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PFAC’s Kentucky Derby fundraiser May 4th (posted 5/3/2024)
Bi-Annual event supports kids arts programming in Sublette County
Pinedale Fine Arts Council
The Pinedale Fine Arts Council (PFAC) will host their bi-annual Kentucky Derby Fundraiser on Saturday, May 4 at the Sublette County Fair Grounds. Proceeds benefit PFAC’s extensive school arts programs in Pinedale and Big Piney.
Centered around the actual Kentucky Derby, the PFAC event starts with a full broadcast of the Derby on the fairground’s giant projection screen by a 6-team stick horse obstacle race featuring local businesses as the jockeys. After the race is a full prime rib dinner (this year catered by The Den). Add in a custom photo booth, a hat contest, whiskey raffles and silent auctions and you’ll have a pretty good grasp of the event.
"It’s pretty crazy when you think about all the different things we try to pull off," Tim Ruland, PFAC Executive says. "It’s really five or six events crammed into one."
And while the Derby Fundraiser bills itself as Sublette County’s biggest party, at the heart of the event is PFAC’s school programs which students in both the Pinedale and Big Piney School districts.
"It’s not just that the students enjoy the programs, and the teachers request them year after year," Ruland explains. "It’s that the exposure to the arts is setting them up for success later in life - and that’s powerful."
Tickets for PFAC’s Kentucky Derby Fundraiser are $50 and are available at Office Outlets (Pinedale & Big Piney) and online at pinedalefinearts.com. Tickets will also be available at the door.
Learn more about PFAC’s numerous arts programs in Pinedale and Big Piney school districts at pinedalefinearts.com.
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Flag Half Staff Notice - May 5 in honor of the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service (posted 5/3/2024)
Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon
CHEYENNE, WYOMING - Governor Mark Gordon, pursuant to Public Law 107-51, has ordered both the U.S. and State of Wyoming flags be flown at half-staff statewide on Sunday, May 5 until sunset in honor of the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service, and to pay our respects to brave firefighters and first responders who risk their lives to protect Americans.
The Presidential Proclamation follows:
I have often said that God made man, and then made firefighters. Their extraordinary courage embodies the best of America — with every call they answer, they put their lives on the line to keep the rest of us safe. It is more than what they do; it is who they are. This weekend, we honor the brave service of every fallen hero who has made the ultimate sacrifice for our communities.
Last year, when the First Lady and I visited Maui in the wake of the devastating fires there, we met firefighters who had performed breathtaking acts of heroism, rescuing families and saving lives, even while many of their own homes burned. Over the years, I have had the honor of knowing many like them, and I know their bravery comes at a cost. They respond to hundreds of thousands of fires, medical calls, and other emergencies every year, some of which they were never trained for. As the effects of climate change worsen, local and wildland fire departments are being called to fight deadlier and stronger blazes. Too often, they are also exposed to toxic chemicals not only in smoke, but in their own protective gear, risking their health down the line. It is a dangerous profession, with everything at stake.
Firefighters have always had our backs; as a Nation, we have to have theirs. I know that few things protect firefighters better than more firefighters. That is why, in my first months as President, I signed the American Rescue Plan, getting States and cities the funding needed to hire more firefighters during the pandemic, often boosting pay and keeping these essential heroes on the job. That law also increased Federal firefighting grants by $300 million, paying for hundreds of emergency response vehicles and thousands of sets of turnout gear, while putting more local firefighters in the field.
At the same time, we are making sure more firefighters have the quality health care they deserve. After years of incredible valor battling dangerous flames, cancer is in fact one of the leading causes of death in this community — a silent killer that stays with folks long after the blaze is out. Through our Cancer Moonshot Initiative, my Administration is working to end cancer as we know it. It aims to cut the cancer death rate in half over 25 years by investing in research and development, early detection, and screening, and better supporting patients and their families from the moment of their diagnosis. The Department of Labor has established a new unit to more quickly process claims for Federal firefighters with cancer. We are cracking down on exposure to toxic PFAS — the so-called "forever chemicals" that are used to make firefighting gear, equipment, and suppression agents. We have increased funding for research into the specific PFAS risks that firefighters face, looking for new ways to address them.
