Cowboy dreams do come true
Cowgirl Sass & Savvy
By Julie Carter
About two blinks ago, he was a little redheaded cowboy with a big grin, dragging a rope behind his denim bottom and cowboy boots complete with jingling spurs.
Today, Taos Muncy is living his dream, having achieved the ultimate for a cowboy - competing at the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, Nev.
Taos has become a hero for every little cowboy, and most of the big ones left back at home in Lincoln County, N.M.
"Wow, Mom," my son said after watching Taos win his first check ($4,230.77) in the second round of the finals. "It's pretty exciting that somebody we know from right here could do something so good and really be there."
Taos thought he had simply qualified for his first National Finals Rodeo and that was all there was to it. I'm sure he doesn't yet know his achievement has spawned hope and belief in the possibilities of life beyond junior high school.
Prior to his 2005 graduation from Corona High School, Taos had already set in motion a cowboy's dream to make it to the top. Racking up more than a dozen all-around high school rodeo titles his senior year, it became very clear he was accomplished, driven, and had learned how to handle the pressures of competing and the grace of winning.
Working both ends of the arena, the rough stock and roping events, Taos was the true definition of an all-around rodeo cowboy. His ranch-raised cowboy roots and a family of rodeo genetics were paying off.
He went to college in the fall of 2005 on a rodeo scholarship in four events - bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping and team roping.
For a cowboy, qualifying for NFR is first on the dream list, winning a world championship when you get there tops the dream with a gold crown, or, in this case, the gold buckle. Achieving the former has made the later a possibility for Taos in saddle bronc riding.
The gold buckle is within reach for this NFR first-timer and, undoubtedly, that fact will test his ability to handle the pressure.
As I write this, the seventh of the ten rounds is complete and Taos has picked up three more checks, two of which were for first place at $16,394 each. He has totaled $41,250 in seven days and made qualified rides on six of his seven horses.
That has moved him to second in the average, making his year-end total, to date, $150,628.17. Not bad wages for a kid who is also a full-time college student, a junior, and a member of the college rodeo team at Oklahoma Panhandle University.
With three more rounds to go, three more horses to ride to the whistle, a lot can still happen, but whatever happens, Taos got there.
There seems to be little doubt this will be the first of many NFRs for Taos. However, the grin he wears when he walks away from a winning ride, this first time, is priceless.
When he stands in front of the ESPN cameras and answers the interviewer's questions, his humble, well-mannered raising is evident, but the adrenalin rush seems almost to have him walking above the ground.
Yes, little cowboys, you can have a dream, and it can come true.
Not too late to order Julie’s book, Cowgirl Sass & Savvy for a perfect gift – Julie will wrap and ship direct. Contact her through her website at julie-carter.com
Saturday, December 15, 2007
FLE
Drug dealers' pardons left unexplained The White House has left unexplained the president's decisions to grant pardons to drug dealers, carjackers, thieves and a moonshiner, but deny the same mercy to two former U.S. Border Patrol agents each serving more than a decade in prison for shooting at a fleeing drug smuggler...the White House has released its list of 29 pardons granted traditionally around Christmas time, and they included carjackers, drug dealers, thieves and a moonshiner. But not Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, who were convicted of firing their guns at a fleeing drug smuggler while they were protecting the integrity of the U.S. border with Mexico. However, Rep. William Delahunt, D-Mass., has launched a campaign to assemble a House resolution urging Bush to provide those pardons, and he says more than two dozen members already have signed on as sponsors. "I am completely confident we will be able to pass a bipartisan resolution that includes support from the right and the left," Delahunt said. He said he expects action soon after Congress reconvenes after the Christmas break....
Drug smuggler denied bond Admitted drug smuggler Osvaldo Aldrete Davila, who is at the center of a national controversy over the conviction of two El Paso Border Patrol agents, was denied bond Monday by a federal judge in El Paso, court documents showed. Aldrete, who faces drug conspiracy and possession charges, was ordered detained without bond because "there is a serious risk that the defendant will not appear," according to the detention order signed by U.S. Magistrate Judge Richard P. Mesa. "The potential sentence is severe, the defendant is a citizen of Mexico without legal permission to reside in the United States, the defendant has significant familial ties to Mexico and it is likely, if convicted, the defendant will be deported from the United States," Mesa wrote. If convicted, Aldrete faces a minimum mandatory sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison. He entered a plea of not guilty Nov. 21, according to court documents. Aldrete, 27, was shot in the buttocks during a botched drug-smuggling run in February 2005 by Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean....
Firefighters asked to report people who express discontent with the government t was revealed last week that firefighters are being trained to not only keep an eye out for illegal materials in the course of their duties, but even to report back any expression of discontent with the government. A year ago, Homeland Security gave security clearances to nine New York City fire chiefs and began sharing intelligence with them. Even before that, fire department personnel were being taught "to identify material or behavior that may indicate terrorist activities" and were also "told to be alert for a person who is hostile, uncooperative or expressing hate or discontent with the United States." Unlike law enforcement officials, firemen can go onto private property without a warrant, not only while fighting fires but also for inspections. "It's the evolution of the fire service," said a Phoenix, AZ fire chief of his information-sharing arrangement with law enforcement...."That's the entire intent," German replied, noting the serious legal issues involved. "There is actually still a fourth amendment," he pointed out, "and what makes a firefighter's search reasonable is that it's done to prevent a fire. If now firefighters are going in with this secondary purpose, that end run around the fourth amendment won't work, and it's likely that they will find themselves in legal trouble." Olbermann, however, was most strongly concerned about the implications for civil liberties. "Is what disturbs you and the ACLU the same thing that just jumped off the page for me?" he asked. "That one phrase, 'look for people who are expressing hatred of or discontent with the United States?' Discontent?"....
Activists see Senate Dems backing down to Bush, ready to give immunity to phone companies As lawmakers hurry to clear their legislative plates before rushing home for Christmas dinner, it appears all-but-certain that Congress will not finish work to update a foreign spy law before the new year. But votes expected this week and next in the Senate have civil libertarians worried about their prospects to block a proposal that would free telecommunications companies from legal oversight of their facilitation of President Bush's post-9/11 warrantless wiretapping scheme. As the timeline appears to be shaking out, Democrats seem headed for an 11th-hour showdown with the White House over updates to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. In a similar showdown this summer, Republicans said a failure to act on FISA would endanger the country. On its way out the door for summer vacation, Congress passed a temporary update to the law that was widely panned for its lack of judicial oversight and constitutional protections. Although Democrats succeeded in keeping telecom immunity out of the August bill, it seems likely to worm its way into this latest version, at least in the Senate, despite voracious opposition from prominent Democrats there, including all the party's presidential candidates....
L.A. Gangs: Nine Miles and Spreading Demond Whiting and a friend left the recreation center at Nickerson Gardens and turned right down Compton Avenue. Whiting was 32 and an original gangster in the Bounty Hunter Bloods. The Bounty Hunters control and terrorize Nickerson Gardens, the sprawling housing development in Watts, and use it as a base for a nationwide drug-trafficking network. Whiting, who was fresh from a long stretch in prison for armed robbery, was chatting about his new life as a civilian, when someone stuck an AK-47 out the window of a passing car and fired two rounds. One hit Whiting in the back, severing his spine and paralyzing him. Early the next morning — Christmas morning — a Bounty Hunter named Antoine Staffer, a.k.a. Pig, left Nickerson Gardens, walked about a half mile to the edge of the dusty, treeless Jordan Downs housing project, strolled up to a car and shot the driver in the face. The victim was Brandon “B.L.” Bullard, a key player in the Grape Street Crips, the gang that controls Jordan Downs. Ten minutes later, a Bounty Hunter heading into Jordan Downs for a Christmas visit with cousins was ambushed and shot seven times. Two more Bounty Hunters were murdered in quick succession. The cycle of retribution — in the form of drive-bys with AK-47s, Uzis, MAC-10s and 9mm semiautomatic handguns — lasted six weeks, left 26 people wounded, nine dead, the local schools largely empty of students, and a large swath of Watts under siege. What triggered all this depends on whom you talk to....
Drug dealers' pardons left unexplained The White House has left unexplained the president's decisions to grant pardons to drug dealers, carjackers, thieves and a moonshiner, but deny the same mercy to two former U.S. Border Patrol agents each serving more than a decade in prison for shooting at a fleeing drug smuggler...the White House has released its list of 29 pardons granted traditionally around Christmas time, and they included carjackers, drug dealers, thieves and a moonshiner. But not Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, who were convicted of firing their guns at a fleeing drug smuggler while they were protecting the integrity of the U.S. border with Mexico. However, Rep. William Delahunt, D-Mass., has launched a campaign to assemble a House resolution urging Bush to provide those pardons, and he says more than two dozen members already have signed on as sponsors. "I am completely confident we will be able to pass a bipartisan resolution that includes support from the right and the left," Delahunt said. He said he expects action soon after Congress reconvenes after the Christmas break....
Drug smuggler denied bond Admitted drug smuggler Osvaldo Aldrete Davila, who is at the center of a national controversy over the conviction of two El Paso Border Patrol agents, was denied bond Monday by a federal judge in El Paso, court documents showed. Aldrete, who faces drug conspiracy and possession charges, was ordered detained without bond because "there is a serious risk that the defendant will not appear," according to the detention order signed by U.S. Magistrate Judge Richard P. Mesa. "The potential sentence is severe, the defendant is a citizen of Mexico without legal permission to reside in the United States, the defendant has significant familial ties to Mexico and it is likely, if convicted, the defendant will be deported from the United States," Mesa wrote. If convicted, Aldrete faces a minimum mandatory sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison. He entered a plea of not guilty Nov. 21, according to court documents. Aldrete, 27, was shot in the buttocks during a botched drug-smuggling run in February 2005 by Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean....
Firefighters asked to report people who express discontent with the government t was revealed last week that firefighters are being trained to not only keep an eye out for illegal materials in the course of their duties, but even to report back any expression of discontent with the government. A year ago, Homeland Security gave security clearances to nine New York City fire chiefs and began sharing intelligence with them. Even before that, fire department personnel were being taught "to identify material or behavior that may indicate terrorist activities" and were also "told to be alert for a person who is hostile, uncooperative or expressing hate or discontent with the United States." Unlike law enforcement officials, firemen can go onto private property without a warrant, not only while fighting fires but also for inspections. "It's the evolution of the fire service," said a Phoenix, AZ fire chief of his information-sharing arrangement with law enforcement...."That's the entire intent," German replied, noting the serious legal issues involved. "There is actually still a fourth amendment," he pointed out, "and what makes a firefighter's search reasonable is that it's done to prevent a fire. If now firefighters are going in with this secondary purpose, that end run around the fourth amendment won't work, and it's likely that they will find themselves in legal trouble." Olbermann, however, was most strongly concerned about the implications for civil liberties. "Is what disturbs you and the ACLU the same thing that just jumped off the page for me?" he asked. "That one phrase, 'look for people who are expressing hatred of or discontent with the United States?' Discontent?"....
Activists see Senate Dems backing down to Bush, ready to give immunity to phone companies As lawmakers hurry to clear their legislative plates before rushing home for Christmas dinner, it appears all-but-certain that Congress will not finish work to update a foreign spy law before the new year. But votes expected this week and next in the Senate have civil libertarians worried about their prospects to block a proposal that would free telecommunications companies from legal oversight of their facilitation of President Bush's post-9/11 warrantless wiretapping scheme. As the timeline appears to be shaking out, Democrats seem headed for an 11th-hour showdown with the White House over updates to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. In a similar showdown this summer, Republicans said a failure to act on FISA would endanger the country. On its way out the door for summer vacation, Congress passed a temporary update to the law that was widely panned for its lack of judicial oversight and constitutional protections. Although Democrats succeeded in keeping telecom immunity out of the August bill, it seems likely to worm its way into this latest version, at least in the Senate, despite voracious opposition from prominent Democrats there, including all the party's presidential candidates....
