NEWS ROUNDUP

Former California congressman Richard Pombo joins Oregon lobbying firm Former U.S. Rep. Richard Pombo announced he accepted a job with an Oregon lobbying and public relations firm that specializes in Western resource issues. The one-time rancher and former chairman of the House Resources Committee will find clients for Pac/West Communications, but will do no lobbying, company President Paul Phillips said. The company’s clients include the Save Our Species Alliance, which supported Pombo’s unsuccessful efforts to rewrite the Endangered Species Act. Those attempts spurred environmental groups to pour money into the campaign of wind energy engineer Jerry McNerney, a Democrat who defeated him in November. Pac/West has about two dozen employees in offices throughout the West and in Washington, D.C. Pombo will be based in Sacramento....
Judge blocks Perry's coal plant order, urges delay of hearing A judge on Tuesday blocked Gov. Rick Perry's executive order fast-tracking the permitting process for proposed coal-fired plants and ordered that state hearing administrators reconsider environmentalists' request for a delay. A major hearing on the coal plant permitting is scheduled to begin Wednesday. But lawyers for several environmental groups argued before state District Judge Stephen Yelenosky that Texas and Oklahoma citizens opposed to the plants were at a disadvantage because there hadn't been enough time to prepare. They claimed the governor's order was unconstitutional, and the judge agreed that the plaintiffs were likely to prevail in their argument. Yelenosky's temporary injunction did not cancel the hearing, but he said administrative judges should reconsider the schedule....
State advisory group focuses on wilderness hot spot management The Maroon Bells-Snowmass and Collegiate Peaks wildernesses are among several Colorado wilderness areas that a group of experts in Denver weighed in on yesterday. After more than 1,000 hours of volunteered work, including several meetings and a few on-the-ground field trips over the past year, a group of 14 wilderness stakeholders made comprehensive recommendations for statewide wilderness management on Tuesday to U.S. Forest Service Regional Forester Rick Cables. The committee, whose members include representatives from nonprofit Forest Service partners and "friends" that focus on trail maintenance, wilderness advocacy, outdoor education, volunteering and other areas, have identified the Maroon Bells-Snowmass and the Collegiate Peaks wildernesses, both in the Aspen area, among the nine most heavily used wilderness areas in the state. The group told Forest Service regional personnel in a formal presentation that "keeping pristine areas pristine, managing to minimize environmental impacts and the need to research social impacts are considered primary goals." They also made a long list of specific recommendations, from ramping up education efforts to advocating for more wilderness-specific funding to getting more Forest Service and volunteer "boots on the ground."....
Elk prefer people on foot Ongoing research into how recreation affects wildlife shows that ATVs, then mountain bikes, have the largest impact on elk, while hiking and horseback riding have the least effect. Forest Service researchers in Northwest Oregon found that elk were more likely to flee, and more likely to flee faster, from ATVs – all terrain vehicles – than other forms of recreation. Mule deer, on the other hand, seem mostly unphased by humans in the forest. The research could have important implications for local forest planners as they establish a motorized trail system in the Bridger-Teton. Michael Wisdom, lead author of the study, will join a panel of local and regional experts to discuss motorized use on area forest lands tonight at the Teton Science Schools....
Industry wants in on Roan An energy industry group is objecting to being closed out of a Glenwood Springs meeting Thursday to consider alternatives to a proposed management plan for the Roan Plateau. The Independent Petroleum Association of Mountain States has written a letter to U.S. Rep. John Salazar, D-Manassa, voicing disappointment over not being invited to the meeting. Salazar and Rep. Mark Udall, D-Eldorado Springs, have invited local elected officials, the Colorado Division of Wildlife and environmental and wildlife groups to the meeting. The congressmen may explore legislative and other alternatives to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's proposed plan, which among other things would allow drilling on top of the plateau. Environmentalists and area communities had called for keeping drilling off the plateau top. The BLM is reviewing protests of the plan and hopes to issue a final decision by summer....
Report on Kim case says BLM violated no rules in leaving road's gate open Government employees violated no rules when they failed to lock a gate for winter on the road where James Kim and his family became stranded in December, a report released today concludes. The account of the gate -- issued by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management -- contradicts what a BLM employee said in December. Then, a BLM spokesman said the gate should have been locked Nov. 1: "The idea was our BLM engineer, the lead engineer, had directed the staff to go out there and lock the gate on Nov. 1," said Michael Campbell, a BLM spokesman. "Basically what they found was, when they got out there, they were unable to confirm no one was trapped behind the gate. So they made the decision not to close it." In the new report, BLM Oregon State Director Edward W. Shepard wrote, "This management review found that no Bureau of Land Management employee failed to carry out any specific order or work assignment concerning locking a specific gate by a specific date or time."....
