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An Idaho judge ruled against a local helicopter skiing operation’s request for increased use in the Palisades Wilderness Study Area on Tuesday, saying the increased use would hurt the wilderness characteristics of the land.

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HANSEN, Idaho (AP) — The U-S Forest Service wants to limit use of Lower Rock Creek, a popular southern Idaho trailhead and recreation area.

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The phone rings twice before it’s answered. On the other end is Mary Rowley, owner of Strongpoint LLC. Strongpoint is one of two slick PR firms hired to spin the gouging of a mine from a mountain.

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“Tuffy is a little piece of history,” says Carrie Hunt, bear biologist and director of the Wind River Bear Institute in Florence. “He was one of our original team of Karelian bear dogs. Without him, this program probably wouldn’t exist today.”

The program Hunt speaks of is the Partners-in-Life program, which seeks to reduce bear-human conflicts that lead to the destruction of bears worldwide. The root of the problem, according to Hunt, is that bears are often attracted to human development and activities with the promise of an easy source of food.

Of course they do. They have to pay for all that gas they suck up somehow.

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BOZEMAN, Mont. — Call it recreational robbery: An out-of-state resident sets up a dummy company in Montana, buys a motor home under that company name and escapes tens of thousands of dollars in sales taxes.

And there is nothing illegal about it

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VALLES CALDERA NATIONAL PRESERVE, N.M. — The slanting rays of the late afternoon sun turn the thick carpet of grass to gold and steepen the shadows on the surrounding mountains.

The wind has died down, and the insistent burbling of a narrow, winding stream is the loudest sound. A pair of hawks swoops low. A watchful coyote stares from a hillside.

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As the National Park Service begins planning for its 100th birthday in 2016, the venerable agency has reason to wonder who will show up.

By the service’s own reckoning, visits to national parks have been on a downward slide for 10 years. Overnight stays fell 20% between 1995 and 2005, and tent camping and backcountry camping each decreased nearly 24% during the same period.

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Texas billionaire Red McCombs’ plan to build a vast village near Wolf Creek Ski Area will be held up until at least May under a deal reached this week among the parties sparring over the development.

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Got a favorite campground? Don’t count on it being there forever.
Rising expenses and a shrinking budget are forcing USDA Forest Service officials to consider closing hundreds of campgrounds, picnic areas and other recreation facilities across the country.

Imagine your families favorite campground being taken over by a retired, cranky outfit that only cares about profits. That’s what we are looking at here.

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Funding woes have the federal government considering the potential closure of hundreds of campgrounds and other recreation facilities across the country, a situation officials said makes cooperation with businesses and local governments to fund recreation increasingly important.