NEWS ROUNDUP
Biscuit salvage protest shows split among environmentalists Protesters in Southern Oregon tried to block the harvest of the first trees burned in the 2002 Biscuit fire, opposing other environmentalists, who have said the battle over salvage logging is better fought in court. Curry County sheriff's deputies cleared a roadblock of about five vehicles and a teepee-shaped pile of sticks from a logging road near Agness on Monday....
Clock is Ticking, But Wilderness Momentum Continues at End of 108th Congress As the 108th Congress winds to a close, there is an opportunity for Members to continue in the bipartisan legacy of the Wilderness Act and pass legislation to truly honor 40 years of conservation history. Currently, there are five public lands bills pending before Congress that, combined, would designate more than one million acres of wilderness. Legislation poised to pass U.S. Congress this session includes:....
Bush's gatekeeper weighs costs, benefits of new regulations Chances are you've never heard of John D. Graham, but his decisions affect the cars you buy, food you eat and air you breathe. Graham heads an obscure agency in the White House called the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), which reviews hundreds of federal rules covering everything from the care of monkeys in medical research to smokestack emissions. Tallying the costs and benefits of proposed regulations, Graham also makes certain that new rules about clean air, habitat protection and watershed restoration reflect the values of President George W. Bush, who nominated him in 2001....
9th Circuit upholds dam operations on Snake River A federal appeals court today upheld the federal government's operation of four hydroelectric dams on the Snake River, saying the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers keeps water temperatures as low as it can to protect endangered salmon. The split decision of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the Army Corps against environmental groups, and concluded the agency is complying with state water quality standards as required by the Clean Water Act. It was a victory for forces that want to keep the dams over those calling for removal of the structures....
Group hopes to maintain national prairie preserve A group of high-profile Kansans is working to raise $4 million in private donations to keep the state from losing its premier national park. In a deal unique in the nation, a private charity bought 11,000 acres of tallgrass prairie in 1994, to be operated as part of the National Park System. That group -- the National Park Trust -- essentially mortgaged its future on a bet that Kansans would help raise $6 million to help pay for the land. That never happened....
DEPUTY PARK POLICE CHIEF FORCED TO RESIGN A Deputy Chief of the U.S. Park Police was forced to resign this past Friday, according to Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). The abrupt departure of Deputy Chief Barry Beam caps a tumultuous year of leadership turnover at the oldest uniformed federal law enforcement organization. Beam was given a proposed termination this past Wednesday following an investigation concerning an incident involving a Park Police marine escort in New York Harbor for a cruise ship carrying Beam and his wife on a vacation trip. Beam was charged with misuse of government resources in the incident and lack of candor in the investigation. He was placed on administrative leave, stripped of his badge and gun and driven home. Rather than contest the charges, Beam resigned this Friday....
Editorial: Front dispute not about to end The decision by the federal Bureau of Land Management against drilling for natural gas on the Rocky Mountain Front will be welcomed by many, but certainly not all, Montanans. It won't, however, be the last word on the subject. Just as the 100-mile stretch of mountains meeting the plains will remain a powerful symbol of differing ideologies, so will the question of the Front's future remain open over the long haul. The move would seem to boost other options for the Front, such as having the government buy out the leases, or issue some form of credit to the company for use in other, less sensitive areas....
Landowner says Congress ignores property lines in its expansion of Black Canyon park boundaries The rancher who owns land adjoining the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park says he began advertising the property for sale again after Congress passed a bill last year expanding the park boundaries and ignoring his property lines. In an almost full-page paid letter published in Wednesday’s Montrose Daily Press, landowner Louis Allison complained that Congress and the National Park Service have muddied his property lines and title by expanding the national park boundaries to include 2,500 acres of his land — before any land sale, exchange or granting of an easement....
Man Fined Over Illegal Removal Of Rocks Randy Cole was fined and ordered to perform $15,000 in reclamation work for illegally removing rocks from the White River National Forest near Camp Hale. Cole, owner of Vail Rock and Stone, was fined $100 and also ordered to pay $1,000 in costs to the U.S Forest Service for blasting and removing rocks in 1998. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor in a plea bargain....
Geologists bury carbon dioxide in test Geologists are burying compressed carbon dioxide beneath an old oil field to try to determine if the sandstone layer beneath the coasts of Texas and Louisiana would make a good reservoir for the greenhouse gas. If the plan works, then carbon dioxide produced from burning fossil fuels could be captured from smokestacks and stored underground....
Editorial: 17 years of noise Seventeen years is a long time. But that's how long the public has been waiting, and hoping, for natural quiet to return to Grand Canyon National Park. During that time, the chasm between the two federal agencies charged with muting aircraft noise at the Canyon has seemed as wide as the Big Ditch itself. Now, after 17 years of impasse and confrontation, the Federal Aviation Administration and National Park Service have pledged to work together to put a noise management plan in place at the Grand Canyon....
