Some children of farm workers in Washington state show elevated levels of pesticide exposure, according to a study by University of Washington researchers. In 1995, urine samples from 109 children in agricultural counties in eastern Washington – almost all children of farm workers – were tested for two pesticides known as organophosphates. Results show 56 […]
Farm workers’ kids exposed to pesticides
Posted inAugust 14, 2000: Meth invasion
Critter-watching etiquette
If you’ve ever wondered why it’s hard to see raccoons at night, or why Lassie’s favorite meal didn’t include broccoli, a new children’s book called On the Trail of Colorado Critters can help. “Have you ever been hiking and seen a deer? Have you heard an owl hooting at night? Does a woodpecker live in […]
Posted inAugust 14, 2000: Meth invasion
Tee off for salmon
OREGON When Ed and Janice Hopper bought a 27-hole golf course at the base of Oregon’s Mount Hood in 1989, they dreamed of coho and steelhead salmon swimming in the small stream that runs through the course. More than 100 years ago, the fish were there in the Wee Burn, a tributary of the wild […]
Posted inAugust 14, 2000: Meth invasion
Whirlybirds will fly over Jackson
WYOMING After months of bitter debate, the Jackson Hole Airport at the edge of Grand Teton National Park has decided to allow some helicopter flights. Vortex Aircraft CEO Gary Kauffman originally proposed scenic air tours of the Jackson Hole Valley, the Bridger-Teton National Forest and the National Elk Refuge, but not over Teton National Park. […]
Posted inAugust 14, 2000: Meth invasion
Composting takes out the trash
CALIFORNIA California produces nearly 48 million tons of trash every year. A decade ago, the Golden State mandated that it cut landfill waste by 50 percent in an attempt to reduce these numbers. The state is close to its goal: It’s reduced landfill waste by nearly 40 percent so far, and some say composting has […]
Posted inAugust 14, 2000: Meth invasion
Subdivision approved in owl habitat
ARIZONA Last year, when the federal government designated Tucson’s northwest side as critical habitat for the endangered cactus ferruginous pygmy-owl (HCN, 8/30/99: A pocket-sized bird takes on Sunbelt subdivisions), developers feared their boom had busted. But a federal Fish and Wildlife Service decision in late July may bring the bulldozers back. The agency says developer […]
Posted inAugust 14, 2000: Meth invasion
Dumping diesel
CALIFORNIA Southern California, home to some of the dirtiest air in the nation, is dumping diesel engines in favor of cleaner-burning energy sources such as natural gas and electricity. Last year, a report conducted by the South Coast Air Quality Management District, a local air pollution control agency, found that diesel exhaust is responsible for […]
Posted inAugust 14, 2000: Meth invasion
No recreation fees – for now
WYOMING There’s at least one way to get around the government’s recreation fee-demonstration program. Just one week before the Forest Service installed signs telling visitors that they’d have to pay to enjoy the Snake River in Wyoming, an anonymous donor offered $50,000 to keep river access free. Then the nearby Jackson, Wyo., community added its […]
Posted inAugust 14, 2000: Meth invasion
Farm it or mine it?
OREGON A gravel company’s proposal to mine 550 acres of farmland near the Willamette River has farmers fighting to save their soil. A mild, wet climate and top-grade soils make Oregon’s Willamette River Valley a prime farming location. “Anything you put in it will grow,” says Thom Lanfear, planner for Lane County. The river valley, […]
Posted inAugust 14, 2000: Meth invasion
Condors back in captivity
ARIZONA The California condor is one bird big enough to complement the vast size of the Grand Canyon. But it will be a while before visitors see the endangered birds’ huge soaring silhouettes again. All of the Grand Canyon condors, whose reintroduction began in 1996, were recaptured this summer after lead poisoning wiped out four […]
Posted inAugust 14, 2000: Meth invasion
A leaky mine must get in line
IDAHO When the Grouse Creek Mine opened in 1995, it was hailed as an example of mining done in harmony with the environment. But the central Idaho gold mine closed in 1997 because it wasn’t making enough money, and its 500 million-gallon tailings pond leaks and has been contaminating streams with cyanide. Now federal and […]
Posted inAugust 14, 2000: Meth invasion
Reform school for wolves
MONTANA Things are shocking for three wolves on Ted Turner’s ranch near Bozeman, Mont. For the past several weeks they have been serving time in what one wolf biologist calls “reform school,” an experiment that managers hope will stop wolves from killing cattle. In a few weeks, when a beef calf is added to the […]
Posted inAugust 14, 2000: Meth invasion
The Wayward West
Wildfires continue to scorch the West at a record pace (HCN, 7/31/00: Colorado blazes fuel forest restoration efforts). High temperatures, low humidity and a plethora of dry lightning have created the worst wildfire season since 1988. The federal government is spending $15 million a day on fire fighting. As of Aug. 7, more than 60 […]
Posted inAugust 14, 2000: Meth invasion
The next great adventure: Stay home
The cover of a recent issue of National Geographic Adventure proclaims “America’s Best! The Adventure 100.” Topping the “adrenaline trip” list are the Colorado River and the White Rim Trail in Utah’s Canyonlands National Park. In the “Letter from the Editor,” John Rasmus muses: “We need vacations! We all need to decompress from the rigors […]
Posted inAugust 14, 2000: Meth invasion
Native American wannabes: Beware the Weasel Spirit
I once stayed at an upscale spa that had a Native American theme. We padded around on Navajo rugs, awoke to morning drumming and disrobed in locker rooms referred to as kivas. At night, instead of finding a chocolate on my pillow, there was a woven dream catcher. This failed to soothe my Spirit Self. […]
Posted inAugust 14, 2000: Meth invasion
Heard around the West
If you’re dying to see 70,000 nonpoisonous snakes, then a town of 20 people in Manitoba province, Canada, is the place for you to go. Narcisse, though tiny, boasts four limestone pits that shelter the gray and black snakes from minus-40-degree winter weather. In spring, the snakes wake up, and that’s when University of Oregon […]
Posted inAugust 14, 2000: Meth invasion
Forests on a forced diet
Hungry Washington office keeps Forest Service funds from reaching the ground
Posted inAugust 14, 2000: Meth invasion
Who speaks for the sheep?
Desert bighorns are caught between waterholes and wilderness
Posted inAugust 14, 2000: Meth invasion
Small mines stay under the radar
Environmental laws, designed to regulate the big boys, overlook some big messes
Posted inAugust 14, 2000: Meth invasion
Telluride tackles ski town sprawl
It’s big money vs. big money in Colorado development battle