WASHINGTON, Feb. 21 -- The Center for Biological Diversity issued the following news release on Feb. 20: * * * - Western Population Has Declined by 99%, Extinction Looming * * * A new bill in Congress would provide $25 million a year to save the rapidly declining western population of monarch butterflies from extinction. This monarch population is found primarily in Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington. The Monarch Action, Recovery, and Conservation of Habitat Ac  more

BOISE, Idaho, Feb. 21 -- The Center for Biological Diversity issued the following news release: The Trump administration announced that it will release new plans to slash protections for the dwindling greater sage grouse, attempting to satisfy a federal court ruling that blocked its earlier attempt. The Bureau of Land Management's supplemental environmental impact statements covering millions of acres of public land in Colorado, northeastern California, Nevada, Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Wyoming   more

BOISE, Idaho, Feb. 20 -- The Idaho Education Association issued the following news: Veteran teachers in Idaho may be seeing long overdue pay raises if legislation introduced in the House Education Committee can make its way through the legislature in the coming days. Officially title the Advanced Professional Educator Pay bill, it proposes adding $225 million to the existing Career Ladder salary education framework over the next five years, including $30 million in 2020-2021. "This legislation  more

BOISE, Idaho, Feb. 22 -- The Idaho Education Association issued the following news: A new Career Ladder bill was introduced in the House Education Committee this week. HB 523, the Advanced Professional Educator Pay legislation was presented by Gov. Little's Senior Education Advisor, Greg Wilson, and received unanimous approval for printing from the committee. The bill would add $225 million to the Career Ladder over the next five years, including $30 million in 2020-21. It was designed to prov  more

BOISE, Idaho, Feb. 22 -- The Western Watersheds Project issued the following news release: Thursday, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game Commission unanimously approved expanding wolf-killing in Idaho--ignoring 85% of the 27,076 comments it received on the proposed rule changes that urged the Commission not to approve the measures. This follows the Commission's vote at its January 23 meeting to increase wolf tag limits in the state so an individual may now kill up to 30 wolves. "The Commissi  more

BOISE, Idaho, Feb. 20 -- WildEarth Guardians issued the following news release: * * * - Trump administration announced that it will release new plans to slash protections for the dwindling greater sage grouse * * * The Trump administration announced that it will release new plans to slash protections for the dwindling greater sage grouse, attempting to satisfy a federal court ruling that blocked its earlier attempt. The Bureau of Land Management's supplemental environmental impact statement  more