NEWS ROUNDUP

Forest Service clarifies ban on ads U.S. Forest Service winter sports experts said they are sticking by a long-standing ban on outdoor advertising and have clarified rules on corporate sponsorships. Despite the ban, skiers and snowboarders will probably see more sponsorship messages with company logos in coming years, especially around base areas and in terrain parks. "This will help us prevent unwanted outdoor ads at ski areas and it explains and validates the good sponsorship arrangements that are out there," said Rob Deyerberg, a New Mexico-based ranger who was part of the team that reviewed the ad policy.... Cashing in on fires: Were Rich lunches worth it? Jack Rich would rather cater to guests at his Seeley Lake dude ranch than bag lunches for firefighters. But last August, with 664 people assigned to attack the 3,550 acre Boles Meadow fire, the state turned to the nearby Rich Ranch to help supply meals. Three generations of the Rich family rolled up their sleeves and went to work, creating 250 to 300 sack lunches a day for the next 10 days. Those lunches were the talk of the fire camp. Those 2,600 lunches also cost the taxpayers of Montana $15 each, more than double the typical state lunch rate and at least $5 a lunch more than any other provider. Accountants at the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation pulled the invoices and set them aside for future discussion.... Neptune takes air tanker fight to U.S. Senate The grounding of the nation's fleet of firefighting air tankers has nothing to do with safety concerns, the CEO of Missoula's Neptune Aviation said Tuesday. "I honestly believe this is all political," said Mark Timmons, whose company had eight air tankers on contract to the U.S. Forest Service. "They're not looking at ways to find solutions. They're not looking at individual operators. They've never even called us. "The only agenda I can figure out right now is to have the private operators basically go away. They want us to go out of business.".... Grizzly migration prompts state to revise management plans, procedures Grizzly bears are moving into parts of western Montana where they haven't been for years, and it is time to update management strategies to reflect the change, said an endangered species specialist for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks in Bozeman. "It's time to review it (the grizzly bear management plan) and see how it needs to change for the future," said Arnold Dood.... Rancher who shot wolf avoids fine by placing ad A rancher who shot a wolf as it chased her sheep has settled a federal civil suit by agreeing to pay for a local newspaper ad educating others about legal protections for wolves. Laura Mitchell avoided a fine by placing the ad, the text of which filled her requirement to "educate the local populace about the regulations surrounding the experimental population of wolves in our area," according to the terms of the settlement. Mitchell, however, was also allowed in a brief introduction to explain what led to the wolf's death and to note that she does not support federal wolf reintroduction that began in 1994. "This program totally ties our hands to deal with canine depredation because if we shoot it and it turns out to be a wolf, we've got a problem," she said.... Tax breaks for thinning forests set Arizona lawmakers passed a bill Tuesday that gives businesses tax breaks to cut and remove trees, shrubs and woody mass from Arizona's drought-ravaged forests. House Bill 2549 lays out a series of property-, sales- and income-tax incentives to get companies to move their cutting and milling operations to Arizona. It would take advantage of long-term contracts authorized by President Bush's Healthy Forests Act. For example, it would exempt machinery and equipment from the retail sales tax.... Washoe orders ordinance to protect `presumed public roads Angered by subdivisions blocking roads to the mountains, Washoe County commissioners Tuesday unanimously ordered new ordinances to protect “presumed public roads.” Commissioner Jim Galloway asked for an ordinance giving five citizens the right to petition for a public hearing over the closure of a road people once used across federal lands before they were sold to private interests decades ago and still can be considered public under federal law.... Cattle grazing aids seasonal wetlands Cattle started trampling some of the rarest, most sensitive wetlands abutting San Francisco Bay on Monday, ripping up grass and scattering hoof prints and cow pies across the landscape. The destruction brought nothing but smiles to the faces of federal wildlife biologists looking on, because it's the only way managers at the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge know to preserve and restore their fragile vernal pools. Cattle knock back the weeds, reducing thatch, opening up the landscape not just for the shrimp and salamanders and flowers but also burrowing owls and other creatures.... Record number of whale pairs counted off Piedras Blancas A record number of mom-and-baby gray whales are swimming their way back to Alaska, according to scientists who are completing the annual count at Piedras Blancas. The researchers have counted 450 cow-calf pairs since March. The record count was 501. But this year, because of budget cutbacks, spotters worked fewer days. "So this count is equal to