Insects gone, fish struggling around Banff

BANFF, Alberta - Alarmed anglers are reporting a collapse in the insect population in the Bow River, which in turn has resulted in fish becoming sick and starving to death.

Brown trout and mountain whitefish are reported to be "skinny, unhealthy and lethargic," while many have died. Surveys have found spawning numbers down 70 percent. Bird counts are also down, reports the Rocky Mountain Outlook.

Over-fishing and changes in water chemistry as a result of upgrades to sewage treatment plants are theorized, but the stronger evidence for this dramatic decline in stoneflies and mayflies points to a 1999 mudslide near Banff.

The silt subsequently smothered insect food and killed off eggs laid by adult insects.



Hotel height at issue in Idaho

KETCHUM, Idaho - Another battle about height is expected in a downtown project in Ketchum.

There, a developer previously spent two years getting approval of his plan to redevelop a motel, the Bald Mountain Lodge. The land occupies one city block, and the developer, Bruce Barsotti, received permission to build an 80-room hotel.

The building was to have been 47 feet tall, 7 feet more than the city's existing height limitation. But unable to find enough investors to make the $40 million project work, he has sold the property to a new firm composed of the principles of two Seattle-area construction companies.

The principals in one of those firms, Steve Burnstead, told the Idaho Mountain Express that his ownership group wants to build a "four-plus star hotel" with 60 hotel units underwritten by 10 to 20 condominium units, most likely perched atop the project.

Ketchum Mayor Ed Simon said he doubts the public would support a four-story hotel, although he believes the city needs to give hotel developers more flexibility.

If Ketchum does bend to the wishes of developers, it will certainly be following a clear tend line established in Aspen, Vail and Mountain Village in Telluride.



Vail, Colorado