NEWS ROUNDUP

Ranches in Western U.S. Shifting From Grazers to Greens Ten years ago, Heidi Redd feared that her ranching days were over. For 30 years she had been running cattle on the Dugout Ranch in southeastern Utah, first with her husband, Robert, and then by herself after the couple's divorce in the 1980s. By the mid-1990s, however, Redd was under pressure by family members to sell the 5,200-acre (2,100-hectare) property, which sits near Canyonlands National Park. Hoping to keep the ranch intact, Redd approached the Nature Conservancy (TNC), the environmental nonprofit, which buys ecologically significant property and preserves it. The ranch was a prime candidate for TNC ownership. The property includes rights to 250,000 acres (100,000 hectares) of federal grazing land, some of which has never been grazed. Redd was looking for more than just a buy-sell arrangement, however. "I was hoping they would purchase the land and allow me to continue ranching there," she said. TNC agreed to Redd's plan, and this year marks the tenth anniversary of the partnership between the long-time rancher and the nonprofit. TNC opted to continue with ranch operations and to use the property as a research lab, allowing scientists to work with Redd to determine the best grazing rotation for a desert climate....
Is the Endangered Species Act in Danger? Arizona's growing pains come before the Supreme Court this week in consolidated cases that pit against each other two of the country's most powerful environmental protections: the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act. If the Bush administration has its way, states will have more control over how they manage their natural resources, but that will come at some expense to federal safeguards for jeopardized wildlife. Critics charge that the White House is actually trying to undercut the wide-ranging Endangered Species Act. For its part, the White House says the act is inconsistently applied and in need of reform-reform that could be brought about by a victory before the high court. Green light. The crux of the cases-National Association of Homebuilders v. Defenders of Wildlife and Defenders of Wildlife v. Environmental Protection Agency-goes back to 2002, when the federal government gave Arizona the right to issue its own water discharge permits for housing developments under the Clean Water Act-as it has done in many other states. But before handing over that power, the EPA, according to Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, consulted with another agency-in this case, the Fish and Wildlife Service-on whether the action would threaten listed species. The service raised alarms but, in an unusual move, approved the transfer anyway, arguing that Arizona was entitled to the permitting power because it met all the requirements of the Clean Water Act. The final call was made by the EPA, which gave Arizona the green light on water permits, environmentalists claim, without regard to their impact on wildlife as directed by the Endangered Species Act. To some, the whole thing smelled fishy. In other instances, environmentalists say, the EPA and other agencies had worked to minimize damage to habitat while still giving states permitting power. "This time, they drew hard lines," says Patrick Parenteau, an environmental law professor at Vermont Law School. He believes "something happened behind closed doors" to limit the federal role in state and local development. Defenders of Wildlife sued. In court, the EPA argued that simply by consulting with the Fish and Wildlife Service, it had met its legal requirements under the Endangered Species Act. But the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit disagreed, arguing the EPA had shirked its duty to wildlife. Hostage. The EPA is expected to argue before the Supreme Court that Section 7 shouldn't apply at all. The EPA and the National Association of Homebuilders, a party to the suit, argue that states must be granted permitting rights under the Clean Water Act if they meet all the requirements, none of which involves measuring impacts on endangered species. Duane Desiderio, a lawyer for the association, says it's wrong to hold every federal statute hostage to the Endangered Species Act. The EPA declined to comment, but in its legal petition argues "there is no dispute" Arizona met the criteria for the Clean Water Act and therefore should get its permits....
Court hears endangered species cases that could slow Az building The Supreme Court will hear arguments today in a pair of Arizona cases that could lead to tougher requirements for how federal agencies weigh the environmental effects of their policies. The specific issue before justices is whether the Environmental Protection Agency should have consulted more closely with U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service officials when it gave Arizona's Department of Environmental Quality the power to issue permits for a housing development in the state's southern desert. Depending on how the court rules, the outcome could resonate far outside Arizona. The federal government says complying with endangered species laws before entering into agreements with states would be impossible. Housing developers say if they lose, it could mean construction delays of up to six months on new projects, and raise the cost of a new house by $5,000 to $10,000. Environmental activists say the government needs to be sure endangered species aren't at risk from policy decisions that may seem unrelated at first....