one of 545 on the old schedule," said Wayne Perryman, marine biologist and whale expert from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife's Service's Southwest Fisheries Center.... More refuge water going down Klamath River to boost flows Water drained from the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge is being used to bolster flows in the Klamath River, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials announced Monday. Over the next month, about 8,500 acre-feet of water will be pumped off seasonal wetlands on the Lower Klamath refuge, adding about 150 cubic feet per second to the flows in the river.... Butterfly group calls for Mexico to protect forest Local butterfly preservationists are leading a national campaign to pressure the Mexican government to intervene against increasingly violent loggers they say are illegally deforesting the region of Mexico the group seeks to protect. Bob Small, director of the Alameda-based Michoacan Reforestation Fund, said Monday hostile Mexican mobsters are illegally logging in the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, a protected stretch of forests 100 miles west of Mexico City, where Monarchs arrive by the millions each winter to roost.... Government worries Illinois plant will pollute Missouri wilderness The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has concluded that the new coal-fired Prairie State Generating Station in Illinois' Washington County will damage the Mingo Wilderness in southeast Missouri with pollution haze and acid rain. The Interior Department registered its concerns this month in a letter to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, which is considering Peabody's request for an air pollution permit.... Humane Society questions tribal bison management The regional director of the Humane Society of the United States says the rate of death among bison owned by the Three Affiliated Tribes is too high. Dave Pauli, in a letter to Tribal Chairman Tex Hall, said that after he inspected the herd last month he concluded that the death rate is more than double what is considered acceptable.... BLM Announces National Volunteer Award Winners Who Are 'Making a Difference' on Public Lands Seven volunteers, one volunteer organization, and two employees of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will receive a prestigious national award for their public service contributions at a ceremony to be held June 3, 2004 at the Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C.... The volunteer winners announced today are Carole Adams and George Baland of California, Diane Delano of Florida, Alvin McLane of Nevada, James Hutchins of Oregon, Bob and Kathy Bailey of Utah, and the Raptor Inventory and Nest Survey Group, also from Utah. BLM employees selected for recognition are John Rose of Arizona and Gayle Irwin of Wyoming.... Hanna CBM project tries horizontal wells In the natural gas-rich fields of southwest Wyoming, producers are employing a new kind of drilling technology to minimize surface disturbances as they seek traditional gas. Now they want to see if it will work on coalbed methane. Anadarko Production Company officials are seeking permission to try horizontal drilling techniques in recovering coalbed methane near Hanna. Horizontal drilling is a relatively new oil field technology in which the hydrocarbon-producing borehole is sunk first downward, then across the seam, horizontally. Like directional drilling from a single pad, horizontal drilling aims to eliminate the need for separate well sites, production facilities and access routes.... Column: Symbol of the West Is Being Spurred Toward Oblivion Every Wednesday, a group of protesters gathers on old Highway 395 in front of the Nevada state Capitol in Carson City to draw attention to the plight of wild horses. They carry signs such as "Goodbye Spirit of the West" and "As It Should Be, Wild Horses Running Free." They've been at it since February, when the latest in a series of stealth roundups sponsored by the government sent them to the streets. Every week, traffic slows and horns honk in agreement in the state that has the largest number of free-roaming wild horses in the West. But the question remains: Can the wild horse, pressed into service to blaze our trails and carry us into battle, survive the Bush administration? The war against the wild horse and the federal law that protects it is being waged by cattlemen and ranchers, lone nuts and sagebrush rebels with a copy of the 2nd Amendment tucked in their back pockets. In one way or another, the war is officially backed by government agencies such as the federal Bureau of Land Management and the Nevada Department of Agriculture, by bureaucrats and small-town officials who in essence are stealing wild horses from public lands.... Clint Eastwood urges volunteers to clean up public land Clint Eastwood wants you to volunteer, punk. The "Dirty Harry" star reprised his role on Tuesday as spokesman for Take Pride in America, an organization of volunteers who maintain public lands. Eastwood, 74, previously promoted the group in the 1980s alongside fellow tough-guys Charles Bronson and Lou Gossett Jr.... Park Service chief downplays cutbacks With homeland security a growing concern, the head of the National Park Service said Tuesday that the 388 parks within the park system will have more law