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Lummis supports bill to cut pay for members of Congress (posted 3/9/10)
Wyo Congressman calls on colleagues to stand with American people
Cynthia Lummis media release
WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., is throwing her support behind bipartisan legislation which would cut salaries for senators and representatives. The bill, "Taking Responsibility for Congressional Pay Act," is sponsored by Representative Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Ariz., and would cut salaries for members of Congress by five percent – their first pay cut since the Great Depression.
"The last time Congress approved a pay cut for themselves, FDR was president and a quart of milk cost 25 cents," Lummis said. "The time has come for members of Congress to stand shoulder to shoulder with the American people. I applaud Rep. Kirkpatrick’s efforts and I stand ready to work with her to ensure this bill’s passage."
The bill would institute a five percent pay cut for all senators and representatives starting January 1, 2011. The bill would also block any automatic congressional pay increase for 2012. If passed, the bill would reduce member salaries for the first time since April 1, 1933.
Lummis has previously co-sponsored bills to stop the automatic congressional pay increase for 2011 and to eliminate the automatic raise altogether, and was part of the successful effort to block the pay hike for 2010.
Wyoming Community Foundation Spirit of Philanthropy Award (posted 3/9/10)
ServeWyoming
The Spirit of Philanthropy Award was established in the fall of 2001 by the Board of Directors of the Wyoming Community Foundation in honor of one of the Community Foundation's earliest and most faithful benefactors.
PURPOSE: To celebrate the spirit of philanthropy in Wyoming and, in particular, to honor an individual or family who has demonstrated outstanding philanthropic leadership and, thereby, an extraordinary personal commitment to preserving and enhancing the quality of life for Wyoming citizens.
AWARD: The Newell B. Sargent Spirit of Philanthropy award will be made biennially, during Wyoming Philanthropy Days. The Award recipient will receive a commemorative plaque, and will choose a charitable organization within Wyoming to receive a cash award. This year, the award provided by the Newell B. Sargent Foundation is $2000. The charitable recipient must be a 501(c)(3)organization and the Community Foundation's Board must approve the cash award. To apply, visit: http://www.wycf.org/spiritofphilanthropy.asp
ServeWyoming Nonprofit Impact Award (posted 3/9/10)
ServeWyoming
This year the Wyoming Nonprofit Impact Award will recognize organizations, or groups who have demonstrated innovation, diversity, sound fiscal strategies, and a lasting impact on Wyoming communities, by using TIME, TALENT, and TREASURE. For example: how has your organization managed TIME efficiently, how have you created or actively sought new TALENT, or what new TREASURES have you found to effectively deliver services? In other words, how has your organization used the time, talent, and treasure of your staff, volunteers/board, and donors to make an impact in your community and meet your mission?
The top three finalists will be notified by April 30, 2010 and will be required to send a representative to the Wyoming Philanthropy Days conference award ceremony in Laramie, Wyoming, June 17, 2010 (all expenses paid). The organization with the most votes will be selected to receive an unrestricted grant of $1000.00. Voting will be available online and at Wyoming Philanthropy Days. Voting will close on June 17, 2010 at 5:00pm.
Applications for the Nonprofit Impact Award are welcome from small, medium, or large groups that are an established 501(c)(3) or have a fiscal sponsor and are due by April 15, 2010. If you would like to use this hard copy please email the completed form to nurieh@servewyoming.org. For more information, please contact ServeWyoming at 307-234-3428. For an electronic version of this form copy and paste this link into your address bar: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/97R633X. A hard copy can be found on our site www.servewyoming.org under the MEDIA tab and then under DOCUMENTS.
Spring plowing underway in Yellowstone National Park (posted 3/9/10)
Yellowstone National Park
As roads close to snowmobile and snowcoach travel for the season, plow crews have started work clearing Yellowstone’s roads for automobile travel.
Oversnow travel between Mammoth Hot Spring and Norris Junction ended Sunday evening. First thing Monday morning, park road crews began making their first pass with plows to clear a lane south from Mammoth.
The park's interior roads reopen to automobile travel between mid-April and the end of May. On Friday, April 16, the roads from Yellowstone’s North and West Entrances to Norris, Madison, Canyon and Old Faithful, open to visitors.
