NEWS ROUNDUP

Editorial: Ranchers are howling A year ago, a citizen task force made up of ranchers, conservationists, hunters, economists and tribal representatives attained what many thought was impossible: agreement on a strategy to make Oregon the first Western state to independently embrace the return of gray wolves. It was a visionary, practical - and, above all, balanced - strategy that called for dividing Oregon into zones, with a goal of establishing a minimum number of breeding pairs in each. The plan acknowledged the legitimate concerns of ranchers by giving them the legal right to shoot wolves that attacked and killed livestock on private lands or on public lands where grazing permits exist. It also called for the establishment of a fund to compensate ranchers for losses from confirmed wolf attacks. It was an impressive accomplishment that was rightly hailed as a national model and embraced by the state Fish and Wildlife Commission. This improbably diverse group of citizens crafted a strategy that promised to allow wolves to re-establish themselves in Oregon while giving ranchers both the lethal and nonlethal tools they needed to protect their economic interests. Enter the 2005 Oregon Legislature, which failed to pass the legislation allowing ranchers to shoot wolves and to provide compensation for losses to wolf attacks. What had been a carefully crafted plan that recognized and met the needs of all key parties became a lopsided one that left ranchers out in the cold....
Land wrangle An unusual land deal promises a shot at salvation for Fort Carson but could mean a lifetime in limbo for residents along the southeastern border of the massive Army post. The complex agreement among developers, the Army and El Paso County would slow or stop development in a 4,515-acre, 1½-mile-wide swath of the Rancho Colorado subdivision on the eastern edge of the post’s artillery range. The deal would use $2.8 million in taxpayer money and potentially much more to buy vacant lots and, more importantly, divert water that could have been used to expand a housing development within Rancho. The story of Rancho Colorado is a classic Western tale. It’s about what is possible in the West — and what isn’t — without water. It’s about the legacy of what many have called a brazen land scam. And it’s about the enduring power of the federal government over local land-use decisions....
Forest Service seeks to buy Badlands ranch The U.S. Forest Service is interested in buying a picturesque Badlands ranch in the area where Theodore Roosevelt raised cattle. Brothers Kenneth, Allan and Dennis Eberts and their families have tried unsuccessfully to sell their ranch, first to Theodore Roosevelt National Park and then to the state of North Dakota. They lost a court battle over Billings County's plans to build a road through the property. Dave Pieper, a Forest Service supervisor, said the agency hopes to "reprogram" money in its budget to buy the Eberts ranch in three phases. The Ebertses own 5,225 acres across the valley from Theodore Roosevelt's Elkhorn Ranch, which is part of the larger national park named for the conservation-minded president. Roosevelt ranched there in the 1880s and ran cattle across on the Eberts land, describing in a letter the view of it from his cabin porch....
Ranchers: Gas drilling, water don’t mix A lawsuit by two ranching families in the heart of coal-bed methane gas country east of Durango could require gas-extracting companies statewide to protect the water rights of others. The plaintiffs - Jim and Terry Fitzgerald in La Plata County and Bill and Beth Vance in Archuleta County - allege that the extraction of water from coal-bed seams should be subject to the same regulations as agricultural or sand/gravel operations. Methane gas producers, they say, should have well permits and a plan for replacing water taken in the course of their work. Otherwise, the extraction of water during gas drilling could dry up wells, contaminate ground water or result in flammable tap water, according to the lawsuit, filed Nov. 21 in District Court in Durango. Methane-gas producers dispose of water extracted from coal seams in deep wells or evaporation ponds. Water is extracted to free methane gas from the coal-bed....
Snowmobile dispute rekindles rancor over motors and BWCAW A short snowmobile trail to a popular ice fishing lake has become the latest flash point in the ongoing rancor over the use of motors in and near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Residents in the area and the Cook County Board of Commissioners have asked the U.S. Forest Service to build a new trail into South Fowl Lake on the Ontario border to allow for easy access from McFarland Lake at the end of the Arrowhead Trail. The trail would replace an illegal trail that for years ran, officially unnoticed, just inside the eastern end of the wilderness area, where motors have been banned since 1978. After Forest Service rangers discovered that the trail ran within the BWCAW and began issuing citations, local snowmobilers demanded a new access to South Fowl....
