NEWS ROUNDUP


Juneau Wolf May Be Losing Fear of Humans A wolf that began enchanting Mendenhall Lake visitors last June now is drawing too much attention, according to U.S. Forest Service officials. Cold spurts earlier this year froze Mendenhall Lake, formed below the Mendenhall Glacier, one of Juneau's biggest tourist attractions. The ice allowed many residents to get a close look at the wolf. Recently, the wolf has been approaching dogs and following humans.... U.S. Lands Are Fossil Hunting Grounds Private citizens homesteaded the best land long ago. Then the federal government closed off the most beautiful land and made it into parks and preserves, under the National Park Service and the Forest Service. The rest -- much of it windblown badlands, parched desert or other remote corners of nowhere -- went to the Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management. But while BLM's public land may have started out as leftovers that no one else wanted, it has turned out to be prime territory for paleontology -- fossil hunting and the unearthing of dinosaurs and other ancient creatures. "These are barren, eroded areas, with very little soil, so the surface geology is exposed," Mike O'Neill said. "And since it doesn't rain much, the bones don't decompose. They're encased in the rock.".... Tree-thinning budget battle under way President Bush proposes spending $760 million on tree thinning nationwide in the federal budget that takes effect Oct. 1, a substantial increase over the current year. And the debate over how much to spend for thinning already has begun. Some critics say the president's proposal isn't enough. The administration took money from one pocket and put it into another without adding much, according to Sen. Tim Johnson, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.... Group marks 30 years of saving trees In its earliest days, the Oregon Natural Resources Council was a local environmental group based in a Eugene bungalow, trying to protect the most beautiful parts of Oregon's national forests from logging through wilderness legislation. Then it switched gears, becoming a key player in the Northwest timber wars. The group moved into federal courtrooms to stop logging on ecological grounds, arguing that old-growth forests were critical habitat for threatened species such as the northern spotted owl and salmon.... Governor's office behind flip-flop on risky logging road Alaska environmental regulators lifted their staunch opposition to a proposed logging road in Southeast -- one that could contaminate public drinking water -- after the governor's office encouraged officials to rethink their position. The timber-access road would cut across two public drinking water sources near Saltery Cove, on the east side of Prince of Wales Island, near Ketchikan. The Forest Service proposed the road as part of a federal timber sale, called Cholmondeley. About 10 million board feet of spruce, hemlock and cedar would be cut from the Saltery Cove watershed within the Tongass National Forest.... Feds attempt to pull rare trout from brink The U.S. Forest Service is backing a plan designed to ensure the survival of one of the world's rarest trout species. Robert Vaught, supervisor of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, has released an environmental analysis of the plan to restore the Paiute cutthroat trout to its native habitat in the Sierra Nevada near Markleeville.... Column: More Tongass fairy tales The Seattle Times and the Anchorage Daily News cite an Alaska Department of Labor report claiming market conditions shut down Alaska's pulp mills. That's a fairy tale. What shut them down is explained in a U.S. Court of Claims record: Alaska Pulp Company v. United States, No. 95-153C. Recognizing a dozen years ago that the northwest timber economy was changing, pulp mill owners sought to move to new products. Sitka's Alaska Pulp Company asked the Clinton Administration to modify its 50-year timber contract so that it could switch to medium-density fiberboard. The Clinton response was to cancel APC's contract. APC sued and the court has ruled twice for the mill owners. It appears that after 11 years, U.S. taxpayers are going to cough up $200 million to pay for the Clinton Administration's mismanagement.... Native American advocates oppose snowmaking plan at Snowbowl Some Native American advocates are calling on U.S. Forest Service officials to reverse their support for snowmaking plans at the Arizona Snowbowl. "We as indigenous people will not tolerate further desecration of our sacred peaks," said Havasupai Tribe Cultural Director Rowland Manakaja during a news conference Friday in the Flagstaff City Council chambers.... Wilderness group lists top 10 endangered California wildlands A plan to triple logging in 11.5 million acres of Sierra Nevada national forests has landed the area atop an environmental group's new list of the 10 most threatened wild places in California. As it has each of the three years it has produced the list, the California Wilderness Coalition accused the Bush administration of targeting the state's natural resources, a charge denied by a U.S. Forest Service official.... Park Service working with Babbitt Ranches to expand Wupatki monument And the little publicized expansion potential remains on the table for Babbitt Ranches, which currently owns the land the National Park Service covets for the ancient Indian cultural site. Babbitt Ranches President Bill Cordasco said that the Park Service and the Flagstaff-based ranching company are having ongoing conversations about how to make the land exchange happen. The Park Service has identified 2,500 acres of the ranch land -- in what's known as the COBar Ranch -- that it initially would like to bring into the monument's boundaries. The monument currently boasts 42,000 acres.... Column: Radical change on the range At a recent get-together of 435 members of the Quivira Coalition in Albuquerque, I visited the future of the grasslands. In a dark bar, I even met the rancher's worst nightmare: a Buddhist