The Worst Moment in History to Demand Biofuels I told the Sustainable Agriculture students at Iowa State University last week, “Human numbers are still expanding rapidly. With more people and higher incomes, we’d need to double farm output by 2050 even without biofuels. . . . Food needs will stabilize and then decline after 2050, but any wildlife species crowded off the planet by the huge land requirements of biofuels in the next 40 years will be gone forever.” Unfortunately, at least three-fourths of the world’s wild species are in the warm tropics where we’re now going to grow millions of acres of sugar cane for ethanol and put in huge palm oil plantations for biodiesel. I told my Iowa audience, “the Great Plains where we sit today had 60 million bison, 100 million antelope, prairie dogs and an interesting set of grasses. That isn’t many species, and those species have not gone extinct. But biofuels threaten thousands of species. Sugar cane takes less land per gallon of ethanol produced, but it’s produced on tropic lands with much more biodiversity than the Great Plains. Indonesia sits at the juncture of two incredibly species-rich ecosystems, yet we’re clearing it for biodiesel. Every bit of poor-quality land we sacrifice for biofuels carries far more species risk than growing high yields on high-quality land with pesticides, fertilizers and biotech seeds.” Meanwhile, burning those biofuels worsens the greenhouse gas problem. Two new studies in the journal Science (T. (Searchinger, 319:1238-40 and J. Fargione, 319: 1235-1238) point out that if the biofuels are grown on land converted from forest or grasses, the stored soil carbon gasses off into the air as CO2. As a result, I explained, corn ethanol is twice as bad for global warming as burning gasoline or diesel. And we are already using virtually all of the world’s good farmland to produce food and feed....
Musgrave wants GAO probe on Pinon Canyon spending More than one Pinon Canyon area rancher has been angered in recent weeks over a telephone call from an Army-paid public relations firm wanting to question them about their views on the proposed expansion of the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, R-Colo., has responded by asking the General Accountability Office - the investigative arm of Congress - to determine if the Army is violating the 2008 federal budget law, which include's her one-year ban on the Army spending any money on the proposed 414,000-acre expansion. Musgrave and Rep. John Salazar, D-Colo., attached that ban to the budget legislation last summer and both the House and Senate approved it. A spokesman for Musgrave said this week that she remains opposed to any expansion of the 238,000-acre training area northeast of Trinidad and believes her amendment should have blocked the Army from hiring consultants to survey landowners. Salazar endorsed her GAO request when contacted Thursday. Mack Louden, a board member of the Not 1 More Acre group opposed to the expansion, said he received a call from the consultants recently to ask about his opposition to the expansion. "When I asked how they could be calling me, legally, when they were prohibited from spending money on the expansion, they said the Army was paying them out of 2007 money," Louden said in a recent interview....More carefully crafted language should be included in the next bill. If DOD is still spending 2007 dollars they were clearly appropriated too much money. Will Congress stand up for the separation of powers or does "Congressional Intent" mean nothing?
Oil, gas officials voice concern on possible drilling halt Lines are drawn in a classic northern New Mexico land-use battle as Rio Arriba County Commissioners move to impose a six-month moratorium on new oil and gas drilling. Meanwhile, the Texas company poised to drill in the Tierra Amarilla region of the county is pleading ignorance of the county's environmental concerns. Rio Arriba County is rooted deeply in land-use issues. It was in Tierra Amarilla that a group of Spanish land grant protesters seized control of the county courthouse June 3, 1967, to focus attention on land-use matters. If county commissioners follow through with plans to slap a six-month countywide moratorium on oil and gas drilling later this month, oil and natural gas workers in San Juan County stand to take a significant hit, local industry officials claim. Causing the concern to county commissioners and to a group of their constituents east of Tierra Amarilla is Fort Worth, Texas-based Approach Resources Inc.'s plan to drill for oil in an 8- to 10-mile square area it has targeted about 3.5 miles east of Tierra Amarilla. Cattle rancher John Sena's 900 acres is ground zero for Approach Resources' plans and is home to at least two of the test well drilling sites. Sena is not impressed by the company's choices. "I figure the company is not taking into consideration the drainage and impacts on the natural environment," he said. "It looked like they went to the easiest places to drill." One site is 250 yards from Tierra Amarilla Creek. Another would place its drilling pit atop an area Sena is reseeding for his cattle and for the elk hunting venture he operates. Runoff from both sites drains into El Vado Reservoir, from which the cities of Santa Fe and Albuquerque want to draw water....