National Cowgirl Hall of Fame Honors Five New Inductees The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame will add five new honorees to its Hall of Fame during the 29th annual Induction Luncheon on Thursday, October 28, 2004. Inductees this year include: Gail Davis (deceased), an actress best know as television's "Annie Oakley;" Wantha Davis, one of the most successful female jockeys of the 1930s through 1950s; Connie Griffith (deceased), one of the world's greatest trick riders; Shelli Mell, an expert calf roper dedicated to making horseback riding accessible to persons with disabilities; and Mary Jo Milner, a cutting horse breeder with an unprecedented six National Cutting Horse Association Non-Pro World Championships....
Legend of pioneer Pete Kitchen a classic of 1850s "Pete" Kitchen was a southern Arizona legend in his own time for a number of reasons - perhaps not the least of which was his penchant for buying a round of drinks for whoever happened to be in his vicinity. By all accounts, the pioneer rancher, farmer and American Indian fighter was generous to a fault, and, ultimately, to his own detriment. He was also a crack rifle shot and a fearless and a hard-headed individual who was not easily deterred from his course....
It's All Trew: Home remedies would cure or kill you I'll bet money that every family has a few home remedies handed down from the past. The most logical reason for home remedy use is, in the old days few doctors and hospitals existed. Even if they were near and available, few could afford the services except in life-threatening illnesses. To treat a wasp sting, my grandparents placed the ever-present chaw of tobacco over the bite and immediately the pain stopped. My mother used a paste made from baking soda. A friend says dig out some ear wax and rub it on the bite. All seem to work equally well. To cure ringworm, make a paste of water and snuff then tape a cloth patch containing the paste over the ringworm spot. They say it never fails....
Tuesday, October 05, 2004
Monday, October 04, 2004
NEWS ROUNDUP
Evacuation of L.A.-Area Forest Demanded Trish De Somma considers herself the eyes and ears of the patch of national forest near Los Angeles where her family leases a cabin. Forest fire officials see De Somma and others like her as a liability living amid hills and canyons of kindling-dry pines and brush. In an extreme effort to prevent October wildfires as catastrophic and deadly as those last year, all but a fraction of the sprawling Angeles National Forest has been closed. No hunting, no hiking, no camping. And for scores - possibly hundreds - of residents such as De Somma, an unprecedented order: No staying put. De Somma is unmoved....
Small-time prospectors may face restrictions There's gold in them thar hills, but local prospectors may soon find it harder to hunt for the shiny flecks and tiny nuggets in the Coronado National Forest. By next summer, the U.S. Forest Service plans to release new rules for so-called placer mining in the mountains east of Green Valley and northwest of Nogales. Mining with dynamite, gaping open pits and dump trucks the size of houses aren't at stake. It's old-school, small-scale prospecting with shovels, sifters and sluice boxes - something that's done today for fun rather than fortune....
Appeals court temporarily halts Gallatin timber sale A federal appeals court has temporarily halted a timber sale in the Gallatin National Forest that environmentalists claim would damage wildlife habitat near Yellowstone National Park, an attorney said Sunday. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued an emergency injunction late Friday, said Tim Bechtold, who represents the three conservation groups that filed the lawsuit in July. The stay halts all logging and road building until the court decides whether to issue a permanent injunction, he said....
Watching, waiting at Mount St. Helens Mount St. Helens stewed in volcanic gases amid low-level earthquakes yesterday, with crowds of eager tourists hoping to glimpse an eruption that scientists said could occur immediately or within a few weeks. A second long tremor early yesterday and an increase in volcanic gases strongly suggest that magma is moving inside, researchers from the US Geological Survey said. The mountain's alert was raised to Level 3, the highest possible, after a volcanic tremor was detected Saturday for the first time since before the mountain's 1980 eruption....
Preserving Blackfoot for future generations Jim Stone works hard on his Rolling Stone Ranch every day. But while tending to the day-to-day details of maintaining a 2,800-acre spread and 200 head of cattle, the 43-year-old Ovando rancher takes a long-term view of the future, both of his ranch and of the entire Blackfoot Valley. "I'm thinking 80 years, to where maybe my son can have something better," he said. After getting more and more interested in conservation efforts throughout the 1980s, Stone and several other Blackfoot-area landowners in 1993 formed the Blackfoot Challenge, a group dedicated to protecting the natural resources and rural lifestyle of the 1.5 million-acre Blackfoot Watershed through education and land management programs....
