Briefs

Ice arena

When the indoor ice arena became a publicly funded project when the Sublette County Commission allocated tax revenues, that meant the public had a say in how it would be managed, commissioners told a group of interested citizens Tuesday.

But there is a division between hockey folks and figure skating folks, with some resentment apparent. The land for the facility was donated with the condition that an indoor hockey rink be constructed, to be used primarily for hockey. But when it came to funding building construction, it was promoted as a multiple-use facility as well. Now the figure skaters, as well as the general skating public, want ice time.

The commission is taking written applications until April 9 for appointments to a five-member committee to operate the facility. The appointments will be made April 19.

Ski meeting

All cross country skiers, everyone interested in free instruction and activities, for school-age children and adults, please come to a Pinedale Ski Education Foundation meeting in the Pinedale Fire Hall at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 25. There will be a presentation about the national Junior Olympics race where three Pinedale seniors competed.

Green River BAG

The Green River Basin Advisory Group is slated to meet at the White Mountain Library in Rock Springs on March 23 at 10 a.m. Topics to be discussed include the Big Sandy Working Group's riparian enhancement project, snow telemetry and current conditions, Wyoming's drought status, an update on the tri-county joint powers water board, water supply in the Colorado River Basin and the endangered fish recovery program. For more information, contact the Wyoming Water Development Commission at 307-777-7626.

Smoking bans

Sublette County Public Health Officer Dr. Tom Johnston noted that recent research indicates that smoking bans have not had negative impacts on restaurant and bar revenues.

Johnston pointed to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that examined the economic effect of smoking bans enacted in El Paso, Texas. The smoke-free air ordinances protect employees and customers from secondhand smoke exposure, which is associated with increased risks for heart disease and lung cancer in adults and respiratory disease in children.

Two years ago, El Paso officials implemented an ordinance banning smoking in all public places and workplaces, including a provision allowing for fines of up to $500 for violations.

State officials have since examined sales tax and malt-beverage tax data and determined that there have been no statistically significant changes in restaurant and bar revenues since the smoking ban took effect.

Hoback Ranches

The Bureau of Land Management has released an environmental assessment to reduce fuels in the Hoback Ranches Community, which was given the federal determination of a community at risk of wildfire. Identified actions needed include reducing fuel loading next to roads and homes within Hoback Ranches, constructing fuel breaks on the borders between federal and private lands, improving the main road in, the Rim Road, and securing access to conduct fuels treatment on federal lands in the area.

The EA examines five alternatives: no action; the proposed alternative of treating 3,726 acres, including some helicopter logging and construction of 11.3 miles of new road; the no helicopter logging alternative; the no new road construction alternative; and the shaded fuel breaks only alternative.

For more information, or to comment on the EA, please contact the Pinedale BLM office.