Gas officials: Spills didn't harm water Water samples are clean enough to drink in areas where drilling-related fluids spilled in recent months north of Parachute, two companies involved in the incidents say. “We’re feeling really good there’ll be no environmental impact,” Marathon Oil representative Bob Coleman told the Garfield County Energy Advisory Board on Thursday night. About 30,000 barrels of water that had been used for hydraulic fracturing of natural gas wells spilled from a Marathon pit when a liner failed above Garden Gulch. Berry Petroleum spilled about 2,500 barrels in three incidents involving one pit in the same area and failed to immediately report the first two, according to a Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission citation issued against Berry. The spills occurred above Parachute Creek, which is used by ranchers and is the source of Parachute’s irrigation water....
Rare mouse could affect grazing on Lincoln land Legislative protection for a species of mouse that prefers living in livestock enclosures or beaver habitat could have a significant impact on ranchers who graze their cattle on Lincoln National Forest lands. The WildEarth Guardians, an environmental group, sent a letter to the Forest Service March 19, demanding that immediate steps be taken to prevent the New Mexico meadow jumping mouse's extinction. But the Forest Service said ranchers shouldn't get too worried just yet. "We have been looking at this species for some time now, and it is on our sensitive species list," said Sacramento Ranger District Biologist Rene Guaderrama. "I don't feel it is going to affect any new grazing activity at this time." The group alleges that cattle grazing, climate change, drought and beaver removal are the leading threats to the mouse. Given the recent designation of the jumping mouse as a formal candidate for Endangered Species Act protection, WildEarth is calling on the Forest Service to review all of its current and future plans for potential impacts, particularly cattle grazing permits. "This rare mouse is barely hanging on," said Dr. Nicole Rosmarino, wildlife program director for the group. Rosmarino said grazing must be adjusted on the Carson, Santa Fe and Lincoln national forests in order to prevent the jumping mouse's further decline. The Guardians allege that grasses, the jumping mouse's principal food source and hiding cover, are currently managed for a target height that is eight times shorter than what the mouse needs....
CLIMATE CHANGE: New Value For Old Forests Newly sensitised to the dangers of climate change, researchers around the world are making progress in helping to protect old growth forests that are threatened by fires, urban development and logging. This week the International Union of Forest Research Organisations (IUFRO) published a scientific summary of the ‘Old Forests, New Management’ international conference, held February, in Hobart, Tasmania, that is expected to influence current thought and policy worldwide. IUFRO, which networks more than 15,000 forest scientists in almost 700 member organisations in over 110 countries, co-hosted the Hobart conference along with the Cooperative Research Centre for Forestry, Tasmania. "We are making good progress in the United States and Australia in recognising the non-timber values of old growth, defining old growth, finding ways to protect existing old stands and developing new silvicultural systems that can retain or create biodiversity in managed forests," said Tom Spies of the United States Forest Service. "However there's been much less progress at reaching social consensus on how much to protect and how to move from forest economies dependent on old-growth to ones based on sustainable management of native and non-native forests," added Spies, a scientist long familiar with old growth forests and the public debates surrounding them....