Column: Why the greens won't vote for Bush During his term in office, Bill Clinton listed 527 "endangered species," 40.9 percent of all listed species. George Bush, by contrast, has listed only 26 species - .02 percent - during his first term in office. This is only one of the measures cited by environmental organizations who claim that George Bush is the worst environmental president in history. More than 50 of Bill Clinton's top appointees came directly from the staffs of environmental organizations, who, for eight years, used the government to advance their green agenda. President Bush sent most of these people packing, and replaced them with people the greens call anti-environmentalists, or corporate special-interests....
First prairie chicken hunt in 60 years a success story North Dakota is holding its first prairie chicken season in almost 60 years beginning Saturday. This is remarkable, first because prairie chickens didn't occur in the state at the time of European settlement, then because they became almost unbelievably common, then because they disappeared and finally because they are back. The chicken's original range is south and east of here, in the tall grass prairie of Illinois and Iowa. The northern Plains did not become attractive to chickens until Europeans began farming here on a large scale. The chickens found that grain fields offered abundant food, and that remaining tracts of prairie offered sufficient shelter against the winter weather....
Should gas-powered boats be banned on Waldo Lake? "Anything that goes on at Waldo Lake becomes an issue simply because the users are very emotionally attached,'' said Brian McGinley, a recreation planner for the U.S. Forest Service. So a proposal to ban all gas-motor-powered boats from the lake will come as a dagger to the heart of many longtime users, while being hailed as an environmental salvation by some who paddle or row. The forest service implemented a similar ban on motors in 2002, then withdrew it to collect more information. "There was quite a bit of emotional flack about the options we were looking at,'' McGinley said....(Oh, I see. Any opposition to Forest Service policy is because folks are "emotionally attached" and spew "emotional flack". FS policy is, of course, based on pure reason and sound science.)
Horse power Mules and horses loaded with lumber, crosscut saws, axes and more pack a semi-truck load of materials needed to build a new bridge. They haul firefighters, equipment, food and supplies deep into the forest, where even helicopters cannot fight fires. And they are the most important tool for the handful of rangers who construct, maintain and repair the 1,000 miles of trails that were once cared for by 600 people in the Shoshone National Forest....
Wolverine's epic trek astonishes biologists A wolverine equipped with a Global Positioning System collar wandered from Pocatello, Idaho, to the northern reaches of Yellowstone National Park - covering nearly 550 miles in seven weeks - in one of the longest recorded treks by a species known to be wily and elusive. The walkabout was tracked by scientists with the Wildlife Conservation Society, who published the results of their study in the latest issue of Northwest Science....
Battle to save global wildlife running out of funds: official Conservationists are preparing for key battles at a global wildlife summit in Bangkok as officials warn that the battle to save endangered species is being hampered by lumbering bureaucracy, unwilling governments and a cash crisis. Some 1,500 delegates gathered for the 13th meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) are set to debate 50 changes to the global treaty, including limits on trade in species such as the great white shark and Irawaddy dolphin....
Gibbons joins in sage grouse fight U.S. Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., has joined with Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, in spearheading a congressional effort to keep the sage grouse off the endangered species list. Gibbons, who is vice chairman of the House Resources Committee, and Matheson are encouraging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to allow Western states to continue with their locally led conservation efforts, rather than list the sage grouse....
Dealing with the neighborhood bear Theresa Lineberger can still remember the young male grizzly bear that crawled onto her family's deck, perched himself on the railing and munched on all of the crab apples he could swipe from a nearby tree. ''I nailed him with a full can of (pepper) spray,'' said Lineberger, an emergency room nurse who lives on a ranch near Wapiti with her husband, Ron. ''I don't dislike (bears), but when I'm home, where I'm supposed to feel safe, I don't want to have encounters.'' Bears, black and grizzly, are common at the Linebergers' place. One summer and fall, 11 had to be trapped and relocated....
Panther groups hope for swing to more protection For years environmental groups fighting to protect Florida panther habitat watched as development after development, road after road was built on lands considered to be big cat habitat by the federal government. The Florida Wildlife Federation and the National Wildlife Federation and others charged that local, state and federal permitting agencies weren't doing their job to enforce protection measures such as the Endangered Species Act....
Column: Snake Bitten by Salmon Subsidies For more than two decades, Uncle Sam has dropped the ball on salmon recovery in the Columbia and Snake River basin in the Pacific Northwest. Attempts to save these endangered species have shred billions of federal dollars like fish through a turbine. All the while, the federal government has turned a blind eye to the most cost-effective solution to the problem: Dam Removal. A new decision ignores the scientific consensus that removing four dams on the Lower Snake River in eastern Washington is the best option for salmon recovery. Northwest ratepayers and federal taxpayers have already spent more than $4.5 billion on salmon recovery efforts. Yet, several stocks of lower Snake River salmon and steelhead are already extinct and the remainder could be pushed into extinction as early as 2016....
