Casper Star-Tribune from Casper, Wyoming • 15

star Wyoming Bl Thursday, August 11,1 988 Star-Tribune, Casper, Wyo. it l. mi campground Fire nears Yellowstone WWF backs feds' 'let-it-burn' policy YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK (AP) Fire managers in Yellowstone National Park were counting on drops of fire retardant and 700-gallon buckets of water Wednesday to keep a blaze from scorching a campground in the park's western section. Park officials said visitors to the 288-space Madison Junction campground may have to go elsewhere if a finger of flame from the North Fork fire gets much closer to the area. Spokesman Joan Anzelmo said winds that might to push the fire in a direction twoard Madison didn't materialize Wednesday afternoon.

Instead, winds developed that pushed the fire back on itself, fire managers said. The is located about one-half mile west of Firehole Canyon Drive and about 3 miles from the campground. The North Fork fire is one of several blazes still burning on about 191 acres of the park, or about 9 percent of the total park acreage. Anzelmo said it was impossible to say for sure whether the campground might have to be closed. "It's too hard to predict.

It depends entirely on what the fire does Katharine CollinsSiar-Tnbune Firefighters from a Montana Blackfoot Indian reservation near Glacier National Park take a break from piling slash in Yellowstone National Park. Rest for the weary Development of policy that will aid oil producers unlikely, Sullivan says Fremont treasurer retires, resigns LANDER The Fremont County Board of Commissioners Tuesday accepted Fremont County Treasurer Lew Lee's resignation. Lee, who will turn 70 on his next birthday, said "1 just think it's time to retire." Lee said that a routine audit is currently underway. If he waited to retire later as previously planned, the audit would have to be conducted again at additional county expense, he said. Lee said he served as deputy county treasurer for 12 years before he was elected as a Republican to the County Treasurer's position which he has held for eight years.

He was re-elected during the November, 1986 election. Lee's resignation is effective October 1 House OKs funding for water centers CHEYENNE (AP) The U.S. House of Representatives has voted to continue federal support for the nation's water research centers, including one in Wyoming. The legislation was introduced by Rep. Dick Cheney, and George Miller, D-Calif.

For the past 24 years, Congress has supported water research in each state and territory. Monday's vote continued that support, which was about to expire, for another five years. The Wyoming program usually receives more than $100,000 a year in federal support, which must be matched by non-federal sources. The centers do research on new technology for resolving water resource problems. They also train scientists and engineers in water-related fields and help educate Americans about water research.

Sullivan wants Teton orchestra flap resolved CHEYENNE (AP)-Gov. Mike Sullivan is urging Wyoming musicians to show some hospitality and resolve the dispute over plans to bring the New York Philharmonic Orchestra to the Grand Teton Music Festival next summer. Sullivan said Tuesday in a release that he thinks Wyoming is big enough to accommodate both orchestras. "Nobody is trying to diminish the festival as one of our premier cultural attractions, and I'm disappointed that anybody thinks this invitation detracts from it," he said. Twenty-nine of the festival's musicians signed a letter published in the Sunday Casper Star-Tribune that said they are "concerned" about the proposal to bring the New York orchestra to Wyoming.

Buffalo Bill 14 feet lower than last year CODY The Buffalo Bill Reservoir, dropping about seven-tenths of a foot per day, is 14 feet lower than this time last year, according to Ed Norlin of the Shoshone-Heart Mountain Irrigation District. Last week inflows at the reservoir were down under 400 cubic feet per second, compared to about 1,200 to 1,400 during a normal year, according to Norlin. No measurable precipitation was reported in the area during the last two weeks of July, he said. Norlin said irrigation districts using Shoshone River water are still planning to shut down the system 10 days early in order to conserve water for the first early water flow of 1989. The final decision on the early turn-off date will be made the last week of August or the first week of September, he said.

