NEWS ROUNDUP

$1 billion price tag of saving rare toad Protecting the endangered arroyo toad in California could cost $1 billion over the next 10 years, the federal government says. The price tag includes purchasing land for toad habitat, delays in getting development projects through environmental regulations, and altering construction projects to minimize harm to toads, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service analysis says. About $937 million of the cost would fall on the real estate industry....
Williams resigns from Fish & Wildlife Secretary of the Interior Gale A. Norton today announced the resignation of Steve Williams as director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Williams will become president of the Wildlife Management Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to scientific wildlife management, effective March 20. In a letter to Williams, Secretary Norton thanked him for his service and noted his many accomplishments in conserving wildlife habitats, expanding opportunities for fishing and hunting, and advancing cooperative conservation partnerships. "As I have traveled the country, I heard over and over how you were rekindling the spirit of cooperation among state and federal agencies and private partners," she said. "Countless refuge managers, biologists, sportsmen, and landowners complimented your leadership, management style, effectiveness and great humor."....
Column: Wolves' status depends on where they stand Wolves have not been removed from the endangered species list as far as I know, but the rules for wolf management outside Yellowstone have definitely changed. Ranchers who can persuade wildlife managers that they have lost cattle or sheep to wolves are now able to get hunting permits. Bet the hair stood up on the back of your neck the moment you read that line. I live in two worlds. Inside Yellowstone, I'm in wildlife country, and wolves are a major part of the show. It's hard to find a cross word against wolves here. Outside the park in the town of Gardiner, well let's just say that's cattle- and elk-hunting country, and opinions run a little hot when it comes to wolves. In the grocery store, the town's social center, you can say anything you want about religion or politics and nobody reacts, but mention wolves, and you're liable to be bushwhacked in the frozen-food aisle....
Where the wild geese go At first glance, it doesn't look like a wildlife area. With farmhouses dotting the flat land, it appears more cultivated than untamed. But beyond the stacked hay bales and grazing cows, cattails conceal wetlands that provide an ideal world for waterfowl. Within the Klamath Wildlife Area in south-central Oregon, a protected peninsula combines wildlife with agriculture to create an important aquatic area for migratory birds. Miller Island — one of four units in the Klamath Basin managed by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife — is one of the last spring rest stops for waterfowl winging their way north to summer nesting grounds. Though ducks do drop in for a refuge respite, it's the larger members of the web-footed family that flock by the thousands to Miller Island. This is the place where wild geese go....
A home for horses Ron Hawkins has been ranching in the Centennial Valley for 15 years, running cows, calves and yearlings on the 91 Ranch south of Wyoming Highway 130. Although he intends to continue running cattle on a portion of the 3,500-acre ranch he leases, Hawkins has now turned to a different type of operation: wild horses. He sees it as an opportunity to ranch and save a symbol of the American West....
Female owl goes on 150-mile trek for mate A female ferruginous pygmy owl took a 150-mile crisscross trek across the Sonoran Desert to search for a mate, a journey about seven times longer than any previously recorded by state researchers monitoring the endangered birds. Biologists familiar with the bird's journey said it shows both downsides and upsides for the fist-sized birds. The female owl's inability to find a mate underscores the plight of Arizona pygmy owls, biologists say. The state has just 18 recorded adult pygmy owls. The good news is that if this bird can fly so far, so can others, researchers said....
Editorial - Double Standard: Eco groups silent on federal fish kill Where is the investigation? Where are the arrests? Where is the outrage? An endangered species, the humpback chub, has been pushed to the brink of extinction, yet we’ve seen none of the usual responses. Why? Because the slaughter stems from the questionable actions of federal bureaucrats, at the behest of environmental groups. Wiping out protected species evidently only becomes a crime when some industry or private citizen is involved; good intentions give regulators and greens a pass. The kill-off came after the Bureau of Reclamation agreed to release a torrent of water and silt from behind Glen Canyon Dam in northern Arizona and southern Utah to try to replicate the spring floods that occurred before Lake Powell was established. It was the second such experiment, after the first flopped. It’s the government’s unofficial motto, after all: If at first you don’t succeed … turn failure into a routine....