Rewrite softens report on risks to fish Officials at a federal fisheries agency ordered their biologists to revise a report on salmon and other endangered fish so that more water can be shipped to Southern California from the Delta, according to interviews and internal agency documents obtained by The Bee. Biologists with NOAA Fisheries, an arm of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, concluded in August that a plan to pump more water through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta could jeopardize endangered salmon and other fish. NOAA administrators in Long Beach, however, overruled the biologists and supervised a rewriting of their analysis. That, in turn, removed the last major obstacle to a plan that could send more water south, affecting how much is reserved in Northern California, including for salmon in the American River....
Wolves change hunting behavior for fall This time of year, hunters are a wolf's best friend. It's an unusual relationship, of course. Hunter cries have been among the loudest against Canis lupus, as both are often hunting the same prey. But this time of year, hunters perhaps unknowingly help wolves by leaving gut piles and other offal in the woods -- a tasty treat for a hungry wolf....
Part of falling tree kills Washington firefighter, 26 A 26-year-old firefighter from Washington state was killed when he was struck by part of a falling tree, park officials said yesterday. Daniel Holmes, of Bellingham, died Saturday after the top of a 100-foot white fir unexpectedly fell where his firefighting crew had intentionally set a fire in the Grant Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park, east of Fresno, according to park officials. About 20 firefighters witnessed the accident, which occurred about 11 a.m. after four acres had been ignited....
Editorial: Snowmobile plan needs more tweaks Over the summer, the National Park Service hustled to draw up new rules for snowmobiling in Yellowstone this winter. Before the winter starts, we'd urge them to tinker a little more. Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency sent a letter to the Park Service urging them, among other things, to make sure the new temporary plan doesn't allow pollution levels to exceed targets set out in a 2003 plan....
Land exchange would limit access to Desolation Canyon High up on the Tavaputs Plateau, golden aspens flutter in the breeze and elk bugle mating calls across the meadows, as if part of a vast mountain symphony. A good 25 miles from the nearest paved road, the area is one of the most beautiful - and remote - tracts of wilderness in the state. It could soon become even more remote. A proposed land trade between the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) and Hunt Consolidated, a Dallas-based oil company, would, when completed, effectively form a privately held barrier to about 80,000 acres of federal land on the west rim of Desolation Canyon - at least via the most direct route, by hiking or horseback, from Range Creek in the Roan Cliffs of eastern Carbon County....
As Reservoirs Recede, Fears of a Water Shortage Rise Five years of record-breaking drought in the Colorado River basin have drained Lake Powell of more than 60% of its water. Flows on the Colorado are among the lowest in 500 years. Downriver, Lake Mead, the biggest reservoir in North America and supplier of water to Southern California, Arizona and Las Vegas, is little more than half full. At Mead's northern end, the foundations of St. Thomas, a little town demolished in the 1930s to make way for the reservoir, have reemerged. The 1,450-mile-long river that greens 3.5 million acres of farm and range land and helps feed the faucets of 25 million people may within a few years lack the water to quench the West's great thirst. For the first time ever, the seven states that rely on the Colorado are confronting the possibility of a shortage....
Southern Ute lawyer: Lawsuit isn't new An environmental group's lawsuit filed Monday to stop construction on the Animas-La Plata Project is more of the same old story that's already been shot down, said Scott McElroy, a lawyer for the Southern Ute Indian Tribe. The A-LP Project is largely a settlement of water claims by the Southern Utes and the Ute Mountain Utes. "The issues that the Citizens Progressive Alliance raises aren't new," McElroy said on Friday. "To date the court has upheld the validity of the 1991 consent decrees as having been entered into in proper fashion, and they are binding on all parties."....
Editorial: A healthier river At first glance it appears to be one of those all too rare situations where we decide to manage a natural resource solely for its own sake. The idea of modifying water flows and temperatures at Flaming Gorge Dam for the sake of four endangered downstream fish species is that kind of stewardship and the right approach for the Green River. Creating aquatic habitat that better suits razorback suckers, humpback and bonytail chubs and Colorado pike minnows probably won't make Green River fly fishing guides, or anyone else, a dime. But it could bring operation of the dam into compliance with the Endangered Species Act, and that's why the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is contemplating the modifications....
Water deal has its skeptics Treasure Valley lawmakers are skeptical of a costly plan aimed at keeping state officials from shutting off pumps for thousands of Magic Valley farmers and businesses. They worry their mostly urban constituents will be asked to pick up an unfair portion of the burden to buy out struggling farmers to stop the depletion of the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer, which underlies 10,000 square miles. The plan aims to increase the flows out of Thousand Springs near Hagerman that replenish the Snake River as it runs past Boise. The deal would cost $80 to $100 million in state-backed bonds, mostly covered by the farmers and businesses who pump water out of the aquifer....
