Environment

Mountain Lion Blamed For Multiple Boise Dog Attacks, Two Deaths

Adam Cotterell — Wed, 22 May 2013 20:54:47 +0000

A mountain lion has likely attacked four dogs in Boise in the last month. Early Tuesday morning a woman reported seeing an animal attack her two dogs in her east Boise back yard. She thought it was a bobcat. One of the dogs was later found dead. Idaho Fish and Game officers examined bite marks on the body and on the injured animal and determined they came from a young mountain lion.

Zombie Fishing Nets Being Vanquished In Puget Sound

Ashley Ahearn — Wed, 22 May 2013 16:49:24 +0000

Fishing nets are designed to ensnare fish. But when those nets are lost or abandoned at sea, they don’t stop catching fish. Instead, they become ghost nets – floating death traps for the marine life that continue to get trapped in their mesh. Ghost nets are a problem internationally – but there’s an international response underway. And some of the leaders in the movement are at work in the Pacific Northwest.

Doug Monk captains the 39-foot Bet Sea out into the waters of Puget Sound, just south of the Canadian border.

Andrus Criticizes Public Lands Resolutions, Says Risch Is "Obstructionist"

Frankie Barnhill — Wed, 22 May 2013 16:32:07 +0000

Yesterday marked the 200th speech given at the Idaho Environmental Forum in Boise. The non-partisan association has been around since 1989, when its first speaker was Governor Cecil Andrus. To celebrate this anniversary, the association invited their inaugural speaker back for an encore.

Speaking in front of a rapt audience in downtown Boise, Andrus started by giving a bit of a history lesson on environmental policy. He went back and forth between being passionate and light-hearted in his remarks.

Japanese Officials Visit Hanford For Nuclear Cleanup Strategies

Anna King — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:36:10 +0000

The people overseeing the cleanup of the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster are learning some valuable lessons from the long-running cleanup at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. A Japanese government delegation recently toured some of the southeast Washington site.

In Japan, workers in gloves and masks are grinding down sidewalks and roads, wiping down rooftops and bagging contaminated soil.

Study: Aquifers Draining Quickly, Less In Pacific Northwest

Courtney Flatt — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:22:59 +0000

A new study says the nation’s aquifers are shrinking at an alarming rate The problem is not as bad in the Northwest, thanks to an abundance of rivers and streams. But even here, aquifers are shrinking.

Think of all the water in Lake Erie. Then double it. That’s how much water has drained since 1900 from aquifers in the U.S. When these underground water bodies shrink, it means less water for cities, farms and streams.

How The Idaho National Lab Prepares For Wildfire Season

Frankie Barnhill — Mon, 20 May 2013 17:04:09 +0000

Fire fighters at the Idaho National Laboratory are preparing for an intense wildfire season. Under the U.S. Department of Energy, the INL has its own fire department.

Eric Gosswiller is the site’s fire chief. He says a lack of snowpack in eastern Idaho means his department needs to be ready for fires. But he says that’s something his department has gotten used to.

“Down here at the high desert at the INL – we kind of have the potential for significant fires every year,” says Gosswiller.

A New Guidebook Highlights Idaho’s Native Fish

Samantha Wright — Mon, 20 May 2013 16:46:52 +0000

You can pick up a number of different Audubon-style guides if you're a bird watcher. But it’s a different story when it comes to fish. Many Idaho fish haven’t been studied.

Wildlife Officials Confirm Wolves Killed Sheep On Idaho Ranch

Associated Press — Sat, 18 May 2013 04:00:36 +0000

State wildlife officials have confirmed that wolves killed 31 sheep on a south-central Idaho ranch over the weekend.

Carey-area rancher John Peavey tells the Idaho Mountain Express that the ewe, one lamb and two that weren't born were also killed Sunday morning.

Idaho Wildlife Services State Director Todd Grimm says the final mortality count for kills on May 10 and May 12 was 13 ewes and 18 lambs.

Portable Wind Turbines Bring Renewable Energy To Cities

Courtney Flatt — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:24:06 +0000

Tall, noisy wind turbines may not go over well in some urban areas. A northwest company has developed residential-sized turbines to push renewable energy to cities. The portable turbines could also generate power during disasters.

During southern California’s hot summers, people ramp up air conditioners and use more power than normal. That forces utilities to conserve energy and shut off power at specific times and places.