L.A. Gangs: Nine Miles and Spreading Demond Whiting and a friend left the recreation center at Nickerson Gardens and turned right down Compton Avenue. Whiting was 32 and an original gangster in the Bounty Hunter Bloods. The Bounty Hunters control and terrorize Nickerson Gardens, the sprawling housing development in Watts, and use it as a base for a nationwide drug-trafficking network. Whiting, who was fresh from a long stretch in prison for armed robbery, was chatting about his new life as a civilian, when someone stuck an AK-47 out the window of a passing car and fired two rounds. One hit Whiting in the back, severing his spine and paralyzing him. Early the next morning — Christmas morning — a Bounty Hunter named Antoine Staffer, a.k.a. Pig, left Nickerson Gardens, walked about a half mile to the edge of the dusty, treeless Jordan Downs housing project, strolled up to a car and shot the driver in the face. The victim was Brandon “B.L.” Bullard, a key player in the Grape Street Crips, the gang that controls Jordan Downs. Ten minutes later, a Bounty Hunter heading into Jordan Downs for a Christmas visit with cousins was ambushed and shot seven times. Two more Bounty Hunters were murdered in quick succession. The cycle of retribution — in the form of drive-bys with AK-47s, Uzis, MAC-10s and 9mm semiautomatic handguns — lasted six weeks, left 26 people wounded, nine dead, the local schools largely empty of students, and a large swath of Watts under siege. What triggered all this depends on whom you talk to....
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Tiny Dust Particles from Asian Deserts Common Over Western United States It has been a decade since University of Washington scientists first pinpointed specific instances of air pollution, including Gobi Desert dust, traversing the Pacific Ocean and adding to the mix of atmospheric pollution already present along the West Coast of North America. Now a UW researcher is finding that dust from the Gobi and Taklimakan deserts in China and Mongolia is routinely present in the air over the western United States during spring months. "We are interested in Asian dust that comes across the Pacific because particles can have an impact on health, as well as on visibility," said Emily Fischer, a UW doctoral student in atmospheric sciences. "Most previous work has been very event specific, but this research looks at how the average background aerosol concentrations vary on a year-to-year basis." "The transport of dust across the Pacific is not a new phenomenon," Fischer said. "But we are just beginning to understand it and quantify it on a year-to-year basis instead of on a case-by-case basis....
Gore accuses US of blocking climate talks as EU threatens boycott European nations today threatened to boycott U.S.-sponsored climate talks next month unless the Bush administration compromises and agrees to a "roadmap" for reducing green houses gases blamed for global warming. As the Bali climate conference headed into the final hours, U.S. Nobel laureate Al Gore said the U.S. was "principally responsible" for blocking progress toward agreement on launching negotiations to replace the Kyoto Protocol when it expires in 2012. But he urged delegates to reach the required unanimous agreement even if it meant putting aside goals for emissions cuts. "You can do one of two things here," he said. "You can feel anger and frustration and direct it at the United States of America, or you can make a second choice. You can decide to move forward and do all of the difficult work that needs to be done." The United States, Japan, Russia and several other governments are refusing to accept language in a draft document suggesting that rich nations consider cutting emissions by 25 percent to 40 percent by 2020, saying specific targets would limit the scope of future talks....
Bloomberg, in Bali, Warns of Paralysis in Washington Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, in Indonesia to attend the United Nations climate change conference, warned on Thursday that the United States government had failed to confront global warming and develop a comprehensive energy policy. The mayor — one of the most prominent local American officials to attend the climate summit — met in Bali on Thursday with James L. Connaughton, chairman of the White House Council of Environmental Quality, and Paula J. Dobriansky, the under secretary of state for democracy and global affairs, who are representing the Bush administration at the summit. The mayor also met with Cameron R. Hume, the United States ambassador to Indonesia. But that did not stop Mr. Bloomberg from criticizing the Bush administration — as well as the Democratic-controlled Congress — for failure to act decisively on climate change....
U.S. Says Push for Emission Cuts Blocking Bali Talks The U.S. shot back today at countries criticizing its opposition to specific targets to cut global warming pollution, saying nations pushing for the reductions are hindering efforts to craft a new climate treaty. The U.S., the only developed nation not to ratify the emissions-limiting Kyoto Protocol, is the main opponent to a United Nations proposal to reduce greenhouse gases by 25 to 40 percent by 2020 from 1990 levels. France and India are among countries condemning the U.S. for opposing emissions-reductions goals in a proposal aimed at guiding talks to replace the Kyoto treaty, which runs out in five years. They say the Bush administration threatens to stall progress on reaching an agreement by 2009. The U.S. argues all options to curb global warming should be considered and debate over targets should occur over the next two years, not now. ``Those who are suggesting that you can magically find agreement on a metric, when you are just starting negotiations, that in itself is a blocking effort,'' said James Connaughton, the chief environmental adviser to President George W. Bush, who has long opposed mandatory emissions cuts. ``We need to free up this conversation so we can have the deliberation to buy as much consensus and as much collective, constructive engagement as we can,'' Connaughton said today on the Indonesian island of Bali, where almost 200 countries are gathered for a UN meeting to begin talks for a new climate accord....
Study Increases Concerns of Climate Model Reliability A new study comparing the composite output of 22 leading global climate models with actual climate data finds that the models do an unsatisfactory job of mimicking climate change in key portions of the atmosphere. This research, published on-line Wednesday in the Royal Meteorological Society’s International Journal of Climatology*, raises new concerns about the reliability of models used to forecast global warming. “The usual discussion is whether the climate model forecasts of Earth’s climate 100 years or so into the future are realistic,” said the lead author, Dr. David H. Douglass from the University of Rochester. “Here we have something more fundamental: Can the models accurately explain the climate from the recent past? “It seems that the answer is no.” Scientists from Rochester, The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) and the University of Virginia compared the climate change “forecasts” from the 22 most widely-cited global circulation models with tropical temperature data collected by surface, satellite and balloon sensors. The models predicted that the lower atmosphere should warm significantly more than it actually did....
Bloomberg, in Bali, Warns of Paralysis in Washington Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, in Indonesia to attend the United Nations climate change conference, warned on Thursday that the United States government had failed to confront global warming and develop a comprehensive energy policy. The mayor — one of the most prominent local American officials to attend the climate summit — met in Bali on Thursday with James L. Connaughton, chairman of the White House Council of Environmental Quality, and Paula J. Dobriansky, the under secretary of state for democracy and global affairs, who are representing the Bush administration at the summit. The mayor also met with Cameron R. Hume, the United States ambassador to Indonesia. But that did not stop Mr. Bloomberg from criticizing the Bush administration — as well as the Democratic-controlled Congress — for failure to act decisively on climate change....
U.S. Says Push for Emission Cuts Blocking Bali Talks The U.S. shot back today at countries criticizing its opposition to specific targets to cut global warming pollution, saying nations pushing for the reductions are hindering efforts to craft a new climate treaty. The U.S., the only developed nation not to ratify the emissions-limiting Kyoto Protocol, is the main opponent to a United Nations proposal to reduce greenhouse gases by 25 to 40 percent by 2020 from 1990 levels. France and India are among countries condemning the U.S. for opposing emissions-reductions goals in a proposal aimed at guiding talks to replace the Kyoto treaty, which runs out in five years. They say the Bush administration threatens to stall progress on reaching an agreement by 2009. The U.S. argues all options to curb global warming should be considered and debate over targets should occur over the next two years, not now. ``Those who are suggesting that you can magically find agreement on a metric, when you are just starting negotiations, that in itself is a blocking effort,'' said James Connaughton, the chief environmental adviser to President George W. Bush, who has long opposed mandatory emissions cuts. ``We need to free up this conversation so we can have the deliberation to buy as much consensus and as much collective, constructive engagement as we can,'' Connaughton said today on the Indonesian island of Bali, where almost 200 countries are gathered for a UN meeting to begin talks for a new climate accord....
Study Increases Concerns of Climate Model Reliability A new study comparing the composite output of 22 leading global climate models with actual climate data finds that the models do an unsatisfactory job of mimicking climate change in key portions of the atmosphere. This research, published on-line Wednesday in the Royal Meteorological Society’s International Journal of Climatology*, raises new concerns about the reliability of models used to forecast global warming. “The usual discussion is whether the climate model forecasts of Earth’s climate 100 years or so into the future are realistic,” said the lead author, Dr. David H. Douglass from the University of Rochester. “Here we have something more fundamental: Can the models accurately explain the climate from the recent past? “It seems that the answer is no.” Scientists from Rochester, The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) and the University of Virginia compared the climate change “forecasts” from the 22 most widely-cited global circulation models with tropical temperature data collected by surface, satellite and balloon sensors. The models predicted that the lower atmosphere should warm significantly more than it actually did....
GAO
Toxic Chemical Releases: EPA Actions Could Reduce Environmental Information Available to Many Communities. GAO-08-128, November 30.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-128
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08128high.pdf
Toxic Chemical Releases: Survey of State Toxics Release Inventory Coordinators. GAO-08-129SP, November 30. http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-129SP
Toxic Chemical Releases: EPA Actions Could Reduce Environmental Information Available to Many Communities. GAO-08-128, November 30.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-128
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08128high.pdf
Toxic Chemical Releases: Survey of State Toxics Release Inventory Coordinators. GAO-08-129SP, November 30. http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-129SP
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Bali Emissions Goal May Be `Too Ambitious,' Ban Says United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said setting specific targets for cutting greenhouse-gas emissions blamed for global warming may be ``too ambitious'' for delegates meeting this week in Indonesia. Ministers from more than 130 nations began meeting today on the resort island of Bali to set an agenda for talks to replace the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012. Delegates must agree to a timeline for a new treaty on cutting greenhouse-gas emissions by 2009, or they will have failed the world's people, Ban said. Ban urged industrialized countries, including the U.S., to lead the charge to create a new, tougher global climate accord. The U.S., the world's biggest emitter and the only developed nation not to ratify the Kyoto treaty, is the main opponent to specific cuts, saying developing nations need to commit to emission limits, too....
Final plan less lethal than earlier proposal to cull elk in Rocky Mountain National Park Park Superintendent Vaughn Baker laid out the culling strategies as part of the final environmental impact statement of the park’s Elk and Vegetation Management Plan during in a phone conference Tuesday morning. Somewhere between 2,200 and 3,100 elk live in the Estes Valley and Rocky Mountain National Park, making it one of the highest population concentrations in the Rocky Mountains, Baker said. Park biologists believe the elks’ foraging habits are to blame for reduced numbers of new-growth aspen and willow trees in the park, sparking a five-year effort to create the plan to reduce the herd size. The management plan unveiled Tuesday has park officials and “authorized agents” culling 100 elk each winter with mainly rifles over a 20-year period, and no more than 200 animals killed annually. To goal is to achieve a target elk population of between 1,600 and 2,100 animals in 20 years, Baker said. That’s a dramatic shift from the preferred alternative released in the draft plan in July 2006, which had 200 to 700 elk shot annually to cut the population down to 1,200 to 1,700 animals in just four years. That plan would cost $16 million to implement and had rangers or authorized agents suited out with night-vision devices to corral and kill animals at night using various lethal devices....
Tracks in snow first physical evidence of wolves paired up in Oregon For the first time, state fish and wildlife trackers have physical evidence that two wolves have paired up after moving into northeastern Oregon from Idaho. Tracks found by a rancher in snow near the southern edge of the Eagle Cap Wilderness about 20 miles north of Baker City appear to be from two wolves walking side-by-side. One set of tracks was larger than the other, which could mean one is male and one female. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife wolf coordinator Russ Morgan stressed that they don't know whether Oregon has its first pair of breeding wolves since wolves were wiped out by bounty hunters a century ago. Males and females often travel together without breeding, there is no way to tell the ages of the animals from the tracks, and breeding season isn't until February. Biologists followed the tracks for three-eighths of a mile before the snow ran out. Since they were reported in late October, other sets of single tracks have been found in the area, Morgan said....
Agents' tactics challenged in arson case She can lie, but can she seduce? That's the question facing U.S. District Magistrate Judge Bruce Guyton in the wake of testimony Tuesday about the relationship between John Wesley Irons, alleged to have committed arson in Cherokee National Forest, and U.S. Forest Service Officer Jane Wright. Those investigative techniques included using both Irons' estranged wife and Wright to elicit incriminating statements and faking the arrests of both women to garner a confession. John C. Twiss, who serves as director of the U.S. Forest Service's law enforcement and investigation division, came from his office in Washington, D.C., to attend Tuesday's hearing. He denied that the tactics employed in the arrest of Irons were under probe by the agency. He did not, however, offer an explanation for his presence at what otherwise would be a rote suppression hearing....
Riders to heat up war against BLM Off-highway-vehicle riders have raised $25,000 to help one of their own fight a $300 fine. Back on May 28, 2006, a federal ranger cited Dan M. Jessop for leading a group of nine OHVs on a road closed by the Bureau of Land Management in a wilderness study area. Jessop refuses to pay the fine. The 54-year-old Apple Valley resident doesn't deny driving an OHV on Canaan Mountain's Sawmill Road near the boundary between Kane and Washington counties. But he and his off-roading pals do dispute the BLM's ownership of the route, its authority to close it and its ability to create "de facto" wilderness areas. And they plan to make those arguments in federal court....
