Environment
Idaho Ag Heritage Park Is Good Fit At Expo Idaho
Since horse racing can’t get out of the starting gate, the GUARDIAN suggests the county join forces with the G-BAD BOYS and Garden City with an eye toward creating an “Idaho Agricultural Heritage Park at the fairgrounds (Expo-Idaho). The commishes turned down the most recent sole bid for racing at the fairgrounds and we think [...]
Boise Officials Avoid Public Scrutiny
Boise officials have continued a legacy of backroom deals and deceptive behavior on a foothills convservation project that probably is a worthwhile endeavor. The Hammer Flat land acquisition was done in secret using $4 million in Boise tax funds with the explanation the deal had to be secret to keep the price low–action permitted by [...]
Goose Dog Spared Death Penalty
An orphaned pooch facing the death penalty has gotten a reprive, but will still go to prison–and she hasn’t even committed a crime! We did a story about GOOSE HERDING dogs two years ago and it looks like only recently has the Boise Parks Dept. followed up on action passed by the ParK Board at [...]
Powerful Trash Talk On Ada Landfill
Boise’s much touted no-sort blue bin recycle program could face some major alterations in the future if the electric generator project at the county dump doesn’t get short circuited. The DAILY PAPER had a page one story Tuesday on the project with details about the technology of superheating trash to reduce emissions. This a new [...]
PUC Deals Big Blow To Wind Generators
Idaho’s Public utilities commission has dealt a blow to companies seeking to sell massive amounts of electricity to Idaho Power and two other utilities in the Gem State. Monday the PUC issued an order putting a temporary limit on the size of so-called PURPA projects which require the big utilities to purchase power from alternative [...]
Cheatgrass And Growth Are Hot Topic
Range managers and scientists from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management are meeting in Boise this week to figure out a way to reduce the invasive cheatgrass species found throughout the southwest Idaho desert, according to a DAILY PAPER report. If they find a solution it could save Ada taxpayers some money. Last summer in [...]
Sunshine On Wind, Solar Finances, Politics
For folks investing in those mandatory “PURPA” electricity generating projects, their plans could face a short circuit, thanks to recent developments in science, business, and politics. The most important issue for Idaho consumers is a report from Idaho Power Company telling the GUARDIAN they are approaching enough wind generating capacity to meet their minimum daily [...]
Ada Landfill Gas To Double Electric Output
Ada County’s Hidden Hollow Landfill apparently is rotting away at a rate that will double the potential to capture methane and burn it to power two more electrical generators, doubling the current capacity. Idaho Power will enter into an agreement with Fortistar Methjane Group, the owner of the plant, to use the electricity as an [...]
Seeing Is Believing, A Matter Of Perspective
At lunch today we met with an old friend in an attempt to explain the GUARDIAN philosophy is to stimulate discussion, debate, and common sense. The photo above was in mind when we told our friend the image has a different meaning for anyone who sees it–just like many of the stories we post. To [...]
Nampa Cheese Plant Noisy As Promised
Nearly two and a half years ago the GUARDIAN published a CHEESY STORY about an impending noisy, smelly new whey tower that would have caused Little Miss Muffet to fall off her tuffet. Here’s what a nearby frustrated neighbor has to say about the noise at Sorrento Lactalis’ cheese plant. By TOM FLANARY Eight and [...]
F&G Still Looking For Hammer Flats Money
Working on the upcoming “best of 2010″ stories list, we came across the May 29 HAMMER FLAT land deal announcement between Boise City and Idaho Fish and Game, prompting an update. Seems Boise’s cash payment for the wildlife habitat still hasn’t been repaid by F&G seven months after the deal was revealed by the GUARDIAN. [...]
Moose & Elk To Get GPS Collars
We finally figured how all the moose and elk of Eastern Idaho are able to navigate the mountains so well: GPS! It must drive those critters crazy to hear, “Turn right in 400 feet. Recalculating. Arriving at Winter Range on left. Recalculating.” Apparently when the snow melts the collar sends the game to higher elevations [...]
Rural Fire Costs $$$ Thanks To Growth
When it comes to fires “threatening structures or lives,” firefighters pull out all the stops and use available resources to protect the assets at risk. Such was the case Tuesday afternoon when a grass and brush fire broke out off South Cole Road. Boise FD, Kuna FD and the BLM battled a 200 acre fire [...]
Did Flawed Intel Lead To Council Support Of F-35?
A group calling itself SaveOurValleyNow is claiming the endorsement of Boise City Councilors in support of the F-35 fighter at Gowen Field is based on flawed information. Citing what they claim are conflicting statements from Deputy Airport Director Matt Petja regarding noise levels, the group is actually offering the Council a face-saving way to back [...]
Dam Plan Not Needed For Boise River
Another case of why GROTHOPHOBES have a good argument. Last week, the Army Corps of Engineers and Idaho Water Resource Board presented preliminary findings from the “Lower Boise River Interim Feasibility Study” of potential dam sites on the Boise River system They claim a new dam is needed for water supply and flood risk management, [...]
Ada County Electric Trash Deal Is Shocking
Ada Commishes may be moving a bit hasty with plans for an incinerator at the Hidden Hollow landfill in an effort to get some of the “stimulus funds” from the Feds. On the face of it, a plan to allow an Eagle firm to build an incinerator and pay $1 a year for rent sounded [...]
Ada Dump Seeks Green Power Trash Talk
The Ada Commishes are trying to generate some trash talk–or talk generating with trash– with the idea of making prime real estate out of the county dump. They issued a “REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST” for anyone willing to talk about using trash to generate energy and potentially building a “Renewal Energy Industrial Park” at [...]
Drilling For Money At BP Well?
The GUARDIAN returned yesterday from a visit to Florida yesterday and it was interesting to see how many folks are “standing in the welfare line” that leads directly to BP. While we agree that BP should pay “all legitimate claims” and their leaking well has killed 11 humans (even though they may be small people), [...]
A Gem Hiding In Plain Sight–Table Rock
Like a silent sentinel, Table Rock stands guard over the City of Trees and provides a scenic vista equaled only in cities like Rio and perhaps a few smaller metro areas. It provided the stone for the Statehouse as well as the Old Pen prison and the cross–like it or not–can be seen as a [...]
Payette River Water Flow Highest In Years
A drive up Highway 55 along the Payette River and its North Fork to Cascade provided a spectacular display of spring runoff. Water flows were the highest in they have been in at least 13 years. From the top of Horseshoe Bend Hill the river looks like a junior version of the Muddy Missouri as [...]
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