IN AFTERMATH OF FIRES, MUCH WORK TO BE DONE

posted to AZ Week Notebook by Michael Chihak

How can Arizona get its vast forest lands in shape to prevent a repeat of the devastating fires of nearly a decade ago in the White Mountains and Santa Catalina Mountains, and repeated in an even bigger way this summer in southern, central and northern Arizona?

Friday's Arizona Week broadcast will strive to answer, via interviews with up to five experts in forest management, fire history, forest ecology and the political will to bring together divergent interests.

We will focus on the causes and aftereffects of the Wallow Fire in the White Mountains and the Monument and Horseshoe 2 fires in Southern Arizona, including a look at long-term strategies for preventing such fires in the future.

The program's lineup of experts:

-- Cathleen Thompson, interagency coordinator for the Coronado National Forest Burned Area Emergency Response operation.

-- Rob Griffith, soil scientist with the Coronado National Forest working on post-fire conditioning to minimize erosion.

-- Stephen Pyne, Arizona State University fire historian.

-- Molly Hunter, Northern Arizona University forestry ecologist.

-- Maggie McCaffrey, program manager for the Udall Foundation's U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution.

EXPENSIVE RACES FOR CONGRESS

posted to Political Buzz by Christopher Conover

A new report from the Federal Elections Commission shows that Congressional candidates raised $285.2 million dollars in the first six months of 2011. According to the FEC some Arizona candidates are some of the top fundraisers in the nation.

Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is 32nd in House when it comes to fundraising by incumbents. According to the FEC she raised $683, 964 between January 1 and June 30, 2011. Neither Giffords nor her staff has announced whether or not the Congresswoman will seek reelection in 2012.

In his race for the Senate, Congressman Jeff Flake has a number of top spots when it comes to fundraising. He is ranked 26th among Senate candidates when it comes to receipts. He brought in $ 1,863,591 during the first half of the year. Flake is number 24 when it comes to cash on hand with $2,002,620 in the bank. And he is 19th when it comes to expenses. The Flake campaign spent $488, 822 during the first six months of 2011.

To get a closer look at the campaign expenses of Giffords and Flake you can check out AZPM’s analysis of the numbers.

Other Arizona candidates making the list include Ann Kirkpatrick who is number 36 when it comes to fundraising by Congressional challengers. She brought in $243, 391 during the first half of 2011.

Kirk Adams is 39th amongst Congressional challengers when it comes to fundraising. He brought in $230,525 since declaring his candidacy.

COUNTY CONSIDERING ROSEMONT AIR QUALITY PERMIT

posted to Political Buzz by Andrea Kelly

Rosemont Copper Company hopes to open a copper mine in the Santa Rita Mountains, but one of the hurdles the company must clear is to get an air quality permit from Pima County.

The company has to submit a plan for controlling air pollution in the proposed open pit mine, and the county is reviewing the plan and seeking public comment on it, starting Aug. 30.

But just how much sway does the county have to issue or deny that permit?

Ursula Kramer, director of the Pima County Department of Environmental Quality, says not much. The mine either meets the requirements, and gets a permit, or it doesn't meet them and the permit is denied.

"There’s a set of laws and a set of rules our there that companies have to comply with depending on what type of an air pollution source they are, and if a company comes to us and they demonstrate that they can meet all of the requirements that are applicable to them, then we do have to issue an air quality permit to them. It’s not really a discretionary function,” Kramer said in an interview.

As a matter of disclosure, Rosemont Copper Company is an underwriter of Arizona Public Media.

WILDFIRES: CAN WE AVOID ANOTHER SUMMER LIKE THIS ONE?

posted to AZ Week Notebook by Michael Chihak

Cooperation among disparate and often competing individuals and interests and customized, strategic approaches to forest management are the long-term keys to minimizing undesirable monster wildfires, experts say.

Friday's Arizona Week will include an update on the big fires that swept through huge swaths of northern, eastern and southern Arizona this summer and look at the politics, science and economics behind controlling wildfires.

Not all wildfires are undesirable, and not all will ever be controllable, knowledgeable experts say.

"I think we have to accept that in Arizona, particularly the White Mountains, fire is inevitable," Steve Pyne told Arizona Week in an interview for Friday. Pyne is a wildfire historian and a professor at Arizona State University.

"As long as we keep this as public land and we want to keep it in a quasi-wild state, fire is going to happen," Pyne said.

Besides Pyne, Northern Arizona University forestry Professor Molly E. Hunter will appear on the program. Hunter will discuss a Southwestern forest where rehab work has made a positive difference in minimizing unwanted wildfire damage.

LITTLE ORANGE DRESS

posted to Cue Sheet by James Reel

Pianist Yuja Wang provoked a lot of silly controversy recently when she soloed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl in a short, tight orange dress and stiletto heels. The more conservative observers were shocked that she would dare to appear in an outfit resembling what the majority of today's fit young women in L.A. wear for special occasions. Here's a fairly level-headed analysis of the non-situation.

NEW SEMESTER, NEW INTERNS FOR ARIZONA WEEK

posted to AZ Week Notebook by Michael Chihak

The fall semester at the University of Arizona means, among many other things, new interns for Arizona Week. Here are brief profiles of the two students joining us for the semester. Look for their work on this blog and on the program.

Melanie Huonker, 22, is a senior majoring in journalism with an emphasis in broadcast. She interned at KVOA and KOLD in Tucson and this summer at KFVS in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Melanie is general manager of the university's student TV station, UATV. She sparked an interest for politics while reporting for the Arizona Sonora News Service, interviewing Ruth McClung and Raul Grijalva, running for Arizona's 7th Congressional District seat.

Lucy Valencia, 21, is a senior majoring in journalism. A native of Yuma, Ariz., she previously worked for The Arizona Daily Wildcat as both a general assignment and public safety reporter. Lucy interned for the Tico Times in San Jose, Costa Rica, this summer as part of a UA School of Journalism study abroad program.

Look for Melanie's and Lucy's work on this blog and on Arizona Week Fridays at 8:30 p.m. MST on PBS-HD-6.