NEWS ROUNDUP

Congressmen Seek to Probe Logging PR Deal Two congressmen want an investigation of whether the U.S. Forest Service illegally hired a public relations firm to promote a plan to cut wildfire danger by increasing logging in Sierra Nevada forests. Democratic Reps. Nick Rahall of West Virginia, on the House Resources Committee, and Jay Inslee of Washington, on the forests subcommittee, noted the contract echoes a similar pact canceled five years ago involving the same Forest Service officials.... Colo. wildfire declared state disaster Gov. Bill Owens Friday declared a 6,000-acre wildfire burning in northern Colorado a disaster, releasing $2.2 million in state funds to fight the blaze. The wildfire, the first major blaze of the season in Colorado, burned a home and a garage Thursday. Two nearby subdivisions have been evacuated as a precaution. Twenty-three homes and 70 outbuildings are threatened.... 37 more lynx to be released Four Canada lynx will be released by state wildlife officials Saturday in the San Juan Mountains near Creede. And before the end of April, an additional 33 will join 78 lynx still believed to be alive in Colorado from the 129 released in 1999, 2000 and 2003, Colorado Division of Wildlife spokesman Todd Malmsbury said Thursday. At least six of the 16 kittens born last year also are known to be alive. Another two may have already left their mothers.... Interior: Missouri River Plan OK The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service signaled Friday it will not stand in the way of barge shipping this summer on the Missouri River. The development is important because the service -- and the courts -- are all that stand between the Army Corps of Engineers and its plan to keep the river at consistent depths, rather than creating a seasonal spring rise and low summer flow to benefit endangered species. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Steve Williams said in a letter released late Friday that the corps should be able to allow barge navigation on the river.... Science Not Being Distorted, White House Aide Says President Bush's chief science adviser fired back yesterday at a scientists' advocacy group that had accused the administration of distorting facts to support a conservative political agenda. In a statement released with a 17-page, point-by-point rebuttal, John H. Marburger III, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, said the response aimed to "correct errors, distortions and misunderstandings" in the Feb. 18 report of the Washington-based Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). "The accusations in the document are inaccurate," Marburger wrote in the letter, which he sent with the report to several members of Congress. "In this administration, science strongly informs policy.".... State to give FWS one more chance to approve wolf plan before filing lawsuit The state will give the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service one more chance to reconsider its rejection of Wyoming's wolf management plan before going to court, Gov. Dave Freudenthal said Friday. The governor plans to send the federal agency a letter Monday asking officials "one more time is there any chance you want to modify your position," he said. Fish and Wildlife has a week to 10 days to respond. If nothing changes, the state is prepared to file its suit, said Freudenthal, adding that the complaint was sitting on his desk. "You can always file suit, but it never hurts to ask one more time if there's a way to avoid it," he said.... Local eagles attacking other endangered species "While conducting our field research, we noticed an unusual pattern in their feeding behavior," Konawall said. "The eagles' normal food source is in ample supply ­ primarily mullet, snapper and other common fish ­ as well as the abundant rodents native to this area. However, these eagles are now exclusively feeding on rare and endangered species." In the past month, the researchers have observed these eagles feeding on shortnosed sturgeon, harlequin darters, southeastern beach mice, hawksbill sea turtles and Everglade snail kites, all species on Florida's threatened or endangered lists.... Endangered snail throws wrench in erosion project A tiny, aquatic snail is delaying a project to stop riverbank erosion along the Henry´s Fork of the Snake River. The Idaho Transportation Department discovered endangered Utah Valvata snails in the fall while demolishing a bridge. Previously, scientists had believed the snails did not thrive north of the American Falls reservoir. The bridge project was suspended while the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducted a survey of the snails and decided that removing the bridge would not jeopardize their survival.... Captive minnows freed to Rio Grande Clad in bluejeans and a checkered work shirt, Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez stood up in the bow of a rubber raft, opened a clear plastic bag and dumped its contents into the Rio Grande. A few bags later, thousands