Part one: The last drop But the very ingredient that makes their mountain retreat so magical - the cold clear water that purrs through rock-and-log-strewn streams - is under siege, threatening the high country that is Colorado's postcard to the world. Already, the Front Range takes vast amounts of water from the counties that are home to Winter Park, Keystone, Vail and Aspen. But now Front Range utilities are reaching for the last of the extensive water claims staked out decades ago in Grand, Summit, Eagle and Pitkin counties. The utilities, including Denver Water, need more to satisfy the demands of ever-growing cities stretching from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs....
Part two: Grand's last stand The mighty Colorado River is born here, delivered by the icy tundra of Rocky Mountain National Park and the wind-hammered peaks overlooking the Fraser Valley. It nearly dies here, too. Dozens of the river's tributaries abruptly stop cascading down the mountainsides, captured by simple dirt or concrete ditches gouged into the steep terrain. These remote structures send the water far away, through dark tunnels and open canals heading east, leaving the Colorado's main stem to wait in vain for a bounty that never comes....
Governor opposes pay for wildlife damage Conservation easements, not direct landowner compensation, is the best way to address ranchers' loss of rangeland grass and forage to wildlife, Gov. Dave Freudenthal told landowners. In March, Freudenthal vetoed a bill that would have studied ways to reimburse landowners for pasture lost to wildlife, saying it would represent a significant policy shift in how the state handles wildlife damages....
Olmito man sues rancher for loose cattle A 40-year-old Olmito man, who was involved in an auto accident with a cow crossing Highway 100, has sued a ranch owner and the Rubmar Land Company. In his lawsuit, Juan Hurtado claims that ranch owner Ruben Barrera and Rubmar are responsible for his Jan. 9 accident through negligence. The lawsuit alleges that Barrera and the land company failed to prevent cattle from roaming on the highway....
Drought aid splits GOP, colors Senate race in South Dakota How political can it be for Congress to help farmers and ranchers suffering from a drought? Judge by the television viewing habits of Sen. George Allen of Virginia, who heads the Senate's Republican campaign operation. "I've been watching the Weather Channel this whole year," Allen said last week. "I love seeing those green spots for South Dakota." Green spots mean rain, which could diminish South Dakota's thirst for federal drought assistance. But there were not enough of those spots this election year to keep the Senate from approving a bipartisan $3 billion package of drought aid. Much of that money is for farmers in Midwestern states that are so important in voting on Nov. 2 for president and the Senate. No such aid has won approval in the House, whose leaders and conservatives say the plan is too expensive....
On 'McLeod,' lady ranchers can't be cowed Imagine, if you will, women riding the range, rounding up cattle, shearing sheep, mending fences and performing in rodeos. Got the picture? Then you've got "McLeod's Daughters," the first prime-time series for cable's "WE: Women's Entertainment." This entertaining series, starting tonight at 10, is an Australian import, filmed on a ranch near Adelaide....
On The Edge Of Common Sense: When the buck stops, pain starts 'Carpal tunnel?" I asked the handsome, strapping Utah cowboy who had both wrists in a cast. "Rodeo," he said, "I bucked off." "Broncs? Bulls?" "No, I rode my saddlebronc." "Did ya win?" I asked. "Placed third," he said, "They paid two places." "Oww!" I said, "What happened to your arms?" "Team roping," he said with a trace of humiliation....
Evacuation of L.A.-Area Forest Demanded Trish De Somma considers herself the eyes and ears of the patch of national forest near Los Angeles where her family leases a cabin. Forest fire officials see De Somma and others like her as a liability living amid hills and canyons of kindling-dry pines and brush. In an extreme effort to prevent October wildfires as catastrophic and deadly as those last year, all but a fraction of the sprawling Angeles National Forest has been closed. No hunting, no hiking, no camping. And for scores - possibly hundreds - of residents such as De Somma, an unprecedented order: No staying put. De Somma is unmoved....
Small-time prospectors may face restrictions There's gold in them thar hills, but local prospectors may soon find it harder to hunt for the shiny flecks and tiny nuggets in the Coronado National Forest. By next summer, the U.S. Forest Service plans to release new rules for so-called placer mining in the mountains east of Green Valley and northwest of Nogales. Mining with dynamite, gaping open pits and dump trucks the size of houses aren't at stake. It's old-school, small-scale prospecting with shovels, sifters and sluice boxes - something that's done today for fun rather than fortune....
Appeals court temporarily halts Gallatin timber sale A federal appeals court has temporarily halted a timber sale in the Gallatin National Forest that environmentalists claim would damage wildlife habitat near Yellowstone National Park, an attorney said Sunday. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued an emergency injunction late Friday, said Tim Bechtold, who represents the three conservation groups that filed the lawsuit in July. The stay halts all logging and road building until the court decides whether to issue a permanent injunction, he said....