When a firefighter is harmed in the line of duty, it is on us all to make sure they get the support they deserve. We have expanded benefits for those who are permanently disabled, and extended them to family members of those who have passed away after experiencing trauma on duty. In 2022, I was proud to sign the Federal Firefighters Fairness Act, getting more than 10,000 Federal firefighters and their families critical workers’ compensation and other benefits, by making sure certain heart problems, lung diseases, and cancers are classified as job-related. After years of service, we also have to make sure firefighters get the retirement pay and benefits they have earned. I was proud to sign legislation to keep their disability retirement benefits tax-free. And I will always stand with labor and defend their right to collectively bargain for the good pay, benefits, and safety protections they deserve. This Nation owes every firefighter who gets up each morning and goes to work not knowing if they will make it home. We owe their families. We owe everyone who has ever lost a firefighter that they loved. They lost a piece of their soul. These heroes’ courageous legacy lives on in the communities they kept safe, and in our work to be there for one another the way that they were always there for us.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 4 through May 5, 2024, as National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend. On Sunday, May 5, 2024, in accordance with Public Law 107–51, the flag of the United States will be flown at half-staff at all Federal office buildings in honor of the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service. I call upon all Americans to observe these events with appropriate ceremonies and activities and honor our Nation’s courageous firefighters who gave their lives to keep the rest of us safe.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this third day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-eighth.
JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.
White Pine Ski Resort sale complete (posted 4/18/2024)
White Pine media release
Alan and Robyn Blackburn today (Wednesday, April 17, 2024) announced that they have completed the transaction with Joe Ricketts to sell White Pine Ski Resort to him. Ricketts has committed to invest in and improve the Sublette County Ski Resort and is exploring snow-making capabilities to increase the length of the ski season.
"My hope is to ensure that White Pine remains a strong part of the community and continues the tradition of serving local residents," said Ricketts.
"Selling White Pine is bittersweet for us," said Alan Blackburn. "I’ll miss being such a big part of the heart of Sublette County, but feel tremendous peace with transferring ownership to Joe because I know he shares my ultimate goal of keeping the Resort as such a strong and dependable part of the community. I have total faith in his vision."
The White Pine Ski & Summer Resort is one of the oldest ski areas in Wyoming and sits on Forest Service land in the Wind River Mountain Range. The resort has two lifts, nearly 30 runs with 1,100 hundred foot vertical, a tubing hill, rustic accommodations, and miles of Nordic trails for winter activity and summer hiking. White Pine has been a mainstay for local Sublette County residents for years and it has been voted the #1 Resort in Wyoming for beginner skiers.
PureWest Energy donates $200,000+ to Sublette County Health Foundation towards CAH (posted 4/18/2024)
Sublette County Health Foundation media release
In an effort to address the urgent healthcare needs of Sublette County, Wyoming, PureWest Energy, in partnership with the PureWest leadership team, announced a donation of more than $200,000 towards the construction of the planned medical facility in Pinedale to provide efficient, high-quality and patient-centered care.
Sublette County is currently the only county in Wyoming without a hospital. With the nearest facility more than 80 miles away, the community often faces challenges accessing essential care – challenges that are exacerbated during times of emergency. In 2020, the community voted to approve the formation of the Sublette County Hospital District. With construction already underway, the hospital is expected to open in March 2025; however, additional financing is required to improve emergency room equipment and ensure the community is able to benefit from comprehensive health services at the medical center.
To help Sublette County build a better future and because this is where so many of us call home, PureWest and its leadership team have donated more than $200,000 towards the buildout of this much needed hospital. This collective effort underscores a shared commitment to the well-being and betterment of the community.
