NEWS ROUNDUP

Cattle Battle Continues in New Mexico Kit Laney's family has been ranching in the Gila National Forest in southwestern New Mexico since 1883, but the Laney family lifestyle could all come to an end with the U.S. Forest Service threatening to impound and move Laney's cattle. Eighty-five percent of Laney’s range is considered federal land, and he has so far refused to remove his 300 head of cattle, which the Forest Service says are trespassing. However, based on the fact that his family was ranching on these grounds before the Forest Service even existed, Laney is fighting the 1997 court order that ordered him off his Diamond Bar Ranch, now sitting inside the national forest and protected from use under federal law.... Senators urged to fight energy bill The mayor of Great Falls joined outfitters, ranchers, housewives and about 50 others Wednesday, calling on Montana's senators to reject a proposed federal energy bill. The group, primarily from communities along the Rocky Mountain Front, fired off a letter to the senators, saying the proposed energy bill would sacrifice Montana's wild heritage of ranching, hunting and fishing in the name of corporate profits. "As property owners, hunters, anglers, and conservationists, we respect the Front's working, agricultural heritage and its world-class wildlife populations," they wrote. "The Front is a showcase for how Montanans are working together to care for the land and create a robust economy.".... Governors pass Guinn resolution Gov. Kenny Guinn applauded the decision Tuesday by the Western Governors Association to unanimously pass a resolution to support the sage grouse conservation plan developed by the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Forest Service.... Save the Peaks effort draws 200 A crowd of approximately 200 gathered to listen to tribal representatives assert a message that they’ve repeated again and again ever since the first ski lodge was erected on the San Francisco Peaks approximately five decades ago. The message to the Forest Service is clear—the Peaks are sacred and economic interests of a handful of investors cannot outweigh the spiritual and cultural interests of 13 Arizona tribes.... Grand Teton turns 75, still leaving tourists and locals in awe As early as 1897, Col. S.B.M. Young, Yellowstone's acting superintendent, proposed expanding Yellowstone's boundaries south to encompass portions of northern Jackson Hole. The proposal drew little interest from Congress or the Interior Department. Mather and Albright began working with Wyoming's congressional delegation to make that happen. Congressman Frank Mondell offered a bill in 1918, and a year later the House unanimously approved a revised version. However, the bill died in the Senate after Idaho Sen. John Nugent worried that expanding Yellowstone would trump sheep grazing. Sheep ranchers weren't alone in their opposition. Ranchers worried about losing grazing privileges. Forest Service employees feared losing management authority. Dude ranchers opposed improved roads, new hotels and competition from concessioners.... Public Lands meet in Washington D.C. Members of Nevada's Legislative Committee on Public Lands will travel to Washington, D.C., today and Thursday for an information tour. Committee members, led by Sen. Dean Rhoads, R-Tuscarora, will discuss public lands issues of importance to Nevada. On the packed agenda are issues like the proposed listing of the sage grouse as an endangered species; fire suppression policies of the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service; mining and grazing regulations; efforts to combat noxious weeds and invasive species; policies on wild horses and burros; and the impacts of proposed federal legislation and rulemaking on Nevada's public lands.... San Carlos considers signing memorandum The San Carlos Apache Reservation is considering joining the new management program for the Blue Range Mexican Wolf Reintroduction Program. Arizona Game and Fish Department Nongame Chief Terry Johnson said during a Thursday interview that the reservation is considering joining the Adaptive Management Work Group. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Field Coordinator John Oakleaf attended the Jan. 28 meeting and gave a confirmed depredation count of 63 since the reintroduction project began. This number was challenged by Laura Schneberger of the New Mexico Cattle Grower's Association who listed 240 depredations. Her count is much larger than Oakleaf's because the numbers are unconfirmed by the field team. The field team must be notified immediately after a potential wolf attack to confirm the death. Ranchers such as Schneberger and Greenlee County's Daisy Mae Cannon said that more time needs to be given to contact the team after a potential depredation.... Editorial: Denver potential loser in South Platte plan But that's not all. The board would kick in $1 million toward an "endowment" to fund improvements along the river; guarantee minimum and maximum stream flows for the protection of trout fishing; accept a permanent ban on new projects in Eleven Mile and Cheesman canyons, and create two organizations to monitor streamflow management and any proposed water projects. Considering Colorado's recent water woes, that's quite a sacrifice. What might the water board be getting in return? A promise from the U.S. Forest Service and certain environmental groups not to ask for "wild and scenic" designation along 72 miles of the river between Eleven Mile Reservoir and Waterton Canyon. Such designation would stop all development there and prevent the water board from creating any more storage. What kind of deal is that, you might reasonably ask.... Rare frog to spawn a lawsuit Conservationists have put the federal government on notice that they plan to sue for not protecting a rare Southwestern frog on the brink of extinction. Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA) on Monday joined with the Arizona-based conservation group, the Center for Biological Diversity, to file a 60-day notice of intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for not including the relict leopard frog on the threatened and endangered species list.... Real Michigan wolverine spotted for first time in about two centuries A biologist has confirmed the sighting of a real Michigan wolverine, about 200 years after the species was last seen in the state that uses the small but ferocious animal as its unofficial nickname. Coyote hunters spotted a wolverine near Ubly, about 90 miles north of Detroit. Michigan Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologist Arnie Karr saw the forest predator Tuesday and snapped pictures of the animal as it ran out of the woods and across a field.... Farmers and ranchers feel heat for fish kill A Northern California fish kill that went unpunished three years ago has come back to bite the farmers and ranchers who caused it. The listing of coho salmon as an endangered species this month by the Fish and Game Commission means that the same ranchers must now obtain an Incidental Take Permit or be subject to a $10,000 fine for each fish killed. In return for that permit, the Department of Fish and Game can then require any conditions it desires regarding future river diversions and operations on private land to restore the species.... Creeks designated for Santa Ana sucker The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Wednesday it has designated more than 21,000 acres of streams in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties as critical environment for a bottom-feeding fish called the Santa Ana sucker. The designation complied with a judge's order last year in a lawsuit brought by environmental groups that say the freshwater sucker's habitat has decreased because of water diversions and development. They say the species is now found in less than a quarter of its historic range.... Rancher: Wolf Agent 'trespassed' A Meeteetse rancher says the federal official in charge of wolves in Wyoming illegally handled four wolves in his calving pasture recently. Mike Jimenez of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service did not have permission to be on private land when he was discovered with four tranquilized wolves south of Meeteetse on Feb. 14, rancher Randy Kruger said. Larsen Ranch Co. owners say they may ask Park County Attorney Bryan Skoric to file criminal trespass charges against the Fish and Wildlife Service. A ranch stockholder and employee, Kruger said Wednesday he was driving across a pasture off Gooseberry Creek at 3 p.m. Feb. 14 when he "caught two men hiding in the bushes." They were under a high bank by the road, out of sight. "It seemed quite alarming to me," he added. "I stopped to see what they were up to." They had four wolves laid out, tranquilized. Kruger identified the men as Jimenez and Wes Livingston of Cody.... Plan seeks more park visitors The National Park Service and tourism industry officials yesterday announced a campaign to reverse a decline in visitors to America's 388 designated national sites. Born from a new partnership signed by the Travel Industry Association of America (TIAA), the U.S. Department of Interior's National Park Service (NPS) and the National Park Foundation, the "See America's National Parks" campaign is scheduled to begin this spring.... Wild horse advocates protest BLM thinning Wild horse advocates, convinced too many animals are being removed from Nevada ranges, took their message Wednesday to the state Capitol. Despite persistent rain and cold temperatures, 15 placard-carrying demonstrators rallied along Carson Street for two hours. Their key point: Major herd reductions throughout the state threaten the long-term viability of the state’s wild horses.... Green groups back suit by SUWA A virtual Who's Who of environmental groups — plus 14 state governments — are arguing in briefs that federal environmental law would be completely undermined if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns a Utah case now before it. For example, 14 state attorneys general wrote that would mean the Interior Department's "stewardship responsibility over federal lands, including wilderness study areas, are largely immune from federal (court) scrutiny" — no matter how bad a job it might be doing. At issue is a lawsuit by the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance against Interior Secretary Gale Norton contending the Bureau of Land Management is not doing as much as required by law to protect wildernesslike areas in Utah from damage by off-road vehicles. It also says the BLM is not following its own land-use plans.... Northern Cheyenne sue BLM over coalbed methane study The Northern Cheyenne Indian Tribe is suing the federal Bureau of Land Management alleging the agency failed consult with it on cultural resources that may be affected by an expansion of a coalbed methane project near Decker. The tribe said BLM violated consulting requirements in the National Historic Preservation Act and failed to give the tribe a chance to comment on the BLM's review prior to the agency.... Bush wants to drill in Otero Mesa; Gov. Richardson thinks not An unusual coalition of New Mexicans has formed over the oil and grass drilling on Otero Mesa in southern New Mexico. The southern New Mexico mesa was until recently known only to hikers, outdoor enthusiasts and ranchers. Ranchers, hunters and environmentalists are trying to stave off the oil and gas companies eager to gain access to pristine lands such as Otero Mesa. Gov. Bill Richardson attended the forum and received a standing ovation from the 700-plus, statewide crowd when he signed executive order 2004-005. The former Department of Energy secretary had strong reasons for believing Otero Mesa should be protected.... BLM, greens win round in route dispute Three rural Utah counties have lost another court