Ferrets have ranchers worried Ranchers near Wind Cave National Park are worried that the re-introduction of endangered black-footed ferrets into the park could complicate their lives, despite assurances that agriculture operations on nearby private land nearby will not be affected. Randy Schroth, who ranches near the west boundary of the 28,000-acre park, said Monday he was skeptical of assurances by park officials that the presence of ferrets wouldn’t interfere with private ranch operations — including the poisoning of prairie dogs — adjoining or near the park. “They’re claiming we’re covered,” Schroth said. “But I’m wondering. If you’re out poisoning and it might kill one of them little buggers, you’re in the harm of things. They’re still an endangered species.” Wind Cave acting superintendent Tom Farrell announced last week that the National Park Service had approved an experimental ferret re-introduction project that could release 20-25 black-footed ferrets each year for three to five years. Farrell said provisions of an experimental permit issued under the Endangered Species Act would assure that private property owners outside the park were not affected....
Wolves prey on cattle while ranchers huff and puff One day after selling his cattle, hay and farm machinery, Mike Kasten Sr. visited with his good friend, John Eischeid, in the office of Tri-County Livestock Auction Inc. Still sporting his cowboy hat and boots, Kasten pulled up a chair and explained why he decided to sell. Last June, he said he was getting his two grandsons off to summer school classes when he noticed trouble in a pasture close to his house. "The cows were up close, calving," he recalled, "and there were three timber wolves, two of them working the cow. One calf took off running toward the brush, and I ran to get my .243. "When I got back, they were by another cow that had just calved that morning, and they were trying to get her." Kasten said the adult female wolf ran off, but he managed to shoot two young males. He notified the local authorities, who in turn summoned a DNR official and trapper from the USDA office in Grand Rapids. By midwinter, Kasten said he had lost several more calves to wolves, but he had no carcasses to prove his damages. He said it is common knowledge that wolves can tear carcasses to pieces, dragging them away to their den....
Wolf delisting must protect elk, cattle While the head of a statewide sportsmen's group may not detest wolves, he's quite concerned about their impact on big game. “I'm not a wolf-hater, but I don't like what they're doing to the herds,” said Joe Tilden of Cody. He's president of Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife and hopes there's a big turnout for the Thursday meeting about removing wolves from Endangered Species Act protection. State Rep. Pat Childers, R-Cody, also has strong feelings about wolves. “I made myself clear with the legislation,” he said. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which is hosting the meeting, needs to delist the wolf and turn over their management to the state, Childers said. The agency also needs to set the wolf-zone line at the Shoshone Forest boundary west of Cody, not at WYO 120. The statute gives the governor the flexibility to move the line, “if that's what it takes to delist,” he added. After delisting, the Game and Fish Department will have that power. Both Childers and Tilden cited a G&F study about a low cow-calf ratio for elk in Sunlight Basin and the relocation of elk to Heart Mountain where the ratio is healthy. “Why's that? Generally we think it's wolves,” Childers said....
Two wolves shot near Sun Valley U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services has shot two male wolves suspected of killing up to four cattle south of Sun Valley. The wolves were shot by Wildlife Services' agents from a fixed-wing aircraft Friday morning as the animals were harassing cattle at a ranch near Carey. A third wolf , a female, was killed by a rancher near Picabo about five weeks ago. Officials say this is perhaps the first time wolves have been shot by wildlife agents in south-central Idaho. "This is the first year we've had any problems in that area," said Steve Nadeau, state wolf coordinator with Wildlife Services. "It's very unusual." All three wolves are believed to be responsible for a cattle killing spree in the Wood River Valley over the past eight weeks. On March 19, a rancher near Picabo shot and killed the female wolf after it brought down at least one of his cattle. A day or two later, more wolves were spotted near the ranch. Then on April 7 and 8, at least three cattle were killed, supposedly by wolves, near a ranch about 15 miles north of Carey. Agents were dispatched to find and kill the wolves....