Indicted fire manager pleads not guilty A former National Forest Service incident commander charged with setting two wildfires had pleaded not guilty and will go on trial in January. Van Bateman, 55, of Flagstaff, worked for the Coconino National Forest since 1971, battling some of the nation's largest wildfires. He also helped in recovery efforts at the World Trade Center after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Bateman was indicted last month on charges he started two wildfires in the Coconino National Forest. The largest burned only 21 acres....
Former Nevada BLM boss condemns mining measure The former top U.S. land manager for the biggest gold mining state in the nation says a proposal in Congress to privatize public mining lands "would be catastrophic, both environmentally and economically." Bob Abbey, considered an ally of the mining industry before his retirement in June as the Bureau of Land Management's state director for Nevada, said the proposal by Republican Reps. Richard Pombo of California and Jim Gibbons of Nevada offers false hopes to rural communities to attract new businesses. "There is nothing positive about this bill unless you happen to have ownership in a mining company," Abbey said. "Having spent half my life managing the public's land and being a proponent of responsible mining, I assure you this legislation is bad for American taxpayers," he said in a letter first published Thursday in the Reno Gazette-Journal. Gibbons, chairman of the House Resources subcommittee on energy and mineral resources, disputed Abbey's assertions Friday. He said the proposed changes in the 1872 Mining Law that are included in a budget bill headed for a House-Senate conference committee are needed to allow companies to purchase -- or "patent" -- the federal land that housed their mining operations....
Drilling in the Wyoming Range? A Bureau of Land Management oil and gas lease sale slated for Tuesday will auction a 1,280-acre parcel in the foothills of the Wyoming Range that conservationists say will likely jump-start other suspended leases in the area. Peter Aengst with the Bozeman, Mont.-based Wilderness Society said some leases on federal land in the area west of Merna were suspended in recent years as developers said they needed more acreage to drill to make the area economically viable for gas extraction. Those developers were involved in persuading Bridger-Teton National Forest officials to release acreage in the area for possible lease sales, he said. The BLM handles oil and gas leasing on national forest lands released by the Forest Service for that purpose. "It's the dark secret on the Bridger-Teton," Aengst said. "This new leasing by the Bridger-Teton in the Wyoming Range is not only about expanding the existing area controlled for oil and gas, but it's also potentially the key to unlock the door to allow more drilling on existing leases."....
Huntsville man locked in property dispute It used to be a good thing to be “land rich” in Texas - a family's legacy, wide-open spaces, tracts of property to build homes or businesses. But one local man has come head to head with the U.S. government over what's his and what they have rights to commandeer. Gregory Colson's family has owned 19 acres off FM 1374, bordering the Sam Houston National Forest, since 1925. The old homestead where his mother was born still stands, and the land is as untouched as it was then - that was until the mid-1990s when Colson decided to erect a gate. “We were having a lot of people coming out there, dumping things and poaching wildlife,” he said. “I put up a gate, and I've been going to court ever since then.” The question of land ownership surrounds one piece of that 19 acres that is being tagged a “road” by the U.S. government, but Colson's lawyers at Moak & Moak argue any semblance of a designated roadway. “The area in question is claimed by the United States to be an old wagon trail that went from Huntsville to Montgomery,” said attorney J. Paxton Adams. “Today, however, nobody that views the property would recognize any road or even the remnants of a road. We don't believe it ever was the road the United States now claims it to be.”....
Interest wanes in wildlife work Dan Cacho walks through thigh-high weeds along the South Platte River, shiny badge on his chest, handgun on hip, watching for hunters as a Labrador retriever bounds through the brush, more interested in blazing a trail for Cacho than flushing out birds. The self-described big-city boy is a long way from Cleveland and right in the middle of a dream come true. The 25-year-old Cacho is nearing the end of 10 months of training and will soon become one of six new district managers with the Colorado Division of Wildlife. "It's the best thing that's happened to me," Cacho said during a recent ride-along with veteran Bill Miles, whose district takes in some of the state's eastern plains. A declining number of people share Cacho's passion: Wildlife agencies across the country are struggling with the double-whammy of mass retirements and declining interest from young people seemingly disconnected from hunting, fishing and rural life....