vegetarian. Of course, ranchers love to cuss ignorant environmentalists who don't know anything about cows. And environmentalists love to curse stupid ranchers whose cows leave manure in the creek. For 20 years, I've been both a rancher and an environmentalist, and sometimes I've been embarrassed by my company.... Wolf accord is close Rep. Mike Baker, the Thermopolis farmer and committee chairman who had crafted much of the state's wolf-management plan in last year's session, asked Williams to repeat the federal government's latest offer to make certain there was no misunderstanding. A compromise was forged: Wyoming's plan would no longer allow wolves to be shot on sight in areas away from Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks and adjacent wilderness areas - the chief sticking point. Regulated hunting would have to be in force statewide (except in the parks, where the wolves will remain protected). The federal government would back away from its stance that 15 wolf packs be maintained in the state, that 10 breeding pairs would be sufficient. Williams also said the state could make its own determination of the definition of a pack.... Hunters push forward with rights amendment Long one of the most powerful voting blocks in the state, hunters in Pennsylvania are moving forward with a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would guarantee the "right of the people to hunt and fish." Hunters say the amendment, which is similar to laws and constitutional amendments enacted in 11 other states in recent years, would protect their sport from what they say are attacks by animal-rights advocates and other groups that advocate hunting restrictions.... Cows, Critters Make Good Company Fairy shrimp, the rare tiger salamander, the solitary bee--rare critters that live in seasonal rainwater pools in California's grasslands--may actually benefit from having large, heavy-footed cattle grazing around their habitat. Several biologists looking closely at what happens in these vernal pools say the diversity of the ephemeral fauna and flora in the water increases when cows keep weedy non-native grasses under control.... Official: Bill may hinder GF&P The law-enforcement coordinator for the state Game, Fish & Parks Department said Sunday that a bill approved last week by the South Dakota House has the potential to wreck his agency's ability to enforce wildlife laws on private land. But supporters argue that it simply gives landowners the property rights they deserve.... Column: When animals stalk humans, hunters should shoot back He might have a point. Wildlife officials estimate that today there are 4,000 to 6,000 cougars in California, a tenfold increase since hunting them in that state was stopped in the early 1970s. Not only are lion sightings up dramatically, but lion attacks on livestock, pets and humans have risen sharply. An average of one human has been attacked per year since 1990; three have died. Might an open season on mountain lions help prevent such awful encounters? A key reason for reintroducing regulated hunting is that it would reinstill in predators a fear of humans. That's a fear they clearly have lost if they've gotten to the point of seeing people as prey, or at least as non-competitors in the food chain. California mountain lions — also called cougars, pumas and panthers — have been off-limits to hunters since 1971, when a plunging cat population led then-governor Ronald Reagan to sign a moratorium. In 1990, after a lengthy media campaign pitting animal-rights activists against hunter-conservationists, California voters passed Proposition 117, the California Wildlife Protection Act, which permanently banned lion hunting.... State's grizzly decline coincides with Gold Rush THE GRIZZLY BEAR had lived in California for a million years, then in a matter of some 60 years it was gone, says Susan Snyder in her book "Bear in Mind: The California Grizzly." Snyder has put together a mind-boggling collection of grizzly bear stories and colorful illustrations using the resources of the Bancroft Library at UC Berkeley, where she is the head of Access Services. The book traces the grizzly from its first encounter with humans to its last moments in California.... Lions on the rise in Flathead Valley area Populations of mountain lions and wolves are growing rapidly again in the Flathead Valley, and problems with people are sure to follow, two wildlife officials say. "We haven't had any serious incidents yet," said John Fraley, "but we've had some phone calls." Hunters bagged record numbers in the past season, indicating big populations of deer and elk, the main food supply for the predators. That means the well-fed predators probably produced lots of little predators, who now are looking for food.... FWP explores issues around bison hunt Montanans will get a chance to speak out on issues revolving around what is expected to be a controversial bison hunting season on animals that migrate out of Yellowstone National Park. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is seeking feedback on what it calls "all bison-related hunting issues" as it formulates a plan for a season that might be ready to go next fall or winter. Such a hunt was authorized by the 2003 Legislature in passing SB395. FWP, in a press release announcing the comment period, states, "The intent of the law authorizing the hunt is to allow Montana hunters to harvest wild, free-roaming bison under fair chase conditions and to reduce damage to private property by altering bison behavior and distribution.".... Experts say feral hogs pose mounting threat Feral hogs — those once domesticated creatures that have returned to the wild — are an ever-increasing nuisance to county residents who find their property destroyed, trash cans ravished and lawns irreparably mauled. A hassle for homeowners, feral hogs can be devastating to small farmers and ranchers; the omnivorous creatures eat almost anything and can destroy crops and livestock, preferring kid goats and lambs.... A Cause That's Catching On With an