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| Jul 29, 2010 - 06:40 PM |
Queen City News - Helena's FREE Weekly Newspaper |
Helena, Montana |
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More foreign renewable energy investment in Montana will be forthcoming after Gov. Brian Schweitzer’s recent trip to Germany and Spain, at least when the 215-mile, 230-kilovolt transmission line from Lethbridge, Alberta, to near Great Falls is completed.
Schweitzer and Chief Business Development Evan Barrett met with companies in Germany and Spain this past week to build more business and economic activity in Montana, especially in the renewable energy sector of the economy.
“It was a great opportunity to build and grow energy business in Montana and create more high-paying jobs for workers in our state,” Schweitzer said. “The trip brought new opportunities and investments to our state, including cementing a deal with NaturEner to bring an additional $800 million investment to Montana.”
When transmission capacity is available on the soon-to-be-completed Montana Alberta Tie Line (MATL), Grupo NaturEner SA of Spain has plans to begin construction on yet another $800-million project here, projected to create more than 300 construction jobs and add more than $3 million to the local annual tax base.
While in Madrid, the governor also met with officials of Elecnor, Enerfin SA and Grasslands Renewable Energy, LLC, to discuss advancement of an Enerfin SA wind farm near Big Timber and plans of Elecnor and Grasslands Renewable Energy to develop a "transmission collector system" to bring power from a large number of windfarm sites to the major transmission systems under development in Montana – the MATL, MSTI (NorthWestern Energy’s Mountain States Transmission Intertie) and Chinook lines and the proposed Bonneville Power Administration upgrade.
"This type of collector system will be needed to bring power from the wind farms developed in Montana to long-distance major transmission lines, which can move the renewable power to large energy-consuming markets in the Pacific Northwest, the Southwest and California. Even midwest markets can be opened up by a properly designed collector system," Schweitzer said.
Montana has increased wind-energy generation from 1 megawatt in 2004 to 271.5 MW today, the fastest growth rate in the nation. Studies on wind potential, including a recent study by Harvard University, consistently cite Montana as one of the top states in the nation for overall wind-energy development potential.
North Valley fire contained
The 130-acre Noble fire was considered contained Tuesday after springing up Monday afternoon north of Lake Helena and prompting the evacuation of 25 families. Fire crews from the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation had circled the fire by Monday evening, so officials rescinded the evacuation order.
Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton said the fire’s origins were suspicious and that an investigation was continuing. The Noble fire came on the heels of the 4,400-acre Indian Trails fire at Holter Lake, which was about 75-percent contained as of Tuesday. The latter fire closed roads near the Beartooth Wildlife Management Area for five days. The public is reminded to continue to use caution while in that area because of the danger of falling snags.
Earthquake exercise on
The State of Montana Disaster and Emergency Services Division, in cooperation with Lewis and Clark, Jefferson and Broadwater counties, is conducting a full-scale earthquake exercise in the area from Tuesday through Thursday of this week. There will be extensive activities involving emergency vehicles, military equipment, including helicopters, and civilian role-players and actors.
The Montana City School venue will involve “derailed” railroad cars on a rail spur located behind the fields at the school. Montana Rail Link moved the cars into place on Tuesday afternoon, with the exercise beginning at 6 p.m. with emergency response and military vehicles arriving in the school parking lot and possibly observation helicopter activity. That exercise was expected to end by 11 p.m. Tuesday night.
During this time, the playing fields, trail by the rail spur and the lower parking lot were closed to allow access and egress for emergency vehicles. An observation area was set up. Responders wore full hazardous materials protective equipment and were focused on their tasks. Observers were asked to stay clear of the emergency vehicles and the responders and to respect the safety procedures.
Other venue sites included the Helena Regional Airport, East Helena Rodeo grounds, Carroll College, St. Pete’s Hospital, Fort Harrison, and Helena and East Helena schools.
Tester touts bill support
More than 1,000 Montanans from nearly every county in the state have signed up as “citizen co-sponsors” of the Forest Jobs and Recreation Act, according to U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont.
Tester introduced the bill in July, asking Montanans to “put their shoulders to the wheel” to push the bill forward with their support. So far, 1,020 Montanans from 54 counties have signed up as citizen co-sponsors at tester.senate.gov/forest.
“Folks in Montana understand that our forest communities are in crisis, and the old ways of making decisions about our forests have failed,” Tester said. “This bill is a made-in-Montana plan. It’s a new way of moving forward to protect our communities from wildfire, put folks back to work in the woods, and preserve our hunting and fishing heritage for our kids and grandkids.”
Tax laws to be reviewed
The Revenue and Transportation Interim Committee of the Montana Legislature will meet Sept. 17 and 18 in Helena to take a broad look at individual income taxes.
The Thursday session will start at 1 p.m. and the Friday session at 8 a.m., both in Room 137 of the Capitol. The public is welcome to attend and will have a chance to comment on the work of the committee.
Among other things, the committee will discuss the filing status of married taxpayers, past legislative proposals to base the Montana individual income tax on a percentage of federal tax liability, recodification of individual income tax laws, ways to help low-income, veteran, and elderly property taxpayers, a report on Montana motor vehicle insurance liability laws, and the transportation of oil sands development equipment through Montana.