of captive-spawned silvery minnows joined their wild kin in the shallows of the river a few miles upstream from the Alameda Bridge. About 60,000 minnows were released into the river Thursday, most from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service hatcheries. But 10,000 of them came from the city's own refugium at the Albuquerque Aquarium.... The Changing Face of Bear Management in Montana The average bear covers a lot of territory to gather the 10-20,000 calories a day it requires. Today a bear’s search for natural foods often puts it on private land and in contact with humans. “The fact is that today many of us are choosing to live where bears have lived for centuries. The bears aren’t “coming in” from somewhere to trouble us—this is their traditional habitat and they have nowhere else to go,” said Jamie Jonkel, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks bear management specialist. “Relocating a bear generally only puts it in new territory not far from someone else’s residence. And, the bears inevitably try to return to their home territory.”.... Family to resume livestock grazing in Grand Teton A family that suspended cattle grazing in Grand Teton National Park last year plans to resume pasturing this summer as federal officials mull the future of allowing livestock in the park. Robert Gill and his sister, Elizabeth Lockhart, broke with tradition when they decided against grazing in the park for the first time in more than 50 years due to unforeseen, undisclosed events. "This year, there should be more than adequate forage for the permitted (allotment) we have historically used and is provided for us," the two wrote in a March 23 letter to interim Superintendent Ralph Tingey. Federal law gives the family three years of "nonuse" before the National Park Service terminates a permit. Typically the family pastures about 400 cow-calf pairs in Grand Teton. Most national parks do not permit livestock, but since Grand Teton was enlarged in 1950, grazing was grandfathered as a concession to ranchers and local and state officials for loss of private land.... Interior Department official criticizes governor’s Otero proposal The governor’s suggestions for managing oil and gas development on Otero Mesa are unfeasible and would block drilling on the land, an Interior Department official said. “It’s a no-drill plan,” Rebecca Watson, assistant secretary for lands and minerals management, said Thursday during a visit to Albuquerque. Richardson and others have criticized a plan released by the Bureau of Land Management for the land in southern New Mexico. Richardson said it falls short of what’s needed to protect Otero Mesa.... Local Bureau of Land Management to keep jobs in house The Oregon and Washington division of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management has finished its competitive sourcing study and has decided that road, recreation and facilities maintenance activities in the region will be retained within the federal agency.... Old trail ignites road war Another road war has erupted in southern Utah, but this one has nothing to do with the federal government. The conflict centers on private property rights versus the right of public access, pitting a Moab couple against four-wheel-drive enthusiasts and San Juan County. Today, a 7th District judge will hear arguments on whether Kiley Miller and her partner, John Rzeczycki, can legally close two dirt trails that cross a portion of 160 acres they own 14 miles southeast of Moab.... Monumental deal for PG&E land Pacific Gas and Electric Co.'s bankruptcy reorganization has resulted in a windfall for California's environment: A vast acreage of pristine mountain land owned by the utility will be permanently protected, and a $100 million fund will be created to maintain it and open it to recreational use. From Mount Shasta to the Carrizo Plain, nearly 1,000 parcels totaling 140, 000 acres -- almost twice the size of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area -- will be donated to parks and wildlife agencies or protected through conservation easements.... Redford in campaign to boost wilderness Utah's Sundance Kid has joined more than 100 notable Americans in a campaign to celebrate the nation's wild treasures. Robert Redford on Wednesday helped launch "Americans for Wilderness," a group commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Wilderness Preservation Act. The Oscar-winning director and actor said the act -- which President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law Sept. 3, 1964 -- was a bipartisan effort to recognize that some places "are so powerful we use them to identify the best of ourselves." To date, more than 105 million acres of public lands, mostly within national forests, have been set aside as wilderness, which prohibits development and mechanized access. That figure represents about 5 percent of U.S. land, although just 2 percent of the lower 48 states enjoys wilderness protection.... Palm Sunday Not Environmentally Friendly, Groups