do it: A Wolf Plan that Works |
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By: Bill Schneider, NewWest.net |
8/7/2008 |
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Anybody who follows the endlessly volatile wolf issue--and it’s hard not to follow it with all the news coverage--knows the greens won a big victory last week. Judge Donald Molloy of the U.S. District Court sided with Earthjustice and 12 conservation organizations and essentially relisted, albeit temporarily, the wolf as an endangered species. |
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Cougars spotted in Hailey last weekend |
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By: Gary Stivers |
7/29/2008 |
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Several cougars or mountain lions were spotted in Hailey over the past weekend. Hailey Police Chief Jeff Gunter noted no humans were injured and Idaho Fish and Game said we should be aware but not paranoid. |
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Botanical Garden Announces Fun Year Long Ameri-Corps Opportunity! |
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By: Sawtooth Botanical Garden |
7/25/2008 |
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Do you love children and are passionate about the environment? The Sawtooth Botanical Garden is looking for a volunteer interested in the Americorps program. This year long position includes leading garden and ecology based activities for youth ages 2-9. The September start date is fast approaching so call the Garden at 726-9358 if you are interested in finding out more! Must be 18 years or older. |
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Plant a Tree to Restore Wetland Area |
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By: Kathryn Goldman, Wood River Land Trust |
7/24/2008 |
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Volunteer opportunity with Wood River Land Trust to restore the south end of Lions Park in Hailey. |
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Guest Commentary-Severely Burned Forests: One of Nature’s Best-Kept Secrets |
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By: Richard L. Hutto, Guest Writer, NewWest.net |
7/17/2008 |
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As summer wildfire season begins in earnest throughout much of the West, it’s important for the public and policymakers to recognize the important role that severely burned forests play in maintaining wildlife populations and healthy forests. Severely burned forests are neither “destroyed” nor “lifeless.” |
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Microburst damages Redfish Lake trees |
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By: Gary Stivers |
7/14/2008 |
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It'd have been interesting to watch but you wouldn't want to have been there while wooden missiles were flying through the air. Thousands of Redfish Lake trees were felled by 70-mph blasts off the lake. |
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WHERE IS THE HOUSE BILL?: Congress Needs to Walk the Talk on Recreation Fees |
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By: Bill Schneider, NewWest.net |
7/3/2008 |
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On June 18, finally, Congress started seriously looking into the runaway recreational fee charging policy of federal agencies, primarily the U.S. Forest Service (FS), but it’s still just talk. We’ve had enough of that, so let’s just spike this pay-for-play policy, which is at best an extreme stretch of the legal authority given agencies by Congress--"given," sort of, I should say, since our elected leaders never even debated it or voted on it. |
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Blaine County takes in a green update |
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By: Gary Stivers |
6/26/2008 |
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Blaine County is about to complete the first step in recognizing and curbing its climate changing emissions. Special Projects coordinator Char Nelson explained the county's program last Tuesday morning. |
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Groups sue in federal court to save salmon |
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By: Gary Stivers |
6/18/2008 |
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Conservationists Tuesday said new federal fisheries plans ignore the Endangered Species Act and that something must be done about the four Lower Snake River dams that kill the most fish, like the Lower Monumental, above. |
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A banner year for balsamroot |
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By: Gary Stivers |
6/9/2008 |
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This year's crop of arrow-leaf balsamroot appears to be a near-record allotment here. So much gold is appearing on valley hillsides that sagebrush is fading inbetween the displays. |
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Video: ERC puts French fries on the road |
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By: Gary Stivers |
6/4/2008 |
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Ketchum's ERC is showing how easy it is to run a big pickup truck on biodiesel fuels which are much cheaper than diesel fuel and better for our planet. Despo's owner Jim Funk is contributing to the effort. |
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CFL Recycling comes to Ketchum, Hailey |
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By: Environmental Resource Center (ERC) |
5/30/2008 |
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CFL recycling bins to be located at ERC in Ketchum and City Hall in Hailey. |
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BAER Team to Begin Rehabilitation Treatments On the Castle Rock Fire |
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By: Kim Pierson |
5/28/2008 |
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Though the flames of Castlerock Fire of 2007 have been extinguished, the effects from fire are still visible and could pose threats to human lives and property if left unmitigated. The Sawtooth National Forest Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team, comprised of natural resource specialists, assessed the fire impacts in September 2007 and proposed several restoration and soil stabilizing treatments to reduce the likelihood of debris flows and to improve the habitat conditions for resident wildlife. These treatments have been approved by the Washington Office of the US Forest Service and are set to begin as early as May 28, 2008. |
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USDA: Climate change already affecting ag |
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By: Gary Stivers |
5/28/2008 |
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Climate change is already affecting Idaho's ag industry and Blaine County's no exception, the USDA said this week. Higher temps mean reduced yields and insects new to Central Idaho. |
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Video: Wind turbines intro'd in Blaine County |
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By: Gary Stivers |
5/24/2008 |
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Small wind turbines, like that above, produce 10 kilowatts or less, and may find homes in Blaine County's windier areas, a wind turbine manufacturer told Blaine County officials Thursday. |
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Spring runoff likely no big deal this year |
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By: Gary Stivers |
5/21/2008 |
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Blaine County disaster coordinator Chuck Turner said Tuesday current conditions present no concern for runoff flooding this year. Above, Boxcar Bend just above East Fork shows a full but placid Big Wood River. |
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"Where Green is Another Shade of Red, White and Blue": Idaho Green Expo is This Weekend |
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By: Jill Kuraitis, NewWest.net |
5/15/2008 |
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Organizers of the first annual Idaho Green Expo are putting on quite a show this weekend, with a downtown Boise festival promoting green thinking, living, technology and materials. |
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Spring Cleaning with Clean Sweep |
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By: Craig Barry |
5/9/2008 |
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From May 12-16, residents can send sorted appliances, tires and wood waste FREE to Ohio Gulch. |
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Thanks to Idaho’s Bounty, Hagerman High Class Gets Corporate Help |
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By: Jo Murray |
5/2/2008 |
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Thanks to its connection with the Idaho’s Bounty local food cooperative in the Wood River Valley, the Hagerman High School agriculture class has its first-ever corporate sponsor, Dr. JimZ Secret Formula fertilizer and other organic gardening products. |
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