Watching, waiting at Mount St. Helens Mount St. Helens stewed in volcanic gases amid low-level earthquakes yesterday, with crowds of eager tourists hoping to glimpse an eruption that scientists said could occur immediately or within a few weeks. A second long tremor early yesterday and an increase in volcanic gases strongly suggest that magma is moving inside, researchers from the US Geological Survey said. The mountain's alert was raised to Level 3, the highest possible, after a volcanic tremor was detected Saturday for the first time since before the mountain's 1980 eruption....
Preserving Blackfoot for future generations Jim Stone works hard on his Rolling Stone Ranch every day. But while tending to the day-to-day details of maintaining a 2,800-acre spread and 200 head of cattle, the 43-year-old Ovando rancher takes a long-term view of the future, both of his ranch and of the entire Blackfoot Valley. "I'm thinking 80 years, to where maybe my son can have something better," he said. After getting more and more interested in conservation efforts throughout the 1980s, Stone and several other Blackfoot-area landowners in 1993 formed the Blackfoot Challenge, a group dedicated to protecting the natural resources and rural lifestyle of the 1.5 million-acre Blackfoot Watershed through education and land management programs....
Column: Why the greens won't vote for Bush During his term in office, Bill Clinton listed 527 "endangered species," 40.9 percent of all listed species. George Bush, by contrast, has listed only 26 species - .02 percent - during his first term in office. This is only one of the measures cited by environmental organizations who claim that George Bush is the worst environmental president in history. More than 50 of Bill Clinton's top appointees came directly from the staffs of environmental organizations, who, for eight years, used the government to advance their green agenda. President Bush sent most of these people packing, and replaced them with people the greens call anti-environmentalists, or corporate special-interests....
First prairie chicken hunt in 60 years a success story North Dakota is holding its first prairie chicken season in almost 60 years beginning Saturday. This is remarkable, first because prairie chickens didn't occur in the state at the time of European settlement, then because they became almost unbelievably common, then because they disappeared and finally because they are back. The chicken's original range is south and east of here, in the tall grass prairie of Illinois and Iowa. The northern Plains did not become attractive to chickens until Europeans began farming here on a large scale. The chickens found that grain fields offered abundant food, and that remaining tracts of prairie offered sufficient shelter against the winter weather....
Should gas-powered boats be banned on Waldo Lake? "Anything that goes on at Waldo Lake becomes an issue simply because the users are very emotionally attached,'' said Brian McGinley, a recreation planner for the U.S. Forest Service. So a proposal to ban all gas-motor-powered boats from the lake will come as a dagger to the heart of many longtime users, while being hailed as an environmental salvation by some who paddle or row. The forest service implemented a similar ban on motors in 2002, then withdrew it to collect more information. "There was quite a bit of emotional flack about the options we were looking at,'' McGinley said....(Oh, I see. Any opposition to Forest Service policy is because folks are "emotionally attached" and spew "emotional flack". FS policy is, of course, based on pure reason and sound science.)
Horse power Mules and horses loaded with lumber, crosscut saws, axes and more pack a semi-truck load of materials needed to build a new bridge. They haul firefighters, equipment, food and supplies deep into the forest, where even helicopters cannot fight fires. And they are the most important tool for the handful of rangers who construct, maintain and repair the 1,000 miles of trails that were once cared for by 600 people in the Shoshone National Forest....
Wolverine's epic trek astonishes biologists A wolverine equipped with a Global Positioning System collar wandered from Pocatello, Idaho, to the northern reaches of Yellowstone National Park - covering nearly 550 miles in seven weeks - in one of the longest recorded treks by a species known to be wily and elusive. The walkabout was tracked by scientists with the Wildlife Conservation Society, who published the results of their study in the latest issue of Northwest Science....
Battle to save global wildlife running out of funds: official Conservationists are preparing for key battles at a global wildlife summit in Bangkok as officials warn that the battle to save endangered species is being hampered by lumbering bureaucracy, unwilling governments and a cash crisis. Some 1,500 delegates gathered for the 13th meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) are set to debate 50 changes to the global treaty, including limits on trade in species such as the great white shark and Irawaddy dolphin....
Gibbons joins in sage grouse fight U.S. Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., has joined with Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, in spearheading a congressional effort to keep the sage grouse off the endangered species list. Gibbons, who is vice chairman of the House Resources Committee, and Matheson are encouraging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to allow Western states to continue with their locally led conservation efforts, rather than list the sage grouse....
Dealing with the neighborhood bear Theresa Lineberger can still remember the young male grizzly bear that crawled onto her family's deck, perched himself on the railing and munched on all of the crab apples he could swipe from a nearby tree. ''I nailed him with a full can of (pepper) spray,'' said Lineberger, an emergency room nurse who lives on a ranch near Wapiti with her husband, Ron. ''I don't dislike (bears), but when I'm home, where I'm supposed to feel safe, I don't want to have encounters.'' Bears, black and grizzly, are common at the Linebergers' place. One summer and fall, 11 had to be trapped and relocated....
