Endangered species in USFWS news

Region 2, the southwest division of the US Fish and Wildlife Service has reopened comment on the proposed listing of the lesser prairie chicken as a threatened species.

In Region 6, the Service is also seeking public input for grizzly bear conservation efforts according to the Great Falls Tribune:

Biologists are seeking public review and input on the draft strategy, which describes the regulatory framework for management and monitoring of the NCDE grizzly bear population and its habitat upon delisting, or removal of Endangered Species Act protections.

Hat tips to the Center for Biological Diversity and to Martin Kidston, Lee Newspapers of Montana.

Rep. Krusti Noem, Sen. don Juan Thune, and their fellow earth haters in Congress have stalled many of President Obama's choices for the judiciary and to lead key posts: his pick of Lisa Jackson as administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is just one example.

Acting EPA director Bob Perciasepe announced that former Boulder mayor and solar expert, Shaun McGrath will become regional administrator for its Region 8 office in Denver:

EPA Region 8 includes Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming and 27 Tribal Nations. He spent more than a decade working with the Western Governors’ Association, serving as a program director on a number of environmental issues including climate adaptation, water and drought. Shaun has also worked on the federal level as deputy director of White House intergovernmental affairs, where he was the principal liaison and point of contact in the White House for the nation’s governors.--Release Date: 04/30/2013, Richard Mylott

From a release published at Business Wire:

EPA has approved the South Dakota Regional Haze Program, which requires the Big Stone Station to install and operate a best-available retrofit technology air-quality control system to reduce emissions of particulate matter, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. The company's share of the cost for the installation is estimated at $100 million and is expected to be complete in 2015.