Western Governors Confront Increased Demand for Water, Energy

The annual conference of the Western Governors’ Association, meeting here to celebrate 100 years of its existence, provides state leaders with an amiable environment in which to discuss extraordinarily thorny problems.

The three-day event is a forum for Western governors to confront the issues common to their region, chiefly the questions of how to accommodate growing populations that demand increasing amounts of water and energy, while maintaining the landscapes and wildlife that are the reasons so many Americans migrate to the West in the first place.

It was also an event, however, punctuated by humor, as when Gov. Brian Schweitzer, introducing Phil Jackson, pretended to know what the storied NBA coach’s next career move would be.

By Dan Testa

Full Story: http://www.flatheadbeacon.com/articles/article/western_governors_confront_increased_demand_for_water_energy/18422/