Big boulder slams into Montana dam

Here’s one newspaper’s account of how the big rock ended up where it did.

PPL Montana officials said the hydroelectric plant on the Madison Dam near Ennis is still running full power despite an incident earlier that day when a school bus-sized boulder rolled into the western crest of the dam, but they said they will have to lower the water level in Ennis Lake by nine feet to repair the dam, and that repairs will take weeks.

Banks grow wary of environmental risk

About damn time, I believe. Read the NY Times’ take on this right here.

Quote of the week

From an Associated Press article regarding a proposal to build a casino near the National Park Service-managed Gettysburg battlefield in south-central Pa. comes this choice quote. She’s right. This whole idea brings to mind the notion by the Disney folks to build a history-themed amusement park near the Manassas National Battlefield in Virginia not too many years ago.

“It seems like a lot of people, they just want more business, they want more money to flow in the community at any cost, and that’s really upsetting,” said Barbara Schultz, a Gettysburg native and casino opponent who owns a bed and breakfast and collectibles gallery.

Read more about this travesty right here.

Warming will alter state’s wildlife communities

Ah, but Virginia is hardly alone. No sir. This feature-length piece from the Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Va., does a nice job explaining the crisis and the scientists’ forecasts for relic amphibian species isolated to a few mountains in western Virginia. Wakeup politicians!

(As usual, some of the comments posted by readers below the article are quite hilarious)

Consider the true costs of waging war for imported oil

Here’s my newspaper column from today’s edition. Enjoy and let me know what you think.

EPA denies bid to ban lead in hunting ammunition

So much for doing the right thing. Read about the mistake in this article.

Contract to remove two Wash. State dams goes to Mont. firm

Another dam-removal story continues to unfold in Washington State. About time. Read about the Elwha River dams and the century-old death of Elwha salmon runs in this newspaper article.

10 invasive species that cost a bundle

But think for a moment what “invasive” really means, as you read this piece from the U.K. Some journalists would do well, for sure, to learn the real meaning of the word. And there are plenty of invasive plant species out there, for sure.

Coastal marsh restoration in Calif. points the way forward

And note the words “climate change” in the final paragraph of this lengthy newspaper report from San Francisco.

Big salmon runs in Pacific Northwest

From the Seattle Times comes this report.