enforcement rangers this summer - but also more self-guided tours and fewer seasonal rangers. Director Fran Mainella sought to dispel concerns among lawmakers and environmentalists that budget considerations might prompt widespread cutbacks in services for summer visitors. During a lengthy interview in her office, she said visitors can expect about the same level of services despite tight budgets this year. "You're not going to see parks closed. This welcome mat is out," Mainella told The Associated Press. She said $1.5 million that had been cut from employee travel spending has helped cover the budget needs of some smaller parks.... Ocean-saving plan passes state Senate A plan by national environmental groups to steer more of California's taxpayer money to Pacific Ocean research and protecting fishing grounds passed the Senate on Tuesday, moving a battle between environmentalists and California fishing associations to the Assembly. The Senate voted 24-12 for two bills to add ocean protection to the mission of California's $3.4 billion Proposition 50 bond, passed in 2002 to restore the state's coastline and wetlands, estuaries and bays. Environmental groups want more money to buy and retire fishing boats, better map the ocean, lease or buy underwater land to restrict fishing and launch pilot projects to put more of the ocean off limits to fishing.... Brazil says foreign media distort Amazon destruction Brazil's government accused foreign media and nongovernmental organizations Tuesday of trying to undermine Brazil's farm boom by distorting the facts and linking it to destruction of the Amazon jungle. Brazil's Agriculture Ministry said the foreign reports of these charges showed a lack of knowledge about the Amazon and that farming there represented a tiny fraction of the jungle's total size. The Amazon's continuous rain forest is just under half the size of the continental United States, but the rate of destruction of the forest jumped in 2003.... Disaster Movie Used to Highlight Environment 20th Century Fox (search) — a sister company to Fox News — releases "The Day After Tomorrow" later this week. The movie depicts worldwide disasters triggered by a massive climate shift brought about by global warming. The movie not only is full of special effects and dramatic license, it has also caught the eye of environmentalists like former Vice President Al Gore (search), who held what was billed as a "town hall meeting" to discuss the topic in connection to the film. Gore admits that the movie uses only a tiny bit of science to back its grand assertions, but that didn't stop him from taking a whack at political opponents and declaring future doom under current environmental policies.... Bill gives military more sway over California growth decisions A key part of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's strategy to keep California's military bases from closing next year passed the state Senate Tuesday, as it approved a plan to make cities and counties near military bases notify commanders of local growth plans. The bill passed 24-10 despite opposition from homebuilders, shopping center owners and elected officials in several Southern California counties. It now moves to the Assembly. The notion of letting military leaders comment on nearby growth proposals mirrors efforts by other fast-growing states, including Florida, Texas, Washington and Arizona, to control growth near military bases and below aerial training routes. Officials say the moves are designed to show the Pentagon they're serious about keeping bases viable, as leaders prepare next year to announce more than 100 base closings.... Hearst Ranch plan twists in the wind Covering two and half times the area of San Francisco, the state's largest coastal cattle ranch is an environmental gem local activists say has changed little since the Spaniards first came to California's Central Coast. Now, Hearst Corp., which once proposed building a city of 65,000 here, is offering to give up most of the ranch's development rights in one of the biggest and most complex conservation deals ever. The New York-based company set a May 31 deadline for the $95 million transaction with the state - a deadline no one expects to meet.... 2 states to discuss water dispute Wyoming officials have agreed to meet to discuss Montana concerns about water rights on the Tongue, Powder and Little Powder rivers, but said they don't feel they have any obligation to make more water available to senior water rights holders in Montana. Montana regulators asked Wyoming last week to shut off pre-1950 junior water rights in the Tongue, Powder and Little Powder rivers to provide much-needed drought relief to senior water rights holders in Montana, who Montana officials say have priority based on the Yellowstone River Compact. In a Monday letter replying to Montana's Department of Natural Resources, Wyoming state engineer Patrick T. Tyrrell wrote that state officials there were willing to get together in June to discuss the matter.... Property rights protect owners, not trespassers except in N.D. Private property rights have always been of the utmost importance to us and to my constituents. It makes no difference if that property is a house on a lot or a farm. That is the point of the lawsuit against the state. Over the years, many legislators have offered alternatives to correct this injustice, and