Land in Roosevelt Park is up in price, acreage Land for sale inside the boundary of Theodore Roosevelt National Park has gone up both in price and size in the past two weeks. The land is the only private property, or inholding, in the park. The National Park Service is trying to buy it at the same time it's listed for sale with Pifer-Swann Realty. Two weeks ago, the realty firm described the land as 176 acres in two parcels for sale for $352,000. Now, the parcels are described as 191 acres for sale for $477,000. The park disputes the new acreage description and says the deed recorded in the Billings County Courthouse is for the smaller number of acres. The new number is apparently based on a global positioning system measurement. The park says buying the land is a high priority to maintain the park's appearance and integrity....
Park service says it's not obliged to allow road to land The National Park Service, which is trying to buy private land within the Theodore Roosevelt National Park's south unit, is not obliged to provide road access to the property, a spokesman says. The issue will influence whether the property is sold, to whom and for how much. The property is surrounded by federal park land, and would be much less valuable without a road. The access question will have to be settled in court, said Barney Olson, a Park Service spokesman. The land's owner, Norbert Sickler, of Dickinson, initially sought $352,000 for the 176 acres of land, which is next to Interstate 94. He has since upped the price to $477,000, saying he actually owns 191 acres. Olson said the service recently sent Sickler a letter detailing its views on road access to his property and asserting that his tract covers 176 acres, not 191 acres. The property deed in the Billings County Courthouse supports the lesser figure, Olson said....
Feds give chairlift ads a green light Advertisements for private jet clubs and credit cards on chairlifts at local ski areas might become a permanent fixture after a ruling last week by the U.S. Forest Service. The Washington, D.C., office of the agency issued an "interim directive" saying that ads for products and services are acceptable inside buildings and other "interior spaces" operated by concessionaires or permit holders, like the Aspen Skiing Co., on national forests. The directive defined the safety bars of chairlifts as an interior space. That means ads are allowed on chairlifts as long as they are on the safety bars facing riders and not hanging off the back of the lift, said Kristi Ponozzo, spokeswoman for the White River National Forest....
6 guvs protest bill's public land sale Six western governors put Congress on notice this week they oppose a measure pending in the U.S. Senate that would open millions of acres of public lands for sale to mining companies. Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal wrote Sens. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., and Kent Conrad, D-N.D., of the Senate Budget Committee, on Thursday saying the sale of public lands in a budget reconciliation bill passed by the House could cut off public access for recreation and deny the states billions of dollars in mineral royalties. The letter states the House bill would net only $158 million over five years, while current royalties yield more than $2 billion a year, split between the federal government and the states. The letter was signed by Govs. Brian Schweitzer of Montana, Janet Napolitano of Arizona, Bill Richardson of New Mexico, Ted Kulongoski of Oregon, and Christine Gregoire of Washington. All are Democrats....
This Land May Not Be Your Land Standing at the foot of billion-year-old Stripe Mountain, acting park chief Larry Whalon gazed up at ancient slopes banded in limestone and copper. "In 10 years, there could be a big house right here. Lots of houses," Whalon said. The entire mountain in the desert preserve west of Las Vegas is covered by federal mining claims, and newly proposed legislation would allow claim holders to purchase this land outright. Supporters say the mining law changes, part of a spending bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives last month, are intended to revive dying rural mining towns. But the possible consequences have provoked fierce disagreement. A House-Senate conference committee is expected in the near future to begin work to resolve the differences between the House bill and one passed by the Senate. The Senate bill does not contain the mining provisions, but it does include an equally contentious measure, rejected by the House, that would open Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling....