Panther groups hope for swing to more protection For years environmental groups fighting to protect Florida panther habitat watched as development after development, road after road was built on lands considered to be big cat habitat by the federal government. The Florida Wildlife Federation and the National Wildlife Federation and others charged that local, state and federal permitting agencies weren't doing their job to enforce protection measures such as the Endangered Species Act....
Column: Snake Bitten by Salmon Subsidies For more than two decades, Uncle Sam has dropped the ball on salmon recovery in the Columbia and Snake River basin in the Pacific Northwest. Attempts to save these endangered species have shred billions of federal dollars like fish through a turbine. All the while, the federal government has turned a blind eye to the most cost-effective solution to the problem: Dam Removal. A new decision ignores the scientific consensus that removing four dams on the Lower Snake River in eastern Washington is the best option for salmon recovery. Northwest ratepayers and federal taxpayers have already spent more than $4.5 billion on salmon recovery efforts. Yet, several stocks of lower Snake River salmon and steelhead are already extinct and the remainder could be pushed into extinction as early as 2016....
Rewrite softens report on risks to fish Officials at a federal fisheries agency ordered their biologists to revise a report on salmon and other endangered fish so that more water can be shipped to Southern California from the Delta, according to interviews and internal agency documents obtained by The Bee. Biologists with NOAA Fisheries, an arm of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, concluded in August that a plan to pump more water through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta could jeopardize endangered salmon and other fish. NOAA administrators in Long Beach, however, overruled the biologists and supervised a rewriting of their analysis. That, in turn, removed the last major obstacle to a plan that could send more water south, affecting how much is reserved in Northern California, including for salmon in the American River....
Wolves change hunting behavior for fall This time of year, hunters are a wolf's best friend. It's an unusual relationship, of course. Hunter cries have been among the loudest against Canis lupus, as both are often hunting the same prey. But this time of year, hunters perhaps unknowingly help wolves by leaving gut piles and other offal in the woods -- a tasty treat for a hungry wolf....
Part of falling tree kills Washington firefighter, 26 A 26-year-old firefighter from Washington state was killed when he was struck by part of a falling tree, park officials said yesterday. Daniel Holmes, of Bellingham, died Saturday after the top of a 100-foot white fir unexpectedly fell where his firefighting crew had intentionally set a fire in the Grant Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park, east of Fresno, according to park officials. About 20 firefighters witnessed the accident, which occurred about 11 a.m. after four acres had been ignited....
Editorial: Snowmobile plan needs more tweaks Over the summer, the National Park Service hustled to draw up new rules for snowmobiling in Yellowstone this winter. Before the winter starts, we'd urge them to tinker a little more. Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency sent a letter to the Park Service urging them, among other things, to make sure the new temporary plan doesn't allow pollution levels to exceed targets set out in a 2003 plan....
Land exchange would limit access to Desolation Canyon High up on the Tavaputs Plateau, golden aspens flutter in the breeze and elk bugle mating calls across the meadows, as if part of a vast mountain symphony. A good 25 miles from the nearest paved road, the area is one of the most beautiful - and remote - tracts of wilderness in the state. It could soon become even more remote. A proposed land trade between the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) and Hunt Consolidated, a Dallas-based oil company, would, when completed, effectively form a privately held barrier to about 80,000 acres of federal land on the west rim of Desolation Canyon - at least via the most direct route, by hiking or horseback, from Range Creek in the Roan Cliffs of eastern Carbon County....
As Reservoirs Recede, Fears of a Water Shortage Rise Five years of record-breaking drought in the Colorado River basin have drained Lake Powell of more than 60% of its water. Flows on the Colorado are among the lowest in 500 years. Downriver, Lake Mead, the biggest reservoir in North America and supplier of water to Southern California, Arizona and Las Vegas, is little more than half full. At Mead's northern end, the foundations of St. Thomas, a little town demolished in the 1930s to make way for the reservoir, have reemerged. The 1,450-mile-long river that greens 3.5 million acres of farm and range land and helps feed the faucets of 25 million people may within a few years lack the water to quench the West's great thirst. For the first time ever, the seven states that rely on the Colorado are confronting the possibility of a shortage....
Southern Ute lawyer: Lawsuit isn't new An environmental group's lawsuit filed Monday to stop construction on the Animas-La Plata Project is more of the same old story that's already been shot down, said Scott McElroy, a lawyer for the Southern Ute Indian Tribe. The A-LP Project is largely a settlement of water claims by the Southern Utes and the Ute Mountain Utes. "The issues that the Citizens Progressive Alliance raises aren't new," McElroy said on Friday. "To date the court has upheld the validity of the 1991 consent decrees as having been entered into in proper fashion, and they are binding on all parties."....