Wolf impasse persists Issues of timing appear to be the biggest remaining obstacle toward a wolf management deal between Wyoming and the federal government. It also appears that those timing issues may be insurmountable. That means more litigation between the parties and continued federal control of wolves in northwest Wyoming. Federal officials Monday said Wyoming must submit a new wolf management plan by May 1 to meet administrative and legal requirements to allow removal of federal protection of wolves by February 2008 -- the deadline contained in a new state law giving Gov. Dave Freudenthal authority to negotiate the boundaries of a permanent wolf management area in northwest Wyoming to meet federal approval. But the governor says that under the law approved by the Legislature during its recent session, Wyoming can't adopt a new wolf management plan until the federal government changes its rules to allow killing of wolves to protect big game animals before delisting. Federal officials have begun the process of amending the rules to allow such wolf control, but the changes aren't expected to be finalized until next year. As a result of the impasse, federal officials said Monday they're prepared to remove protection for northern Rocky Mountain wolves in all but northwest Wyoming....
Agency sets wolf plan deadline The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says it's prepared to leave Wyoming behind as it drafts regulations spelling out how the wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains will be removed from federal protection under the Threatened and Endangered Species Act. Mitch King, regional director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, wrote to Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal on Monday saying that if the state can't submit a new wolf management plan by May 1, the federal agency won't be able to include the state in its ongoing rulemaking aimed at removing wolves from federal protections by next February. That would leave only Montana and Idaho in the process. "Let me again stress this is not our preferred option," King wrote to Freudenthal. "However, we still intend to complete the delisting of all the significant portions of the range with adequate regulatory mechanisms by February 2008, with or without Wyoming's inclusion."....
Where will they sue? The lawyer for eight environmental groups fighting to maintain federal protection for grizzly bears said he'll carefully consider the options before deciding where to file an expected lawsuit. “I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't do that,” said Douglas Honnold, an attorney for Earthjustice in Bozeman, Mont. Gov. Dave Freudenthal last week asked Honnold in a letter to take the “honorable action” and file the lawsuit in federal court in Wyoming, where about 90 percent of the greater Yellowstone area's estimated 500-600 bears live. Freudenthal urged Honnold not to “forum shop” for a sympathetic court in another state, a practice that has been widely criticized by Westerners in past federal land and wildlife disputes. “Having a distant forum render a decision on a matter of such great import to Wyoming and its people will only foster further cynicism regarding the (Endangered Species Act) and judicial review of decisions made under the ESA,” Freudenthal wrote in the two-page letter....
Lawsuit claims gray wolf should remain on endangered species list Three animal advocacy groups sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Monday over its decision to remove gray wolves from the endangered species list in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, says the gray wolf essentially remains endangered in the three states, and it demands that the Fish and Wildlife Service be prevented from implementing its "delisting" plan. The lawsuit was filed by The Humane Society of the United States, Help Our Wolves Live, and the Animal Protection Institute. "The agencies' decision to strip wolves of all federal protection is biologically reckless and contrary to the requirements of the Endangered Species Act," Jonathan Lovvorn, vice president of litigation for the Humane Society, said in a statement announcing the lawsuit. In March, federal officials removed the gray wolves from its endangered list and handed over management of the population to state and tribal governments. In Minnesota, the state Department of Natural Resources assigned three conservation officers to managing the wolf population and planned to hire a new wolf specialist, said Mike DonCarlos, the department's wildlife research and policy manager....
States seek OK to kill sea lions So far, California sea lions have been winning their contest for survival with the Washington and Oregon salmon heading upstream to spawn. That may be about to change. Washington, Oregon and Idaho are asking Congress for permission to kill more than 80 sea lions a year to protect the salmon they feast on. Since federal rules gave sea lions greater protection in the 1970s, the population of these salmon predators has grown as more gentle efforts have failed to scare them away from their favorite meal. Sea lions on the Columbia River below Bonneville Dam have been blasted with rubber buckshot, chased by boats, harassed by firecrackers and rockets and subjected to noise from underwater speakers. Both species have potent allies. Backing the salmon are the three Northwest states, American Indian tribes and four of the region's members of Congress. Backing the sea lions is the 10 million-member Humane Society of the United States....
Russia To Make Polar Bear Hunting Legal The Russian government is set to allow residents in the town of Vankarem to legally hunt polar bears that have been moving into the region. In response to the increasing number of polar bears traveling into the eastern Russian region due to the changing climate, officials are set to permit legal hunting of the animals for the first time in more than 50 years, the New York Times said Monday. "The normal life space for the polar bears is shrinking," Pacific Scientific Research and Fisheries Center biologist Anatoly A. Kochnev said. "They come in search of food on the shore, and the main sources of food are where people live." The move comes as other nations have begun classifying polar bears as an endangered species....