Oil boom a dilemma for site of artifacts Given the ongoing oil boom in the nearby Uinta Basin, questions linger over the future of Range Creek's mineral resources. Range Creek, home to hundreds of pristine Fremont Indian archaeological sites, is believed to hold some gas and/or oil deposits. The former property owner, Waldo Wilcox, still holds mineral rights for much of the land. Wilcox maintains the state should consider offering to buy the mineral rights if it wants to protect the sites, but the state so far has not contacted him. The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources manages the old 4,200-acre Wilcox Ranch, including its nearly untouched collection of archaeological sites that could enhance knowledge of the mysterious Fremont culture....
Inside America's Most Beloved Agency: Part II The Gateway Alliance was lead by Paul Hoffman who has come under fire for orchestrating another “brainstorming session,” this time at the U.S. Department of the Interior. Mr. Hoffman was once a congressional aide to Dick Cheney and parlayed his friendship with the vice president into a key job in Washington, D.C. Beyond public scrutiny (until recently), he had been quietly rewriting the government manual that guides management principles in our national parks. What Mr. Hoffman failed to achieve in Yellowstone in 1995 he is now attempting, more ambitiously, to bring to every wildland national park in the country. What is his agenda? Answer: To weaken the verbal legal framework that protects national parks so that natural resource exploiters are given equal, if not greater, say over park management than park managers themselves....
Column: Inside the Climate of Fear in the National Park Service The plight of whistleblowers – those employees who sound the alarm about anything from dangerous conditions in the workplace to missed or ignored intelligence regarding our nation's security – is a story that seems to grow stronger and with more frequency every day. My guess is that those stories have always been there; I suspect I am just paying closer attention to them now. You see, I joined the "ranks" of whistleblowers on December 2, 2003, when a major newspaper printed a story in which I confirmed for them what many of us already knew – we, the members of the United States Park Police, could no longer provide the level of service that citizens and visitors had grown to expect in our parks and on our parkways in Washington, D.C., New York City, and San Francisco. The world changed for all of us on September 11, 2001, and the expectations of police agencies across the country grew exponentially overnight. As the Chief of the United States Park Police, an organization responsible for the safety and security of some of America's most valued and recognizable symbols of freedom – including such notable sites as the Washington Monument, the Statue of Liberty, and the Golden Gate Bridge area – I knew it was my duty, as chiefs of police across the country do every day, to inform the community of the realities of the situation....
Park Service wants death lawsuit dismissed The National Park Service is seeking dismissal of a lawsuit that alleges Yosemite National Park was negligent in the death of an experienced climber who was killed by a rockfall. The parents of Peter Terbush, 22, filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit in 2001 seeking $10 million in damages. Terbush, a student at Western State College, in Gunnison, Colo., was climbing with two friends 240 feet above Curry Village, a combination of visitor cabins and duplexes, when he was killed by a falling rock in June 1999. Both sides presented opposing views in U.S. District Court in Fresno on Friday. National Park Service lawyer Kristi Kapetan argued the lawsuit should be dismissed because Yosemite has immunity from such civil action, noting that Congress has given rangers discretion on when and where to warn the public of potential dangers....
Conservation Groups Benefit from Sales of New Book A new book about national parks is now available through several major conservation groups and profits from each purchase benefit those organizations. Here's a winning combination: give someone a fun, affordable gift or get a book for your own reading pleasure and help support the work of groups such as the National Parks Conservation Association, African Wildlife Foundation, Hawk Mountain, Monarch Watch, National Wildlife Federation and others. Proceeds from these sales help support groups which are working to protect parks, wildlife and other natural resources in the U.S. or abroad. The book is also available at some of the bookstores operated by non-profit Cooperating Associations at national park service sites. Revenues from those stores help parks with visitor programs and other projects which would otherwise go unfunded. Written by a 30-year veteran park ranger, "Hey Ranger! True Tales of Humor and Misadventure from America’s National Parks" is a book that everyone from experienced outdoorsmen to armchair travelers will find both entertaining and informative. Unlike many other outdoor books about the serious side of life in the parks or expeditions with tragic endings, "Hey Ranger!" focuses on the lighter side of outdoor misadventures....