The road linking Canyon, Fishing Bridge and the East Entrance opens on Friday, May 7. Travel from the South Entrance to Grant, West Thumb, Old Faithful and Fishing Bridge is set to begin Friday, May 14. Travel from Cooke City over Colter Pass to the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway and the Long Lake gate typically also opens by mid-May. The balance of the Beartooth Highway to Red Lodge, Montana, and the road between Tower Fall and Canyon over Dunraven Pass opens the Friday before the Memorial Day Holiday weekend, weather permitting.
The road from Gardiner, Montana, through the park's North Entrance to Mammoth Hot Springs to Cooke City, Montana, is open to automobiles all year, weather permitting.
A brief spring bicycling season is offered on some park roads after the plows safely clear traffic lanes and before the roads are ready for automobile travel. Details are available online at www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/springbike.htm.
Visitors to Yellowstone will be impacted by one major road constructionproject this year between Madison and Norris through Gibbon Canyon. Visitors can expect up to 30-minute delays from the time the road opens to travel on April 16 through October 20. This section of road will also be closed to travel between 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. every night from April 16 until September 1. There will be no daytime delays or overnight closures during the Memorial Day or July 4 holiday weekends. During this period, visitors should allow extra travel time in case they need to reroute through West Thumb and Canyon. Maps and additional construction details will be available at all visitor centers and online at www.nps.gov/yell.
A small road project on the park’s East Entrance road over Sylvan Pass may also result in up to 30-minute delays during the spring, summer and fall. No night time closures are scheduled. There will be no construction or delays during holiday weekends.
A third project in the park is expected to result in some delays during the last two weeks of June. Funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 will be used to repair and repave the section of road between the Uncle Tom’s Trail parking area and Artist Point along the South Rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Visitors can expect up to 30-minute delays on the South Rim Drive, as well as some delays on the road between Canyon and Fishing Bridge. All work is expected to be completed prior to the July 4 holiday weekend.
Updated Yellowstone National Park road information is available 24 hours a day by calling 307-344-2117.
‘Report Every Drunk Driver Immediately (Reddi)’ Program 2009 Statistics (posted 3/9/10)
Wyoming Highway Patrol
Cheyenne – The Wyoming Highway Patrol is proud to announce the continued success of the "Report Every Drunk Driver Immediately (REDDI)" program. The program started September 1, 1982. The REDDI program is designed to give the public a readily accessible tool to report suspected impaired drivers by calling a toll free number of #HELP (cell phone), 1-800-442-9090, or 911. The reports are directed to the proper agency where the suspect vehicle is traveling and Law Enforcement officers are dispatched. The reports can be made anonymously to protect the caller’s identity, if requested.
In 2009, travelers throughout the state made 7,247 reports of suspected impaired drivers. Law enforcement officers contacted 2,185 of the reported vehicles resulting in 739 arrests for Driving While Under the Influence.
Since the inception of the program, 200,726 reports have been made resulting in 46,001 contacts and 18,116 arrests. This is a tremendous effort on the part of the motoring public and our Law Enforcement officers who are out there protecting the citizens of Wyoming.
The Wyoming Highway Patrol would like to encourage the public to continue the use of the REDDI program in an effort to keep our highway safe for all.
First Lady Nancy and Gov. Dave Freudenthal to visit Australia (posted 3/9/10)
Governor Freudenthal media release
CHEYENNE, Wyo. – First Lady Nancy and Gov. Dave Freudenthal will visit Queensland, Australia, next week to study coal issues in the region, which shares several economic similarities with Wyoming.
The Freudenthals will be joined by Rob Hurless, Energy and Telecommunication Advisor to the Governor. They will depart via commercial airline Saturday, March 13 and return Saturday, March 20.
Secretary of State Max Maxfield will be Acting Governor while the Freudenthals are overseas.
The trip, sponsored by the University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources, will give the Governor a chance to meet with policymakers, academics and industry representatives who are working with similar coal-focused issues as are important in Wyoming.
Like Wyoming, Queensland is a coal exporter and is beginning to develop coal bed methane extraction similar to resources found in Wyoming’s Powder River Basin. The Governor will discuss topics of mutual interest between the state and province.
Applying online helps Hunters meet application deadlines (posted 3/9/10)
Wyoming Game & Fish
Nonresidents who have yet to apply for deer and antelope licenses this year might want to consider the online application process to help ensure the application is received by the March 15 deadline date.