Federal government defends decision not to list Oregon coho The federal government on Monday defended its decision to leave Oregon coastal coho salmon off the threatened species list and let the state of Oregon oversee voluntary efforts to restore its numbers. U.S. Justice Department lawyer Paul Lall argued in U.S. District Court that judges must defer to NOAA Fisheries, the federal agency in charge of salmon restoration, which had weighed competing scientific evidence and made a "close call." But Trout Unlimited and other conservation groups countered that NOAA Fisheries failed to use the best available science, and in the face of uncertainty should have decided to protect the fish. "If there are uncertainties, the agency cannot throw up its hands," said Patti Goldman, an attorney from Earthjustice representing the conservation groups. "It cannot refuse to act." Once a fish is listed as threatened, the government has to come down on the side of protecting the fish when there's a question about whether a given action might harm its populations, Lall said....
Grizzly Bear Trapped and Killed The Idaho Department of Fish and Game says the 400-pound bear was caught in a cable snare about 100 yards from the home of Timothy Henderson, the man who was hospitalized. Henderson has since returned home and will recover from multiple bite and claw wounds. He was attacked last week when he went outside his home looking for his dog, only to find a grizzly charging straight at him. Fish and Game says the bear was likely protecting a dead moose carcus in the area, but says killing it was the right decision. Steve Schmidt, Idaho Fish and Game: "That was a joint decision by the Teton County Sheriff's Office and Idaho Fish and Game in addition to public safety issues of officers on the scene, the bear was lunging at them at the end of a cable snare, their safety was paramount."....
Habitat Credit Trading Offers Conservation Incentives The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service, and Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies are partnering to evaluate endangered species habitat credit trading. Directors from each group signed an agreement Friday agreeing to explore ways to coordinate programs and activities to assist habitat credit trading markets as way to increase the conservation of endangered or at-risk species habitat. "Habitat credit trading is a great way to restore, protect and promote conservation of lands that are home to endangered species," says NRCS Chief Arlan Lancaster. "We all benefit from healthy ecosystems. Allowing landowners to earn additional revenue for their conservation efforts is the future of sound environmental stewardship." Habitat credit banks act much like a savings account but instead of money, credits are earned for land preservation of the habitat. The credits can then be sold to land use industries or others, who are required to mitigate the loss of habitat by the Endangered Species Act and other laws that restrict or prohibit development....
Turning off the flow Millions of Californians would lose at least a portion of their water supply and 750,000 acres of productive Central Valley farmland would dry up if the state cannot satisfy an Alameda County judge. Late last month, Superior Court Judge Frank Roesch gave the California Department of Water Resources 60 days to comply with the California Endangered Species Act or shut down a pumping plant that diverts millions of acre-feet of water to thirsty Southern California. The Harvey O. Banks Pumping Plant and its related facilities near Tracy push delta water through the California Aqueduct, a man-made canal that cuts a swath through western Stanislaus County. Water flowing down the aqueduct has transformed California's once dry and barren interior into an agribusiness powerhouse that pumps an estimated $300 billion into the state's economy. Shutting off the pumps would have a potentially devastating effect on the state's economy. Officials at the Department of Water Resources say they won't let that happen....
Biologists stumped by southern Oregon fish kill After more than a week of chasing tips, the Oregon State Police and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife have been unable to identify the toxic substance that killed dozens of fish here earlier this month. The dead fish that turned up in lower Griffin Creek included wild coho salmon, a species classified as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act. Authorities said that means the fish kill could be a federal crime. Also discovered among the fish were red-sided shiners, which are a non-native species, and juvenile wild steelhead, most of which were about 4 inches long. David Haight, a fish biologist with the Department of Fish and Wildlife, said the gills of the dead fish were inspected to look for burning associated with chemicals. The fish, however, were too decomposed to reveal any clues, Haight said. "So far, we haven't found anything that seemed like it could have caused the fish kill," Haight said....