Dozens Of Farmers Fight Threatened Designation Of Bladderpod

Anna King — Wed, 15 May 2013 20:24:01 +0000

Farmers in southeast Washington packed a County Commission hearing Tuesday morning in Pasco. They’re angry because a flowering desert plant called the White Bluffs bladderpod may be designated as a federally threatened species by next week.

It likes to live on high desert bluffs near the Columbia River.

Idaho’s Carbon Footprint Up, But Remains Low Nationally

Frankie Barnhill — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:26:34 +0000

The U.S Energy Information Administration studied the amount of carbon dioxide that was pumped into the atmosphere between 2000-2010. Idaho contributes a low amount, respectively, compared to other states. Only California, Vermont, New York and Washington D.C. have smaller carbon footprints per capita.

But Ben Otto at the Idaho Conservation League says this report doesn’t show the full picture.

Study Finds Urban Stresses Cause Birds To Abandon Eggs

Jessica Robinson — Tue, 14 May 2013 21:34:08 +0000

A bird of prey can get so stressed out by city noise, it will abandon its nest – with eggs still in it. That's according to a new study by researchers at Boise State University. The study suggests human disturbances affect the American kestrel more than previously thought.

Why Your Lawn Could Soon Feed Idaho Cows

Frankie Barnhill — Tue, 14 May 2013 14:09:14 +0000

About 30-40 percent of garbage collected at the Ada County landfill in the spring and summer is yard waste. That’s according to Catherine Chertudi, Boise’s solid waste programs manger. But come July 1, that percentage could change.

Budget Cuts, High Fire Potential Could Mean Tough Wildfire Season In the West

Samantha Wright — Mon, 13 May 2013 20:03:00 +0000

The Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior came to Boise today to talk about the upcoming fire season. They said above normal fire potential and less money in the budget will make for a difficult fire season in the West.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack described the wildfire outlook this way: “We’re going to be faced with a difficult fire season, make no mistake about that.”

Study: Grazing Helps Invasive Cheatgrass To Flourish

Courtney Flatt — Mon, 13 May 2013 14:53:07 +0000

A new study out of Oregon State University suggests that overgrazing could be helping an invasive grass to flourish. That differs from previous studies that have found grazing can better manage that plant — cheatgrass — which threatens rangeland habitat.

How To Clean Up A Crude Oil Spill From Trains

Courtney Flatt — Thu, 09 May 2013 17:43:16 +0000

Pacific Northwest refineries have been getting their crude oil for years from tankers and pipelines. Last September, trains began shipping crude oil into the region by rail.

Hydropower Bills Open Gates Of Bipartisanship In Congress

Jessica Robinson — Thu, 09 May 2013 17:30:42 +0000

An effort to streamline the regulatory process for small hydropower dams is generating a rare moment of bipartisanship in Congress. Two bills sailed through a Senate committee Wednesday. They've already passed the House.

Whatever gridlock exists elsewhere, it didn't show up in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

How Higher Nitrate Levels Could Impact Idaho’s Water

Frankie Barnhill — Thu, 09 May 2013 16:11:18 +0000

The United States Geological Survey recently studied nitrate levels in streams around the country. The study found that nitrate – which can be dangerous in drinking water – can affect water systems for decades.

Although none of these study areas were in Idaho, Michael Lewis says the study is worth a closer look.

Zoo Boise Helps Restore Wildlife Park In Africa

Samantha Wright — Thu, 09 May 2013 14:06:29 +0000

A wildlife park in Mozambique and Zoo Boise have teamed up to preserve some of the most pristine land and wildlife in Africa.

Gorongosa National Park, in southeast Africa, is home to diverse landscape and wildlife. “It’s a natural jewel of my country when it comes to natural parks and tourism attractions,” says Mateus Mutemba, the park administrator.

No New Wind Farm Construction In The Northwest This Year

Courtney Flatt — Wed, 08 May 2013 13:24:03 +0000

You may have seen wind turbines springing up all over the Pacific Northwest in the past decade. So far this year, the region’s wind industry has faced a different story.

Not a single new wind farms is under construction in the Pacific Northwest. It’s been that way since 2013 began. Compare that to last year’s boom, which increased wind capacity in the region by about 20 percent.