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FRONT PAGE A1 www.tooeletranscript.com TUESDAY TOOELE Tooele couple RANSCRIPT reflect on T surviving Hurricane Katrina See B1 BULLETIN August 28, 2007 SERVING TOOELE COUNTY SINCE 1894 VOL. 114 NO. 28 50¢ Wyoming company plans to drill for oil in Skull Valley by Mark Watson West, a Santa Fe, N.M., STAFF WRITER company that specializes in A Wyoming company plans securing permits from gov- to wager $1 million on the ernment agencies for third prospect of striking black parties, attended a Tooele gold in remote Skull Valley. County Commission meeting Geochem Exploration, last week trying to obtain based in Casper, Wyo., plans all the necessary permits to spend that amount on a for drilling the test well. He test well to find oil on a said Geochem is an industry section of Bureau of Land expert in managing remote Management land which sits oil exploration sites. about eight miles south from The company requested I-80 and seven miles west of a zoning change for 1,920 SR-196, the main road run- acres in Skull Valley from ning through Skull Valley. “multiple use” to a “min- “It’s a long shot with a ing and excavation” zone. capital ‘L,’” said Geochem Commissioner Bruce Clegg president Walt Merschat. said he did not believe the But if the well is produc- county needed to rezone tive, it means money for his that much property to allow company and added tax rev- a company to drill for oil. enue for the state and coun- Commissioners agreed and ty, Merschat said. photography / Troy Boman Brian Wood of Permits SEE OIL PAGE A8 Snowy Egrets feed near Saltair Tuesday. The birds are migrating through the Pacific Flyway en route to wintering grounds farther south. The wetlands and Great Salt Lake shore areas of Tooele County are crucial habitat for many avian species during these seasonal migrations. Land issues slowing Local habitat key for globe-trotting shorebirds Conservationists worry that human impact on lake shore, wetlands could disrupt seasonal migrations rural telecom services by Sarah Miley important place for birds to ropes,” Paul said. “But because Bear River Migratory Bird STAFF WRITER fuel up, get fat reserves, get a it’s so hypersaline now, it can’t Refuge in Box Elder County, by Joshua Figueira of fiber-optic cables, often With the fall shorebird break and eat invertebrates,” produce abundant food like there are still many areas STAFF WRITER crossing public land. When migration in full swing, hun- said Darnall. “Geographically brine shrimp and brine flies, where migrating shorebirds The independent telecom- that happens, the company dreds of thousands of birds the lake is located in a very so we’ve lost that part of the can be seen. munications company which has to get permits from the are descending upon the Great important place. The vari- lake for bird conservation.” “Depending on where you provides telephone and Bureau of Land Management, Salt Lake and Tooele County ous water types — from very While the Great Salt Lake are in Tooele County, you may Internet service to the most and that’s where the problem to rest and eat before jour- saline to fresh water to brack- is ecologically crucial to the see several hundred shore- rural areas of Tooele County starts, McGowan said. neying southward. The Great ish — provide variety for the migration, the outlying wet- birds, where at Bear River is being stymied by unneces- “Getting a permit through Salt Lake and its surrounding birds.” lands and freshwater ponds you’ll see several thousand,” sary regulations and ineffi- the BLM takes forever,” said wetlands are essential habitat Because the Great Salt are equally essential to shore- Darnall said. cient government, according McGowan. “We’ve had per- for migrating shorebirds from Lake is key for avian migra- birds as they prepare for their The Great Salt Lake has to company officials. mits kicking around their the Pacific Flyway, one of four tions, habitat loss is a con- southward journey. But the the largest staging concentra- Wireless Beehive cur- office for six years.” major avian migratory routes cern, said Don Paul, Great encroachment of development tion of Wilson’s phalaropes in rently provides telephone When asked why he in North America. Basin Bird Conservation upon these valuable resources the world, which can number and Internet infrastructure thought the permitting took “Without the Great Salt Region Coordinator for the has threatened their function 500,000 during migration, he for parts of nine counties in so long, McGowan respond- Lake, these birds would have Intermountain West Joint for the birds. said. Utah, including places like ed, “It’s simple, the BLM is a difficult time making it,” Venture — a partnership of “Those wetlands are impor- “The Great Salt Lake is the Ibapah and Rush Valley in severely