Vegas water-pumping plan approved A request to pump billions of gallons of groundwater to booming Las Vegas from a valley near the Nevada-Utah line was cut to less than half the amount in a plan approved Monday by the state's engineer. The pipes will be shut off if existing wells and other existing water rights in Spring Valley suffer during Southern Nevada Water Authority's pumping the next 10 years, state Engineer Tracy Taylor said. A recent drought cycle has cut heavily into southern Nevada's share of Colorado River water, prompting the city to look elsewhere for water. Utah officials, ranchers, conservationists and even the Mormon Church objected to Las Vegas' request to pump water from their areas. Susan Land of the Great Basin Water Network, which had opposed the original pumping request, termed the decision "a victory of sorts" and questioned whether the massive project to pipe water more than 200 miles south to Las Vegas remained financially feasible....
Public forum on Otero Mesa drilling later this week The Otero Mesa, a large expanse of wild lands southeast of Alamogordo, may have some oil and gas underneath it. It may also have one of the largest untapped fresh water aquifers in the state as well. Both gas drillers and municipalities are vying to tap into one or the other. Because of the issues involved, a public forum has been scheduled for later this week, noted Nathan Newcomer from the New Mexico Wildlife Association. Newcomer said the public is invited to the forum at the Elks Lodge on Hamilton Friday at 6 p.m. He said five people will speak on the possible dangers of gas drilling in the area. Tweety Blancett, a rancher from Aztec, will talk about what happened when oil and gas companies began to drill on her ranch and the consequences that resulted from that. Newcomer said Blancett's water was contaminated and some of her livestock perished....
Warming Predicted to Take Severe Toll on U.S Climate change will exact a major cost on North America's timber industry and could drive as much as 40 percent of its plant and animal species to extinction in a matter of decades, according to a new report from an international panel. The U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which released its summary report on global warming's overall impact earlier this month, provided a more detailed assessment yesterday of the effects on North America. The report, written and edited by dozens of scientists, looks at how global warming has begun to transform the continent and how it is likely to affect it in the future. The 67-page report, which examines everything from freshwater ecosystems to tourism, said North America has suffered severe environmental and economic damage because of extreme weather events such as hurricanes, heat waves and forest fires. Without "increased investments in countermeasures," the authors wrote that they are at least 90 percent sure that "hot temperatures and extreme weather are likely to cause increased adverse health impacts from heat-related mortality, pollution, storm-related fatalities and injuries, and infectious diseases."....
Map software pinpoints environment hotspots Web connoisseurs have grown accustomed to going online and getting an aerial view of their neighborhoods, or even their houses, using software like Google Earth. Now they can look at the same world and get a subterranean view. A sophisticated new breed of mapping software on the Web is allowing users to pinpoint toxic hot spots and hazardous sites beneath the ground using a wealth of new information and mashed-up existing technology. Those developments have opened up business opportunities for consulting firms and new ways for government and advocacy organizations to inform the public about hazardous, environmentally dangerous sites. Take Locus Technologies in Mountain View, which, using Google Earth's satellite imagery, has created an online program that pinpoints problem sites throughout the country, including the infamous Superfund sites designated as super-toxic by the Environmental Protection Agency....
The grass-fed is greener Inside the only boucherie in town is a meat case full of chuck roasts, flank steaks, New York strips. But what they're really selling in the rustic Burgundy Boucherie is a story. It's an old story, actually, one about a Texas ranching family that raises cattle on rolling, green hills of native grasses, never uses pesticides, hormones or grain, and sells their meat to people they know on a first-name basis. Jon and Wendy Taggart tell it best. "It's not new," Wendy Taggart said. "It's the way ranching was done years ago." A few years back, they climbed out on an agricultural limb, gambling that people would pay extra for organic, 100-percent grass-fed beef bought directly from their store in Grandview, about 35 miles south of Fort Worth. They struck at a time when many Americans were growing more interested in all-natural products and more concerned with problems in mass-produced meat. That interest keeps growing, and not just in the expected places such as New England and California. The Dallas-Fort Worth area is considered the second-strongest market in Texas for environmentally friendly foods....
