NEWS ROUNDUP

Utah prairie dog gains useful friends The embattled Utah prairie dog faces an uncertain future, but plans are afoot to give the critter a boost. And the help is coming from some unlikely sources. A pair of first-time programs in the state - one engineered by a national environmental group with the help of local ranchers, the other by Utah's School Institutional and Trust Lands Administration - will soon create new habitat for a species that has been listed as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act because of the loss of its historic range in southern Utah. "These are incentive-based projects to help us realize some progress that otherwise wouldn't happen," Colin Rowan, spokesman for the New York-based Environmental Defense, said last week. "They're not the silver bullet. But if we sit around and wait for the perfect solution, it might not ever come."....
Editorial: Crying wolf Wolves or cows? Ranchers or enviros? Enough. The Hatfield-McCoy approach to public land management is unproductive and hopelessly out of date. The public wants Mexican gray wolves returned to the lands from which they were slaughtered at ranchers' requests and public expense. We learned a few things in the past century, and one of them is that habitats are healthier when they include the top predators. Like wolves. Ranchers who use the public lands have an obligation to accommodate the public's desire to see endangered wolf populations increase in wild areas of eastern Arizona and western New Mexico. Some accept the wolf recovery efforts that began seven years ago. Others don't....
‘Malicious’ acts scar land Dead cows, busted fences and garbage are plaguing ranchers and Bureau of Land Management staff on the southern Caja del Rio mesa, southwest of Santa Fe. At the beginning of this month, former Santa Fe County Commissioner Jose Varela Lopez, whose family has ranched in the area for four generations, found one of his grandfather’s pregnant cows shot multiple times — including in the eye — and left to die on a BLM grazing allotment near ancient petroglyphs in the area. It is the first time one of the family’s cows had been shot, Varela Lopez said. Another cow was shot in a similar manner six months ago near the allotment on rancher Howard Mier’s property west of the Santa Fe River....
Ranchers Sign Away Rights to Develop Near Zion A number of ranchers in Southern Utah have taken a major step to protect land adjacent to Zion National Park. They've agreed to permanently sign away their right to sell their own land to developers. When there's extraordinary scenery, excellent wildlife habitat, and strong people pressure, something's got to give. What popped out of that pressure cooker is a deal that may turn out to be a win-win for everyone in one of Utah's most scenic places. Dave Livermore of The Nature Conservancy says landowners mostly use the land for grazing sheep. They've now come up with a grassroots approach to protecting the land. Dave Livermore, The Nature Conservancy: "This is a case of 17 landowners working together to implement a common vision."....
Ruling means woman who started massive Colorado wildfire could be free after 6 years A former forestry worker who started the worst wildfire in Colorado history could be out of prison after six years instead of 12 because of a state Supreme Court ruling Tuesday. Terry Lynn Barton pleaded guilty to state arson charges for the 2002 Hayman fire, which charred 138,000 acres and destroyed 133 houses. A judge sentenced her to 12 years — twice the normal term — but the Colorado Court of Appeals ordered a new sentence, saying the judge did not have the authority to extend the sentence. The Supreme Court refused to hear prosecutors’ appeal, so Barton’s case now goes to another state judge for re-sentencing. Barton’s attorney Sharlene Reynolds said she expects a six-year sentence....
Underlying cause of massive pinyon pine die-off revealed The high heat that accompanied the recent drought was the underlying cause of death for millions of pinyon pines throughout the Southwest, according to new research. The resulting landscape change will affect the ecosystem for decades. Hotter temperatures coupled with drought are the type of event predicted by global climate change models. The new finding suggests big, fast changes in ecosystems may result from global climate change. "We documented a massive forest die-off – and it’s a concern because it’s the type of thing we can expect more of with global warming," said research team leader David D. Breshears, a professor of natural resources in The University of Arizona’s School of Natural Resources in Tucson and a member of UA’s Institute for the Study of Planet Earth. At study sites in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah, the team found that from 40 to 80 percent of the pinyon trees died between 2002 and 2003. The researchers confirmed the massive regional dieback of vegetation through both aerial surveys and analysis of satellite images of those states’ pinyon-juniper woodlands....
They helped make backpacking a family affair Agriculture Secretary Orville Freeman thought he was roughing it deep in the backwoods of the Bob Marshall Wilderness. Traveling horseback with Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas and U.S. Forest Service Chief Edward Cliff, the men were in the middle of a guided pack trip to view some of the challenges facing managers of the wilderness area in 1962. "We had enjoyed every minute of the trip -- the magnificent scenery, long days in the saddle, the smell of wood smoke and the big meals matched only by our hearty appetites," Freeman later wrote. "As we silently viewed the lake, the stillness was broken by voices and six hikers came into view, full packs riding head high on their backs." "They came toward us with light and tireless step -- four youngsters and two adults."....