understaffed.” said Nathan Darnall, presi- public and private entities tant sites that actually pro- most important single site for Tooele County. But company An application to dig on dent of the Great Salt Lake working to conserve bird hab- vide the best freshwater that’s migratory Wilson’s phalarope President Chuck McGowan public lands requires in- Audubon Society. “The Rocky itat. available to these migratory in the world because they have said overly aggressive gov- depth geologic, biologic and Mountains are to the east and On the south shore of the shorebirds,” Paul said. a need to catch food in open, ernmental regulations and anthropologic studies, which the desert is to the west, and lake, companies like the salt Many of the birds eat mac- but shallow water that is rich- bureaucratic red tape are must then be reviewed by there are very few places for industry frequently occupy rovertebrates — brine shrimp ly abundant and can help them preventing his company from an interdisciplinary team them to go.” the same habitat used by the and brine flies — but can’t put on fat reserves in a hurry,” improving and expanding its of specialists. According to In Tooele County, shore- birds, Paul said. handle the salt water as a said Paul. “There are very few services. McGowan, the BLM is des- birds will congregate at the “The large expanse of solar fluid. places that have the density In order to update or perately short of such spe- lake and wetlands in prepara- evaporation ponds on the “They come in and drink the of macrovertebrates — brine expand service to an isolated cialists. tion for flight farther south to west side of Stansbury Island freshwater to flush the salts shrimp and brine flies — that community like Rush Valley, “In order to form an inter- Mexico, Central America and up against the shoreline used out of the body,” he said. the lake does in the fall.” the company has to dig South America. to be an important place for While Tooele County may “The Great Salt Lake is an migratory red-necked phala- not be as well known as the SEE HABITAT PAGE A8 trenches and lay down miles SEE TELECOM PAGE A9 First case of West Nile virus discovered in Tooele County by Mark Watson often breed in backyards, wherever there STAFF WRITER is standing water. Preventing mosquito A Tooele County individual was briefly bites is the best way to avoid getting hospitalized last week for one day with West Nile virus.” West Nile virus and is now recovering at Health Department officials suggest home, according to the Tooele County that residents protect themselves from Health Department. The case is the first bites by using repellents that contain reported incident of a human contracting DEET, wearing long-sleeved shirts and the virus in Tooele County this year. long pants while outdoors, and getting Last year three people living in the rid of standing water around houses. county were diagnosed with West Nile The Tooele Valley Mosquito Abatement virus. Earlier this year the virus was District is also available to help eliminate detected in a sentinel chicken. mosquitoes and will continue to treat The health department does not for mosquitoes until temperatures hit release the names of those contracting freezing. the virus, but the individual is between Hot temperatures this summer helped the ages 40 and 64. increase the numbers of mature mosqui- The department learns about West toes. Nile cases when reported by hospitals or The Culex tarsalis carries the West physicians after they take blood samples Nile virus and is a common type of from patients. mosquito in Tooele County, according “Exposure to West Nile virus can occur to abatement district manager Robert file photo anywhere, including your home,” said Brand. A truck equipped with a mosquito fogger is one technique used to control mosquito populations in Tooele Valley. Mosquito Myron Bateman, director of the Tooele abatement officials continue to combat the insects after a Tooele County resident was infected with West Nile virus last week County Health Department. “Mosquitoes SEE VIRUS PAGE A8 and was hospitalized. WEATHER OPEN FORUM A6 HOMETOWN B1 INSIDE Mostly sunny with a few scat- OBITUARIES A9 BULLETIN BOARD B4 Tooele beats West tered clouds throughout the week. in defensive battle Highs in the upper 80s to low 90s. TV LISTINGS B6 CLASSIFIEDS B7 See A10 Complete Forecast: A2 SPORTS A10 A2 A2 TOOELE TRANSCRIPT-BULLETIN TUESDAY August 28, 2007 Utah & The West Valley Weather Forecast Researchers question risks wildland firefighters take Local Weather Nicholas K. Geranios ASSOCIATED PRESS Wed MOSCOW, Idaho (AP) — 93/66 When five forest firefighters died 8/29 in Southern California last year, Mostly sunny skies. Hot. High 93F. investigators blamed risky deci- Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. sions by managers.