Animal protections pass Colo. House Dog owners whose animals attack or kill someone's pet could face criminal charges under a proposal advanced today by the House. The legislation - aimed at putting more teeth into animal-cruelty laws - also would make bestiality a crime and force animal abusers to submit DNA samples for a criminal database. After an objection from ranchers, lawmakers struck a provision that would have banned dogs from riding unrestrained in the back of pickup trucks. They also eliminated a proposal to add rabbits and ferrets to the list of domestic animals protected under the law. "A special thank you from my dog, Buzz, who loves to chase rabbits," said House Minority Leader Mike May of Parker. "He says, 'Woof-woof.' " Rep. Debbie Stafford, R-Aurora, said district attorneys asked her to run the bill because Colorado law isn't tough enough on animal abusers....
No health threats found at Stevens County dairy farm An investigation into the deaths of as many as 60 cows at a Stevens County dairy found no health threats to people or other animals, state Veterinarian Leonard Eldridge said Monday. Eldridge and representatives of other state and federal agencies visited the farm in Addy, about 75 miles north of Spokane, in early March after receiving reports of 50-60 dead cattle. A detailed investigation found no serious animal diseases or toxic contamination of the animals' feed. But the probe did not find what caused the animals' deaths. "During this investigation, we have found no threat to the health of people or other animals," Eldridge said in a news release. "We have not been able to identify a common cause of death of these animals. Frankly, we may never know specifically what killed the animals that died before the start of this investigation." Concerns about possible heavy metals contamination of the animals' feed caused the dairy owner to stop shipping milk off the farm in December 2006....
GeneThera in Preliminary Talks for Mad Cow Testing GeneThera, Inc. (OTCBB: GTHA) announced today it has begun preliminary talks with ranchers to test their cattle for the Mad Cow disease. Commenting on the talks Dr. Tony Milici stated, "These preliminary talks are an important first step to establish our commercial platform once private companies will be allowed to test for Mad Cow disease in the US. We believe that allowing private companies to test for Mad Cow will have a very positive impact on the US beef industry domestically and internationally." The USDA has previously not allowed private companies to test their cattle for Mad Cow. However, a federal judge ruled that the federal government must allow meatpackers to test their animals for Mad Cow Disease. The judge put his order on hold until the government can appeal. If the government does not appeal by June 1, 2007, he stated the ruling would take effect....
Feed store owner, 88, still behind counter Sybil Brown has a simple ambition these days. It makes her day to get in her old pickup and drive the two blocks to work every morning in the store she has been a part of since World War II. Sybil is 88, and she has been working in Brown’s Feed Store in Honey Grove since she and her husband, Curtis, built it in the early 1940s. Curtis died more than two decades ago, but Sybil continues to run the store much as she did years ago. In fact, Sybil’s attachment to the store goes back even before she and her husband built it. The lumber was originally in an old barn on her family’s farm. She inherited the farm, and when the couple decided to go into the feed business, they tore down the barn on the old family place and built the store in Honey Grove. The feed store once was a thriving business, with farmers and ranchers coming from across the area to purchase feed ground fresh at the store every day. “Farmers brought their crops to us by the trailer loads,” she said. “We took grain and hay and ground it into feed for them.”....
It's All Trew: Airing out laundry memories Washing dirty laundry is and always has been a dreaded chore. The larger the family, the more dreaded the chore, especially if you had to build a fire under a large iron pot, whittle lye soap shavings into the pot and agitate the brew with a poke stick until the clothes were clean. Then came the wringing out and placing on the clothesline. Probably not many are alive today who helped in this effort. Once kitchens became equipped with kerosene, propane or natural gas cook stoves, most women acquired a big copper boiler with a lid, which sat over two burners for heating. In place of the poke stick, various inventions made doing laundry a little easier, though the old rub-board was still kept busy. The invention of flat irons with detachable handles improved the chore of ironing. A major improvement in washing clothes came with the introduction of the Maytag MultiMotor Swinging Wringer Washing Machine. It had a wooden tank made like an ice cream freezer bucket and owners knew to keep a little water in the tank at all times so the stakes would not dry out and leak water. Miracle of miracles, the device had a small gasoline motor for power. The direction booklet gave directions of how to mix the oil and gasoline for the motor and said to keep your oil squirt-can handy because there were 23 places to lubricate. "Always oil machine before using each time and do not use too much oil but apply often."....