Bank executive's signature on letter prompts apology Wells Fargo Bank Alaska has apologized for a letter one of its senior vice presidents signed that described the work of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as "junk science." "The letter was not reviewed and approved by the company and it doesn't represent our official views," Wells Fargo spokeswoman Elaine Junge said Friday. The Oct. 21 letter, co-signed by Anchorage-based Wells Fargo banker James L. Cloud, was part of a fall fundraising campaign for Pacific Legal Foundation, a national law firm that advocates for property and access rights, and less government regulation, particularly in wetlands and coastal areas....
Ballad ends on sour note for final Everglades holdout Nothing will make Jesse James Hardy a happy man these days. Not the $4.95 million the state paid him for his land. Not the big and modern home he’s buying with chandeliers and fancy-schmancy rooms such as a foyer and lanai. And not his status as the last Everglades holdout in Collier County that elevated him into a folk hero. The Ballad of Jesse Hardy, sung by the Sawgrass Boys, sums up his feelings: “Oh, Jesse’s had his good times, and Jesse’s had his bad, But these are the worst times that he’s ever had; He’s been deviled by greeners, and deviled by the mob That come from Tallahassee to steal from him and rob!” Hardy spits fire when he talks about having to move next month to his new $750,000 house that has just a few more amenities than the rustic cabin he built in the Everglades with his own sweat more than a quarter-century ago. “You could have gold-plated plumbing, but it won’t wash your hands any better than what I got now,” he says. He would prefer that the state take back the money it paid him for his 160-acre homestead and let him stay in the hinterlands east of Naples....
Climate Official's Work Is Questioned Environmentalists are unhappy with the job the lead U.S. climate negotiator, Harlan Watson, has been doing in the ongoing Montreal talks on how to combat global warming. Watson has spent the past week in Montreal touting the administration's record on climate change. He said there is no reason the United States and other countries that oppose mandatory carbon dioxide limits should have to talk about what should be done once the Kyoto Protocol, which aims to cut global greenhouse gases by 7 percent by 2012, expires. Watson's position and the environmentalists' reaction should hardly be surprising -- considering his apparent popularity with the oil industry....
New federal rules would exempt industry from pollution reporting New federal rules would exempt dozens of Oregon companies from making some pollution and emissions information public. Industry officials are all for the changes proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency, saying they would relieve a tremendous paperwork burden. But environmental advocates worry that the changes would leave residents in the dark about how much pollution is in their air and water. The changes would be to the Toxics Release Inventory Program, begun in 1987 as the nation's public right-to-know program for toxic pollution and toxic waste. Under the program, approximately 26,000 industrial facilities report information about any of the 650 chemicals in the program. Environmentalists credit the program with a 60 percent reduction of the disposals or releases of 299 chemicals nationally....
Water use threatens river life, group says Several environmental groups are accusing a local water district of blocking salmon and steelhead runs on the Calaveras River in an apparent violation of the Endangered Species Act. They've also filed a complaint with state water officials claiming the Stockton East Water District and other agencies violated state law by misusing the river and, in some cases, allowing fish to die. Stockton East is the primary agency that delivers drinking water to Stockton businesses and residents. Some of its water comes from the Calaveras River, which the district controls through water releases at New Hogan Dam. In recent years, low water flows have prevented salmon and steelhead from moving upstream to spawn. That's a particular problem for steelhead, which are listed as a threatened species....
Battle brews over water from Salt Basin A battle is brewing between New Mexicans and Texans over water from an underground reserve. The Salt Basin under Otero and Chaves counties holds an estimated 15 million acre-feet of drinking water and 15 million acre-feet of brackish water. An acre-foot is about 326,000 gallons, which can meet the annual water needs of one to two U.S. households. The water originates in the Sacramento Mountains of New Mexico, but part of the basin stretches south into Texas. Farmers in Dell City, Texas, are using it to irrigate thousands of acres of alfalfa, chili and other crops. Texans also are interested in selling the water to thirsty cities. "New Mexico needs to do something to protect its water," said Jerry King, an assistant commissioner of the state Land Office. "In my opinion, Texas is stealing our water." New Mexico State Engineer John D'Antonio said, "if Texas were to continually develop that area, it could affect supplies within New Mexico, and that's why we want to develop that water."....