Norlin said the irrigation districts are waiting for input from Western Sugar officials "so they'll know how to schedule the irrigation of the beets before harvest begins." By SCOTT FARRIS Star-Tribune capital bureau CHEYENNE Gov. Mike Sullivan Wednesday said he doubts a national energy policy will be developed that will greatly benefit oil producers, but one that could assist Wyoming natural gas and uranium producers. Sullivan, just back from a meeting of the National Governors' Association and a meeting with Democratic presidential nominee Michael Dukakis, said the leaders of many Eastern states are still opposed to any government effort to boost the price of oil. The chief consensus among the governors, Sullivan said, is that an energy policy ought to be developed to help maintain a clean environment. Such a policy could benefit Wyoming uranium producers if the nuclear power industry is revitalized and Wyoming natural gas producers as consumers turn to cleaner burning fuels, Sullivan said.

It is doubtful oil producers will years of the Reagan administration, nor has he found Bush making energy a top priority in his campaign. "We have to have a long-term national energy policy," Sullivan said. Sullivan Wednesday also called on the Legislature to enact comprehensive solid waste management legislation that is "strong, enforceable and realistic." Responding to a recent proposal from a private business to haul garbage from the East Coast for dumping in abandoned Wyoming coal mines, Sullivan said, "Nobody wants Wyoming to become a dumping ground." There is no way for Wyoming to avoid the problem of solid waste disposal, Sullivan said, because Wyoming also produces its share of garbage and waste. He said the state must establish guidelines on how waste products in Wyoming are handled, and to ensure that dump sites that are established are properly regulated both while in operation and when they are abandoned. Sweetwater treasurer candidates laud, criticize county assessor during forum see federal government action to raise prices, Sullivan said.

Even an oil import fee will not increase oil prices "overnight," Sullivan said. Still, Sullivan said leaders of non-energy-producing states are showing a "growing understanding" of the importance of a national energy policy. Sullivan said he told the governors "cheaper isn't always better" in energy, noting that growing American dependance on foreign oil could increasingly draw the United States into foreign policy conflicts, such as those in the Persian Gulf. Sullivan, a Democrat, said he is confident an energy policy will be developed if Dukakis is elected president. A recent discussion with Dukakis and other Western governors showed the Massachusetts governor is sensitive to the West's energy problems, Sullivan said.

Sullivan said he is "not impressed" with Republican presidential nominee Vice President George Bush's efforts to push for a national energy policy during the past seven tion. Opposing her in the primary is former Democratic State Party Chairman Jim Roth, who is now campaign manager for U.S. Senate candidate John Vinich. In response to a question about the ability of the elected treasurer to work with outspoken Sweetwater County Assessor Ann Strand, Peverly said Strand is responsible for any communication problems that exist between the treasurer's office and the assessor's office. "When (Strand was first elected) I went over and offered to cooperate with her in any manner possible, and she just never took me up on it," Peverley said.

"I would certainly hope we could get along better. It is imperative that the offices work together, beginning with the county clerk's office and the recording of deeds, the assessment from the assessor's office, the collecting of taxes from the treasurer's office so that nobody runs out of money." Roth, who worked for many years for a mobile home dealership and served as a deputy-assessor anyone tried to use it in this way." According to the suit filed in Fremont County District Court by Frontier Publishing of which O'Gara is president, Cotherman has failed to make monthly payments of $650 since January. Because of the alleged default, the suit claims the entire $53,216 Cotherman still owes on the newspaper is due immediately. Cotherman said only that she will "have a legal response" to the lawsuit in the near future. O'Gara said he and the other members of Frontier Publishing "never discussed" whether the suit might be viewed as tied to political considerations.

"Our problem is we have to protect our investment and the way we have to do that is this way," O'Gara said. "I don't think of this as big news." O'Gara said many businesses in and how containment efforts go, she said. Anzelmo said other fire crews Wednesday continued to hold the upper hand on the Fan Fire in the park's northwestern corner. Some 1,500 firefighters were working from seven spike camps to complete a fire line around the north, east and west flanks of the fire. But some crews likely would be released by day's end Wednesday, Anzelmo said.

