Government News For Montana: 1/15/12

Friday, January 20, 2012

Forest Funding/ Supreme Court

Missoulian: Northwestern Montana, Idaho Panhandle areas to share $9.5M in forest funding
Forest Legacy Program: Protecting Forest through partnership
“The Forest Legacy program protects “working forests” those that protect water quality, provide habitat, forest products, opportunities for recreation and other public benefits.”

Missoulian: Court throws out judge-drawn Texas electoral maps
Perry v. Perez
“The day after completing its new electoral plans, Texassubmitted them to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia for preclearance. The preclearance process remains ongoing. Texas was unsuccessful in its bid for summary judgment, and a trial is scheduled in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, various plaintiffs—appellees here—brought suit in Texas, claiming that the State’s newly enacted plans violate the United States Constitution and §2 of the Voting Rights Act.”

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Weather/ Asarco/ Coal lease

Missoulian: WEDNESDAY'S WAKE-UP WEATHER: Snow and more coming
NOAA: Data from Montana

Helena Independent Record: Meeting on Asarco site cleanup, redevelopment tonight in East Helena
EPA: American Smelting and Refining Company (ASARCO) Bankruptcy Settlement EPA Funded Sites and Communities

Helena Independent Record: Mont. coal lease sale set for Feb. 28
BLM: BLM to Reoffer Coal Resources in Upcoming Lease Sale

“The sale is a reoffer of the coal lease the BLM offered on November 16, 2011. Signal Peak Energy LLC submitted the only and high bid of $5,325,000 ($0.15 per recoverable ton) for five unleased coal tracts in Musselshell County. After careful evaluation by an interdisciplinary team, the BLM rejected the bid because it did not meet or exceed BLM’s estimate of the fair market value of the tracts. In early December, Signal Peak Energy LLC requested that the BLM Montana/Dakotas offer the coal lease tracts for sale again, and the BLM agreed to do so.”