The popularity of online applications continues to grow according to Aaron Pelto, License Draw manager for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.
In increasing numbers, hunters are turning to their computers when it comes time to apply for a big game license. So far, this year several license deadlines have come and gone, but once again the online process is proving to be very efficient.
Deadlines that have already passed include nonresident elk and resident and nonresident deadlines for spring wild turkey, bighorn sheep, moose and mountain goat. Pelto said that so far, the majority of the applications received have been online.
To get into the 2010 drawing for nonresident deer and antelope, applications, whether paper or online, must be received by 5 p.m. on the March 15 deadline date. For online applications, hunters can go to the Game and Fish Web site http://gf.state.wy.us. Following the nonresident deer and antelope deadline, the next application period is May 1-31 for resident limited quota elk, deer and antelope licenses.
Wolf Watch (posted 3/9/10)
Cat Urbigkit
Wyoming wolf monitoring update The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a report for wolf activity for the early part of March 2010. The report has information on wolf activity near Cody; wolf activity related to elk capture/collaring efforts for the University of Wyoming Absaroka Elk project; capture operations in Yellowstone National Park; and status of the Druid Peak Pack.
Montana issues new wolf kill rules Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks officials have issued new rules for dealing with problem wolves, allowing USDA Wildlife Services specialists to proceed with removing problem wolves without prior FWP authorization.
Wolf reintroduction for Grand Canyon? Some are advocating that wolves recovery should focus on establishing a wolf population on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.
Alaska eliminates Denali wolf harvest buffer zone Alaska wildlife officials have rejected the wolf harvest buffer zone for Denali National park and Preserve.
Idaho wants expanded wolf hunt The director of the Idaho Fish and Game Department is advocating an expanded wolf hunting season in order to stop the decline of the Lolo area elk population.
Tips for dealing with wolves Canadian wildlife officials have offered a series of tips for dealing with wolves that do not demonstrate a fear of humans.
Related Links:
Wolf Watch By Cat Urbigkit
Grants help Wyoming airports (posted 3/7/10)
11 airports receive funds from Department of Transportation
Wyoming Delegation
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mike Enzi, John Barrasso and Representative Cynthia Lummis, all R-Wyo., said that 11 Wyoming airports will improve travel through the state’s skies and better meet increasing transportation needs in rural areas thanks to more than $7.3 million recently awarded in grants.
The Department of Transportation is distributing grants through the Federal Aviation Administration to airports in Afton, Casper, Cheyenne, Fort Bridger, Hulett, Jackson, Kemmerer, Newcastle, Riverton, Rock Springs, and Sheridan.
"These funds help Wyoming airports keep up with increasing air traffic and help promote travel throughout our beautiful state. Funding our airports opens more opportunities for Wyoming and also opens our state so more people can experience it," Enzi said.
"Improving Wyoming’s airports is good for business, good for travel and good for the economy," said Barrasso. "These grants will make it easier for residents and visitors to travel across our state."
"Our state’s airports are a critical link in our growing economy," Lummis said. "These grants will go a long way in improving safety and preparing for future growth. This is a great day for the tens of thousands of Wyoming people served by these airports."
- The Afton Municipal Airport will receive more than $229,000 to install perimeter fencing.
- The Casper/Natrona County International Airport in Casper will receive more than $872,000 to rehabilitate taxiway A.
- The Cheyenne Regional Airport/Jerry Olson Field will receive more than $687,000 to rehabilitate taxiways A3 and B2.
- The Fort Bridger Airport will receive $75,000 to construct a snow removal equipment building.
- The Hulett Municipal Airport will receive more than $114,000 to update the airport master plan to help identify future needs.
- The Jackson Hole Airport Board will receive more than $1.1 million to reimburse them for a portion of a construction project to expand the terminal building on the Jackson Hole Airport.
- The Kemmerer Municipal Airport will receive more than $2.6 million to reconstruct runway 16/34.
- Mondell Field in Newcastle will receive more than $214,000 to extend a runway and update the terminal area plan.
- The Riverton Regional Airport will receive more than $351,000 to conduct a master plan study to help identify future needs.
- The Rock Springs-Sweetwater County Airport will receive $500,000 to purchase snow removal equipment and fund the construction of taxiway F.