Idaho county creates anti-wolf chapter Residents in Bingham County have started a local chapter of the Idaho Anti-Wolf Coalition, which is collecting signatures to once again try to get an initiative to ban gray wolves from Idaho on the ballot. The group failed to gather enough signatures to get a similar initiative on the ballot last year. Coalition Chairman Ron Gillett of Stanley said the group's new goal is to gather 100,000 signatures. He also has instructed petition carriers to make certain that everyone who signs is a registered voter. In 2006, the group collected more than 40,000 signatures in six weeks before running out of time and falling short of the required 45,893 signatures. Organizers also learned that many signatures proved to be worthless because the signers were not registered voters. "If we could get that many signatures in six weeks, I don't think we'll have any problem getting the 45,893 we need by April 30, 2008," Gillett said....
Federal Wildlife Enforcement is Leaderless and in Decline The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) law enforcement program lacks credible leadership that is trusted by its special agents, according to a new report by the U.S. Department of Interior Office of Inspector General. At the same time, criminal enforcement of wildlife protection laws under Interior Department jurisdiction has fallen to decade-low levels, according to Justice Department figures compiled and released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). FWS special agents are the federal officers charged with enforcing the Endangered Species Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty act and other federal laws governing hunting and interstate transportation of wildlife. The 208 special agents are the backbone of the law enforcement program which also includes 111 inspectors and 166 support personnel. The Inspector General transmitted its new “Assessment of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement” to the Secretary of Interior on February 13, 2007. It was the first look by the Inspector General at FWS enforcement since 2001. Key findings include....Go here to view the IG's report.
Midwest Wolves Fall Prey to PR Scam The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced in late January that there are now enough gray wolves in the wilds of Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan to warrant taking the wolf off the federal roster of endangered and threatened species in the upper Midwest. About 4,000 wolves now roam across the three states, according to the agency. Real conservationists see another Endangered Species Act success story. But slob hunters and apologists for land-abusing industries--including those who'd rather let Safari Club International chapters do their talking--are salivating over their gun sights. The Wisconsin Cattlemen's Association, in cahoots with SCI and an outfit called the Wisconsin Bear Hunters' Association, needed only a day or two to roll out a 30-second "Little Red Riding Hood" TV ad it plans to air through the rest of this year. "People used to believe that wolves lived in remote forests, but the reality is that the wolf population has exploded to the point where they are now wreaking havoc on cows, sheep, dogs and property," SCI's Bob Welch said in a news release which the Madison Capital Times newspaper quoted Jan. 30....
Yellowstone air improves, study finds The air quality at two of the most popular winter spots here continues to improve, a study finds. Levels of carbon monoxide and certain particulate at the park's west entrance at West Yellowstone, the most popular winter gate, and Old Faithful, the most popular destination, still are "well below" national ambient air-quality standards and the air quality is good, the study by the National Park Service concluded. Those pollutants have decreased in recent winters because fewer snowmobiles travel into the park and because of new requirements that all snowmobiles meet standards for noise and emissions, park officials said. The study analyzes air quality at Old Faithful and the West Yellowstone entrance during the winter of 2005-06. It's the latest in a series of studies aimed at helping park officials decide how best to manage winter traffic in Yellowstone....
Jerome County commissioners vote against livestock ban By a 2-1 vote, Jerome County commissioners killed a proposal Tuesday that would have placed an emergency moratorium on new livestock operations in the county. Instead of the ban, commissioners will refine the county comprehensive plan to address citizens' concerns that there might already be too many cows. "This whole thing is going to take some time, you know," said Commissioner Joe Davidson, who voted against the emergency moratorium. Commissioner Charlie Howell also voted against the cow ban. Commissioner Diana Obenauer voted for the moratorium. According to a Boise State University report published in September, Jerome has more cows than any other Magic Valley county except Gooding - where a moratorium is in effect. Cows have been a contentious issue in Jerome County in the past few months. Legislators, the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Park Service have criticized commissioners for their handling of a livestock permit application that was recently withdrawn....