Endangered salmon numbers hurt by fishing Trying to apply what they called a “common sense solution’’ to saving salmon, three members of Congress suggested Tuesday cutting back on the numbers of fish that can be killed by fishermen. “I have trouble, my little brain can’t understand, how it’s OK to slaughter the fish?’’ said Rep. Greg Walden, an Oregon Republican, who was joined by Reps. Brian Baird and Norm Dicks, both Democrats from Washington, for the first of three informal hearings to hear from various interest groups. Their approach provoked criticism from environmental groups, who say dams are responsible for killing many more salmon than fishing. It also raised fears among American Indian tribes, whose treaty rights have guaranteed that they can fish both wild and hatchery-raised salmon. The two types of fish can be distinguished because most hatchery-raised salmon have had their fin clipped — a move that was implemented two years ago through legislation sponsored by Dicks....
Viagra could be conservation tool The emergence of impotence drugs like Viagra may end up reducing demand for body parts from threatened or endangered species that are used for traditional Asian cures, a new study says. The study concludes that people who use traditional Chinese medicine are switching to Viagra, Cialis and other Western drugs to treat their impotence. The two main authors, Alaskan brothers Bill and Frank von Hippel, published their conclusions in the journal Environmental Conservation this month based on their studies of Hong Kong men over 50. The authors surveyed 256 men seeking treatment at a traditional Chinese medicine clinic....
Column: House takes an ax to the ESA As former Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis put it, the states can serve as "laboratories of democracy" by testing new approaches to see if they might work for the nation as a whole. The idea is that if a new approach falls flat, the rest of the country can learn from the mistake without going through the same experience. Unfortunately, state experiments sometimes fail, and politicians still don't learn the lesson. A case in point is Oregon's Measure 37, a sweeping "takings," or property rights measure passed by Oregon voters in November 2004. The measure has been a surprising disaster for Oregonians. Nonetheless, the U.S . House of Representatives recently passed a bill amending the Endangered Species Act that would convert Oregon's isolated mistake into national policy. By so doing, the House took an ax to the law, effectively repealing the law as it applies to private lands....
More energy security vs. hazy views in US parks At once primordial and almost overpowering to some, the pristine air quality and mountain views from Pinedale - a town of 1,500 that sits on Highway 191, a key gateway to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks - have long been among the finest in the nation. But now not only Pinedale's air quality and views are at risk - but so are those in three nearby wilderness areas just east of the town and, to a serious but lesser degree, in the Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. That's because there's a plan to add 3,100 new gas wells on nearby public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) - a giant gas field dubbed "Jonah" just 30 miles or so south of Pinedale....
New court ready to tackle property rights issues The Supreme Court set the stage Tuesday for what could be a landmark ruling on government authority to regulate wetlands and control pollution, giving new Chief Justice John Roberts his first chance to limit federal regulation of property rights. The justices agreed to take up claims that regulators have gone too far by restricting development of property that is miles away from any river or waterway. With more than 100 million acres of wetlands in the United States, a total as big as California, the stakes are high, the justices were told. The outcome could have implications for government authority in regulating construction in obviously environmentally sensitive areas, such as Hurricane Katrina-decimated parts of Louisiana and Mississippi, and even land that is not adjacent to water. “They define wetlands so broadly that even dry desert areas of Arizona are being called wetlands,’’ said Paul Kamenar, a lawyer with the Washington Legal Foundation, one of the conservative groups that called on the court to intervene. The Bush administration had urged the court to stay on the sidelines....
Anschutz ranch rich in historic, scenic value Stagecoaches, military units, gold seekers, pioneers and mountain men, plus sheep and cattle, antelope and deer, all left their tracks on the more than 300,000 acres of the Overland Trail Ranch, now for sale for $47.5 million. Owned for the past several years by Denver magnate Phil Anschutz, the Carbon County ranch is a conglomeration of historic properties including former sheep and cattle operations founded by Richard Savage, Isadore Bolten, Burton Tuttle and Curtis Rochelle. Included are nearly 150,000 deeded acres and more than 162,000 acres of leased land - much of it in checkerboard ownership where every other section was once part of the land grant to the Union Pacific Railroad. That property now is primarily managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, while minerals under it are held by Anadarko Petroleum, which also holds mineral rights to at least portions of the privately owned surface that is now up for sale. The core holdings have long been used for cattle and sheep ranching operations. At various times, bison also have been raised on the properties....
Texas cloned calves Although a study claims that cloned cows are "as safe to eat as their non-clone counterparts," the Food and Drug Administration isn't letting cloned meat into grocery stories just yet. About 80 miles east of Austin in Round Top, a several hundred-acre farm run by ViaGen Inc. recently received 20 new pregnant cows carrying cloned calves that came from the carcasses of premium grade cattle. These cows joined around 200 other cows and 150 pigs on the farm. ViaGen has produced numerous award-winning animals at shows and soon hopes to expand the company by placing beef from cloned cows on the market. "We can go from carcasses that have the characteristics that you want and create the living possibilities," said ViaGen president Mark Walton. "We select the healthier cows that thrive and reproduce the best, so we anticipate healthier in the future making, only the best." Only one in 12,000 cows is considered prime quality grade. By cloning cattle ranchers can pick the animals which will yield the best steaks or chops. Although there isn't any law prohibiting them from selling the meat, they do not currently have products in stores....

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