Federal judge orders agencies to monitor smelt near water pumps A U.S. District Court judge on Tuesday gave federal wildlife officials until September to come up with a new plan to protect the threatened delta smelt while still providing water to about 25 million Californians and thousands of acres of farmland around the state. U.S. District Court Judge Oliver Wanger ruled that until they come up with a permanent plan, water managers must limit pumping out of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta this year as early as Dec. 25, when the fish typically spawn, until June 20 when the young fish have moved pass the pumps. Wanger ruled in August in a lawsuit filed by environmental groups that the pumping by state and federal authorities kills smelt, a fish that many experts say could be on the brink of extinction. State officials and water users have previously estimated that pumping cutbacks could cut water supplies by at least a third, but it was unclear Tuesday exactly how much water might be lost under Wanger's proposal....
Federal government reopens comments for Pecos sunflower The federal government has reopened a public comment period for a proposal to designate critical habitat in New Mexico and West Texas for the threatened Pecos sunflower. A draft analysis by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service assesses potential economic effects to local environments and communities due to conservation actions for the plant. The analysis notes that some costs are likely regardless of whether critical habitat is designated because they're associated with the fact the sunflower is a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. The analysis looks at potential costs in wetland development, livestock management, road maintenance and how nonnative species are treated. The document estimates costs to conserve the flower and the proposed critical habitat at $3.9 million to $4.4 million between 2007 and 2026. Last March, the agency proposed designating five areas totaling about 1,579 acres as critical habitat. It has revised that proposal to expand one area and clarify the boundaries of another, bringing the total acreage to 5,745 acres in Chaves, Cibola, Guadalupe, Socorro and Valencia counties in New Mexico and Pecos County in Texas....
Legislator: Easement probe chills giving he head of the legislature's Joint Budget Committee said Tuesday he is worried the broad investigation into conservation easements in Colorado will discourage more people from preserving their land. "Right now, folks are afraid — at least in my area — to donate these easements," said Rep. Bernie Buescher, D-Grand Junction. "They're afraid the IRS will audit them. So I think the chilling effect is a problem." Buescher's comments came during a budget hearing for the state's Department of Revenue. The department is one of several in Colorado investigating along with the Internal Revenue Service whether some landowners have abused the conservation easement program through inflated appraisal values on their land. Buescher is one of several elected officials recently who — while supporting efforts to eliminate abuse — have expressed concerns the investigation may hurt the conservation easement program....
State warns against feeding cheap pet food to livestock Utah's state veterinarian is warning ranchers to avoid giving inexpensive pet food to their herds. Earl Rogers says most pet food has ingredients that could help spread an illness in livestock called BSE. It's against state and federal law to give it to cattle. Rogers says some pet-food makers may be offering scraps to Utah ranchers because drought and fire destroyed grazing lands. If a herd has been fed ruminant protein, the entire herd is immediately condemned and removed from the market....
Illinois Vet School Reporting Cases of Black Walnut Laminitis A few weeks ago, a stable in the Urbana, Ill., area received a shipment of wood shavings to bed its stalls. Little did anyone know that within this batch of shavings from a furniture manufacturer was black walnut--which contains a toxin that causes horses to become lame within 24 to 48 hours. According to Elysia Schaefer, DVM, an equine surgery resident at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Urbana, who treated affected horses, "The exact toxin that causes the laminitis is unknown, but it is absorbed through the hoof wall and causes inflammation, leading to pain." "It can take as little as 5% black walnut in a batch of shavings to cause laminitis in a horse," Schaefer said....
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Eminent Domain Vote In Senate On Farm Bill, You Must Call Now!
Below is the text of a press release sent out by Senator Larry Craig (R-ID) regarding an amendment to limit the use of eminent domain for landowners he is offering to the Farm Bill in the Senate this week.
It is critical that every landowner call both their Senators immediately at (202) 224-3121 to urge them to support the Craig Eminent Domain Amendment to the Farm Bill. This amendment would limit the ability of governments to take land by eminent domain.
Urgent, Urgent, Urgent -- This vote could come at any time. Please call immediately. The vote may come Wednesday, Thursday or Friday.
Call your friends and get them to call. Keep calling.
Please forward this message to your whole list quickly.
Chuck Cushman
American Land Rights Assoc
(360) 687-3087
ccushman@pacifier.com
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
For Immediate Release
December 10, 2007
CRAIG OFFERS EMINENT DOMAIN SAFEGUARD
Amendment to Farm Bill would bolster farmers' and ranchers' property rights
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Idaho Senator Larry Craig offered an amendment today to the 2007 Farm Bill that seeks to preserve the private property rights of the nation's farmers and ranchers. The amendment, cosponsored by Senator Brownback (R-Kan.) and Senator Allard (R-Colo.), would deter States and local governments from using eminent domain proceedings to take working agricultural land for parks, open space, or conservation areas. The amendment includes exceptions for traditional eminent domain uses for projects to benefit the public good, such as power lines, roads, schools, or other similar projects.
"Private property rights are one of the most basic pillars of our free society," Craig said. "If cities, counties or states want to preserve open space, they should find a willing seller. Unfortunately, in the wake of the Supreme Court's Kelo vs. New London decision, governments all across the country are being tempted to abuse eminent domain to seize private land for uses the Founding Fathers never intended. I think this amendment strikes a balance, allowing State and local governments to continue using an effective tool to benefit the public, while preserving farmers' and ranchers' land rights."
While the amendment does not prohibit the use of eminent domain to convert farm or ranchland into parks or open space, it creates financial disincentives for State or local governments to do so. Farmers and ranchers could continue to sell private land for parks or conservation purposes, if they so choose. This amendment has the support of American Farm Bureau Federation, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and the Public Lands Council.
Below is the text of a press release sent out by Senator Larry Craig (R-ID) regarding an amendment to limit the use of eminent domain for landowners he is offering to the Farm Bill in the Senate this week.
It is critical that every landowner call both their Senators immediately at (202) 224-3121 to urge them to support the Craig Eminent Domain Amendment to the Farm Bill. This amendment would limit the ability of governments to take land by eminent domain.
Urgent, Urgent, Urgent -- This vote could come at any time. Please call immediately. The vote may come Wednesday, Thursday or Friday.
Call your friends and get them to call. Keep calling.
Please forward this message to your whole list quickly.
Chuck Cushman
American Land Rights Assoc
(360) 687-3087
ccushman@pacifier.com
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For Immediate Release
December 10, 2007
CRAIG OFFERS EMINENT DOMAIN SAFEGUARD
Amendment to Farm Bill would bolster farmers' and ranchers' property rights
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Idaho Senator Larry Craig offered an amendment today to the 2007 Farm Bill that seeks to preserve the private property rights of the nation's farmers and ranchers. The amendment, cosponsored by Senator Brownback (R-Kan.) and Senator Allard (R-Colo.), would deter States and local governments from using eminent domain proceedings to take working agricultural land for parks, open space, or conservation areas. The amendment includes exceptions for traditional eminent domain uses for projects to benefit the public good, such as power lines, roads, schools, or other similar projects.
"Private property rights are one of the most basic pillars of our free society," Craig said. "If cities, counties or states want to preserve open space, they should find a willing seller. Unfortunately, in the wake of the Supreme Court's Kelo vs. New London decision, governments all across the country are being tempted to abuse eminent domain to seize private land for uses the Founding Fathers never intended. I think this amendment strikes a balance, allowing State and local governments to continue using an effective tool to benefit the public, while preserving farmers' and ranchers' land rights."
While the amendment does not prohibit the use of eminent domain to convert farm or ranchland into parks or open space, it creates financial disincentives for State or local governments to do so. Farmers and ranchers could continue to sell private land for parks or conservation purposes, if they so choose. This amendment has the support of American Farm Bureau Federation, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and the Public Lands Council.
Dems cite manipulation in climate report The White House has systematically tried to manipulate climate change science and minimize the dangers of global warming, asserts a Democratic congressional report issued after a 16-month investigation. Republicans called the report, issued Monday by Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., a "partisan diatribe" against the Bush administration. The report relies on hundreds of internal communications and documents as well as testimony at two congressional hearings to outline a pattern where scientists and government reports were edited to emphasize the uncertainties surrounding global warming, according to Waxman. Many of the allegations of interference dating back to 2002 have surfaced previously, although the report by the Democratic majority of the House Oversight and Reform Committee sought to show a pattern of conduct....
DOJ: Don't blame Whitman for 9/11 speech A former Environmental Protection Agency chief should not be held personally liable for telling residents near the World Trade Center site that the air was safe to breathe after the 2001 terrorist attack, a government lawyer argued Monday. Holding Christine Todd Whitman liable will set a dangerous precedent, leaving public officials to worry that their words to reassure the public after disasters will open them up to personal liability, Justice Department attorney Alisa Klein told the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. "If you speak, you will be potentially held liable," she said. "Then the clear message for government officials is to say nothing." The plaintiffs' lawyer Sherrie Savett said Whitman "made false statements to the public, inducing them, seducing them to go back to their homes and to send their kids back to school." Residents, students and workers in lower Manhattan and Brooklyn filed a lawsuit claiming they were exposed to hazardous dust and debris from the fallen twin towers. They say Whitman should be forced to pay damages to properly clean homes, schools and businesses and be forced to create a fund to monitor the health of victims, some of whom claim they suffer from asthma, lung disease and other ailments....
US states at climate meeting in Bali A second wave of Americans has landed on this tropical island, envoys of state and local governments who have come to tell the U.N. climate conference that not all U.S. leaders oppose mandatory cuts in global warming gases. "We are laying the groundwork for what we feel will soon be a national policy," said California's environmental protection secretary, Linda Adams, whose state has led the way with legislation paring down emissions of carbon dioxide and other gases blamed for rising temperatures. Adams was referring to expected changes in U.S. national policy after the January 2009 end of the Bush administration, which has opposed emissions caps under a legally binding treaty. The "other American" message will be delivered by headline spokesmen: a larger-than-life California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, addressing the conference by live video link on Friday, and a life-size New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, speaking in person that same day....
Off-Road Violations Out of Control, Say Federal Rangers Reckless off-road vehicle abuse of public lands is spinning out of control, say federal law enforcement rangers in a first-ever survey released today by Rangers for Responsible Recreation. Tougher penalties and a new enforcement emphasis are critically needed, according to vast majority of Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) rangers polled in the five-state Southwest region. This survey of federal rangers' views on off-road vehicle (ORV) issues leaves little doubt that law enforcement officers on the ground perceive the situation as extremely serious and worsening: * More than nine out of ten (91%) of respondent rangers agree that "off-road vehicles present a significant law enforcement problem in my jurisdiction"; * More than half (53%) feel "off-road vehicle problems in my jurisdiction are out of control"; and * Nearly three out of four (74%) say that off-road abuses "are worse than they were five years ago" while fewer than one in six (15.2%) believe the situation is improving....
Conservation groups accuse BLM of allowing drilling waivers Conservation groups have accused the Bureau of Land Management of allowing nearly 1,000 waivers since 2000 to seasonal closures and restrictions designed to protect wildlife from being disturbed by oil and gas drilling. Forest Guardians and groups and individuals representing hunting, conservation and business interests are asking the federal agency to enforce winter and spring closures and are asking Gov. Bill Richardson, the state Department of Game and Fish and the Game Commission to pressure the bureau to do so. Forest Guardians, which released the report on the waivers Monday, said the BLM's Farmington and Carlsbad offices adopted restrictions but allowed them to be systematically violated, making them meaningless. Forest Guardians said the Carlsbad office allowed at least 516 exceptions to restrictions to protect the lesser prairie chicken since 1997. The pace of exceptions has slowed, with three each in 2005 and 2006 and eight this year, according to the report, compiled from a Freedom of Information Act request. The office allowed 26 waivers in 2004 and a high of 237 in 2001. A settlement the BLM signed in April 2006 with Forest Guardians and other groups requires a public process and surveys of lesser prairie chickens before waivers are granted. The Farmington office has averaged 110 waivers a year since adopting restrictions in September 2003 to protect mule deer, elk, pronghorn and other animals, Forest Guardians said. Waivers there also have dropped, from 116 in 2005-2006 to 54 in 2006-2007, the report shows....
Drilling operations reshape landscape Atop this hulking castle of shale and splendor, within the hunter's paradise that is the Roan Plateau, the country's craving for energy is leaving a gash. Here, 3,000 feet above the lush Colorado River valley near Rifle, an Oklahoma-based oil and gas company has carved the hill out of the hillside, scraped away acres of sagebrush and aspen, moved untold tons of rock and soil, and flattened off what's left. A blaring drilling rig lords over a site strewn with hydrocarbon tanks, a plastic-lined pit for polluted water, powerful engines, steel debris, portable trailers and a row of porta-potties. Stone, dirt and uprooted trees have been bulldozed over the side, making a gray-brown ring around the site — a jarring contrast to the green and gold of the Roan in early fall. It's the startling signature of the latest, and perhaps greatest, natural resource boom in Colorado's history, a gas rush that is transforming the natural environment of the state....
