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Show .1 4 iiweiuuui A2 Wednesday, January 3, 2007 13 Vprnal Fnrp . . Students receive scholarships from FucanaNQil and Gas EnCana Oil and Gas (USA) Inc. awarded three students scholarships for the Colorado Northwestern Community College Natural Resource Program for the 200607 aca demic year. Tad Moss, Jason Plummer and Jessica Ligrani were chosen to each receive $2,000 for 2006-07. The primary goal of the fund is to assist those persons who have demonstrated the desire, ability and determination to complete an academic program pro-gram in the Natural Resource Department at CNCC. Tad Moss is a freshman majoring in GIS Technology Applications. Jason Plummer is a freshman majoring in Petroleum Process Technology. Jessica Ligrani is a sophomore majoring in Natural Resource Management. "We are pleased to be able to assist these students in then- education. They are part of an important future workforce that will help meet the nation's energy needs," said Doug Hock, spokesperson for EnCana. The scholarship will provide $2,000 per year toward full-time tuition, fees, room and board. (Grants are renewable for a second year upon successful completion of not less than 30 credit hours with a grade point average of at least 3.0.) Jessica Ligrani received an EnCana Scholarship last year and was able to renew it for 2006-07. The College is grateful for the generous support that EnCana is providing. Colorado Northwestern Community College is thrilled to help EnCana make a difference in northwest Colorado. was treated like a king. Jerry Sancliesz didn't think getting bit by a deerfly was a big deal, After all it's a pretty common occurrence in this area, but 2 12 days later he noticed swelling just below his jaw line. A few days after the swelling began, Jerry's wife insisted insist-ed he go to the Emergency Room at Ashley Valley Medical Center. By now, Jerry was gravely ill, and the swelling on his neck had increased significantly. "I've never been so sick in all my life," said Jerry. Dr. Bruce Daniel, liR Physician, called Dave Bestenlehner. Doctor of Pharmacy, and Head of the Pharmacy Department at AVMC to come down to the ER and see Jerry. Dr. Daniel suspected iarerh'ia, a rare and potentially Fatal disease that' 'fespread by tics, Hies, and. infted animals. Dave and Dr. Daniel consulted an infectious disease text to make sure that the correct antibiotic was prescribed once the diagnosis was confirmed. Jerry came in to the hospital as an outpatient for several days to receive IV antibiotics. Each day, Dave spent time with Jerry and his wife explaining the disease process. He wanted to let them know what they should expect and answer any questions they had. The education was very comforting to Jerry. The pharmacy department at AVMC has two Doctors of Pharmacy or Pharm - D's, Dave and Ben, to consult on medications when prescribing for patients and is just another example of the quality of care available at AVMC. Jerry is grateful that Dr. Daniel and Dave recognized his condition and treated him quickly. "I was treated like a king, they were all great," said Jerry, "I think this time they probably saved my life." AVAC I , - c' I AshteyWVaftey Medicd Center I " . - I 'i I 7 i -i I , f "r I j.- t Jt.. 1 1 I it v hi n I f ti W . : l:: y2hd I ''' h i 111 1 t f if - :iy t AMird I f , I - iii . ii riiViffrftii. v Mm Range Creek Exhibit at Utah Field House FieldHouseof Natu- AUb ral History is hosting the Range Creek Archaeological Exhibit from now through August The exhibit showcases some of the artifacts from the Range Creek Archaeological site, located in the Book Cliffs of Carbon and Emery counties. The site was a private ranch owned for several generations by the Wilcox family. Throiioh their stewardship this area has been preserved as an archaeological archaeo-logical treasure, providing a rare, undisturbed look at several sever-al cultural sites and artifacts attributed at-tributed to the Fremont people. Please call the museum for more information at 435-789-3799 or stop by 496 East Main, Vernal. Plans for BLM reorganization raise public concern Plans of the Bureau of Land Management to divert a portion of public lands programs to the National Landscape Conservation Conserva-tion System (NLCS) are yet to be announced but already public pub-lic concerns are raised. BLM spokesperson, Thomas Gorey, said that reorganization plans have been in the works for more than a year but a check of the BLM website found no press releases or public meetings scheduled for this proposal. The NLCS, established in 2000, already manages 26 million mil-lion acres of public