election looming, Bush is looking to shore up support and doubtless views the nation's 40 million hunters and anglers as a crowd worth courting. Range believes his two-year-old organization for the first time brings a unified, nonpartisan voice on environmental matters to the table. He has wooed prime movers in the outdoors world to sign on as TRCP partners with considerable success. Member organizations now represent some 51/2 million outdoorsmen and women and TRCP directors include former Secretary of State James Baker; Tom Bedell, CEO of Prime Fishing, the nation's biggest tackle manufacturer; Charles Gauvin, head of Trout Unlimited; Dean Kessel, general manager of ESPN Outdoors and Rollin Sparrowe, head of the Wildlife Management Institute. Start-up funds came from the deep pockets of the Pew Charitable Trust and Ted Turner Foundations.... Editorial: Grazing plan is unbalanced A decade ago, ranchers and environmentalists forged an important compromise to restore the ecological health of federal lands while still allowing livestock to graze on government property. Now, a new Bush administration initiative could upset the delicate political and environmental balance struck by that compromise.... Guinn asks Congress for funding to round up wild horses in Nevada Gov. Kenny Guinn is pressing Congress for funding to thin wild horse herds in Nevada, saying their large numbers endanger the state's wildlife and ranching. The Republican governor made the request in a letter sent Friday to Sen. Conrad Burns and Rep. Charles Taylor, chairmen of the Interior appropriations subcommittees in their respective houses. In November, Guinn asked the Bureau of Land Management to remove 6,000 wild horses from Nevada ranges by July. Nevada is home to more than 18,000 wild horses and burros.... House members urge Interior to defer oil lease plan Opposition to the Bush administration's plan to offer new oil and gas leases on Utah's wild lands got a congressional boost this week. On Friday, 104 members of the House sent a letter to Interior Secretary Gale Norton urging her to defer oil and gas leasing in areas proposed for wilderness. The BLM's Utah office plans Wednesday to auction off 81,000 acres of public lands in Utah for oil and gas leasing. About 6 percent of those lands are former "wilderness inventory areas" that the agency identified for possible wilderness protection during the Clinton administration.... Makers of two SUVs to go green Can the SUV, the bane of environmental advocates, be reinvented as a green machine? This year, Ford and Toyota plan to sell the first two hybrid sport utility vehicles. With carlike mileage expected, the advent of the hybrid SUV may change the uniformly visceral antipathy to sport utility vehicles among the eco-set, even if automakers are unlikely to sell enough to significantly reduce fuel consumption or pollution any time soon.... Editorial: A water trust for streams and farms A better, user-friendly approach, using the same tools is through the Washington Water Trust, a nonprofit modeled after an Oregon program. Using money from the Bonneville Power Administration, Ecology and private sources, the trust pays people for the use of their water, and puts it into a state water trust program, run by Ecology. Farmers may have water rights they are not using for a set period of time, or excess water from a change of use or irrigation efficiencies. The trust works quietly and confidentially, but the process eventually involves Ecology, the holder of all water for Washington citizens. After initial anxiety, there is confidence the water rights will be safe.... Water now on list of items you can purchase online A new Internet-based service aims to streamline the growing trend of Western water marketing by hosting a forum for people who need water and those who have a surplus. A water marketing trade publication sponsors the Web-based service, which already includes one ad from the Southern California desert offering enough water to satiate nearly 20,000 households.... Tribe issues water warning Tribal water rights in North Kitsap could trump all residential water rights in the region, leaving some areas without a future supply of water, a Suquamish tribal official has warned. Art Schick, water resources planner for the Suquamish Tribe, issued a blunt warning last week to the Kitsap County commissioners about the tribe's powerful role in deciding who gets water. "The tribe does not have an immediate plan to sue anybody or shut off anybody's water," Schick told The Sun, "but we can see this train wreck coming, and we'd like to avoid it.".... Senator Wayne Allard: Watered-down water rights? The greatest environmentalist ever to live in the White House, President Theodore Roosevelt, in May of 1908 gathered representatives from all the states for an ambitious, first-of-its-kind conference "to consider the question of the conservation and use of the great fundamental sources of wealth of this Nation." Roosevelt understood that state and local governments play an essential role in protecting the environment. Appropriately, he reached out to recruit participation of the states in order to determine the progressive future of America's environmental policies. Almost a century later, there is a case - heard recently by the U.S. Supreme Court - that will decide whether the role of government that Roosevelt envisioned for the nation will stand. At issue in South Florida Water Management District v. The Miccosukee Tribe of Indians is the very existence of the current water management system used at state and local levels across the country. The sanctity of state and local control over water-use determinations is at stake.... PETA Has Beef With Town of Slaughterville Residents of this central Oklahoma community have a beef over an animal rights group's attempt to raise awareness of animal abuse. Slaughterville administrator Marsha Blair received a letter from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, urging the town to change its name from Slaughterville to Veggieville....