Accountability. It’s tough to find in the U.S. Forest A forester hurriedly pushes through 20 illegal timber sales in California in order to try and skirt the application of certain environmental laws. The sales are then found to be illegal, the timber sale contracts are cancelled and millions of dollars in damages are paid to the timber companies by taxpayers. The forester is then promoted to be the national head of timber sale contracting. A forest supervisor steals firewood from the national forest he manages and is caught by Forest Service law enforcement. He is then promoted to the regional office and put in charge of overseeing the most important wildlife conservation plan in U.S. history. These two examples, bad as they are, pale in comparison to this startling statistic: The Forest Service has never disciplined any of its managers for violating an environmental law. Purposely defy the Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, the Clean Water Act—who cares? Not the Forest Service, that’s for sure....
Expansion of cattle grazing stopped A cattle grazing increase on the Big Sur coast has been halted at least temporarily after environmental groups argued that the practice is harming endangered species and habitats. Prompted by an appeal by groups including the Ventana chapter of the Sierra Club, the U.S. Forest Service withdrew an earlier decision to expand cattle operations in the Los Padres National Forest. The Forest Service agreed to conduct additional review before allowing ranchers to run their herds on additional forest land....
Forest Service arrests 22 in Ore. protest Twenty-two women were arrested Monday trying to block loggers from cutting down dead trees burned in a 2002 fire, and the U.S. Forest Service closed the area to the public to prevent further disturbances. The arrests marked the third time since a federal injunction was lifted March 7 that protesters have tried and failed to prevent loggers from reaching an old growth forest reserve managed primarily for fish and wildlife habitat in the Siskiyou National Forest. Forest Supervisor Scott Conroy ordered the 700-acre Fiddler timber sale, and Forest Service roads leading to it, closed to the public in the name of safety until July 1, by which time the logging is expected to be completed....
House approves Forest Service land sale in Nevada The House of Representatives approved a bill Monday authorizing the sale of small parcels of Forest Service land in northern Nevada for private development, Rep. Jim Gibbons said. The six parcels in Douglas County and Carson City are in otherwise residential and commercial areas or near highways. All are under 100 acres and would be sold at public auction. Proceeds from the Nevada National Forest Disposal Act would go toward wildfire prevention, trail maintenance and education....
First Calif. ski resort in 25 years raises hopes, concerns For most of the last century, axes and saws carved a healthy living from the forest around this old lumber town. Now, years after logging declined and the mill closed, a developer envisions ski trails snaking their way through the remaining trees on Dyer Mountain. If Dyer Mountain Associates achieves its dream, it will be the first new ski resort in California in more than a quarter century, complete with golf courses and homes for some 8,000 people in this one-time company town where the Sierra Nevada bows to the Cascades. The vision is a grand one, intended as a more affordable alternative to Lake Tahoe, the state's premier ski destination 90 miles to the south....
Acid Rain Likely Stunts U.S. Tree Growth A new study of soil collected before industry created acid rain suggests trees in the United States and elsewhere are likely stunted by the polluted ground. Researches compared tree growth across decades in Russia to changes in soil conditions. "By providing the only preserved soil in the world collected before the acid rain era, the Russians helped our international team track tree growth for the first time with changes in soil from acid rain," said Greg Lawrence, a U.S. Geological Survey scientist who headed the effort....
New fences aim to keep Jeep Safari trail-bound Each year, thousands of off-road enthusiasts converge on this southeastern Utah community for the ever-popular Easter Jeep Safari. They head to the backcountry surrounding Moab to take in the scenic vistas and take on the bone-rattling challenge of navigating tough four-wheel drive trails. The passion to discover new obstacles that put man and vehicle to the test draws many drivers to one of the most popular and difficult routes - Hell's Revenge, a 12-mile trail that winds along the eastern slickrock rim above Moab, with access to challenging side routes including The Escalator, a series of deep potholes worn into a sandstone crevice, and Hell's Gate, a narrow V-shaped sandstone crack that requires nerves of steel and cautious tire placement to ascend....