Federal wildlife authorities kill three Wolves near Alice Creek Federal wildlife authorities have killed three members of a new Rocky Mountain Front wolf pack that's been killing livestock on a private ranch south of Augusta since January. The alpha female was shot and killed Saturday, said Kraig Glazier of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services. Two male subadults were killed Monday. Based on their age, Glazier estimated the weight of the young wolves at 60 to 70 pounds. The remaining Monitor Mountain Pack is now five individuals — the alpha male and four 8-month-olds. The wolves were shot from a helicopter after being located near Alice Creek, which is 10 to 12 miles southwest of the ranch where the cows were killed. The Alpha male is fitted with a radio collar....
Judge rips latest plan to help salmon The federal judge holding the government's feet to the fire to restore Northwest salmon says the latest federal strategy to help fish falls so far short it may be worse for salmon than the plans he's already rejected. In a blunt letter to attorneys who will appear in his Portland courtroom Wednesday in a landmark salmon lawsuit, U.S. District Judge James A. Redden signaled that the government is close to fumbling its last chance to help fish hammered by federal hydroelectric dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers. He also offered an unsettling glimpse of what that would mean for the Northwest: a dam system that suddenly becomes illegal to operate and is taken over by the courts, with orders to divert extra water for protected fish and perhaps even drain reservoirs at what would likely be tremendous cost to the region. Such action would compromise the capacity of hydroelectric dams to supply inexpensive electricity to the Northwest and could have repercussions on everything from irrigation to recreational fishing....
States agree on plan to make water last Water users from the seven Colorado River states are expected to ratify a regional drought plan this week in Las Vegas, ending years of bickering over how to balance uncertain resources with growing demand. The heart of the plan is the heart of the river system, its two largest reservoirs along Arizona's northern borders. Lake Powell and Lake Mead hold not only the water needed to survive long dry periods but also the key to a landmark deal meant to give the states a chance to find longer-lasting solutions. Drought has drained the two reservoirs to below half capacity, increasing the threat of water shortages upstream and in Arizona, along with the loss of cheap hydropower and damage to riparian habitat and recreation sites. With that much at risk, some of the states were prepared to fight costly legal battles. The drought plan can't keep the lakes from shrinking further if dry conditions persist and could trigger the first shortage as early as 2010. But by focusing on the reservoirs and the way they help manage the river's limited supply, the states hope to protect users from the worst effects of drought....
Man mauled by bear believes spray wouldn't have deterred charge Grand needed surgery and bunches of stitches to close wounds on his head, face, throat, hands, arms, back and leg. His flesh was torn open to the bone in some spots. He may have permanent nerve damage in his right hand, which was broken, but he's foregoing physical rehabilitation as well as counseling. Grand, 39, a California native who moved to Montana nearly 20 years ago, often ventures into grizzly country in pursuit of birds, elk and other game. He's carried bear spray in Alaska and Canada, but says he now believes that grizzlies charge too quickly for the spray to be effective. He wasn't carrying bear spray or a sidearm when he was mauled, and he won't carry them in the future. If fate decides the bear is going to get you, it's going to get you, Grand says. But he may carry a shotgun that takes not only birdshot but some heavy slugs that might tip fate his way if another bear charges. He says he and his hunting partners followed all the rules of being “bear aware” - making noise, looking for signs of bears, putting bells on their dogs - while they bagged a dozen pheasants before the grizzly attacked. He says he's not angry at the bear, but he bristles at state and federal bear biologists, who he says are downplaying the increasing danger that grizzlies pose to people in Montana....
Biologists revert farmland to wetland to sell credits As Canada geese bank westward above the green and blue expanse of Muddy Creek Wetland, wood ducks, mallards, pintails and northern shovelers paddle on the shallow ponds below. The 108 acres near Monroe used to be a rye grass farm and was a cattle ranch before that. Now low soil berms hold rainwater in ponds and indigenous prairie grasses poke up through the mud. It’s the work of two wildlife biologists, Chris Kiilsgaard and Jeff Reams who have pooled their money and experience to return this patch of Willamette Valley to its former function. They’re avid environmentalists, but hope to make some money as well. If done right, it could pay off in millions of dollars. Muddy Creek is part of Oregon’s growing bank of mitigation banks, wetlands that developers and land managers can buy into when they can’t avoid damaging wetlands themselves....
The border, the environment and the illegal crossers Before sealing off the border became the priority it is today, a visitor would have gotten a different picture of this area where the last free-flowing river in the Southwest trickles between tree-lined banks. The San Pedro River still moves lazily northward below a canopy of willows and cottonwoods. But on a recent day, a bulldozer mounding dirt only 50 yards from its elevated eastern bank in preparation for the advance of a border fence presented a stark contrast to its serenity. The federal government contends the fence is needed to stem the flow of illegal immigrants and drug-runners through the area. Environmentalists say it may slow some illegal crossers but will have a devastating impact on wildlife and the environment in the riparian area that encompasses the river. Mountain lions, jaguars, white-tailed deer, black bears and some ground birds will be among wildlife especially affected by the fence, which is just some 400 yards from the river at this point, said Matt Clark, a spokesman for Defenders of Wildlife....
Antarctica's penguins threatened by global warming Antarctica's penguin population has slumped because of global warming as melting ice has destroyed nesting sites and reduced their sources of food, a WWF report said on Tuesday. The Antarctic peninsula is warming five times faster than the average in the rest of the world, affecting four penguin species -- the emperor penguin, the largest and the grandest in the world, the gentoo, chinstrap and adelie, it said. "The Antarctic penguins already have a long march behind them," Anna Reynolds, deputy director of WWF's Global Climate Change Programme, said in a statement at the Bali climate talks. "Now it seems these icons of the Antarctic will have to face an extremely tough battle to adapt to the unprecedented rate of climate change." The report, "Antarctic Penguins and Climate Change", said sea ice covered 40 per cent less area than it did 26 years ago off the West Antarctic Peninsula, leading to a fall in stocks of krill, the main source of food for the chinstrap and gentoo penguins....
Skeptical Scientists Urge World To ‘Have the Courage to Do Nothing' At UN Conference An international team of scientists skeptical of man-made climate fears promoted by the UN and former Vice President Al Gore, descended on Bali this week to urge the world to "have the courage to do nothing" in response to UN demands. Lord Christopher Monckton, a UK climate researcher, had a blunt message for UN climate conference participants on Monday. "Climate change is a non-problem. The right answer to a non problem is to have the courage to do nothing," Monckton told participants. "The UN conference is a complete waste of our time and your money and we should no longer pay the slightest attention to the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change,)" Monckton added. Monckton also noted that the UN has not been overly welcoming to the group of skeptical scientists. "UN organizers refused my credentials and appeared desperate that I should not come to this conference. They have also made several attempts to interfere with our public meetings," Monckton explained. "It is a circus here," agreed Australian scientist Dr. David Evans. Evans is making scientific presentations to delegates and journalists at the conference revealing the latest peer-reviewed studies that refute the UN's climate claims. "This is the most lavish conference I have ever been to, but I am only a scientist and I actually only go to the science conferences," Evans said, noting the luxury of the tropical resort....
DOJ: Don't blame Whitman for 9/11 speech A former Environmental Protection Agency chief should not be held personally liable for telling residents near the World Trade Center site that the air was safe to breathe after the 2001 terrorist attack, a government lawyer argued Monday. Holding Christine Todd Whitman liable will set a dangerous precedent, leaving public officials to worry that their words to reassure the public after disasters will open them up to personal liability, Justice Department attorney Alisa Klein told the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. "If you speak, you will be potentially held liable," she said. "Then the clear message for government officials is to say nothing." The plaintiffs' lawyer Sherrie Savett said Whitman "made false statements to the public, inducing them, seducing them to go back to their homes and to send their kids back to school." Residents, students and workers in lower Manhattan and Brooklyn filed a lawsuit claiming they were exposed to hazardous dust and debris from the fallen twin towers. They say Whitman should be forced to pay damages to properly clean homes, schools and businesses and be forced to create a fund to monitor the health of victims, some of whom claim they suffer from asthma, lung disease and other ailments....
US states at climate meeting in Bali A second wave of Americans has landed on this tropical island, envoys of state and local governments who have come to tell the U.N. climate conference that not all U.S. leaders oppose mandatory cuts in global warming gases. "We are laying the groundwork for what we feel will soon be a national policy," said California's environmental protection secretary, Linda Adams, whose state has led the way with legislation paring down emissions of carbon dioxide and other gases blamed for rising temperatures. Adams was referring to expected changes in U.S. national policy after the January 2009 end of the Bush administration, which has opposed emissions caps under a legally binding treaty. The "other American" message will be delivered by headline spokesmen: a larger-than-life California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, addressing the conference by live video link on Friday, and a life-size New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, speaking in person that same day....
Off-Road Violations Out of Control, Say Federal Rangers Reckless off-road vehicle abuse of public lands is spinning out of control, say federal law enforcement rangers in a first-ever survey released today by Rangers for Responsible Recreation. Tougher penalties and a new enforcement emphasis are critically needed, according to vast majority of Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) rangers polled in the five-state Southwest region. This survey of federal rangers' views on off-road vehicle (ORV) issues leaves little doubt that law enforcement officers on the ground perceive the situation as extremely serious and worsening: * More than nine out of ten (91%) of respondent rangers agree that "off-road vehicles present a significant law enforcement problem in my jurisdiction"; * More than half (53%) feel "off-road vehicle problems in my jurisdiction are out of control"; and * Nearly three out of four (74%) say that off-road abuses "are worse than they were five years ago" while fewer than one in six (15.2%) believe the situation is improving....
Conservation groups accuse BLM of allowing drilling waivers Conservation groups have accused the Bureau of Land Management of allowing nearly 1,000 waivers since 2000 to seasonal closures and restrictions designed to protect wildlife from being disturbed by oil and gas drilling. Forest Guardians and groups and individuals representing hunting, conservation and business interests are asking the federal agency to enforce winter and spring closures and are asking Gov. Bill Richardson, the state Department of Game and Fish and the Game Commission to pressure the bureau to do so. Forest Guardians, which released the report on the waivers Monday, said the BLM's Farmington and Carlsbad offices adopted restrictions but allowed them to be systematically violated, making them meaningless. Forest Guardians said the Carlsbad office allowed at least 516 exceptions to restrictions to protect the lesser prairie chicken since 1997. The pace of exceptions has slowed, with three each in 2005 and 2006 and eight this year, according to the report, compiled from a Freedom of Information Act request. The office allowed 26 waivers in 2004 and a high of 237 in 2001. A settlement the BLM signed in April 2006 with Forest Guardians and other groups requires a public process and surveys of lesser prairie chickens before waivers are granted. The Farmington office has averaged 110 waivers a year since adopting restrictions in September 2003 to protect mule deer, elk, pronghorn and other animals, Forest Guardians said. Waivers there also have dropped, from 116 in 2005-2006 to 54 in 2006-2007, the report shows....
Drilling operations reshape landscape Atop this hulking castle of shale and splendor, within the hunter's paradise that is the Roan Plateau, the country's craving for energy is leaving a gash. Here, 3,000 feet above the lush Colorado River valley near Rifle, an Oklahoma-based oil and gas company has carved the hill out of the hillside, scraped away acres of sagebrush and aspen, moved untold tons of rock and soil, and flattened off what's left. A blaring drilling rig lords over a site strewn with hydrocarbon tanks, a plastic-lined pit for polluted water, powerful engines, steel debris, portable trailers and a row of porta-potties. Stone, dirt and uprooted trees have been bulldozed over the side, making a gray-brown ring around the site — a jarring contrast to the green and gold of the Roan in early fall. It's the startling signature of the latest, and perhaps greatest, natural resource boom in Colorado's history, a gas rush that is transforming the natural environment of the state....
Federal wildlife authorities kill three Wolves near Alice Creek Federal wildlife authorities have killed three members of a new Rocky Mountain Front wolf pack that's been killing livestock on a private ranch south of Augusta since January. The alpha female was shot and killed Saturday, said Kraig Glazier of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services. Two male subadults were killed Monday. Based on their age, Glazier estimated the weight of the young wolves at 60 to 70 pounds. The remaining Monitor Mountain Pack is now five individuals — the alpha male and four 8-month-olds. The wolves were shot from a helicopter after being located near Alice Creek, which is 10 to 12 miles southwest of the ranch where the cows were killed. The Alpha male is fitted with a radio collar....
