Western govs plan joint wildlife strategy

TETON VILLAGE, Wyo., June 30 (UPI) -- Governors from the western United States say they are going to work together to better identify and protect wildlife habitat in the region.

The annual meeting of the Western Governors' Association, featuring governors from 19 states and three territories, resulted in a Sunday vote to create the Western Wildlife Council, which will create a "decision support system" within each state that will work on habitat issues across political and regional boundaries, the Washington Post reported Monday.

Each governor will appoint one state employee to the council to serve as a policy expert. The council will hire a small staff based in Denver. The organization is expected to look at impacts from activities such as mining and drilling in a more comprehensive manner.

"At issue is not whether to grow our communities and economies, but how and where we should grow them," the Wildlife Corridors Initiative report said. "These decisions will not only affect quality of life in our neighborhoods and communities. They will also determine whether the wildlife and landscapes that so characterize the West will persist in the future."