Say Environmental activists are warning church-goers that Palm Sunday services are not compatible with "environmental sustainability." The Commission for Environmental Cooperation and the Rainforest Alliance put out a press release on Friday, reminding Christians about the "unsustainable practices often used to harvest the 30 million chamaedorea palm fronds delivered to Canadian and U.S. Churches" for Palm Sunday services. Most of those palm fronds are harvested in Mexico and Guatemala, and according to the environmental groups, Palm Sunday services account for almost 10 percent of total palm sales in the U.S.... Outdoor water restrictions now mandatory The voluntary water restrictions the City Council placed on all Casper residents last month became mandatory Friday as the State Engineer's Office placed a 1904 call on the North Platte River, according to Central Wyoming Regional Water System Director Steve Garner and previous statements by city officials. The call was made in order to fill the Inland Lakes in western Nebraska, Garner said. The reservoir's 1904 water rights are older than any North Platte rights held by the city of Casper or the Central Wyoming Regional Water System.... Grizzlies ready to rise and dine Grizzly bears are emerging from their dens: Five grizzlies crossed the Teton River Road west of Choteau Wednesday night and someone reported watching a grizzly cross the Blackfoot River west of Lincoln last week. In Choteau, Mike Madel, a bear management specialist with Fish, Wildlife & Parks, said he has received reports of grizzly bears out of their dens from Birch Creek, which is the southern boundary of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, to Augusta for the last couple of weeks.... Column: Antidotes for antis Recently I attended the "The Price We Pay" conference in Washington, D.C., produced by the National Animal Interest Alliance. The purpose of the program was to spotlight the monumental damage that has been done by animal rights "humaniacs" to law-abiding, researchers, educators, sportsmen, wildlife managers, restaurateurs, rodeos, circuses and breeders who treat animals in a humane and compassionate way. Since 1986, the Environmental Liberation Front and Animal Liberation Front have pulled off more than 10,000 incidents resulting in more than $100 million in damage.... FDA: Mad cow feed rules OK for now The Bush administration won't make additional changes to rules on cattle feed unless additional cases of mad cow disease are found in the United States, a senior official said Friday. Food and Drug Administration Acting Commissioner Lester Crawford said his agency might consider new rules if other cases emerge, including a potential ban on some cattle parts known as specified risk material (SRMs) -- brains and spinal cords, for instance -- in all animal feed.... Rehberg introduces 'downer' legislation The Mad Cow scare may have unintentionally robbed American ranchers of nearly $54 million. That's the value of 145,000 cattle lost to the USDA's loose definition of "downer" cows according to the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., introduced new legislation Thursday to ensure fewer healthy cattle are sacrificed in the future, by narrowing the meaning of downer. "It was a one-size-fits-all regulation that now we have time to go back and redefine," Rehberg said.... Canuck bulls slip into U.S. U.S. government officials are investigating how a truckload of rodeo bulls was allowed to cross the Canada-U.S. border and enter Montana this week, apparently in violation of government restrictions based on health concerns. Montana Department of Livestock spokeswoman Karen Cooper said 20 to 30 rodeo bulls gained entry from Canada. The animals have been placed under quarantine in the Helena area and present no health risk, she said.... Tourist ranch owner hangs up his spurs They come from places with trees, hills and valleys with rushing streams, hoping to find a piece of Old West they only know from pictures. Maybe they want to act out their childhood fantasies of being cowboys, rope steers, throw cow chips or sit down for some hearty grub cooked from the back of an outfitted wagon. And here among the scrub brush and mesquite trees, Tom Christian obliged the visitors for 23 years, bringing them to the Palo Duro Canyon rim to watch the sun set or rise over the uninterrupted horizon. But no longer. The old cowboy is riding off into the sunset.... Roping champs wrap up slump Even hot shot team ropers like Speed Williams and Rich Skelton hit the dumps. There were some who were beginning to second-guess the ropers, who have won seven consecutive world championships. Did they still have what it takes to win No. 8? Are some of the other teams passing them by? Were they losing the competitive edge? Never had the team encountered a victory drought as severe as the one that started last December after they won their seventh world championship. The two, after each earning $180,305 in 2003, had been a virtual wipeout at the pay window since....