Judge rips latest plan to help salmon The federal judge holding the government's feet to the fire to restore Northwest salmon says the latest federal strategy to help fish falls so far short it may be worse for salmon than the plans he's already rejected. In a blunt letter to attorneys who will appear in his Portland courtroom Wednesday in a landmark salmon lawsuit, U.S. District Judge James A. Redden signaled that the government is close to fumbling its last chance to help fish hammered by federal hydroelectric dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers. He also offered an unsettling glimpse of what that would mean for the Northwest: a dam system that suddenly becomes illegal to operate and is taken over by the courts, with orders to divert extra water for protected fish and perhaps even drain reservoirs at what would likely be tremendous cost to the region. Such action would compromise the capacity of hydroelectric dams to supply inexpensive electricity to the Northwest and could have repercussions on everything from irrigation to recreational fishing....
States agree on plan to make water last Water users from the seven Colorado River states are expected to ratify a regional drought plan this week in Las Vegas, ending years of bickering over how to balance uncertain resources with growing demand. The heart of the plan is the heart of the river system, its two largest reservoirs along Arizona's northern borders. Lake Powell and Lake Mead hold not only the water needed to survive long dry periods but also the key to a landmark deal meant to give the states a chance to find longer-lasting solutions. Drought has drained the two reservoirs to below half capacity, increasing the threat of water shortages upstream and in Arizona, along with the loss of cheap hydropower and damage to riparian habitat and recreation sites. With that much at risk, some of the states were prepared to fight costly legal battles. The drought plan can't keep the lakes from shrinking further if dry conditions persist and could trigger the first shortage as early as 2010. But by focusing on the reservoirs and the way they help manage the river's limited supply, the states hope to protect users from the worst effects of drought....
Man mauled by bear believes spray wouldn't have deterred charge Grand needed surgery and bunches of stitches to close wounds on his head, face, throat, hands, arms, back and leg. His flesh was torn open to the bone in some spots. He may have permanent nerve damage in his right hand, which was broken, but he's foregoing physical rehabilitation as well as counseling. Grand, 39, a California native who moved to Montana nearly 20 years ago, often ventures into grizzly country in pursuit of birds, elk and other game. He's carried bear spray in Alaska and Canada, but says he now believes that grizzlies charge too quickly for the spray to be effective. He wasn't carrying bear spray or a sidearm when he was mauled, and he won't carry them in the future. If fate decides the bear is going to get you, it's going to get you, Grand says. But he may carry a shotgun that takes not only birdshot but some heavy slugs that might tip fate his way if another bear charges. He says he and his hunting partners followed all the rules of being “bear aware” - making noise, looking for signs of bears, putting bells on their dogs - while they bagged a dozen pheasants before the grizzly attacked. He says he's not angry at the bear, but he bristles at state and federal bear biologists, who he says are downplaying the increasing danger that grizzlies pose to people in Montana....
Biologists revert farmland to wetland to sell credits As Canada geese bank westward above the green and blue expanse of Muddy Creek Wetland, wood ducks, mallards, pintails and northern shovelers paddle on the shallow ponds below. The 108 acres near Monroe used to be a rye grass farm and was a cattle ranch before that. Now low soil berms hold rainwater in ponds and indigenous prairie grasses poke up through the mud. It’s the work of two wildlife biologists, Chris Kiilsgaard and Jeff Reams who have pooled their money and experience to return this patch of Willamette Valley to its former function. They’re avid environmentalists, but hope to make some money as well. If done right, it could pay off in millions of dollars. Muddy Creek is part of Oregon’s growing bank of mitigation banks, wetlands that developers and land managers can buy into when they can’t avoid damaging wetlands themselves....
The border, the environment and the illegal crossers Before sealing off the border became the priority it is today, a visitor would have gotten a different picture of this area where the last free-flowing river in the Southwest trickles between tree-lined banks. The San Pedro River still moves lazily northward below a canopy of willows and cottonwoods. But on a recent day, a bulldozer mounding dirt only 50 yards from its elevated eastern bank in preparation for the advance of a border fence presented a stark contrast to its serenity. The federal government contends the fence is needed to stem the flow of illegal immigrants and drug-runners through the area. Environmentalists say it may slow some illegal crossers but will have a devastating impact on wildlife and the environment in the riparian area that encompasses the river. Mountain lions, jaguars, white-tailed deer, black bears and some ground birds will be among wildlife especially affected by the fence, which is just some 400 yards from the river at this point, said Matt Clark, a spokesman for Defenders of Wildlife....
Antarctica's penguins threatened by global warming Antarctica's penguin population has slumped because of global warming as melting ice has destroyed nesting sites and reduced their sources of food, a WWF report said on Tuesday. The Antarctic peninsula is warming five times faster than the average in the rest of the world, affecting four penguin species -- the emperor penguin, the largest and the grandest in the world, the gentoo, chinstrap and adelie, it said. "The Antarctic penguins already have a long march behind them," Anna Reynolds, deputy director of WWF's Global Climate Change Programme, said in a statement at the Bali climate talks. "Now it seems these icons of the Antarctic will have to face an extremely tough battle to adapt to the unprecedented rate of climate change." The report, "Antarctic Penguins and Climate Change", said sea ice covered 40 per cent less area than it did 26 years ago off the West Antarctic Peninsula, leading to a fall in stocks of krill, the main source of food for the chinstrap and gentoo penguins....
Skeptical Scientists Urge World To ‘Have the Courage to Do Nothing' At UN Conference An international team of scientists skeptical of man-made climate fears promoted by the UN and former Vice President Al Gore, descended on Bali this week to urge the world to "have the courage to do nothing" in response to UN demands. Lord Christopher Monckton, a UK climate researcher, had a blunt message for UN climate conference participants on Monday. "Climate change is a non-problem. The right answer to a non problem is to have the courage to do nothing," Monckton told participants. "The UN conference is a complete waste of our time and your money and we should no longer pay the slightest attention to the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change,)" Monckton added. Monckton also noted that the UN has not been overly welcoming to the group of skeptical scientists. "UN organizers refused my credentials and appeared desperate that I should not come to this conference. They have also made several attempts to interfere with our public meetings," Monckton explained. "It is a circus here," agreed Australian scientist Dr. David Evans. Evans is making scientific presentations to delegates and journalists at the conference revealing the latest peer-reviewed studies that refute the UN's climate claims. "This is the most lavish conference I have ever been to, but I am only a scientist and I actually only go to the science conferences," Evans said, noting the luxury of the tropical resort....
Advisory council proposal tabs 130 wolves for hunting Up to 130 wolves in Montana could be shot next year as part of a first-time wolf-hunting season proposal put forth by Montana’s Wolf Management Advisory Council Monday. The 10-person group of ranchers, hunters, scientists and others didn’t tie its recommendation to that number as a quota. But 130 wolves could be killed in Montana — half of which probably would be shot for preying on livestock — without reducing the overall number of wolves in the state. That’s the amount of anticipated population increase next year due to births and immigration, according to Carolyn Sime, wolf coordinator for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Keeping the population stable at present levels would aid scientists as they try to figure out how many wolves the landscape and inhabitants of Montana can tolerate and sustain, Sime noted after the meeting....
Forest Service objects to proposed Virginia power plant The U.S. Forest Service is warning Virginia environmental officials that pollution from a $1.6 billion coal-fired power plant proposed for Wise County would violate federal clean-air laws. In a letter to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, the supervisor of the Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina said the plant proposed by Dominion Virginia Power would pump enough sulfur dioxide into the air to possibly damage plant life and visibility in the 12,000-acre Linville Gorge Wilderness. The anticipated 3,300 tons per year in sulfur dioxide emissions from the plant would violate the federal Clean Air Act, which affords special protection to the pristine area, according to Forest Supervisor Marisue Hilliard....
U.S. Forest Service sells off two unneeded houses FOR SALE: Three bedroom, one bath, 1,830-square-foot house on 1.41 acres nestled in the picturesque hamlet of Butte Falls. $90,000 minimum bid. The ranch-style home, built in 1960, is one of two residential properties at 700 Laurel Avenue in Butte Falls that the U.S. Forest Service hopes to auction off beginning with on-line bidding today and continuing into early next year. The sale is part of the Forest Service's continuing effort to rid itself of property no longer used by the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest staff. The other residence, circa 1957, is a 1,475-square-foot home on .32 of an acre at 695 Laurel Avenue. The bidding for the three-bedroom, one-bath home starts at $70,000. The Web-based auction is being conducted by the General Services Administration for the forest. Both houses are being sold under the "Forest Service Facility Realignment and Enhancement Act of 2005," which allows the agency to sell properties no longer needed while using the proceeds for deferred maintenance and improvements. The act also requires the Forest Service to receive market value for each property it sells....
Uncertainty scuttles 2 coal-based power projects Two coal-based power projects planned for southwest Wyoming have been snuffed due to an uncertain political climate regarding greenhouse gases. PacifiCorp, which operates as Rocky Mountain Power in Wyoming, said it has pulled all coal-based power generation from its plan to meet increasing load demand within the six Western states it serves. The action scraps a planned 527-megawatt, "super-critical" pulverized coal unit at the Jim Bridger power plant in Sweetwater County. It also scraps a coal-gasification, carbon capture and sequestration demonstration project in partnership with the state of Wyoming at Jim Bridger, according to Rocky Mountain Power spokesman Dave Eskelsen. "The situation the company finds itself in now is a significant amount of uncertainty about what climate change regulation might do to the cost of coal plants," Eskelsen said Monday. "Coal projects are no longer viable."....
State warns of mercury in fish Wyoming became the last state in the lower 48 to warn about possibly unhealthy levels of mercury in fish, advising anglers on Monday to be cautious about eating some saltwater fish and fish taken from Big Horn, Seminoe and Pathfinder reservoirs. "Eating fish with high amounts of mercury can cause health problems, especially in children," said Timothy Ryan, environmental public health section chief with the state Department of Health. "In general, Wyoming fish are low in mercury," Ryan said. "But we are recommending that women of childbearing age, pregnant women, nursing mothers and children under the age of 15 should eat more small Wyoming-caught fish and fewer large fish, and should avoid eating channel catfish, bass, sauger and walleye from certain waters."....
New book exposes 14ers' winter beauty Leafing through Aspen skier Chris Davenport's recently released "Ski the 14ers" coffee-table book (Capitol Peak Publishing, 2007), prospective Colorado ski mountaineers are liable to be overcome by one of two reactions: inspiration or trepidation. More likely, a little bit of both. It's a matter of which of the 152 oversized pages your eye meets. Flip to photos of the sun-soaked snow bowls of Wetterhorn, Sunshine or the Collegiate Peaks and the advanced skier's mind says, "Huh, I could probably do that." Turn the page to Capitol, Pyramid or Wilson peaks and that same brain is likely to lock up momentarily before responding in a more definitive "Are you crazy?" The answer, in Davenport's case, is a staid "no," and the calculated professional who went into his year-long quest to ski all 54 Colorado peaks above 14,000 feet between Jan. 22, 2006, and Jan. 19, 2007, is presented in a stunning visual tribute to winter in the mountains he calls home....
Freudenthal repeats protest of Hoback wells Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal said he remains opposed to a plan to drill gas wells in Bridger-Teton National Forest near the Hoback Ranches subdivision. The U.S. Forest Service published an outline of the plan Monday in the Federal Register. Plains Exploration & Production Co. would construct 136 wells on 17 well pads on part of more than 20,000 acres of national forest land that the company has leased on the Hoback Rim adjacent to the Wyoming Range. The preliminary plan would impact about 400 acres. It calls for the construction of 15 miles of new roads and upgrading 14 miles of existing roads. “I remain opposed to the development, and frankly, I’m perplexed that the Forest Service has turned a deaf ear to both the state and the community’s concerns,” Freudenthal said in an e-mail Monday....
Under Bush's watch, decay of public firefighting has spawned billion dollar private industry Fighting fires has become big business. The National Wildfire Suppression Association (NWSA), a trade organization founded in 2000, now represents over 200 private companies and 10,000 wild land firefighters. The private firefighting industry is estimated to be worth billions of dollars. Some cities and counties are now hiring private contractors to replace public services provided by unionized firefighters. According to the Heartland Institute, a conservative pro-privatization think tank, Lakewood, Illinois has contracted with American Emergency Service Corporation to provide fire protection. The company’s employees are non-union; Heartland asserts that “wage and benefits costs are lower than those incurred by fire districts that hire their own firefighters and paramedics.” Another private firefighting contractor, Rural/Metro, provides private fire protection services to over 25 communities, according to the company’s website. Other contractors offer specialties; Halliburton, for instance, focuses on dousing oil well fires. Other large companies with fire protection divisions include Kellogg, Brown, and Root and Spain-based Avialsa. The U.S. government also uses private contractors to abet firefighting efforts on federal lands. The practice began during the Clinton administration in response to a decline in the logging industry and a shortage of lumberjack-firefighters to combat forest fires. Since 2000, the industry has mushroomed....