Pilotless Drones to Battle Pot Growers The U.S. Forest Service has bought a pair of flying drones to track down marijuana growers operating in remote California woodlands. Agriculture Undersecretary Mark Rey, who oversees the Forest Service, told The Associated Press on Thursday that the pilotless, camera-equipped aircraft will allow law enforcement officers to pinpoint marijuana fields and size up potential dangers before agents attempt arrests. Rey said there are increasing numbers of marijuana growers financed by Mexican drug cartels using California's forests to stage their operations. "We're dealing with organized efforts now — not just a couple of hippies living off the land and making some cash on the side," Rey said in a telephone interview from Washington, D.C. The purchase of the two SkySeer drones, for a combined $100,000, reflects rising interest in remote-controlled aircraft among law enforcement, science and other government agencies. Once used almost exclusively by defense and intelligence agencies, drones are now routinely flown by the Department of Homeland Security to patrol the Mexican border. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration hopes to use them on weather missions. The two Forest Service drones differ from those used by other agencies. They're lighter — less than five pounds apiece — and can fly for only about an hour....
Authorities ask for help in finding those responsible for shooting windmills Authorities are asking for help in finding the people responsible for $14,000 worth of damage to two windmills in Pawnee National Grassland. The vandalism occurred when "irresponsible" shooters hit the two windmills that are used to power water tanks that aid cattle that graze on the land, according to a release. The incident, which occurred earlier this week, can carry a felony charge. Those with information about the vandalism are encouraged to call (970) 498-2507. Authorities with the Forest Service also are asking that residents adhere to the rules when shooting on public land. The rules for this legal activity include the provisions that residents cannot cause property damage or shoot within 150 yards of a building, residence, campsite, recreation site or occupied area and cannot shoot across or on a Forest Development road or body of water. Those not following these rules can receive up to a $5,000 fine and/or up to six years in jail.
Energy money secures sage grouse easement In the first project of its kind, funds from oil-field development in Sublette County have been used to buy a conservation easement on ranchland with the intent to protect sage grouse habitat. The Conservation Fund announced Wednesday it has completed a project with partners that will protect 1,042 acres of sage grouse habitat on the Botur ranch, southwest of Daniel. It is the first use of funds from the Jonah Interagency Office for permanent land conservation, The Conservation Fund said in a statement. The protected land is on Cottonwood Ranches, owned by Freddie Botur and his family. Money for the project came, in part, from mitigation funds energy companies paid to offset their impact on the environment. The Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resources Trust and The Nature Conservancy, through a grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, also contributed. Wyoming Stock Growers will monitor the easement. The property contains more than four miles of riparian and wetland habitat along Muddy Creek and is surrounded by public land. In addition to sage grouse habitat, the property provides winter and yearlong habitat for pronghorn, moose, mule deer and elk. The project also involves improvements to more than 25,000 acres of adjacent land managed by the Bureau of Land Management....
Mojave Tortoises Moved for Army Training Scientists have begun moving the Mojave Desert's flagship species, the desert tortoise, to make room for tank training at the Army's Fort Irwin despite protests by some conservationists. The controversial project, billed as the largest desert tortoise move in California history, involves transferring 770 endangered reptiles from Army land to a dozen public plots overseen by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Fort Irwin has sought to expand its 643,000-acre training site into tortoise territory for two decades. The Army said it needs an extra 131,000 acres to accommodate faster tanks and longer-range weapons used each month to train some 4,000 troops. Desert tortoises are the longest-living reptiles in the Southwest with a potential life span of 100 years and can weigh up to 15 pounds. Their population has been threatened in recent years by urbanization, disease and predators including the raven. Weeks before the relocation, two conservation groups threatened to sue Fort Irwin. The Center for Biological Diversity and Desert Survivors contend that the land set aside for the desert tortoises is too close to an interstate highway and is plagued with off-road vehicles and illegal dumping that would disturb the animals. The groups served Fort Irwin with a 60-day notice of intent to sue and plan to file the lawsuit after the desert tortoises have been moved....