Antlers of a dilemma For a case study in why bureaucracies tend to be unimaginative, consider the question of the elk herd in Rocky Mountain National Park. The Park Service could reduce the swollen numbers of elk, which are destroying vegetation and otherwise wreaking havoc, by culling the animals itself, hiring sharpshooters, or permitting qualified private hunters to do the job. The third option is the least expensive, so naturally it's the one the Park Service has all but ruled out. All right, maybe that's a cheap shot. The Park Service says it can't legally permit a private hunt even if it wanted to, with an emphasis on the "even if." Comes now Rep. Mark Udall, D-Colo., with legislation authorizing the Park Service to tap the services of qualified sportsmen in order to save the government money. Is everyone pleased with this common-sense, problem-solving approach? Of course not....
Park service cancels elk meetings Meetings to talk about how to take out as many as 1,000 elk from the Theodore Roosevelt National Park at Medora have been canceled. The National Park Service called off meetings Wednesday and Thursday after the state Game and Fish Department pulled out because the park won't let qualified hunters shoot the elk, rather than using contract sharpshooters. Park superintendent Valerie Naylor said the sudden withdrawal by Game and Fish makes it better to talk about the elk issue at a later date. Naylor said it would take an act of Congress to change law allowing hunting inside a national park. "That is not a reasonable or legal alternative that the park can pursue," she said. Kreil said the distinction between a sharpshooter and a qualified hunter is "murky." He said the agency didn't envision a wide-open hunt in the park, but rather a tightly monitored method used over several seasons....
Gore may get doctorate former Vice President Al Gore could pay a visit to the University in the near future to receive an honorary degree for his work in climatology. University President Bob Bruininks spilled the beans at the February Board of Regents meeting, saying that "two of our colleges are working with Vice President Gore to provide, we hope, an honorary doctorate." Gore has been in the news lately for his 2006 documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth," about global warming. University spokesperson Daniel Wolter said since Gore is an expert in the subject, several colleges at the University have expressed interest in inviting Gore to speak on campus. "He's in the news and is a legitimate expert on a pressing issue of global concern, climate change, so this level of interest is understandable," Wolter said. "However, no plans have been set and it's unlikely that would occur this spring."....
USDA Responds To Concerns About Canadian Cattle Imports Responding to a media report that documents obtained by Washington cattlemen show hundreds of cattle from Canada are entering the United States without government-required health papers or identification tags, USDA officials indicated that no significant violations have occurred. Andrea McNally of Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's legislative and public Affairs division told Meatingplace.com that her agency is "reviewing the concerns that have been brought to our attention in Washington state." "As we are reviewing these records, we have discovered that a large portion are minor record-keeping problems that are not material to the entry requirements of the cattle," she said. "Nonetheless, we are looking closely to make sure the balance of the paperwork shows proper documentation, and we will respond according to our findings."Meanwhile, the Canadian Cattlemen's Association is questioning both the Chicago Tribune article and the motives of the Cattle Producers of Washington. John Masswohl, director of government and international relations for CCA, told Meatingplace.com that a different set of rules apply to those Canadian cattle imports used for immediate slaughter and those going to feedlots. Masswohl explained that the USDA only requires that Canadian slaughter cattle go from the border to the slaugherhouse in a sealed truck. That these cattle have identification papers when they arrive is the result of Canada's own export requirements, he said.....
Hundreds Quit Smithfield Plant In Wake Of Immigration Crackdown Hundreds of workers have left their jobs or have refused to come to work at Smithfield Packing Co.'s Tar Heel, N.C., plant since federal agents initiated a crackdown on illegal immigrants, the company said. The world's largest hog slaughterhouse is now missing about 300 employees, a void that has led to slower production and overtime work. Some have tendered resignation letters and collected unused vacation pay, while others have quit without notice after having been identified in November as having unverifiable employment papers, Smithfield spokesman Dennis Pittman told reporters. Back in November, as part of a voluntary enforcement program offered by Immigration Customs and Enforcement, Smithfield notified by letter between 500 and 600 workers that their Social Security numbers, names or other personal data were unverifiable. The company also fired roughly 50 employees for providing false information, which prompted nearly 1,000 of their co-workers, most of them Hispanic, to walk out in protest. The workers returned two days later after Smithfield agreed to rehire the fired workers and meet individually with the letter recipients. The company gave them 60 days to produce proper documentation, a grace period that has since ended. Only 50 workers have done so and have kept their jobs, but none have been fired, Pittman said....