"We are honored to be able to support the communities where we live and work. This donation represents PureWest’s unwavering commitment to Sublette County and the importance of comprehensive access to quality healthcare," said Kelly Bott, SVP, Corporate Affairs of PureWest. "Safety is nonnegotiable at PureWest, and the construction of this facility provides essential services – not just for our employees, but for entire community."
The Sublette County Health Foundation will serve a wide variety of needs, including providing blood transfusions, nursing services, memory care units, mental health support for those in crisis, and dietary and maintenance facilities. "The establishment of the hospital will be transformative for the community, providing essential healthcare services and saving the lives of residents," explained Sid Stanfill, Board Chair of the SC Health Foundation. "PureWest Energy’s generous donation is truly commendable and highlights their continued dedication to the well-being of our community. Together, we are building a better future for Sublette County."
This donation will provide timely access to lifesaving healthcare services for residents, reduce the burden on families who currently have had to travel long distances for medical care, and ensure that senior citizens are able to continue living within their community.
To learn more about the Sublette County Health Foundation please visit www.sublettecountyhealthfoundation.org.
About PureWest
PureWest Energy, LLC is a private energy company focused on developing its long-life gas reserves in Wyoming’s Green River Basin where the Company operates more than 108,000 net acres in and around the prolific Pinedale Field. For more information about PureWest, which was recently honored with the "Best Place to Work" distinction by the Denver Business Journal, please visit https://purewest.com/about-us/.
Rocky Mountain Power requests rate increase for Wyoming customers (posted 4/17/2024)
Rocky Mountain Power media release
Rocky Mountain Power’s costs for fuel and purchased power increased in 2023, because of higher wholesale market prices and coal supply disruptions, which made purchasing power to serve its customers more expensive. As part of an annual review of these costs, the company requested an average 12.3% price increase for Wyoming customers. A typical residential customer using 700 kilowatt-hours per month would see a 9.3% increase, or $12 per month on their electricity bill. The increase will take effect July 1, 2024, subject to review and approval by the Wyoming Public Service Commission.
"We recognize that in difficult economic conditions, a price increase is not good news," said Joelle Steward, Rocky Mountain Power senior vice president for regulation and customer and community solutions. "Despite these difficulties, we remain committed to bringing the best value to our customers for their hard-earned dollars. We’ve worked diligently to control the costs we can control. We are strict with our budgets and continue our work to steadily improve our system to enhance reliability for our 144,511 customers in Wyoming."
"The company is working hard to maintain our position as a low-cost energy provider," Steward added. "The annual adjustment process makes sure Rocky Mountain Power customers always pay a fair price for the energy they need."
The most significant driver in this year’s energy cost adjustment involves coal supply and inventory restrictions that began in late 2022 and continued into 2023. Historically low coal inventories, prompted many utilities, including Rocky Mountain Power, to increase natural gas generation and purchase more wholesale electricity while restocking depleted coal inventories. In many coal basins nationally, coal pricing more than doubled in 2022 and remained high into 2023. This effect on coal pricing was made worse by the war in Ukraine, when many U.S. mines, including mines in Utah and Colorado, rushed to take advantage of high coal prices by exporting coal to Europe.
"Due to overall lower coal resource output, the company had to adjust its overall system operations through increased natural gas power plant output, reduced market sales and increased market purchases," said Jack Painter, net power cost specialist for the utility. "In 2023, all of PacifiCorp’s Utah coal suppliers and one major Wyoming coal supplier made emergency contract declarations that resulted in significant delivery shortfalls of PacifiCorp’s contracted coal supply. Consequently, the Utah coal mines experienced a 35% decrease in coal production."
These challenges included a coal mine fire that occurred at American Consolidated Natural Resources’ Lila Canyon mine in central Utah. The mine had produced more than 25% of Utah’s coal production in recent years. The mine first stopped production in September 2022 and the owners announced the permanent closure of the Lila Canyon mine in November 2023 after determining that it was not possible to safely remediate and operate the mine. In response, the company explored the purchase of reasonably priced coal from a variety of other sources, as well as using surplus coal reserves held by the company.