Rise in E. Coli Meat Recalls Might be Linked to Increased Use of Ethanol Byproduct as Cattle Feed A spike in E. coli meat recalls and outbreaks could be explained, in part, by the way some cattle are fed, new research says. According to a study conducted at Kansas State University, cattle fed with distiller’s grain, a byproduct of Ethanol production, are more susceptible to the E. Coli 0157:H7 strain that can cause a sometimes deadly disease in human beings. As the US looks for alternatives to oil and gasoline, ethanol – a fuel made from grains – production has skyrocketed. This has resulted in a symbiotic relationship between ethanol producers and cattle ranchers. Ethanol plants need a way to dispose of the grain left over from the manufacturing process, and cattle ranchers need a source of feed for their livestock. For this reason, ethanol factories are often built next to feed lots. Distiller’s grain is a good source of animal feed, however, scientist at Kansas State University say it could be putting the public at risk. Through three rounds of testing, they found that the prevalence of E. coli 0157:H7 was about twice as high in cattle fed distiller’s grain compared with those cattle that were on a diet lacking the ethanol byproduct....
Heineman announces registration milestone for livestock premises Gov. Dave Heineman announced Friday at the Nebraska Farmers Union convention in Grand Island that the Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) has reached the halfway mark toward its goal to register all livestock premises in the state. According to the NDA, individuals have voluntarily registered 15,643 premises, 50 percent of an estimated 30,841 Nebraska premises. "We are now among the top 10 states," Heineman said. "And we did it without a mandate. That shows that Nebraska livestock producers care about animal and food safety."....
Forest Service objects to proposed Virginia power plant The U.S. Forest Service is warning Virginia environmental officials that pollution from a $1.6 billion coal-fired power plant proposed for Wise County would violate federal clean-air laws. In a letter to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, the supervisor of the Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina said the plant proposed by Dominion Virginia Power would pump enough sulfur dioxide into the air to possibly damage plant life and visibility in the 12,000-acre Linville Gorge Wilderness. The anticipated 3,300 tons per year in sulfur dioxide emissions from the plant would violate the federal Clean Air Act, which affords special protection to the pristine area, according to Forest Supervisor Marisue Hilliard....
U.S. Forest Service sells off two unneeded houses FOR SALE: Three bedroom, one bath, 1,830-square-foot house on 1.41 acres nestled in the picturesque hamlet of Butte Falls. $90,000 minimum bid. The ranch-style home, built in 1960, is one of two residential properties at 700 Laurel Avenue in Butte Falls that the U.S. Forest Service hopes to auction off beginning with on-line bidding today and continuing into early next year. The sale is part of the Forest Service's continuing effort to rid itself of property no longer used by the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest staff. The other residence, circa 1957, is a 1,475-square-foot home on .32 of an acre at 695 Laurel Avenue. The bidding for the three-bedroom, one-bath home starts at $70,000. The Web-based auction is being conducted by the General Services Administration for the forest. Both houses are being sold under the "Forest Service Facility Realignment and Enhancement Act of 2005," which allows the agency to sell properties no longer needed while using the proceeds for deferred maintenance and improvements. The act also requires the Forest Service to receive market value for each property it sells....
Uncertainty scuttles 2 coal-based power projects Two coal-based power projects planned for southwest Wyoming have been snuffed due to an uncertain political climate regarding greenhouse gases. PacifiCorp, which operates as Rocky Mountain Power in Wyoming, said it has pulled all coal-based power generation from its plan to meet increasing load demand within the six Western states it serves. The action scraps a planned 527-megawatt, "super-critical" pulverized coal unit at the Jim Bridger power plant in Sweetwater County. It also scraps a coal-gasification, carbon capture and sequestration demonstration project in partnership with the state of Wyoming at Jim Bridger, according to Rocky Mountain Power spokesman Dave Eskelsen. "The situation the company finds itself in now is a significant amount of uncertainty about what climate change regulation might do to the cost of coal plants," Eskelsen said Monday. "Coal projects are no longer viable."....
State warns of mercury in fish Wyoming became the last state in the lower 48 to warn about possibly unhealthy levels of mercury in fish, advising anglers on Monday to be cautious about eating some saltwater fish and fish taken from Big Horn, Seminoe and Pathfinder reservoirs. "Eating fish with high amounts of mercury can cause health problems, especially in children," said Timothy Ryan, environmental public health section chief with the state Department of Health. "In general, Wyoming fish are low in mercury," Ryan said. "But we are recommending that women of childbearing age, pregnant women, nursing mothers and children under the age of 15 should eat more small Wyoming-caught fish and fewer large fish, and should avoid eating channel catfish, bass, sauger and walleye from certain waters."....
New book exposes 14ers' winter beauty Leafing through Aspen skier Chris Davenport's recently released "Ski the 14ers" coffee-table book (Capitol Peak Publishing, 2007), prospective Colorado ski mountaineers are liable to be overcome by one of two reactions: inspiration or trepidation. More likely, a little bit of both. It's a matter of which of the 152 oversized pages your eye meets. Flip to photos of the sun-soaked snow bowls of Wetterhorn, Sunshine or the Collegiate Peaks and the advanced skier's mind says, "Huh, I could probably do that." Turn the page to Capitol, Pyramid or Wilson peaks and that same brain is likely to lock up momentarily before responding in a more definitive "Are you crazy?" The answer, in Davenport's case, is a staid "no," and the calculated professional who went into his year-long quest to ski all 54 Colorado peaks above 14,000 feet between Jan. 22, 2006, and Jan. 19, 2007, is presented in a stunning visual tribute to winter in the mountains he calls home....
Freudenthal repeats protest of Hoback wells Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal said he remains opposed to a plan to drill gas wells in Bridger-Teton National Forest near the Hoback Ranches subdivision. The U.S. Forest Service published an outline of the plan Monday in the Federal Register. Plains Exploration & Production Co. would construct 136 wells on 17 well pads on part of more than 20,000 acres of national forest land that the company has leased on the Hoback Rim adjacent to the Wyoming Range. The preliminary plan would impact about 400 acres. It calls for the construction of 15 miles of new roads and upgrading 14 miles of existing roads. “I remain opposed to the development, and frankly, I’m perplexed that the Forest Service has turned a deaf ear to both the state and the community’s concerns,” Freudenthal said in an e-mail Monday....
Under Bush's watch, decay of public firefighting has spawned billion dollar private industry Fighting fires has become big business. The National Wildfire Suppression Association (NWSA), a trade organization founded in 2000, now represents over 200 private companies and 10,000 wild land firefighters. The private firefighting industry is estimated to be worth billions of dollars. Some cities and counties are now hiring private contractors to replace public services provided by unionized firefighters. According to the Heartland Institute, a conservative pro-privatization think tank, Lakewood, Illinois has contracted with American Emergency Service Corporation to provide fire protection. The company’s employees are non-union; Heartland asserts that “wage and benefits costs are lower than those incurred by fire districts that hire their own firefighters and paramedics.” Another private firefighting contractor, Rural/Metro, provides private fire protection services to over 25 communities, according to the company’s website. Other contractors offer specialties; Halliburton, for instance, focuses on dousing oil well fires. Other large companies with fire protection divisions include Kellogg, Brown, and Root and Spain-based Avialsa. The U.S. government also uses private contractors to abet firefighting efforts on federal lands. The practice began during the Clinton administration in response to a decline in the logging industry and a shortage of lumberjack-firefighters to combat forest fires. Since 2000, the industry has mushroomed....
Rise in E. Coli Meat Recalls Might be Linked to Increased Use of Ethanol Byproduct as Cattle Feed A spike in E. coli meat recalls and outbreaks could be explained, in part, by the way some cattle are fed, new research says. According to a study conducted at Kansas State University, cattle fed with distiller’s grain, a byproduct of Ethanol production, are more susceptible to the E. Coli 0157:H7 strain that can cause a sometimes deadly disease in human beings. As the US looks for alternatives to oil and gasoline, ethanol – a fuel made from grains – production has skyrocketed. This has resulted in a symbiotic relationship between ethanol producers and cattle ranchers. Ethanol plants need a way to dispose of the grain left over from the manufacturing process, and cattle ranchers need a source of feed for their livestock. For this reason, ethanol factories are often built next to feed lots. Distiller’s grain is a good source of animal feed, however, scientist at Kansas State University say it could be putting the public at risk. Through three rounds of testing, they found that the prevalence of E. coli 0157:H7 was about twice as high in cattle fed distiller’s grain compared with those cattle that were on a diet lacking the ethanol byproduct....
Heineman announces registration milestone for livestock premises Gov. Dave Heineman announced Friday at the Nebraska Farmers Union convention in Grand Island that the Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) has reached the halfway mark toward its goal to register all livestock premises in the state. According to the NDA, individuals have voluntarily registered 15,643 premises, 50 percent of an estimated 30,841 Nebraska premises. "We are now among the top 10 states," Heineman said. "And we did it without a mandate. That shows that Nebraska livestock producers care about animal and food safety."....
Monday, December 10, 2007
Gore Urges Bold Moves in Nobel Speech He has said it over and over again, in increasingly somber and urgent terms, to anyone who would listen. But former Vice President Al Gore used the occasion of his Nobel Peace Prize lecture here today to proclaim it to the world: climate change is a “planetary emergency,” he said — a “real, rising, imminent and universal” threat to Earth’s very survival. “We still have the power to choose our fate, and the remaining question is only this,” Mr. Gore said: “Have we the will to act vigorously and in time, or will we remain imprisoned by a dangerous illusion?” The ceremony marking the prize, which Mr. Gore shares with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a United Nations panel of scientists, comes even as representatives of the world’s governments are meeting in Bali to negotiate a new international agreement on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The new treaty would replace the Kyoto protocol, which expires in 2012. Mr. Gore called on the negotiators to establish a universal global cap on emissions and to ratify and enact a new treaty by the beginning of 2010, two years early. And he singled out the United States and China — the world’s largest emitters of carbon dioxide — for failing to meet their obligations in acting to mitigate climate change. “They will need to make the boldest moves, or stand accountable before history for their failure to act,” he said....
U.N. climate summit enters final week The United States insisted Monday a "roadmap" for future global warming talks should not suggest potential targets for emissions cuts by rich nations, as a pivotal climate summit entered its final week. However, the U.N climate chief, Yvo de Boer, said cutting emissions by up to 40% was crucial for reining-in rising temperatures and winning over investors who could provide many of the high-tech solutions needed to ward off catastrophe. Prominent figures such as U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Al Gore are to arrive in Bali in the coming days to provide momentum toward finalizing the "roadmap" that will eventually lead to a successor accord for the Kyoto Protocol. A draft document mentions targets for reducing the amount of pollutants pumped into the atmosphere, but in a non-binding way. Its preamble notes the widely accepted view that industrial nations' emissions should be cut by 25% to 40% below 1990 levels by 2020, and that global emissions need to peak in the next 10 to 15 years and then be dramatically slashed to half of 2000 levels by mid-century....
Budget battle may block Pinon Canyon spending President Bush's veto of every 2008 spending bill approved thus far by the Democratic majority in Congress is threatening to drag the dispute over the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site into the budget deadlock as well. Ranchers opposed to the Army's plan to acquire another 414,000 acres for the training area won a major victory this summer when the House and Senate approved an amendment to the 2008 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Act that would block the Army from spending any money on planning the expansion next year. That victory could be short-lived, however, as the construction bill is still waiting for final House and Senate approval and could end up being lumped into a massive "omnibus" 2008 budget bill to keep the government running - but the White House has threatened to veto an omnibus bill as well, claiming it would contain too much special-interest spending....
Army tests in Utah's western desert are surprise to ranchers Ranchers in Utah's western desert are worried about danger that may be posed by drone aircraft the Army intends to fly in the region starting in 2010. And they're upset that until recently, military officers made no attempt to contact them directly concerning the project, said Cecil Garland, a resident of Callao, Juab County. Citing his experience in Word War II, he said anything guided by electronics "can fall anywhere." Snake Valley was chosen for flights because it's sparsely populated, he believes. The tests would not happen in a more densely peopled place, according to him. The Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System, nicknamed JLENS, is an Army project that would use the Utah Test and Training Center, an Air Force facility within Dugway Proving Ground. Drone aircraft would be launched from Utah state school land east of Baker, Nev., said Steve Erickson, an activist with Citizens Education Project, Salt Lake City. Garland, a rancher, said he and his neighbors only recently learned of JLENS....