A full agenda and other meeting materials are available at leg.mt.gov/rtic. For more information, contact Jeff Martin 444-3595 or jmartin@mt.gov.
The meeting will be audio-streamed live at leg.mt.gov and broadcast live over the state public access television network, TVMT. To find out the TVMT channel in your area, visit leg.mt.gov/tvmt or call the Legislative Information Office at 444-2957.
Juneau lays out OPI goals
Superintendent Denise Juneau announced that the Office of Public Instruction is rolling-out five key strategic directions aimed at increasing student achievement for all students in Montana. They are as follows:
•Ensure that every child begins school and graduates with the knowledge and skills necessary for success in the 21st Century global society by strengthening Montana education from preschool through college and the workforce.
•Improve student achievement in struggling schools by providing leadership for school turnaround efforts across the state.
•Provide current and accurate educational information to the state, school districts, and communities to promote data-driven policy decisions and assist in improving teaching and learning.
•Improve school-community relationships and student performance through the development and implementation of a comprehensive communication plan.
•Provide systematic training opportunities and focused staff development for OPI staff to support their work and ensure quality customer service.
"We believe these strategic directions will help guarantee that all Montana's students receive a quality education," Juneau said. “The Office of Public Instruction stands ready to provide the vision, advocacy, support, and leadership for schools and communities to ensure that all students meet today's challenges and tomorrow's opportunities.”
Some campgrounds closing
The fall season will bring about a new schedule for developed campgrounds on the Helena National Forest. Specific closing dates for campgrounds will be weather dependent; however, campgrounds that remain open will have reduced services.
Aspen Grove and Copper Creek campgrounds on the Lincoln Ranger District were closed on or shortly after Sept. 10. Indian Meadows trailhead and camping area will remain open throughout the fall.
Vigilante, Cromwell-Dixon and Moose Creek campgrounds, located on the Helena Ranger District, will be closed by Oct. 1, if not earlier. Park Lake will remain closed until hazard trees have been removed from the area. Kading Campground will remain open throughout the fall; however, services will be reduced once fees are no longer collected near the end of September.
Gipsy Lake and Skidway campgrounds on the Townsend Ranger District will remain open through September with reduced services. Campsites are available on a first-come, first-serve basis with a 14-day stay limit.
The HNF will reduce its services at certain developed campgrounds by no longer providing water, as well as discontinuing garbage and/or toilet facility clean-up services. Once these services are reduced, visitors will need to bring their own water and comply with the “pack it in, pack it out” policy to dispose of garbage.
Although there are no fire restrictions in place on the Helena National Forest, conditions could be ripe for wildland fires, so visitors need to do their part in preventing fires.
As a reminder, firewood cutters need to follow the regulations outlined in their firewood permit and keep all branches off road surfaces and out of drainages.
As an alternative to traditional camping, visitors to the HNF can rent local recreation cabins and group use sites. These sites can be reserved online at www.recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777. There is a $9 reservation fee, in addition to the regular cabin rental fee.
For more information on recreational opportunities on the Helena National Forest, call your local Forest Service office or visit www.fs.fed.us/r1/helena.
Street closures announced
Fee Street from Livingston Avenue to Boulder Avenue from Washington Street to Hannaford Street will be closed from Sept. 14 through Sept. 22 for installation of gutters and asphalt repairs.
For more information, call the City of Helena Street Division at 447-1566.
Older Workers celebrated
The week of Sept. 21-25 is National Employ Older Workers Week, which also showcases the Senior Community Service Employment Program.
“Because of the current economic situation, many older people are finding it necessary to work longer, look for new jobs or return to work after retirement,” said Cheryl Kulm, state director for Experience Works, the non-profit organization that operates the program in Montana.
Kulm added that the situation for older people seeking jobs is often difficult because of the large number of people of all ages who need to find work. In August, there were nearly two million Americans age 55 and older unemployed and looking for work, up 69 percent from the same time last year.
For more information, visit www.experienceworks.org or call 447-3211.
Wild horse adoption set
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management will offer 57 Pryor Mountain wild horses for adoption on Saturday, Sept. 26. The adoption will be held at the Britton Springs corrals north of Lovell, Wyo. The facility will also be open all day Friday, Sept. 25, for horse viewing and registration.
The adoption includes 24 males and 33 females, including three mare-foal pairs. The horses range in age from 0-22 years.
The gates will open both days at 8 a.m. The oral competitive bid adoption will begin at noon on Sept. 26. The minimum bid for each animal is $125. The starting bid for pairs is $250. Successful bidders will be able to load their horse(s) as soon as the adoption concludes.
Ken McNabb will offer training clinics at 1 and 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 25 and again at 9 a.m. on Saturday. McNabb is a professional horse trainer, instructor, and clinician from Clark, Wyo.
For more information on how to adopt or to receive an application, contact Nancy Bjelland, BLM adoption coordinator, at (406) 896-5222.
For information on qualifications for adopters, visit http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/wild_horse_and_burro.html. More information on National Wild Horse Adoption Day can be found at http://www.nationalwildhorseadoptionday.org/.
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The Queen City News is published every Wednesday in Helena, MT, by Mossback Media, LLC.
Contents are copyrighted and cannot be used in any form without prior permission from the QCN.
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