The annual energy cost adjustment mechanism is designed to track the difference between the company’s actual expenses for fuel and electricity purchased from the wholesale market, against the amount being collected from customers through current rates. Pending commission approval, the changes would take effect July 1, 2024.
WYDOT works with Google to update road closures and recommend alternate route info (posted 3/10/2024)
Wyoming Department of Transportation
When snow, high winds, and other severe weather conditions require the Wyoming Department of Transportation to close Interstate 80 – one of the nation’s primary east-west highways – conditions on secondary roads are often even more dangerous. Yet without sufficient data, some navigational apps may reroute I-80 motorists and commercial vehicle operators onto those very roads. WYDOT is now working to improve safety and facilitate the efficient movement of freight by sharing road-closure data directly with Google and other navigation companies. Expanding access to road-closure data is especially critical in March and April, which are historically the state’s snowiest months.
"WYDOT is constantly innovating and adapting to the challenges of Wyoming's harsh winters and meeting our mission to keep people and commerce moving," said WYDOT Director Darin Westby. "Last winter saw too many close calls, and we are excited to arrive at a practical solution that will keep both travelers and search-and-rescue responders safer."
Navigational apps generally report road closures and recommend alternate routes based on data collected from other drivers who are using the app. As a result, information about infrequently traveled, local roads may not be updated often enough to reflect fast-changing conditions. In Wyoming, some I-80 motorists following suggested detours have ended up stranded on inaccessible roads without fuel, food, or water. This also creates hazards for the Wyoming Highway Patrol and other emergency responders tasked with finding and rescuing these motorists. Road closures and ill-advised detours during just one storm in 2023 resulted in 28 search-and-rescue missions in Sweetwater County alone.
To help prevent such emergencies, WYDOT has expanded third-party access to a powerful tool known as the Situation Data Exchange, or SDX. WYDOT partner Trihydro, an engineering and environmental consulting firm based in Laramie, developed the SDX in support of the Wyoming Connected Vehicle Pilot, a WYDOT project funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The SDX stores and distributes data collected from wirelessly connected vehicles, including WYDOT fleet vehicles and snowplows. WYDOT also consults with individual counties to include information on local and conditional closures. Navigation companies with access to the SDX will have a new, reliable source of real-time travel information including weather advisories, variable speed limits, road closure notifications, and vehicle weight restrictions.
"Wyoming is leading the way in improving highway safety by making vital traveler information available to all road users, from residents and visitors to commercial truckers," said WYDOT GIS/ITS Manager Vince Garcia.
WYDOT began by reaching out to Google, which has entered into an agreement with Trihydro to be a third-party distributor of SDX data through Google Maps. WYDOT hopes to finalize agreements with Apple and other navigation system providers in the near future to ensure that accurate, up-to-date travel information is available to as many motorists as possible. Meanwhile, WYDOT officials continue to coordinate with the USDOT to expand access to the SDX.
"WYDOT has collaborated with Trihydro’s SDX team to design and implement an exemplary messaging system that maximizes coordination between Wyoming’s jurisdictional levels and navigation companies to create and relay road incident updates and closures," said Eric Kolb, GIS Senior Staff Data Engineer, Google Maps. "The SDX provides Wyoming's high-quality data in the desired format through a convenient interface, all of which reduces Google Maps’ effort to acquire and translate Wyoming’s road incident updates into its navigation database. It’s been a pleasure working with the WYDOT and Trihydro teams to both understand and encourage their motivations and capabilities."
Wyoming residents and visitors can visit WYDOT’s Travel Information Service website at www.wyoroad.info for the latest information on road conditions and closures, including an interactive travel information map. Commercial vehicle operators can visit https://cvop.wyoroad.info/cvop for road and travel information tailored to their needs.