battle in their ongoing campaign to control dirt roads on public lands. U.S. District Judge Tena Campbell on Tuesday denied all substantive motions by the counties while granting those filed by federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA) and the Sierra Club. Campbell ruled that Garfield, Kane and San Juan counties do not have so-called RS 2477 rights to 15 of 16 disputed routes on lands administered by the BLM. The judge also found that the counties violated federal law by grading and re-aligning the routes in 1996 without the BLM's consent.... U.S. House OKs local control of Oregon Dunes land A bill transferring about 69 acres of federal land near the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area to local control won final Congressional approval Tuesday. The House unanimously approved the measure, which is intended to improve access to the dunes and boost public safety. The bill would transfer land along the Oregon coast south of the Umpqua River, near Winchester Bay, from the federal Bureau of Land Management to Douglas County.... Interior Department won't negotiate over trails The Department of Interior has declined to negotiate with Alaska over recognizing historic trails due to disputes over the legality of an earlier agreement with Utah, but Alaska Gov. Frank Murkowski says he doesn't want to wait. Asked if that meant a lawsuit is brewing, Murkowski said "anything's possible." Last year, Murkowski had asked the Interior Department to start negotiating an agreement similar to one the agency had reached with Utah in 2003 concerning historic trails under the federal Revised Statute 2477.... Utah loses a round in battle on N-waste The state lost yet another round in its legal battle to keep high-level nuclear waste out of Utah when a Washington, D.C., federal appeals court ruled Tuesday the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has jurisdiction to license private nuclear waste facilities. Furthermore, the court ruled that even though the Department of Energy would not take over private nuclear storage facilities, nothing in the law or the congressional debates "suggests that Congress intended to prohibit private use of private away-from-reactor facilities." The ruling is one of a litany of setbacks for the state, which has lost on almost every issue it has raised. In this case, the state argued the NRC did not have jurisdiction to license private waste facilities under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act — an argument rejected by the D.C. court.... Residents will be asked to conserve water The city of Casper will begin asking residents next month to voluntarily conserve water and may impose mandatory water restrictions in April. The voluntary restrictions and the possible mandatory limits on water usage result from the ongoing drought and a call likely to be made on the North Platte River to fill the Inland Lakes Reservoir in western Nebraska, Casper Public Utilities Manager David Hill said. The Inland Lakes water rights on the North Platte date back to 1904 and are older than any rights held by the Central Wyoming Regional Water System, Hill said.... Farmers sue state over new fees The California Farm Bureau Federation filed suit Wednesday to block the state from collecting $50 million a year in new fees the Legislature imposed on rural landowners as part of last summer's budget agreement. The suit, filed in Sacramento Superior Court, argues that the fees constitute a tax increase and therefore require a two-thirds vote approval by the Legislature. Officials at the Farm Bureau also argue there is no connection between the cost of the services provided to the landowners and the fees they are being asked to pay -- as required by state law before a fee can be imposed.... Beef recall secrecy fought State health officials said Tuesday they will continue efforts to change a controversial agreement with the federal government so that the California public could be notified immediately of beef recall details. A memorandum of understanding between the state Department of Health Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture prevents public access to the details of the voluntary beef recall made after the nation's first known case of mad cow disease. "We believe that to do our jobs as effectively as possible we need to be able to tell consumers who may have been exposed to the product where the product went," said Jim Waddell, chief of the DHS food and drug branch.... Facing the Bull: The Most Dangerous Eight Seconds in Sports On May 29, 2003, Mike Lee sat atop Chili, a nearly 1,700-pound (772-kilogram) bull at the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association's rodeo in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Lee, just 20 years old, was tense, shaking his neck, and taking deep breaths. His left hand clutched the "bull rope" bound behind the beast's front legs. Chili heaved and snorted and tried to maneuver his body in the tight-fitted, gated steel chute. Surrounding Lee in the arena, the crowd roared, awaiting what some sports commentators consider the most dangerous eight seconds in sports.... Winning rodeos job one for Fords It was more than 30 years ago that two brothers from Colorado first appeared on the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association tour, featuring a hard-spurring, go-for-broke style of bareback riding that got the attention of rodeo fans everywhere. Bruce and Glen Ford, from Greeley, Colo., set a standard in the event that many bareback riders have copied over the years. Bruce went on to win five world titles and earned 19 trips to the National Finals Rodeo. He was later inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. Glen qualified for the 1976 NFR, but failed to win a world championship. Now make way for the next generation of Fords. Royce, Bruce's son, and Heath, Glen's son, are starting to make an impact on the rodeo scene....