Shipments to Mexico Drive U.S. Beef Exports in 2006 U.S. beef exports in the fourth quarter totaled 308 million pounds, bringing the 2006 export total to 1.153 billion pounds. This marks a 65-percent increase over 2005, although it is only 46 percent of the record set in 2003. One highlight for exports in 2006 was the record level going to Mexico. Exports to Mexico reached 668 million pounds, easily surpassing the 2002 record of 629 million pounds. A strong Mexican economy, buoyed by high prices for oil exports, appeared to support this buying. Exports to Canada also bounced back, reaching 238 million pounds, more than doubling the 2005 export level. A weak U.S. dollar vis-à-vis the Canadian dollar was an important factor over the last three quarters of 2006. U.S. exports to Japan were interrupted in January 2006 with the discovery of prohibited material (a vertebral column in a veal rack), and exports did not resume in earnest until August. Total exports to Japan reached only 52 million pounds in 2006 (the United States had frequently exported over 900 million pounds to Japan prior to 2004). Japanese consumer acceptance of U.S. beef seems to be rebounding, and high domestic beef prices there make imports attractive....
U.S. Cattle Imports Up In 2006, Small Decline Expected In 2007 U.S. cattle imports totaled 2,289,000 head in 2006, based on December trade data recently released by the U.S. Commerce Department. Mexico remained the largest source of imported cattle to the United States, sending 1,257,000 head last year, virtually even with its 2005 total. The United States imports almost entirely lightweight stocker-feeder calves from Mexico, but the decline in calf prices in late 2006 in response to rising corn prices did not significantly dampen imports of Mexican calves. In the short run, their supply appears to be quite inelastic, as the U.S. market remains the best outlet for those animals already on hand. Weekly reports from the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), USDA, indicate imports from Mexico so far in 2007 are down significantly, but this appears to be related to poor weather and related conditions in the United States, and the cattle are expected to come north when conditions improve. U.S. cattle imports from Canada totaled 1,032,000 head in 2006, marking the first full calendar year of imports from Canada since 2002. Imports were suspended in May 2003 following the discovery of the first Canadian BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) case, and imports of Canadian feeder cattle and slaughter steers and heifers resumed in July 2005. The July-December total for 2006 was 504,000 head, down about 10 percent from the same period in 2005....
Officials aim to halt hormone thefts sweeping dairy industry Surveillance video captured three thieves slipping onto E.J. deJong's dairy farm under the cover of night, making their way past the cows in his milking parlor. One, wearing a cowboy hat, used a bar to pry open the door to the farmer's office, where deJong stored thousands of drug-filled syringes used to boost milk production in his herd. They made quick work carting out their haul. In just one night, deJong lost about $30,000 worth of the genetically engineered hormone rBST, or recombinant bovine somatotropin, in what police say was one of the most brazen, high-value heists to date. The three suspects still haven't been caught. Rural crime officials say vials of rBST are a favorite among thieves who resell the growth hormone for top dollar on the black market. Fewer dairy farmers use it these days due to concerns over its health effects, and thefts had declined in recent years, but the sophistication and overall worth of the December break-in have alarmed authorities over the possibility of a larger hormone-peddling syndicate....
Cowboys and sodbusters fight over cheap land The Borden County courthouse was the scene of a noholds barred wrestling match on Feb. 27, 1904, as cowboys and sodbusters fought over cheap land in a once-in-a-lifetime sale. A favorite subject of motion pictures and television has long been the "range war," violent clashes between ranchers and homesteaders for the wideopen spaces. While the West Texas real-estate row in the opening decade of the twentieth century featured plenty of bumps, bruises and bloody noses, the fact that fists were the weapon of choice prevented the loss of a single life. By 1880 Texas had set aside an area the size of North Carolina for public education and given away the equivalent of Maine to the railroads. Ranchers bought up the iron- horse sections that came onto the market and later doubled the grazing range for their huge herds by leasing school land for as little as eight cents an acre....
It's All Trew: First ranchers adapted Choosing "the first ranchers" depends on where you are located. In the South, from the Mississippi River east, people raised livestock for both work and meat. However, they were called "stockmen" and most used dogs and slaves to tend their livestock. In the states bordering Mexico where Spanish land grants were given to the first settlers, we find early "ranchos" owned by "rancheros" with the employees called "vaqueros.'' As the Spanish influence worked its way up the California coast, we find "haciendas" and "rancherias" with the employees called "caballeros." The rancher, as we know him, had not arrived. Some of the last areas of the West to be settled stretched from the Red River in Texas to the Canadian border and was called The Great Plains. In this vast area were mountain men and trappers whose vocations were dying. There were also gold seekers and Indian traders whose heyday had passed. With the Indian Nations captured and placed onto reservations, many soldiers were out of work. All had years of experience in the West and were looking for a place to settle down....