Barrasso, GOP Committee Leaders call on Administration to explain Old-Growth Decision (posted 3/22/2024)
Senator John Barrasso media release
WASHINGTON, D.C. March 22, 2024 — U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (ENR), joined republican leaders to call on the Biden administration to explain its rationale for creating a special definition for "old growth and mature forests" on federal lands. The signers of this letter are tasked with overseeing activities on federal lands.
U.S. Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Energy Natural Resources, and John Boozman (R-AR), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, along with U.S. Representatives Glenn "GT" Thompson (R-PA), chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture and Bruce Westerman (R-AR), chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, have asked U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to answer a series of questions regarding the process that led to this working definition, the statutory authority the administration followed to take this action and what impacts that will have on the government’s 128 forest land management plans.
In a letter to Secretary Vilsack, the members question USDA’s process, authority and rationale that seemingly attempts to codify parts of Executive Order 14072, conflicts with the Forest Service’s authorities and responsibilities, will further undermine forest health, and will increase wildfire risk to millions of acres of federal lands.
"[W]e question what existing statutory authority or Congressional mandate permits or directs the administration to ‘institutionalize climate-smart management and conservation strategies’ to address threats to undefined categories of federal lands. Further, we express significant concerns with the administration’s stated intent to amend all 128 Forest Plans in the space of approximately 13 months through an unprecedented and truncated process. If finalized as proposed, it will conflict with the multiple-use mandate…and the National Environmental Policy Act by placing management restrictions on thousands of acres, stands, or entire units based on a ‘narrative framework’ or a ‘working definition.’" the members wrote.
Read the full letter here and below.
Dear Secretary Vilsack,
We are concerned with the content and the process of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) "First-of-its-Kind National Forest Plan Amendment to Conserve and Steward Old Growth Forests" published in the Federal Register on December 20, 2023. We request your prompt and complete response to the enclosed questions to help inform our respective Committees’ oversight responsibilities and ensure USDA is complying with its Congressionally mandated duties, authorities, and procedural requirements governing 193 million acres of National Forest System (NFS) lands.
The Biden administration seeks to define and effectively create special considerations for "oldgrowth" and "mature forests" on federal lands, apparently striving to elevate a particular stage of forest succession above other, legally required multiple use purposes. This effort was initiated in April 2022 through Executive Order (E.O.) 14072 instructing the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and USDA’s Forest Service to define and inventory oldgrowth and mature forests for lands managed by the agencies. In short, E.O. 14072 effectively charged the Forest Service and BLM to create a special definition and initiate a special disposition for "old-growth and mature forests" on federal lands absent a Congressional mandate or existing authority to do so.
In response to E.O. 14072, the Forest Service initiated a Request for Information (RFI) and an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) on federal old-growth and mature forests. In the RFI, USDA stated: "Defining old growth and mature forests for purposes of conducting an inventory as required under E.O. 14072 Section 2(b) does not, by itself, change any current forest management policies or practices." USDA went on to say that developing policies to institutionalize "climate-smart management and conservation strategies that address threats to mature and old-growth forests on Federal land" would follow completion of definition development, identification, and inventory.
The Forest Service and BLM published an "initial draft" seeking to define and inventory "oldgrowth and mature forests" to comply with E.O. 14072. However, after tens of thousands of public comments in response to the RFI, ANPR, and after the Biden administration convened a "Definition Development Team" in Washington, D.C., the administration declared these "definitions are considered dynamic, not static, and thus are subject to refinement as new information is incorporated (working definitions)." The administration’s "initial draft" identified numerous variables that may be utilized in categorizing "old-growth forest types" by Forest Service Region, including species, climate, soil productivity, vegetation types, geographical areas and twenty-nine pages of appendices.