Chemical Industry's Influence at EPA Probed A congressional committee is investigating ties between the chemical industry and expert review panels hired by the Environmental Protection Agency to help it determine safe levels for a variety of chemical compounds. Rep. John D. Dingell (D-Mich.), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), chairman of the oversight and investigations subcommittee, have demanded documents from the EPA and the American Chemistry Council to probe the roles of nine scientists who are serving on EPA panels or have done so in the past. The lawmakers sent a letter to the chemical industry Wednesday, expanding a probe that began earlier this month. Dingell and Stupak want to know how much the chemistry council has paid consultants, lawyers, scientists and a scientific journal in efforts to affect public policy. "I don't remember the last time Congress investigated a trade association like this," said Richard Wiles of the Environmental Working Group, which contends that the chemical industry has stacked EPA panels. "Maybe for the first time, we might find out the extent of industry influence. It's a landmark investigation and has called into question the ethics of the entire industry."....
Land Grant Symposium Scheduled at UNM School of Law The University of New Mexico School of Law’s Natural Resources Journal, the school’s oldest publication, hosts “Land Grants and the Law: A Symposium on the Disputed Legal Histories of New Mexico’s Land Grants,” Saturday, April 12, from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at the UNM School of Law. New Mexico’s Spanish and Mexican land grants have been the subject of social and legal conflict since the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848. Presentations at the symposium explore recent developments in the law, history and politics of the land grants, including a discussion of the 2004 Government Accountability Office’s report analyzing whether the federal government has fulfilled its obligation to grantees. The relationship between land grant holders and the U.S. Forest Service, and how and why some community land grants have survived while others have been vanished are among topics to be discussed.
Cattle return to Argentine market after strike Cattle entered Argentina's main livestock market after a two-week absence on Thursday, as ranchers ended a strike that had left butchers' counters bare in a country where steak is a staple, traders said. Beef supplies in supermarkets and butchers will start returning to normal at the weekend, Alberto Williams, vice president of the Butchers' Association, was quoted as telling daily newspaper Clarin. At Buenos Aires Liniers market, more animals than normal were on sale on Thursday -- normally a slow day. Far more business was expected on Friday. "Today, animals started to enter the market again and buyers were very keen after the shortages caused by the strike," one cattle broker said. The market also will open on Saturday to help shops restock meat counters, market president Roberto Arancedo told local radio. fter a three-week strike over a tax hike on soy exports, farmers on Wednesday called off the protest for 30 days to negotiate with the government. The government of Argentina, a leading global beef exporter, has limited beef sales repeatedly in recent years to control domestic prices....
Six cattle shot in northeast Wyo. Six heifers, including some carrying calves with championship rodeo bloodlines, were shot to death over the weekend in Campbell County. The cows were worth more than $10,000. Casey Cunningham of the Wyoming Livestock Board says four Red Angus cows and two Bramer Cross cows are believed to have been shot overnight Saturday or early Sunday morning. He said three different guns were used in the shootings, including a .22-gauge shotgun. The Bramers were carrying calves sired by a prominent bull on the Professional Bull Riding circuit. Cunningham and rancher Max Burch said such calves had the potential to be worth thousands of dollars if they were born healthy. The ranching company is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of anyone involved in the shooting.
AFI Dallas movie review and director interview: Crawford First-time filmmaker David Modigliani's potent documentary, Crawford, tells the remarkable story of what happens to the people of a small Texas community when neophyte president George W. Bush buys a ranch outside town and designates it his personal Camp David. Just as remarkable, as you'll discover from the audio interview, is the story behind the making of the film. As David reveals, he originally intended to mine the drama surrounding Bush's adopted hometown in order to construct a play about the place. Before beginning his research, he had no interest whatsoever in filmmaking. But what he discovered (and what you will discover independently upon watching the film) is that the flesh-and-blood characters populating this one-horse - yet remarkably diverse - Central Texas community were too improbably fascinating on their own to support fictional interpretation. Charmingly, some of the conversations of locals recorded by the filmmakers have been subtitled for the convenience of filmgoers from - for instance - Connecticut, who might otherwise have difficulty penetrating the pronounced Texas drawl. Our cast of featured characters includes a Baptist minister with big hair; a rode hard/put away wet rancher; a fiercely conservative horse breeder with a flair for the dramatic; a school teacher with a dangerously open mind; a curio shop owner with a well-developed sense of commerce; and a young student named Tom Warlick who stands outside the mainstream at his own peril....