NEWS ROUNDUP

Rancher kills wolf with fed's permission Using a special permit issued by the federal government, a Park County rancher shot and killed a wolf after wolves killed two of his cows. Wyoming residents are only allowed to kill wolves if they have a rarely issued permit from the Fish and Wildlife Service. The agency only issues wolf kill permits if wolves cause damage to people or property. There have been widespread reports of wolves causing problems in Park County this winter, F&W wolf biologist Mike Jimenez said. Multiple cows, a horse and a moose are counted among the casualties, county residents said. The kill permit, issued to rancher Craig Griffith, is the first of its kind issued in Park County. Griffith is licensed to kill two wolves. He killed one last Friday....
Column: Wolf Critics Don't Get It Time flies when the sky is falling. At least, we were told to expect the sky to fall in 1995. That's when federal biologists snatched a bunch of Canadian wolves, hustled them south of the border and cut them loose in central Idaho and Yellowstone. Ten years sped by in a flash. But when I look up, I see a pale blue winter sky, right where it's supposed to be. It puzzles me how people both demonize and idolize wolves. I have concluded it has less to do with data or reason and more with emotion, ideology and culture. Ten years ago, cattle and sheep interests likened wolves to terrorists, sure to rip the guts out of their industry. One senator warned that wolves would snatch kids off bus stops. No doubt, some wolves can be hard on livestock. When a rancher has a troublesome pack in his neighborhood, it's a very real and expensive problem. But it's one of many challenges ranchers face, and for most it has proven to be manageable....
S.D. Senate panel rejects plan to declare prairie dogs as pests A plan to designate the black-tailed prairie dog as a state pest was rejected by a South Dakota legislative panel Tuesday after officials said the measure could wreck the effort to control the critters. Passage of the bill would have destroyed three years of work on a management plan that will allow the state and ranchers to keep the prairie dog population in check, state Game, Fish and Parks Secretary John Cooper said. If the state declared open war on the prairie dog by once again listing it as a pest, it could lead environmental groups to renew their efforts to have the black-tailed prairie dog designated as an endangered species across 11 western states, Cooper said....
Editorial: Endangered Humans Salmon protection could justifiably be listed as the cause of death for four firefighters who perished July 10, 2001, fighting what started as a 25-acre fire near Washington's Chewuch River. The fire seemed to be under control at 5:30 a.m. when the firefighters requested a water drop to finish off the blaze. For the next 8 1/2 hours, authorities dithered and debated as to whether scooping up water from the Chewuch would also scoop up fish from what had been designated as the protected habitat of salmon and trout. By the time the first water arrived at 3 p.m., the fire had reached the point where it would explode into a 2,500-acre inferno. By 5:25 p.m., all four firefighters — two men, two women — were dead. No word on how many endangered fish were lost....
Lynx Released in Colo. Travels 800 Miles A British Columbian lynx released in Colorado two years ago was last tracked north of Missoula, Mont., more than 800 miles from where he was released in March 2003 near Creede. His travels were reported in Yellowstone Science magazine and confirmed by Rick Kahn, Colorado Division of Wildlife lynx coordinator. "We don't know where he's heading, but he may be going back to the area where he was trapped," Kahn said. There have been 166 lynx released in southwest Colorado since 1999 under a program to reintroduce the long-haired, tuft-eared cats....
Whole Foods kills them softly Whole Foods Markets hit a record high yesterday after it hired a "director of animal compassion" to make sure ranchers pamper livestock before slaughtering them. Whole Foods shares rose 2.7 percent to $97.50. The environmentally friendly grocer beloved by foodies said its new executive director of animal compassion will be dedicated to helping animal welfare, and finding feel-good ranchers who'll go along with it. "The creation of the Animal Compassion Foundation offers a brighter future for farm animals," said Anne Malleau, the new unit's chief. "I am proud to lead the foundation to really make a difference in animal life on farms worldwide."....