Despite not creating a single, coherent definition for "old-growth" or "mature" forests, the administration proceeded with publishing an introductory report finding wildfire, insects, and diseases as the leading threats to "mature and old-growth forests." The introductory report also noted "tree cutting (any removal of trees) is currently a relatively minor threat…" and "in general, management improved or maintained these stands." Irrespective of the inability to develop a clear definition of "old-growth" or "mature" forests and indifferent to the Forest Service’s threat assessment identifying "tree cutting" as a minor threat, the administration declared the E.O.’s definitional and assessment requirements completed (Fulfillment of Executive Order 14072, Section 2(b)) in an effort to proceed with E.O. 14072 Section 2(c).
We agree with the administration’s tacit qualification that Executive Orders do not, and cannot, by themselves, change policies or practices not otherwise authorized under existing law. However, we question what existing statutory authority or Congressional mandate permits or directs the administration to "institutionalize climate-smart management and conservation strategies" to address threats to undefined categories of federal lands. Further, we express significant concerns with the administration’s stated intent to amend all 128 Forest Plans in the space of approximately months through an unprecedented and truncated process. If finalized as proposed, it will conflict with the multiple-use mandate under the National Forest Management Act (NFMA), the 2012 Planning Rule (Final Rule and Record of Decision) governing the Forest Plan development process, and the National Environmental Policy Act by placing management restrictions on thousands of acres, stands, or entire units based on a "narrative framework" or a "working definition."
In the interest of fulfilling our oversight responsibilities and ensuring this administration is complying with its statutory authority and fulfilling its Congressional mandate covering 193 million acres of NFS lands, we request USDA provide written responses to the following questions on or before April 17, 2024:
1) How many USDA Forest Service Land Management Plans have been updated in the last 15 years as required under the National Forest Management Act?
2) How many Forest Plans are out of compliance with NFMA’s requirements?
3) How will USDA’s "Land Management Plan Direction for Old-Growth Forest Conditions Across the National Forest System" comply with the following statutes:
a. the Forest and Rangelands Renewable Resources Planning Act, as amended by NFMA;
b. the Multiple Use-Sustained Yield Act (MUSYA);
c. the Healthy Forests Restoration Act;
d. the Federal Land Policy and Management Act;
e. the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act; and
f. the Administrative Procedure Act.
4) Specifically, USDA’s proposed national plan amendment includes "Standards for Management Actions within Old-Growth Forest Conditions" stating that "vegetation management within old-growth forest conditions may not be for the primary purpose of growing, tending, harvesting, or regeneration of trees for economic reasons." Please explain how this standard for management action, if adopted as proposed, is consistent with MUSYA and other existing statutory requirements governing NFS lands.
5) Does USDA consider a National Forest Plan amendment to be a rule or rulemaking process as defined under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) or the Congressional Review Act (CRA)?
6) Does USDA consider its "Land Management Plan Direction for Old-Growth Forest Conditions Across the National Forest System," which will amend all 128 national Forest Plans, a rule or rulemaking process as defined under the APA or the CRA?
a. If not, please provide a full explanation with corresponding statutory citations on the classification, description, and APA or CRA exemption covering this agency action.
b. If so, when does USDA anticipate publishing a proposed rule for public comment?
7) Has USDA transmitted the "Land Management Plan Direction for Old-Growth Forest Conditions Across the National Forest System" to each House of Congress and/or the Comptroller General? If so, please provide a copy of the transmission with the corresponding date of transmission.
8) Has USDA transmitted the "Land Management Plan Direction for Old-Growth Forest Conditions Across the National Forest System" to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) or the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA)?
a. If so, please provide a copy of the transmission with the corresponding date of transmission.
b. If not, please provide a full explanation of USDA’s rationale and justification for not transmitting this action to OMB or OIRA.
9) Has USDA conducted a cost-benefit analysis under the Regulatory Flexibility Act20 , Unfunded Mandates Reform Act21, or the Paperwork Reduction Act?
a. If so, please provide a copy of those analyses.
b. If not, please provide a full explanation with corresponding statutory citations on the classification, description, and exemption covering this agency action.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. We look forward to your response no later than April 17, 2024. Please contact our offices with any questions you may have regarding this request.
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