- The Sheridan County Airport will receive more than $542,000 to rehabilitate runway 14/32.
Consumer Advisory: Beware of website selling fake tax certificates (posted 3/5/10)
May result in stolen credit card information
Wyoming Department of Revenue media release
Cheyenne – A new scam tries to get consumer credit card information by selling an illegal, and nonexistent, certificate, the Wyoming Department of Revenue is warning.
Dan Noble, administrator of the Excise Tax Division of the Department, says the website offers to sell fake "Sales Tax Resale Certificate Numbers" for all 50 states and fraudulent federal tax identification numbers (TINs) for $37 each.
"We say this time and time again, but if something sounds too good to be true, it almost certainly is," Noble cautions. "You can’t buy a certificate for $37 – or for any price – to avoid paying sales tax."
Noble fears the website is after much more than $37 for a worthless certificate. "Once you give them your credit card number, there’s no telling what they might do with it."
The Division has notified law enforcement about this particular website but there may be others like it. "The Department of Revenue is the only agency that can assign a license number to do business in Wyoming," Noble says.
If you have purchased such a certificate, you should contact your bank or credit card issuer immediately. Questions about legitimate Wyoming license numbers can be directed to the Wyoming Department of Revenue at 307-777-7961.
Wyoming Game and Fish Department statement regarding Sage Grouse Decision (posted 3/5/10)
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Cheyenne—The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today its decision to classify the greater sage-grouse as a candidate species under the Endangered Species Act.
"The Wyoming Game and Fish Department would have preferred a not-warranted decision but feels the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decision to preclude a listing at this time still provides management flexibility for the state. A warranted-but-precluded decision maintains Wyoming Game and Fish Commission management authority and gives Wyoming time to demonstrate that its sage grouse conservation policies and conservation efforts will maintain robust populations that do not warrant a listed status," said Wyoming Game and Fish Department Deputy Director John Emmerich.
"Sage grouse are still abundant and well distributed in Wyoming," said Emmerich. "Despite historic declines and declines documented the past three years, overall numbers have increased substantially since 1996 with the exception of the Powder River Basin. We will continue to work with our partners in industry including agriculture, government, and conservation to implement the core area strategy, which provides the best approach for preventing habitat fragmentation in those areas of the state most important to sage grouse. These core sagebrush habitats will also provide the habitat needed to secure the seasonal or year-long habitat needs of over 350 other wildlife species. We are confident that, over time, this and other conservation measures will justify the removal of sage grouse as a candidate species."
"It is important for the public to understand that this decision will not lead to any major sage grouse conservation strategy changes in Wyoming," said Emmerich. "The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission still has management authority over sage grouse in the state and we will continue working to ensure a robust population of the species is secure within Wyoming for the long term."
For more information about sage-grouse in Wyoming, visit the WGFD website at: http://gf.state.wy.us/wildlife/wildlife_management/sagegrouse/index.asp.
Delegation: Wyoming deserves answer on sage grouse, not more delays (posted 3/5/10)
Wyoming Delegation: Enzi, Barrasso, Lummis media release
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Mike Enzi, John Barrasso and Representative Cynthia Lummis, all R-Wyo., made the following comments following the announcement by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) that the sage grouse would be warranted, but precluded for listing under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
"If it isn’t one thing it is another with the sage grouse listing. The State of Wyoming, its industries and its citizens have worked tirelessly to protect the sage grouse and avoid an ESA listing. More unpredictability in this ruling means more uncertainty for Wyoming jobs," said Enzi.
"Wyoming companies need certainty to make investments that will create thousands of jobs, and provide energy security for America. The FWS determination creates more questions than it answers. People in Wyoming who are looking for work or worrying about their current job now must continue to wait for a concrete decision from the Administration," said Barrasso.
"The ‘warranted but precluded’ listing only further illustrates that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife agency should be focusing its time and resources on species facing imminent extinction, not species already benefitting from aggressive, state-level conservation efforts like those ongoing for the sage grouse in Wyoming," Lummis said. "Such a listing also allows for the continued management of the species by state, not federal, wildlife agencies – a provision of the listing I fully intend to ensure is honored. Wyoming’s efforts to protect the sage grouse must be recognized."
Listing the sage grouse would be one of the most significant listings in the history of the Endangered Species Act, as far as total number of states and land area involved, according to the delegation.
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