She added that a string of cool days has given fire managers hope that they may be close to containing the Fan Fire and other blazes burning in Yellowstone. Also Wednesday, the Wyoming Wildlife Federation issued a position paper supporting federal policy on wildfire management. The organization said critics of the policies have been unfair to National Park Service and Forest Service. The WWF, in a release, said there is no need to change policies that usually allow wildfires to burn unless they threaten structures, private property or human lives and allow for the suppression of the blazes under certain conditions, such as this year's extremely dry weather. "People who have been using terms like 'waste' and 'mismanagement' have little understanding of forest ecology or wildfire management," said John Zelazny, WWF conservation programs director.

"Wildfire management policies for wilderness areas and national parks are the result of years of development, so people should not be shocked when these policies are enacted during a dry, fire-prone year." Zelazny said fires usually leave forests healthier and more diverse by clearing old and diseased growth. "Unfortunately, the time cycle for this natural process is too long and at times catastrophic for many people to appreciate," he said. Jim Roseberry, WWF issues vice president, said the fires also deter plant diseases and insect infestations to provide better forage and tree growth. The position statement noted that wildfires must be suppressed when human safety or personal property is threatened. "However, for the majority of naturally occurring wildfires on federally designated wilderness areas and (Park Service) lands in Wyoming and the Northern Rockies, it is WWF's position that those fires should be managed under existing fire policies," it said.

Wyoming fire smoke creates haze in Utah SALT LAKE CITY (AP) Smoke from Wyoming wildfires has created a haze in Utah skies from the Uinta Mountains to Fillmore. A thin layer of smoke was visible along the rim of the Wasatch Front Tuesday, and satellite photos confirmed it was from the Wyoming fires, said William Alder, National Weather Service meteorologist. The smoke was carried in by a somewhat unusual flow of air from the northeast. A small high-pressure pocket formed early Tuesday over northeastern Nevada, prompting the air flow to switch to the northeast, which is rare for Utah in the summer, Alder said. Utah usually has a south or southwest flow this time of year, he said.

By KATHARINE COLLINS Southwestern Wyoming bureau GREEN RIVER Candidates for Sweetwater County treasurer squared off briefly over the county assessor during an otherwise low-key political forum in Green River Monday night. The League of Women Voters organized a debate at the Western Wyoming College Green River Center, where candidates in all contested primary races appeared one county commission seat, one state Senate seat, and the county treasurer seat. Former Deputy-Treasurer Betsy Sue Peverly was appointed Sweetwater treasurer by the county commissioners when treasurer Joe Gatti died in April of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound. Peverly was appointed to fill the position until the 1988 election when the voters would pick a treasurer. Peverley, who has worked in various positions at the courthouse since 1951, has filed for the posi Sullivan named to NGA oversight panel CHEYENNE Gov.

Mike Sullivan has been elected to the nine-member National Governors' Association Executive Committee. Sullivan was chosen by his peers Tuesday to fill one of the three vacancies on the committee, which oversees the work of the NGA. As a committee member, Sullivan said his primary duties will be to supervise the work of the NGA's standing committees and help develop interim policy positions on behalf of the nation's governors during the coming year. Among the other governors serving with Sullivan on the NGA Executive Committee are Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton, Iowa Gov.

Terry Branstad, New Hampshire Gov. John Sununu, Utah Gov. Norman Bangerter, Michigan Gov. James Blanchard and New Jersey Gov. Thomas Kean.

Brochure with Iowa photo to be reprinted CHEYENNE (AP) The Cheyenne Area Visitors Bureau will pay half the cost of reprinting a travel brochure that featured a rodeo picture from Iowa. The rest of the reprinting cost will be paid by Kelly Rizley Advertising, the agency contracted to design and produce the brochure. "These things happen," board Chairman Phil Noble said of the rodeo picture from an Iowa event that took place at least 30 years ago. The new brochure will have a new lead paragraph and some of the interior information on dates of scheduled events will be updated. Keri Borgaard Rizley of the advertising company said the agency is "proud of everything that's been done it was a very fluky, fluky mistake and we are anxious to get on with it." Wyo nurse exam scores top in U.S.