land or about 10 percent of the lands administered under the BLM. NLCS oversees significant natural landscapes in western states, particularly in the states of California, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah. The proposed changes in the administrative structure of the BLM and NLCS were announced on Nov. 30, 2006 in a satellite broadcast to agency employees. On Dec. 22, 2006 the US. House of Representatives NLCS Caucus asked that plans to reorganize reor-ganize the BLM be put on hold. Caucus members requested the U.S. Interior Department, BLM Director, Kathleen Clarke, to further examine the initiative to augment public lands administered admin-istered by the NLCS program. Concerns are primarily budgetary budget-ary as the BLM's Conservation System operates on just $2 an acre Additional acreages or responsibilities would place an undue hardship on program administration. ad-ministration. The caucus maintains that the operational structure of the BLM lacks congressional oversight. A statement by Mary Bono, U.S. House of Representatives, Representa-tives, at this point in time "there is no way to track whether funds are spent in support of land and water conservation goals within with-in the Conservation System, or directed to other uses." NLCS Caucus Co-Chairs Rep. Mary Bono (R-CA), Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Rep. James Moran (D-VA), (D-VA), and Rep. Rick Renzi (R-AZ) recommended that the BLM not proceed until Congress is briefed and both the NLCS caucus cau-cus and the public are given an opportunity to comment. Western Caucus chairman, Rep. Chris Cannon (R-UT) sup ports the idea of streamlining the BLM but fears consolidation may compromise the multi-use responsibility of the agency. Congressman Moran said, "In recent years, the Interior De, partment has been less than committed to addressing conj servation issues affecting out national landscapes. Our caucus is concerned that any reorganization reorgani-zation at the department not be used as a pretext to cut funding fund-ing that protects and preserves America's natural treasures Congress, in its oversight role must be briefed on any structure al changes made at BLM." BLM Washington D.C. spokes person Gorey said, "There is nothing sinister about the proposed pro-posed reorganization." Gorey outlined two principal components compo-nents of the proposal: "first, the return to the state-district-field office operational structure and second, the consolidation of basic functions." Consolidated Consoli-dated functions may include the BLM's education and dispute resolution programs. He emphasized em-phasized that there will be no "starving of funding" for the NLCS, despite what has been written elsewhere. aijStUL in Utah, considerable federal lands are managed by the BLM including nearly 2 million mil-lion acres of monument lands, historic trails, wilderness art eas, and wilderness study areas. Heidi Mcintosh, Conservation Director, of the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance organiza tion says, "we share the concerns con-cerns about dumping non-preservation related tasks into the NLCS mission and the diluting effect this will undoubtedly have on that mission. We support the congressional letter." Concerns expressed by the NLCS caucus stressed the importance im-portance of public input on the proposed changes. However, the federal government is under no obligation to provide a comment period on the proposed changes. Gorey told the Vernal Express, "The proposed changes are not directed by regulation, and therefore, do not require a period pe-riod for public comment." In an unexpected turn of events, BLM director Clarke resigned on Thursday, Dec. 28, and has decided to return to her home state of Utah. ; HJ VENIAL Esmtwm (ISSN 0892-1091) Published every Wednesday for $26 per year in the shopping area and $42 per year out out of the shopping area within the state and $46 per year out of state within the USA by the Vernal Express Publishing Company, 54 North Vernal Avenue, Vernal Utah 84078. Periodical postage paid at Vernal, Utah, 84078 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to VERNAL EXPRESS, P.0 Box 1000, Vernal, Utah 84078. Steven R.Wallis....... Editor and Publisher Mary Bernard. Writer Janine Shannon !!!!!!!! Writer Elizabeth Goode... ............ Writer Casey Christensen. Writer Sarah Forsgren . . . . . . . . . Writer Tonya Harmer...:.. .Legals,ObU Classifieds "tty John- Proofreader Jennifer Downard. AdsLayout Heather Crosby... AdsLayout Jacque Hobbs .Advertising Alayna Blackburn. .Advertising Harriet Harding.. 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