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News Briefs

The National Park Service will offer free admission to all visitors on Tuesday to celebrate the first day of summer.

The first day of summer is one of several free days offered by the National Park Service each year. The next fee-free day won’t roll around until Public Lands Day on Sept. 24. Other fees, such as charges for camping, will still be in effect Tuesday.

News Briefs

Utah legislators hope a new law will keep a steady stream of film productions working in the state, according to the Daily Universe at Brigham Young University. The new law offers a partial rebate on in-state expenses made during the filming of the production, as well as other incentives designed to coax filmmakers to the state.

The filmmakers behind recent movies like “True Grit” and “Cowboys and Aliens” eyed Utah but later opted to film in New Mexico, the Universe reports.

New West Festival 2011

Dozens of people attending the 2011 New West Festival filled the Missoula Art Museum Thursday night for an evening of food, drink, art and architecture.

The kickoff reception featured a talk by Warren Hampton, one of the lead architects for the renovation and remodeling of the museum. Hampton discussed the transformation of the historic Carnegie Library building and the inspirations for the updates to the building.

The event also featured a “citizen-juried” art show in which attendees met local artists and voted on their favorite pieces.

The New West Festival continues Friday at the Holiday Inn Downtown at the Park in Missoula, featuring speakers and panels exploring climate change, digital branding, food and agriculture, economic development and entrepreneurism.

News Briefs

Senators, congressmen and other leaders from throughout the Rockies took to Twitter, Facebook and email last night as President Obama announced that Osama bin Laden had been killed in Pakistan. Here’s a sample of their reactions to the conclusion of a manhunt that continued for nearly 10 years after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Utah Congressman Jason Chaffetz on Twitter: “The USA is about justice. This is justice. Thanks to the ongoing and tenacious pursuit by the US military and intelligence services!”

Colorado Senator Mark Udall on Twitter: “Remembering the 1000s of US men and women who fought and died to defeat terrorists led by bin Laden who attacked us 9/11/2001. ... Bin Laden’s death is a major milestone in U.S. fight against terror. I salute our brave service members and our president.”

News Briefs

City leaders in Las Vegas, New Mexico, are struggling to provide water to residents and businesses after a brutally dry winter, according to Bloomberg Businessweek and the Associated Press.

They’ve instituted emergency water restrictions to offset the problem: barring hotels and motels from filling their swimming pools, closing down car washes several days per week, and banning outdoor watering for both lawns and gardens, according to the story. Some business owners are trying to look on the bright side:

Charlie’s Spic and Span Bakery & Cafe might start using paper plates and cups and plastic cutlery to avoid washing dishes, said owner Charlie Sandoval. That will make the dishwasher and suppliers happy, he jokes.

News Briefs

Managers at a 70-acre wild horse holding center near Salt Lake City are defending the facility after being accused of keeping the animals in deplorable conditions, the Salt Lake Tribune reports.

The Cloud Foundation, which advocates for preserving wild horses on public lands, posted a YouTube video on April 4 showing the animals standing in what appeared to be deep mud and manure. The group called for a probe into conditions at all Bureau of Land Management holding facilities.

Investigators from the Bureau of Land Management and Humane Society of Utah told the Tribune they found no evidence of abuse or neglect at the facility, though they noted the holding pens were muddier than usual due to recent snowfall.

News Briefs

With a government shutdown looming, officials at Rocky Mountain National Park are preparing to close the gates and shut down the park if the federal leaders fail to pass a budget. But Sheriff Justin Smith in neighboring Larimer County, which borders the north and east sides of the park, says he and his deputies can keep the park gates open.

“The citizens deserve access to their national park, and the merchants who depend on the visitors can count on the Sheriff’s Office to keep the park safe,” Smith announced Thursday. “The entrance stations may not be staffed to collect fees and hand out maps, but that shouldn’t stop visitors from being able to enjoy their park.”

Smith told The Denver Post the small business owners in Estes Park were a major factor in his plan:

“When politicians say the parks are closed, what that truly does (is) it takes merchants in a little town like Estes Park and it kills their business. … These are my constituents, and they’ve come through a tough recession. And for some game-playing in Washington, they’re shutting these people off; they’re killing them.”

Rocky Mountain Headlines Roundup

Senators and cousins Mark Udall (D-Colorado) and Tom Udall (D-New Mexico), two members of a family nicknamed the “Kennedys of the West,” have different takes on some topical issues, Politico reported this week. While both Udalls have led remarkably similar political careers, Mark recently voted to ban earmarks and has generally acted more aggressively than Tom when it comes to tackling the federal budget deficit.

Despite their differences on fiscal policy, they remain close. In the Politico piece, they attributed their bond in part to having shared an unusual experience while mountain climbing: 

News in Brief

In the latest development in the battle between state and federal leaders on how to manage federally protected wolves in the Northern Rockies, Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer today sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announcing a new wolf management plan for the state.

The plan gives ranchers more leeway in protecting their livestock while authorizing wildlife officials to cull wolves that prey on elk in the Bitterroot Valley.

Schweitzer noted he is “profoundly frustrated” by the situation that led him to issue the new directives.

New West Film

Here’s an unusual Western film festival: the evening screening at the Great Falls Fly Fish Festival, hosted by the Missouri River Flyfishers on Saturday in Great Falls, Montana.

The event will feature a 90-minute compilation of short freshwater and salt water fishing films presented by the Drake Fly Fishing Film Tour at 7 p.m.. The daylong fly festival will also include a trade show and competitions from 1 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. Saturday.