School finds way to stay open In an era when many North Dakota schools have closed due to lack of enrollment or to consolidation with neighboring school districts, tiny Horse Creek School carries on a large part of this state's history. A mere six students attend classes at Horse Creek, in the heart of rugged and remote ranching country south of Cartwright. Horse Creek School District 32 of McKenzie County maintains a kindergarten through eight-grade curriculum. This year it is heavy with second graders - three of them. One student in fourth grade and a set of twins in the seventh grade complete the school's enrollment. Aleah Thingstad is the teacher. The old Horse Creek School, just a few miles from the current one, used to have a barn where students could keep their horses. There's no barn at the current Horse Creek School, just a house for the teacher, but all the students are ranch kids and have their own horses....
The Whole Town's Talking: Cody hen lays magical 'sunshine' egg When rural Cody resident Deb Chenoweth first saw the egg, laid by her favorite hen, she didn't realize what it was. "At first, it just looked bumpy and kind of deformed," she said. Looking closer, she was shocked to see a raised image of the sun surrounded by 15 or so evenly spaced rays covering the egg's golden yellow surface. "It blew my mind," Chenoweth told the Powell Tribune. Chenoweth hopes the "sunny-side up" egg will attract generous financial attention when she posts it on eBay "as soon as I get my act together." In the meantime, the egg safely resides in her refrigerator....
TheWaggoner Ranch The waggoner ranch's 520,000 acres cover some 812 square miles, making it the largest Texas ranch behind one fence. Cattle have always been on the outfit,and oil was found there, as well, but the ranch is best known for its good horses. The ranch's long, colorful history began with Dan Waggoner, back in the days before statehood, when Texas was a republic. Dan was born in Tennessee in 1828, and journeyed with his family to Texas in 1838. His father died a year later, and it was up to young Dan to take care of his mother and seven siblings. In 1849, Dan married 16-year-old Nancy Moore. Nancy died young, a mere year after their son, William Tom, called ÒW.T.,%d3; was born in 1852. After her death, Dan left W.T. in the care of his mother and sisters and rode west to look for more land. At that time, thousands of acres of free land were available for settlement. Dan quickly filed on 160 acres on Cattle Creek, near the present town of Decatur in Wise County, Texas. He moved there in 1854 with his mother, siblings, son, 240 Longhorns, and six horses. Shortly thereafter he began to seriously accumulate land....
Rodeos lasso a new type of fan When Trevor Brazile left his home in Decatur, Texas, to become a professional cowboy, he was prepared for all the traditional rigors of the rodeo circuit: ornery steers, tumbleweed towns, tiny prize purses and the occasional busted tooth. His notion of "fame" was being asked to sign autographs at the smokeless tobacco booth. But in the last few years, the 29-year-old has found himself square in the middle of a trend he never imagined. When he's not promoting his new line of cowboy hats or traveling the country in a complimentary 35-foot custom trailer with leather window treatments, he's eating steamed artichokes with sponsors and mingling with celebrity fans. At this weekend's Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, the sport's equivalent of the Super Bowl, he's been put up at the Mirage. "It all feels so foreign to me," says Brazile, a three-time national champion. "I'm a small-town guy." So long, lonely campfires. Thanks to a convergence of factors from the recent arena-building boom to the expansion of cable sports channels to a growing number of celebrities latching on to all things Western, the manly, dusty sport of rodeo is getting an overhaul. In smaller burgs like Greeley, Colo., and more cosmopolitan cities like Chicago and Houston, rodeos are moving to bigger, fancier venues....
On the Edge of Common Sense: Potential new endangered species act a hit That huge gasp, clutching at the chest and cracking of a big smile that was heard across the US of A this fall was farmers and ranchers reading the headline, "U.S. House of Representatives pass bill to restrict Endangered Species Act!" Even though we know the Senate may not sign on, it's a step in the right direction. For some of us, it is too late. It's a little bit like wanting a bicycle when you were 10 years old in 1973 and now, 30 years later, it's under the Christmas tree, but it's not the same. What offended most was the injustice of the law and then its blatant misuse by the Anti's to inflict economic injury on those they seek to destroy....