Ranchers take land plan to Capitol Hill A group of ranchers opposed to federally designated wilderness in Doña Ana County has submitted a plan for preserving open space to New Mexico's congressional delegation. People for Preserving Our Western Heritage said Friday it sent its proposal to congressmen. The proposed plan would prevent mining, oil prospecting and housing development on 302,000 acres in the county. Ranchers, who announced the plan in October, say it will accomplish the goal of retaining open space, while leaving their livelihoods intact. "What we have put together provides a balanced approach to preservation and protection of our federal land, natural resources and open space without sacrificing access or beneficial use of the land," said Tom Mobley, a Doña Ana County rancher and a co-chairman of People for Preserving Our Western Heritage, in a news release. The group of ranchers also said it has gathered support for its proposal from 525 "local and regional" businesses....
State disputes $15 million of tax credits Colorado is seeking repayment of $15 million of tax credits granted as part of an innovative incentive program to save endangered lands. And that amount is likely to grow as part of a massive audit the Colorado Department of Revenue has undertaken to determine whether the tax credits were overvalued or were claimed on lands that weren't endangered. The Revenue Department's investigation, one of the largest it has ever undertaken, is looking at more than 10,000 tax returns claiming the credits since 2001. During that time, more than $274 million of conservation credits were claimed from Colorado's treasury alone. The Internal Revenue Service and the state's divisions of real estate and security also are investigating the credits, the people who received them and the appraisers who valued the land. The investigations threaten to put the brakes on Colorado's nationally recognized efforts to protect its crown jewel landscapes. Colorado ranks No. 2 in the nation in its use of conservation easements, protecting more than 1.2 million acres....
Wild cat captured at Billings airport A young bobcat probably hunting for rabbits got snared at the Billings Logan International Airport on Friday. By late afternoon, the bobcat was on its way to ranchland east of Shepherd. Kevin Holland, a warden for the state Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, said bobcats are in the area, but he hadn't seen one so close to town before. An airport staffer caught the bobcat in a snare on Friday. The animal was uninjured. On its way back to the wild, the bobcat crouched at the back of its cage in Holland's pickup truck, its big green eyes staring warily at faces of people trying to get a look and snap a photo. The cat snarled and growled. Contrary to the small label on the cage, this was no house cat....
Report outlines Arizona's sustainability needs With Arizona’s population reaching 6 million people, and the world’s population now exceeding 6.5 billion, sustainability is a frequent topic of conversation. But the concept means many things to many people. The new Arizona Policy Choices report, titled “Sustainability for Arizona: The Issue of Our Age,” defines the concept and reveals how it relates to Arizona’s past, present and future. The report is a joint project of the Morrison Institute for Public Policy and the Global Institute of Sustainability (GIOS). “Sustainability is about more than just being ‘green,’ ” says Rob Melnick, director of the Morrison Institute. “It’s about making policy choices that take the economy, society and the environment into account.” The report, the first of its kind, is a primer on the subject – and a targeted analysis for Arizona. In addition to thoughtful examinations of the state’s history, economy, environment and society, “Sustainability for Arizona” presents the views of leading policy thinkers in Arizona and across the country, including:....Go here to view the report.
BLM Planning to Thin Nevada Wild Horse Herds The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has announced plans to gather and remove nearly 1,000 wild horses from public land in northeastern Nevada, citing insufficient forage caused by drought conditions. Plans call for the removal of about 400 wild horses from the Antelope Valley Herd Management Area and about 550 of the animals from the Antelope area. John Ruhs, the BLM's Ely field manager, said the appropriate management levels are 23 to 38 horses for Antelope Valley and 194 to 324 horses for Antelope. "We're gathering these horses now while they're healthy," Ruhs said. "In 60-90 days, that is not going to be the case. These are planned gathers that we've moved up because there just isn't enough forage to support this many animals. The BLM and ranchers also are reducing livestock use in the areas, BLM officials said, and the intent of the gathers is to maintain "a thriving natural ecological balance" between wild horses, wildlife, livestock, and vegetation....
Gathering 'round the grouse It's difficult to know exactly how energy development, recreation and agriculture across the West might be forced to change if the greater sage grouse is given protection under the Endangered Species Act. But some argue at least some of the effects are already appearing, as stakeholders are crossing institutional and jurisdictional boundaries in an attempt to prevent such listing. "It's no longer the regulator and the regulated. It's about cooperated efforts, and it's really the only way to move forward," said Kevin McAleese of the Sand County Foundation in Colorado. The mere threat of listing two years ago has spawned numerous working groups, initiatives and partnerships spanning all levels of industry and government. The prospect of sage grouse listing was revived last week by U.S. District Judge Lynn Winmill in Idaho. He ordered the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to start another 12-month review of whether the grouse deserves federal protection, after finding that a 2005 decision against listing was inappropriately influenced by politics and not based on science....
Stakes high as billions head Colorado's way Rolling west along Interstate 70 out of Glenwood Springs, down valley to Rifle and on to Parachute, the gas drilling rigs illuminate the night sky like exotic carnival rides — here, there and way up there in the distance, two ridges over. The brilliantly lighted exploration towers are symbols of Colorado's roaring natural gas boom — 33,600 wells now pumping and tens of thousands more on the drawing board. Forecasts show the boom extending 20, even 30 years into the future. While most of the state's 3.8 million Front Range residents go about their daily business with little or no awareness of the boom, it is an economic and environmental phenomenon with huge implications for the future of the state. It very well could influence how our children are educated, the kinds of jobs the state can attract and other major aspects of what Colorado will be like in the decades to come. Already, the oil and gas industry dwarfs most others — even tourism....
All’s not well as drilling takes over bigger chunks of Weld County land Mark Nygren steers his tractor down rows of green, leafy sugar beets on his Weld County farm. The blades of his harvester turn over the brown earth to reveal the white roots, healthy and huge this year. More than a mile under the soil, locked in stone, is one of the nation’s oldest and most productive oil and gas fields. Known as the Denver-Julesburg Basin, it stretches from just north of Denver all the way to Nebraska and Wyoming. Although the Nygren family owns their land, they don’t own the rights to most of what’s below the surface. As a consequence, about a dozen oil and gas wells dot their fields, and the companies that own the mineral rights are planning to dig 14 more wells this year. “This land is our nest egg,” said Mark’s wife, Julie, who is worried that their future may be threatened. The storage tanks, access roads, supply lines and pads for more than two dozen wells will take up such a large chunk of their 460-acre homestead — not to mention create a mountain of bureaucracy — that it could discourage developers who’ve shown interest in their property. That’s already happened to a neighbor....
State ag director will defend premises ID number mandate at Hancock County meeting The Hancock County Farm Bureau will sponsor an informational meeting Monday night on the controversial new requirement requiring registration for a premise identification number before any livestock can be exhibited at any state, county, 4-H and FFA fair in 2008. The meeting, with Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Chuck Hartke as a featured speaker, takes place from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Hancock County Extension Center, located three-quarters of a mile north of the four-way stop on Ill. 94 in Carthage. "Our goal is to encourage the Illinois Department of Agriculture to eliminate the mandatory premise identification program for all 4-H, FFA, county and state fairs," Hancock County Farm Bureau Manager Carla Mudd said. "We hope other counties will join us in this fight to get this mandate overturned." The mandate, announced Oct. 31, generated controversy in Hancock and other counties. Mudd said the meeting gives Hartke a chance to hear from producers about the problems associated with the program....
Days Past: The remarkable story of Solon Borglum It's July 3, 1907. A parade with cavalry, a marching band, a troop of Rough Rider veterans, Civil War veterans, troops from Fort Whipple, the territorial governor, various prominent citizens and military officers, and the fire departments of Phoenix, Tucson and Prescott proceed to the courthouse plaza in Prescott. Seven thousand people witness the unveiling of the statue of Prescott's own Buckey O'Neill. The monument is standing there today but technically it's not a statue of Buckey O'Neill. The statue is a tribute to the Rough Riders. You may ask, what is the connection? Was Buckey a Rough Rider? And who were the Rough Riders? Very briefly, O'Neill was a remarkable citizen of Prescott. O'Neill arrived in Prescott in 1882 and became a journalist, then a law clerk, then a lawman and finally the mayor of Prescott. He was mayor when the Spanish American War of 1898 broke out. Theodore Roosevelt became famous for leading the Rough Riders to the war where these soldiers from Arizona and New Mexico became heroes, as did Roosevelt. It was O'Neill who organized the local call for volunteers. The First Volunteer U.S. Cavalry became known as the Rough Riders. Teddy Roosevelt became famous and Buckey O'Neill died in battle at San Juan Hill. The statue has been called the finest equestrian statue ever made. Certainly, Solon Borglum to the end of his days considered it his best work. So, who was Solon Berglum and how did he come to create this statue?....
U.N. climate summit enters final week The United States insisted Monday a "roadmap" for future global warming talks should not suggest potential targets for emissions cuts by rich nations, as a pivotal climate summit entered its final week. However, the U.N climate chief, Yvo de Boer, said cutting emissions by up to 40% was crucial for reining-in rising temperatures and winning over investors who could provide many of the high-tech solutions needed to ward off catastrophe. Prominent figures such as U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Al Gore are to arrive in Bali in the coming days to provide momentum toward finalizing the "roadmap" that will eventually lead to a successor accord for the Kyoto Protocol. A draft document mentions targets for reducing the amount of pollutants pumped into the atmosphere, but in a non-binding way. Its preamble notes the widely accepted view that industrial nations' emissions should be cut by 25% to 40% below 1990 levels by 2020, and that global emissions need to peak in the next 10 to 15 years and then be dramatically slashed to half of 2000 levels by mid-century....
Budget battle may block Pinon Canyon spending President Bush's veto of every 2008 spending bill approved thus far by the Democratic majority in Congress is threatening to drag the dispute over the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site into the budget deadlock as well. Ranchers opposed to the Army's plan to acquire another 414,000 acres for the training area won a major victory this summer when the House and Senate approved an amendment to the 2008 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Act that would block the Army from spending any money on planning the expansion next year. That victory could be short-lived, however, as the construction bill is still waiting for final House and Senate approval and could end up being lumped into a massive "omnibus" 2008 budget bill to keep the government running - but the White House has threatened to veto an omnibus bill as well, claiming it would contain too much special-interest spending....
Army tests in Utah's western desert are surprise to ranchers Ranchers in Utah's western desert are worried about danger that may be posed by drone aircraft the Army intends to fly in the region starting in 2010. And they're upset that until recently, military officers made no attempt to contact them directly concerning the project, said Cecil Garland, a resident of Callao, Juab County. Citing his experience in Word War II, he said anything guided by electronics "can fall anywhere." Snake Valley was chosen for flights because it's sparsely populated, he believes. The tests would not happen in a more densely peopled place, according to him. The Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System, nicknamed JLENS, is an Army project that would use the Utah Test and Training Center, an Air Force facility within Dugway Proving Ground. Drone aircraft would be launched from Utah state school land east of Baker, Nev., said Steve Erickson, an activist with Citizens Education Project, Salt Lake City. Garland, a rancher, said he and his neighbors only recently learned of JLENS....
Ranchers take land plan to Capitol Hill A group of ranchers opposed to federally designated wilderness in Doña Ana County has submitted a plan for preserving open space to New Mexico's congressional delegation. People for Preserving Our Western Heritage said Friday it sent its proposal to congressmen. The proposed plan would prevent mining, oil prospecting and housing development on 302,000 acres in the county. Ranchers, who announced the plan in October, say it will accomplish the goal of retaining open space, while leaving their livelihoods intact. "What we have put together provides a balanced approach to preservation and protection of our federal land, natural resources and open space without sacrificing access or beneficial use of the land," said Tom Mobley, a Doña Ana County rancher and a co-chairman of People for Preserving Our Western Heritage, in a news release. The group of ranchers also said it has gathered support for its proposal from 525 "local and regional" businesses....