they all have been fought by special interest groups, leaving no recourse but to ask the court system for judicial clarification. The question I want answered is simple: Does the executive or legislative branch of government have the authority to give away anyone's private property rights? The North Dakota Game and Fish Department publishes that if land is not posted, anyone can hunt on it. And when the state of North Dakota declares that private property can be used by the public if we owners do not post signs, is that not a "taking," in violation of private property owners' constitutional rights?.... Editorial: Feed starving masses, not irrational fears Some 842 million people — 13% of the world's population — don't have enough food to eat each day. Millions of them face starvation in Africa because of droughts and armed conflicts in countries that include Sudan, Angola and Uganda. In one sense, that's an old story — so old, it makes even sympathetic eyes glaze over. But it could have a new happy ending that, remarkably, has yet to be written. While the script promises a reliable, cheap food supply for all who are hungry, some fear that outcome the way villagers were terrified by Mary Shelley's Frankenstein monster. In fact, fearful environmentalists and their political allies call the solution "Frankenfood," crops genetically altered to resist disease, pests and drought, or staples engineered to add nutrients. Such crops could transform health in the poorest nations, the United Nations' Food and Agricultural Organization said in a report last week. Biotech rice alone could prevent 500,000 cases of blindness and 2 million children's deaths each year as a result of vitamin A deficiency.... Groups unite over voluntary COOL plan America's cattle ranchers, pork producers, seafood producers and produce grower-shippers, as well as US food processors, wholesalers and retailers, said today they are united behind a proposed approach to implement voluntary country of origin labeling (COOL). They say the effort will create a program to identify domestic and imported fruits, vegetables, beef, pork and seafood with labels showing where they originated.... Equine disease in West Texas causes worry about Breeders' Cup There is a remote possibility that the Breeders' Cup could be moved from Lone Star Park because of an outbreak of a contagious equine disease 500 miles from the site of the race. The disease, vesicular stomatitis, has been found in three horses on a farm near Balmorhea in Far West Texas. The rarely fatal viral disease causes blisters to form in the animal's mouth and on teats or hooves. It can affect horses, cattle, pigs, and occasionally sheep, goat and deer. The Breeders' Cup, scheduled for Oct. 30, is a group of eight races with $14 million in purses held on one day for thoroughbreds from North America and Europe. The race is estimated to have an economic impact of more than $30 million on the area.... No Reports of Human Mad Cow Disease - CDC U.S. health authorities are not investigating any reports of possible cases of the human form of mad cow disease, despite a rumor which sent cattle futures plummeting on Tuesday. The Web site of a Nashville television story earlier on Tuesday posted a story about a U.S. soldier stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, who had developed a case of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). The variant from of the disease, vCJD, comes from eating beef infected with mad cow disease, also known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy.... Report: Animal Antibiotics Pose Threat A new report by the investigative arm of Congress, the Government Accounting Office, concludes that the Food and Drug Administration "has determined that antibiotic resistance in humans resulting from the use of antibiotics in animals is an unacceptable risk to the public health." The study, AntibioticResistance: Federal Agencies Need to Better Focus Efforts to Address Risk to Humans from Antibiotic Use in Animals (GAO-04-490), was requested by Senators Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and Tom Harkin (D- Iowa). Kennedy and Snowe are sponsors of a bipartisan bill (S. 1460) to phase out the routine use of medically important antibiotics in livestock and poultry that are not sick; the bill also provides funding to help farmers make the transition. Reps. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Wayne Gilchrest (R-Md.) are sponsors of the companion bill (H.R. 2932).... Viruses carried by mites damaging Panhandle wheat fields Some Panhandle wheat farmers are battling a double whammy that has taken aim on their fields. Agriculture experts are trying to determine the extent of an infestation of a mite that carries the two viruses - the wheat streak mosaic and the High Plains viruses. Both have been found in fields in several Panhandle counties.... On The Edge Of Common Sense: Windbreaks can be tricky in unregulated New Mexico An excellent question. As you pointed out, cows will eat car parts and baler twine, not to mention nails, staples, wire, tennis balls, bones, prickly pear, lug bolts, the Western Horseman magazine, windmill leathers, stirrups, moldy hay, quilts, diapers, the flag of Honduras, snow cones and apple pie. So eating Arizona Cypress, which sounds like it should be related to the juniper or eucalyptus, would be expected....