CHEYENNE Wyoming nurses' registered nurse licensing examination scores were the highest in the nation, the state Board of Nursing announced Tuesday. The board received reports from the National Council of Licensure Examinations summarizing the February test performances of 20,361 candidates for registered nursing licenses, and learned Wyoming's nurses ranked first. Senate panel OKs Targhee land bill WASHINGTON (AP) A bill eliminating legislative obstacles to a land trade involving the Grand Targhee ski area was approved Wednesday by a Senate committee and is headed to a vote by the full Senate. The measure already has been approved by the House and if approved in the Senate would need only the president's signature. U.S.

Sen. Malcolm Wallop, said Wednesday he is confident the measure will easily be approved by the ull Senate. The bill allows Grand Targhee owner Mory Bergmeyer to purchase and then exchange private land within, adjacent to or close to the Targhee National Forest for between 240 and 270 acres of U.S. Forest Service property in Wyoming. The Wyoming land is located at the base of the Grand Targhee ski area.

In exchange for the land around the ski resort, the Forest Service would get as many as 700 acres of prime wildlife habitat along the South Fork of the Snake River. 2 inmates escape from Honor Farm RIVERTON Two Wyoming Honor Farm inmates escaped early Wednesday from the minimum-security facility north of here, according to a security official. Honor Farm security official George Puckett identified the two as Michael Strauch, 24, and Todd Lunsford, 20. Strauch is described as 5 feet, 11 inches, 150 pounds and has "blon-dish" color hair and green eyes, Puckett said. He was serving a 3 to 5-year sentence for larceny out of Natrona County, he said.

Lunsford is described as 6 feet, 3 inches tall, 170 pounds and has brown hair and hazel eyes, Puckett said. He was serving a 3 to 10-year sentence for larceny out of Sweetwater County, he said. The two may be traveling in a 1982 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 which is white with gold stripes and bearing Wyoming license plate 10-9766, according to Puckett. He asked that anyone seeing the men or the car contact law enforcement authorities. under Strand until he joined the Vinich campaign last May, said his relationship with Strand is unique.

She worked for him when he was on the Western Wyoming College board and she was a grants writer for the college, he later worked for her, and they have been colleagues at the Legislature. Roth agreed "there are some communication problems in the courthouse" but not just between the treasurer's office and the assessor's office. He said there is a need for discussion among county commissioners, the treasurer, the county clerk and the assessor in order to conduct the county's business more smoothly. "There seems to be some concern about peoples' ability to work with Mrs. Strand, charming devil that she is of the brightest people I've ever come across I don't think there's a problem there if people will just be forward and address the issues look for solutions and not be so concerned about who gets the damn credit." Wyoming are facing tough economic times and the lawsuit "is no indication of some flaw" in Cotherman.

O'Gara said he and the other previous owners of the Dubois Frontier hope the suit can still be settled out of court. Cotherman purchased the newspaper in 1987 amid controversy over how she raised her $30,000 down payment for the purchase. Cotherman had retired in order to withdraw her state retirement and unused leave benefits, but was then rehired a few days later by Simons. State personnel officials said Cotherman's actions were entirely legal, but the Legislature then changed state law so that retired or terminated state employees will now have to reimburse the state for any accrued benefits received if the employee is rehired within 30 days. Cotherman sued for not making payments By SCOTT FARRIS Star-Tribune capital bureau and BONNY KIER Star-Tribune correspondent CHEYENNE Deputy State Supt.

of Public Instruction Audrey Cotherman has been sued for allegedly failing to keep up her payments on a Dubois newspaper she purchased last year. Cotherman Tuesday said she "definitely" believes the suit is politically motivated because one of the plaintiffs, Geoff O'Gara, is affiliated with a campaign vying with Cotherman's boss, State Supt. of Public Instruction Lynn Simons, for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate. O'Gara, employed part-time as press secretary for Democratic U.S.

Senate candidate John Vinich, said it was "unfortunate" Cotherman viewed the suit as a political attack, adding he would be "dismayed if.