Editorial: It is the BLM's job to make gas drilling clean, not easy There is a huge difference between knowing how business thinks and thinking like a business. We want a government that does the former but not the latter. That's why recent remarks by the head of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management struck us as more than a little off-key. It is important, as BLM Director Kathleen Clarke said Thursday, that government agencies understand the needs and wants of the businesses they interact with, especially a business as crucial as energy production. But that's not the same thing as having a government that thinks it is a business, and therefore is far too likely to forget that it is supposed to have a more public-spirited, and longer-term, view of how things should be done and whose interests it serves....
Sacred sites on federal land are mammoth issues The definition of ''sacred site'' is open for discussion, and it all depends on which side of the cultural divide a person stands on. The Lakota have no word that means ''sacred'': the word ''waken'' is the closest substitute. So who defines the word ''sacred''? With that question hanging over the heads of federal agencies and tribal cultural officials, it could become difficult to define a sacred site and agree on its meaning. The topic of sacred sites and their protection commanded a large portion of a recent meeting between the National Forest Service and tribal officials in Crazy Horse. A 1996 executive order mandated the National Forest Service to develop a policy on how to deal with sacred sites: protect physical integrity, protect access to and use of sacred sites and protect locations' confidentiality....
Navajo leader equates snowmaking decision to 'genocide' The U.S. Forest Service decision last week to allow the use of treated wastewater to make snow at Arizona Snowbowl amounts to a form of "genocide," the angry president of the Navajo Nation says, vowing to fight the decision. Joe Shirley Jr. will consult other tribal leaders opposing the decision before they issue a formal tribal response to the ruling, which they have 45 days to appeal. But Shirley said Friday he is willing to examine how Snowbowl could be stopped from operating altogether. "That's our cathedral, that's our church, that's who we are," Shirley said of the San Francisco Peaks, which the Navajo consider sacred. The U.S. government stepped on Native Americans' dignity with the ruling, he said, suggesting it was another form of government efforts in the 1800s to exterminate tribes and cultures....
Column: Green in Gridlock While President Bush and many of today's Republican leaders seem to be out of step with the American public and much of their own party when it comes to environmental conservation, the tactics of some environmentalists also play a significant role in creating the political polarization and stalemate that have caused gridlock for more than a decade on environmental policy. There are a variety of theories on the causes of the gridlock on such a popular issue: corporate shortsightedness, the influence of money on the legislative process, the alleged interest of Democrats in having the environment as a perennial campaign issue and the perceived antipathy of Republican leaders. But while all play a role, the polarizing tactics and strategies of some environmentalists are part of the problem as well....
Ginseng-Hungry Deer Eating Appalachian Tradition Since the 18th century, industrious folk in Appalachia have energized their bank accounts through the harvest and sale of wild American ginseng. Today, the increasing number of local white-tailed deer is putting future American ginseng harvests in doubt. Wild American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) is one of the most widely harvested medicinal plants in the United States. When consumed by humans, it is thought to boost energy and increase concentration. It is especially popular in Asia, where a pound (half a kilogram) can fetch as much as U.S. $500. But deer may soon kill the ginseng buzz....
Scientist tracks mass cricket migration Armed with a glue gun and radio transmitters the size of a penny, a University of North Carolina scientist is trying to stop mass insect migrations that devastate ranches in the mountain West. Mormon crickets, also known as flightless katydids, travel in massive packs, devouring all surrounding terrain as they move. Packs of the bugs can cover more than a mile a day and devastate crops. Scientists are trying to identify patterns the crickets follow so they can kill them or divert their paths with small distributions of pesticide, rather than the blanket applications now used against the pests....
