CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) – Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal says he, two other Western governors and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar are all frustrated at lack of progress toward ending federal protections for wolves in the Northern Rockies.      Freudenthal, Salazar, Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer and Idaho Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter met Monday in Denver to talk about the wolf issue.      Freudenthal says much of the meeting focused on possible congressional action to recognize that the wolf population is fully recovered in the Northern Rockies.      All three states are anxious to reduce wolf numbers to protect other wildlife and reduce livestock attacks. Environmental groups have sued to block the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from turning wolf management over to the states. … Read entire article »

     CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) – Alcohol played a role in 41 percent of the deaths on Wyoming’s roads last year.      There were 116 fatal crashes in the state in 2009 and alcohol was a factor in 55 of those deaths.      The five-year average for the percentage of traffic deaths involving alcohol is 38.      Wyoming’s highway safety coordinator, Dee West Peterson, tells the Wyoming Tribune Eagle that the state isn’t winning the battle against drunken driving. She said the solution involves education, enforcement and prosecution.      Last year, the Legislature failed to pass measures that would have made refusing to take blood-alcohol tests a crime and increased drunken driving penalties.      Laramie is moving toward passing its own tougher penalties for drunken drivers.      —      Information from: Wyoming Tribune Eagle – Cheyenne, http://www.wyomingnews.com … Read entire article »

     CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) – Residents of Park County in northern Wyoming will hear the latest from state officials on the livestock disease brucellosis (brew-suh-LOW’-sis) being found in the county.      Assistant State Veterinarian Bob Meyer and Wyoming Livestock Board Director Jim Schwartz will hold a public meeting Tuesday evening at the Meeteetse Conservation District Office.      They will talk about herd testing, activities related to elk and updates related to impacts on Wyoming’s brucellosis status.      The state tested more than 3,500 cattle in Park County after four cows in one herd tested positive for brucellosis. But no cows in 11 surrounding herds were found to have the disease, which an cause spontaneous abortions, infertility and weight loss in cattle, elk, bison and other mammals. … Read entire article »

DENVER (AP) – The investigative arm of Congress says the availability of water could eventually limit the growth of oil shale development in Colorado and Utah.      Oil shale deposits in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming hold an estimated 1.5 trillion barrels of recoverable oil. Companies are trying to find commercially viable ways to extract it.      The Government Accountability Office says in a report released Monday that oil shale development could have “significant” impacts on water quality and quantity, but more research is needed to determine the effects.      The GAO says up to 12 barrels of water, or about 500 gallons, may be needed to produce a barrel of oil. It urges the Interior Department to coordinate more research. … Read entire article »

JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) – Residents of northwest Wyoming will have a chance to comment on a plan designed to protect values of the Snake River and its tributaries.      The river has been designated as Wild and Scenic under the Craig Thomas Snake River Headwaters Legacy Act.      The Jackson Hole News & Guide reports the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service planners will host a meeting Tuesday evening at Snow King Resort in Jackson.      Park Service and Forest Service planners have put together a draft of the outstanding values, which fall under scenic, recreation, cultural, ecological/wildlife and geologic categories.      But they want help from the public in coming up with a final list.      —      Information from: Jackson Hole News And Guide, http://www.jhnewsandguide.com … Read entire article »

BURLINGTON, Colo. (AP) – A new wind farm is up and running on Colorado’s Eastern Plains, providing enough electricity to power up to 14,000 homes.      Charlotte, N.C.-based Duke Energy announced Monday that the 51-megawatt Kit Carson windpower project near Burlington is operating. The Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association is buying the power produced by the farm under a 20-year agreement with a Duke subsidiary.      It’s the first large wind power deal for Tri-State, which supplies power to about one million people through rural electric cooperatives in Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico and Wyoming.      Tri-State also plans to get power from a new solar plant near Cimarron, N.M. It’s expected to be completed by the end of the year. … Read entire article »

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) – Alcohol played a role in 41 percent of the deaths on Wyoming’s roads last year.      There were 116 fatal crashes in the state in 2009 and alcohol was a factor in 55 of those deaths.      The five-year average for the percentage of traffic deaths involving alcohol is 38.      Wyoming highway safety coordinator Dee West Peterson tells the Wyoming Tribune Eagle that the state isn’t winning the battle against drunken driving. She said the solution involves education, enforcement and prosecution.      Last year, the Legislature failed to pass measures that would have made refusing to take blood-alcohol tests a crime and increased drunken driving penalties.      Laramie is moving toward passing its own tougher penalties for drunken drivers.      —      Information from: Wyoming Tribune Eagle – Cheyenne, http://www.wyomingnews.com … Read entire article »