Imperiled Sage-Grouse Now Confronted by Weakened Forest Plans

WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 5, 2018) — Proposed changes to the U.S. Forest Service’s 2015 conservation plans for the greater sage-grouse could further imperil the iconic bird. The National Wildlife Federation, which has led efforts to safeguard the greater sage-grouse and its habitat across the West, urged the agency to reconsider its approach.

“Westerners stood together and told Washington to work to conserve the sage-grouse. The U.S. Forest Service should heed these calls and rethink weakening its conservation plans,” said Tracy Stone-Manning, associate vice president of public lands for the National Wildlife Federation. “The changes the agency is proposing are less drastic than the Department of Interior’s, but they are still worrisome for the future of the species. The federal government should honor the deal it made with the West and give the plans a chance to work.”

The U.S. Forest Service will be taking comments on the draft revisions for 90 days. To read more information and comment on the plans go to the US Forest Service site: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r4/home/?cid=stelprd3843381

Visit the National Wildlife Federation Media Center at NWF.org/News.

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The National Wildlife Federation is America's largest conservation organization uniting all Americans to ensure wildlife thrive in a rapidly-changing world. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.+================

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October 5th Marks the First Snowfall of the 2018-19 Season!

Sometime late Thursday night into Friday Morning, Mother Nature finally let out a cool enough breath to turn rain into snow!  We woke up to a winter wonderland at the resort today and it couldn't have gotten us more stoked for the season!!

We don't expect this dusting of snow to stick around for very long but after a hot, long and dry summer in Utah, we're glad to finally see some signs of winter.  To all of our eager Bone Zone patrons, don't head on up to the resort just yet!  We'll let you know when there is enough snow to get the pre-season started.

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Better Business Bureau serving Northern Nevada and Utah is hosting its first ever Utah Student Video Contest! Starting October 8th, registered students will have the opportunity to create, direct, and upload short videos about why it’s important to “Start with Trust.”

In this contest, students compete based on the quality of video production, delivery of the theme and key messages, and successful promotion and marketing of the videos.

Once the students submit the videos, initial entries will be judged on their ability to follow the contest guidelines.

Once the contest ends October 24th, a panel of judges, will grade and give feedback on the students' video. Students will be judged on their ability to market and increase likes and views. This panel of judges will consist of BBB Accredited Business representatives and other community members.

Winners of the contest will receive a prize and video equipment donated to their school!

The public is welcome to vote for their favorite video by going to https://bbbsvc-prod.platypuslocal.com/utah/videos/ Voting starts October 29th and goes until November 11th.

The contest will be expanding next year to include all of Utah and Northern Nevada. Watch for it at your school!

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For more than 100 years, the Better Business Bureau has been helping people find businesses, brands, and charities they can trust. In 2017, people turned to BBB more than 160 million times for BBB Business Profiles on more than 5.2 million businesses and Charity Reports on 11,000 charities, all available for free at bbb.org. There are local, independent BBBs across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, including BBB Serving Northern Nevada and Utah.

Media Contacts:

Whitley Ray, PR and Marketing Specialist, 801-506-1057, wray@mw.bbb.org.

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Would You Give Up Your Pets, Phone

And Cable For Financial Freedom?

A recent Pew study found that 46 percent of Americans spend more money than they make every month.

Although many consider ways to save in their monthly budget, cutting spending on certain items is often another story because sacrifice can be painful.

How far are you willing to go to get ahead financially? Has something you deemed a necessity actually been a money-draining luxury – like cable TV or a smartphone? Hard as it may seem to live without some monthly comforts, Daniel Ameduri says that kind of rigid discipline can prove rewarding long-term – especially to millennials and younger generations planning toward their financial future.

“Let’s face it, the economy has changed, and the pension system and conventional retirement are in the past,” says Ameduri (www.futuremoneytrends.com), co-founder of the Future Money Trends newsletter. “If you really want to get ahead or make the choice to become wealthy, it will require you to do things that are not normal.

“It starts with sacrifice in your personal finance life, and ideas that might seem drastic are ways to save real money. Some common-sense ideas you see everywhere don’t go far enough to helping you really get ahead.”

Ameduri lists five admittedly extreme yet effective ways to save money every month:

• Get rid of your smartphone. “I know, that’s like asking people to get rid of a body part,” Ameduri says, “but ditching your phone can be a big cost-saver if you really want to save money. There’s the high cost of the phones plus a basic cell phone plan; the latter would rid you of $500 or more a year.”
• Sell your TV and cancel the cable bill. “Who doesn’t pay too much for cable, or cable and internet in the same package?” says Ameduri. “Most basic set-ups are $80 a month – that’s nearly $1,000 a year, minimum, to save. Replace the cable bill with Netflix and Hulu, or search around for what you want to watch on YouTube.”
• Drive an inexpensive car with great gas mileage. Ameduri says one of the worst mistakes people make is having a car payment, which is usually, next to mortgage or rent, the highest monthly expense. “Your life is too short to be making payments for something that depreciates daily and costs so much per month,” Ameduri says. “Pride in the coolness of a car shouldn’t be a factor, but gas mileage should be the top priority.”
• Get rid of your pet. Ameduri looks at our furry friends as a huge and unnecessary expense. “I saw a recent study that showed the average dog costing anywhere from $100 to $200 a month!” he says. “That’s $1,200 a year on the low end. I know pets can add value to your life, but if you are looking to get ahead early in life, get rid of your dog, cat, aquarium, etc.”
• Stop eating meat. Meat can eat up much of a food budget and Ameduri says there are smarter alternatives for main courses. “It’s overpriced and it really isn’t that healthy for you anyway,” Ameduri says. “Instead, eat beans and raw nuts for your protein. Think of all the money you will save by grilling vegetables and eating salads.”

“Some sacrifices may seem difficult early on,” Ameduri says, “but when you don’t feel the monthly pinch of financial pain anymore, they’re definitely worth it.

About Daniel Ameduri

Daniel Ameduri (www.FutureMoneyTrends.com) is co-founder of the Future Money Trends newsletter, an authority for financial freedom and economic research in commodities, cryptocurrencies, personal finance and income ideas. A self-made multi-millionaire, Ameduri also has a YouTube channel, VisionVictory, that has received 10 million video views. He’s also been featured in The Wall Street Journal and ABC World News.