Colorado ruling firms up rights of recreational water users The Colorado Supreme Court ruled Monday that state officials exceeded their authority when they recommended less water for a kayak course than the backers requested, marking a victory for the surging water recreation industry. The ruling said the Colorado Water Conservation Board ignored state law and its own rules in its recommendation for a whitewater course on the Gunnison River. The court ordered a Water Court judge to send the case back to the board for proper analysis. The ruling is expected to help clarify a 2001 state law allowing manufactured whitewater courses to have enough water for a "reasonable recreation experience" without jeopardizing the rights of upstream users....
Hydrologists: 2005 water year among "worst" on record Sunny, warmer-than-average weather and dry conditions in February have made hydrologists even more pessimistic about water conditions throughout most of Idaho. "The 2005 water year could be one of the worst on record," according to the Idaho Department of Water Resources. Snow measurements above the Clearwater and St. Joe rivers in northern Idaho are the lowest ever recorded, hydrologists said. The same holds for Boise, where the first three months of the year are expected to be the driest ever....
Chupacabra? Another Mysterious Beast Spotted Just what is it? Another sighting of the mysterious beast many call the “Chupacbra.” This time the creature was spotted in East Texas – alive! Someone in the Tyler area was able to snap a picture of the strange blue-grayish animal with long fangs. It looks much like the one a San Antonio area rancher shot and killed last year. You may remember the so-called "Elmendorf Beast" that rancher Devin McAnally discovered in July....
Freeman wants Black Gold's story told Freeman is the grandson of the late Rosa Hoots, who owned the famous horse Black Gold. It was 1924 when Black Gold won a quartet of derbies, including the Louisiana Derby and the Kentucky Derby. More than 80 years later, the family is on a multipurpose quest -- to spread awareness of the historic horse and raise money to fund a book and screenplay, all to make sure that Black Gold's story is chiseled in history. And so, hours before the same race Black Gold won generations ago, Hoots' family was in the gift shop, selling Black Gold T-shirts and shot glasses as the gregarious Freeman shook hands, signed autographs and shared stories to inquisitive passerbys....
Hats off to hats! As a boy in the 1840s, John Stetson worked in his family's hatmaking shop in New Jersey. They made felt hats in many styles. As a young man, Stetson decided to travel west to look for gold in Colorado. The derbies and other small-brimmed hats worn by men in the gold fields didn't really protect them from sun, wind, and rain. So Stetson designed a new hat with a wide brim and tall crown. Someone who saw his hat offered to buy it from him. He realized that he might make more money selling hats than looking for gold. In 1865 Stetson moved to Philadelphia and began making his new-style "cowboy" hat, which he named the Boss of the Plains. It soon became the most popular hat west of the Mississippi River....
Charros keep history alive They were vaqueros, the rustic workers of Mexico's early cattle ranches who filtered across the border and brought with them their culture of rancheros, charros and charreadas. That rich legacy, which early Texans adopted and made their own, today still is being celebrated by Latinos such as Katy brothers Jaime Jimenez, 21, and Omar Jimenez, 20, who learned their skills from their Mexican-born father and who frequently compete professionally. "My dad was a charro professional for more than 30 years when he was a vaquero in Mexico, and he's been teaching me since I was 6 years old and could ride a horse," says Jaime Jimenez....
It's All Trew: Feud between Texas, Oklahoma nothing new The history of the Panhandle is still young by most standards and can be exciting or maybe a bit weird at times. Take for instance the problems incurred in establishing the state line between Oklahoma and Texas. Known as "the strip" to historians, it moved so many times the local residents lost count. The Shattuck, Okla., history books recall the story. The entire area was exclusively the home to Indians until the 1500s when Francisco Coronado, a Spanish Conquistador, crossed twice in his exploration journey. Juan de Oate and Captain Alonzo Baca followed in 1601 and 1634, respectively. After that, England, France and Spain all claimed the land at various times until 1819 when the Louisiana Purchase made it property of the United States....

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