State disputes $15 million of tax credits Colorado is seeking repayment of $15 million of tax credits granted as part of an innovative incentive program to save endangered lands. And that amount is likely to grow as part of a massive audit the Colorado Department of Revenue has undertaken to determine whether the tax credits were overvalued or were claimed on lands that weren't endangered. The Revenue Department's investigation, one of the largest it has ever undertaken, is looking at more than 10,000 tax returns claiming the credits since 2001. During that time, more than $274 million of conservation credits were claimed from Colorado's treasury alone. The Internal Revenue Service and the state's divisions of real estate and security also are investigating the credits, the people who received them and the appraisers who valued the land. The investigations threaten to put the brakes on Colorado's nationally recognized efforts to protect its crown jewel landscapes. Colorado ranks No. 2 in the nation in its use of conservation easements, protecting more than 1.2 million acres....
Wild cat captured at Billings airport A young bobcat probably hunting for rabbits got snared at the Billings Logan International Airport on Friday. By late afternoon, the bobcat was on its way to ranchland east of Shepherd. Kevin Holland, a warden for the state Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, said bobcats are in the area, but he hadn't seen one so close to town before. An airport staffer caught the bobcat in a snare on Friday. The animal was uninjured. On its way back to the wild, the bobcat crouched at the back of its cage in Holland's pickup truck, its big green eyes staring warily at faces of people trying to get a look and snap a photo. The cat snarled and growled. Contrary to the small label on the cage, this was no house cat....
Report outlines Arizona's sustainability needs With Arizona’s population reaching 6 million people, and the world’s population now exceeding 6.5 billion, sustainability is a frequent topic of conversation. But the concept means many things to many people. The new Arizona Policy Choices report, titled “Sustainability for Arizona: The Issue of Our Age,” defines the concept and reveals how it relates to Arizona’s past, present and future. The report is a joint project of the Morrison Institute for Public Policy and the Global Institute of Sustainability (GIOS). “Sustainability is about more than just being ‘green,’ ” says Rob Melnick, director of the Morrison Institute. “It’s about making policy choices that take the economy, society and the environment into account.” The report, the first of its kind, is a primer on the subject – and a targeted analysis for Arizona. In addition to thoughtful examinations of the state’s history, economy, environment and society, “Sustainability for Arizona” presents the views of leading policy thinkers in Arizona and across the country, including:....Go here to view the report.
BLM Planning to Thin Nevada Wild Horse Herds The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has announced plans to gather and remove nearly 1,000 wild horses from public land in northeastern Nevada, citing insufficient forage caused by drought conditions. Plans call for the removal of about 400 wild horses from the Antelope Valley Herd Management Area and about 550 of the animals from the Antelope area. John Ruhs, the BLM's Ely field manager, said the appropriate management levels are 23 to 38 horses for Antelope Valley and 194 to 324 horses for Antelope. "We're gathering these horses now while they're healthy," Ruhs said. "In 60-90 days, that is not going to be the case. These are planned gathers that we've moved up because there just isn't enough forage to support this many animals. The BLM and ranchers also are reducing livestock use in the areas, BLM officials said, and the intent of the gathers is to maintain "a thriving natural ecological balance" between wild horses, wildlife, livestock, and vegetation....
Gathering 'round the grouse It's difficult to know exactly how energy development, recreation and agriculture across the West might be forced to change if the greater sage grouse is given protection under the Endangered Species Act. But some argue at least some of the effects are already appearing, as stakeholders are crossing institutional and jurisdictional boundaries in an attempt to prevent such listing. "It's no longer the regulator and the regulated. It's about cooperated efforts, and it's really the only way to move forward," said Kevin McAleese of the Sand County Foundation in Colorado. The mere threat of listing two years ago has spawned numerous working groups, initiatives and partnerships spanning all levels of industry and government. The prospect of sage grouse listing was revived last week by U.S. District Judge Lynn Winmill in Idaho. He ordered the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to start another 12-month review of whether the grouse deserves federal protection, after finding that a 2005 decision against listing was inappropriately influenced by politics and not based on science....
Stakes high as billions head Colorado's way Rolling west along Interstate 70 out of Glenwood Springs, down valley to Rifle and on to Parachute, the gas drilling rigs illuminate the night sky like exotic carnival rides — here, there and way up there in the distance, two ridges over. The brilliantly lighted exploration towers are symbols of Colorado's roaring natural gas boom — 33,600 wells now pumping and tens of thousands more on the drawing board. Forecasts show the boom extending 20, even 30 years into the future. While most of the state's 3.8 million Front Range residents go about their daily business with little or no awareness of the boom, it is an economic and environmental phenomenon with huge implications for the future of the state. It very well could influence how our children are educated, the kinds of jobs the state can attract and other major aspects of what Colorado will be like in the decades to come. Already, the oil and gas industry dwarfs most others — even tourism....
All’s not well as drilling takes over bigger chunks of Weld County land Mark Nygren steers his tractor down rows of green, leafy sugar beets on his Weld County farm. The blades of his harvester turn over the brown earth to reveal the white roots, healthy and huge this year. More than a mile under the soil, locked in stone, is one of the nation’s oldest and most productive oil and gas fields. Known as the Denver-Julesburg Basin, it stretches from just north of Denver all the way to Nebraska and Wyoming. Although the Nygren family owns their land, they don’t own the rights to most of what’s below the surface. As a consequence, about a dozen oil and gas wells dot their fields, and the companies that own the mineral rights are planning to dig 14 more wells this year. “This land is our nest egg,” said Mark’s wife, Julie, who is worried that their future may be threatened. The storage tanks, access roads, supply lines and pads for more than two dozen wells will take up such a large chunk of their 460-acre homestead — not to mention create a mountain of bureaucracy — that it could discourage developers who’ve shown interest in their property. That’s already happened to a neighbor....
State ag director will defend premises ID number mandate at Hancock County meeting The Hancock County Farm Bureau will sponsor an informational meeting Monday night on the controversial new requirement requiring registration for a premise identification number before any livestock can be exhibited at any state, county, 4-H and FFA fair in 2008. The meeting, with Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Chuck Hartke as a featured speaker, takes place from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Hancock County Extension Center, located three-quarters of a mile north of the four-way stop on Ill. 94 in Carthage. "Our goal is to encourage the Illinois Department of Agriculture to eliminate the mandatory premise identification program for all 4-H, FFA, county and state fairs," Hancock County Farm Bureau Manager Carla Mudd said. "We hope other counties will join us in this fight to get this mandate overturned." The mandate, announced Oct. 31, generated controversy in Hancock and other counties. Mudd said the meeting gives Hartke a chance to hear from producers about the problems associated with the program....
Days Past: The remarkable story of Solon Borglum It's July 3, 1907. A parade with cavalry, a marching band, a troop of Rough Rider veterans, Civil War veterans, troops from Fort Whipple, the territorial governor, various prominent citizens and military officers, and the fire departments of Phoenix, Tucson and Prescott proceed to the courthouse plaza in Prescott. Seven thousand people witness the unveiling of the statue of Prescott's own Buckey O'Neill. The monument is standing there today but technically it's not a statue of Buckey O'Neill. The statue is a tribute to the Rough Riders. You may ask, what is the connection? Was Buckey a Rough Rider? And who were the Rough Riders? Very briefly, O'Neill was a remarkable citizen of Prescott. O'Neill arrived in Prescott in 1882 and became a journalist, then a law clerk, then a lawman and finally the mayor of Prescott. He was mayor when the Spanish American War of 1898 broke out. Theodore Roosevelt became famous for leading the Rough Riders to the war where these soldiers from Arizona and New Mexico became heroes, as did Roosevelt. It was O'Neill who organized the local call for volunteers. The First Volunteer U.S. Cavalry became known as the Rough Riders. Teddy Roosevelt became famous and Buckey O'Neill died in battle at San Juan Hill. The statue has been called the finest equestrian statue ever made. Certainly, Solon Borglum to the end of his days considered it his best work. So, who was Solon Berglum and how did he come to create this statue?....
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Cowboy catalog shopping
Cowgirl Sass & Savvy
By Julie Carter
Topping this year’s dynamic Christmas gifts, for the cowboy who has everything, is the latest innovation in roping practice equipment, the cooler dummy.
Combining two essentials for roping practice, there is now a plastic steer head can be attached to any flat-top cooler eliminating the mess of a hay bale. We all know, you can’t rope, either in dummy-roping practice or at the arena with the real cattle, without the ever-present cooler loaded with ice and a favorite adult beverage.
Of course, the catalog copywriters know just how to appeal to their market. “Use the cooler or tool box to store items in for travel and then pull it out to practice with or sit on at your destination.”
This makes perfect sense if you are a roper. It also makes me laugh that the world of retail has found one more toy for the cowboy. There was a time when a cowboy was happy with a good whittling knife and worn-out rope.
Catalogs for the cowboy, especially the ropers, have blossomed from a few simple pages of saddle blankets, buckets and a stock offering of ropes to a glossy, burgeoning book that would rival the likes of a Sears and Roebuck catalog of old.
Cover to cover, you can you order anything a cowboy might need from the sheets he sleeps on, decorated Western style of course, to the $30,000 trailer to haul his horse. Every attention to detail is given to the ropers’ needs including his reading material, his practice gear and his competition gear.
In case he needs chaps, chinks or a holster for his pistol, they are offered as well. His style of dress is catered to with selections of shirts, jeans, boots and even jewelry.
His dog, cat and horse can all be healthy with an assortment of veterinary items to select from and his stable can be clean and free of flies if he chooses to shop in that section of the book.
Perhaps a clearer picture that the direction the “cowboy” world is headed can be found in the catalog section that offers Western decorated cell phone holders, remote control holders and magazine racks, to hold roper supply catalogs and magazines, of course.
A complete section is dedicated to video, CDs and books on how to be a better horseman or roper. Every facet is covered in media selections ranging from teaching a colt his first lessons to the mental and physical preparation of the competition cowboy.
Not to be overlooked are the pages offering barrel racing, horsemanship and all kinds of roping clinics.
It is simple marketing genius to teach a few more recliner jockeys how to join the cowboy world and then provide them with absolutely everything they will ever need to look and be the cowboy of their dreams.
The world of “cowboy” supply is first creating the market, then catering to it completely.
And yes, there is even a “horses for sale” section. Let Fed Ex deliver your next roping horse to your door.
Christmas shopping for your favorite cowboy has never been easier.
Shop Julie’s Web site for Christmas – her book, Cowgirl Sass & Savvy is the perfect gift. www.julie-carter.com
Cowgirl Sass & Savvy
By Julie Carter
Topping this year’s dynamic Christmas gifts, for the cowboy who has everything, is the latest innovation in roping practice equipment, the cooler dummy.
Combining two essentials for roping practice, there is now a plastic steer head can be attached to any flat-top cooler eliminating the mess of a hay bale. We all know, you can’t rope, either in dummy-roping practice or at the arena with the real cattle, without the ever-present cooler loaded with ice and a favorite adult beverage.
Of course, the catalog copywriters know just how to appeal to their market. “Use the cooler or tool box to store items in for travel and then pull it out to practice with or sit on at your destination.”
This makes perfect sense if you are a roper. It also makes me laugh that the world of retail has found one more toy for the cowboy. There was a time when a cowboy was happy with a good whittling knife and worn-out rope.
Catalogs for the cowboy, especially the ropers, have blossomed from a few simple pages of saddle blankets, buckets and a stock offering of ropes to a glossy, burgeoning book that would rival the likes of a Sears and Roebuck catalog of old.
Cover to cover, you can you order anything a cowboy might need from the sheets he sleeps on, decorated Western style of course, to the $30,000 trailer to haul his horse. Every attention to detail is given to the ropers’ needs including his reading material, his practice gear and his competition gear.
In case he needs chaps, chinks or a holster for his pistol, they are offered as well. His style of dress is catered to with selections of shirts, jeans, boots and even jewelry.
His dog, cat and horse can all be healthy with an assortment of veterinary items to select from and his stable can be clean and free of flies if he chooses to shop in that section of the book.
Perhaps a clearer picture that the direction the “cowboy” world is headed can be found in the catalog section that offers Western decorated cell phone holders, remote control holders and magazine racks, to hold roper supply catalogs and magazines, of course.
A complete section is dedicated to video, CDs and books on how to be a better horseman or roper. Every facet is covered in media selections ranging from teaching a colt his first lessons to the mental and physical preparation of the competition cowboy.
Not to be overlooked are the pages offering barrel racing, horsemanship and all kinds of roping clinics.
It is simple marketing genius to teach a few more recliner jockeys how to join the cowboy world and then provide them with absolutely everything they will ever need to look and be the cowboy of their dreams.
The world of “cowboy” supply is first creating the market, then catering to it completely.
And yes, there is even a “horses for sale” section. Let Fed Ex deliver your next roping horse to your door.
Christmas shopping for your favorite cowboy has never been easier.
Shop Julie’s Web site for Christmas – her book, Cowgirl Sass & Savvy is the perfect gift. www.julie-carter.com
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