Editorial: A healthier river At first glance it appears to be one of those all too rare situations where we decide to manage a natural resource solely for its own sake. The idea of modifying water flows and temperatures at Flaming Gorge Dam for the sake of four endangered downstream fish species is that kind of stewardship and the right approach for the Green River. Creating aquatic habitat that better suits razorback suckers, humpback and bonytail chubs and Colorado pike minnows probably won't make Green River fly fishing guides, or anyone else, a dime. But it could bring operation of the dam into compliance with the Endangered Species Act, and that's why the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is contemplating the modifications....
Water deal has its skeptics Treasure Valley lawmakers are skeptical of a costly plan aimed at keeping state officials from shutting off pumps for thousands of Magic Valley farmers and businesses. They worry their mostly urban constituents will be asked to pick up an unfair portion of the burden to buy out struggling farmers to stop the depletion of the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer, which underlies 10,000 square miles. The plan aims to increase the flows out of Thousand Springs near Hagerman that replenish the Snake River as it runs past Boise. The deal would cost $80 to $100 million in state-backed bonds, mostly covered by the farmers and businesses who pump water out of the aquifer....
Part one: The last drop But the very ingredient that makes their mountain retreat so magical - the cold clear water that purrs through rock-and-log-strewn streams - is under siege, threatening the high country that is Colorado's postcard to the world. Already, the Front Range takes vast amounts of water from the counties that are home to Winter Park, Keystone, Vail and Aspen. But now Front Range utilities are reaching for the last of the extensive water claims staked out decades ago in Grand, Summit, Eagle and Pitkin counties. The utilities, including Denver Water, need more to satisfy the demands of ever-growing cities stretching from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs....
Part two: Grand's last stand The mighty Colorado River is born here, delivered by the icy tundra of Rocky Mountain National Park and the wind-hammered peaks overlooking the Fraser Valley. It nearly dies here, too. Dozens of the river's tributaries abruptly stop cascading down the mountainsides, captured by simple dirt or concrete ditches gouged into the steep terrain. These remote structures send the water far away, through dark tunnels and open canals heading east, leaving the Colorado's main stem to wait in vain for a bounty that never comes....
Governor opposes pay for wildlife damage Conservation easements, not direct landowner compensation, is the best way to address ranchers' loss of rangeland grass and forage to wildlife, Gov. Dave Freudenthal told landowners. In March, Freudenthal vetoed a bill that would have studied ways to reimburse landowners for pasture lost to wildlife, saying it would represent a significant policy shift in how the state handles wildlife damages....
Olmito man sues rancher for loose cattle A 40-year-old Olmito man, who was involved in an auto accident with a cow crossing Highway 100, has sued a ranch owner and the Rubmar Land Company. In his lawsuit, Juan Hurtado claims that ranch owner Ruben Barrera and Rubmar are responsible for his Jan. 9 accident through negligence. The lawsuit alleges that Barrera and the land company failed to prevent cattle from roaming on the highway....
Drought aid splits GOP, colors Senate race in South Dakota How political can it be for Congress to help farmers and ranchers suffering from a drought? Judge by the television viewing habits of Sen. George Allen of Virginia, who heads the Senate's Republican campaign operation. "I've been watching the Weather Channel this whole year," Allen said last week. "I love seeing those green spots for South Dakota." Green spots mean rain, which could diminish South Dakota's thirst for federal drought assistance. But there were not enough of those spots this election year to keep the Senate from approving a bipartisan $3 billion package of drought aid. Much of that money is for farmers in Midwestern states that are so important in voting on Nov. 2 for president and the Senate. No such aid has won approval in the House, whose leaders and conservatives say the plan is too expensive....
On 'McLeod,' lady ranchers can't be cowed Imagine, if you will, women riding the range, rounding up cattle, shearing sheep, mending fences and performing in rodeos. Got the picture? Then you've got "McLeod's Daughters," the first prime-time series for cable's "WE: Women's Entertainment." This entertaining series, starting tonight at 10, is an Australian import, filmed on a ranch near Adelaide....
On The Edge Of Common Sense: When the buck stops, pain starts 'Carpal tunnel?" I asked the handsome, strapping Utah cowboy who had both wrists in a cast. "Rodeo," he said, "I bucked off." "Broncs? Bulls?" "No, I rode my saddlebronc." "Did ya win?" I asked. "Placed third," he said, "They paid two places." "Oww!" I said, "What happened to your arms?" "Team roping," he said with a trace of humiliation....
Sunday, October 03, 2004
U.S. Nixes Rocky Mountain Front Drilling
The federal government will no longer consider letting companies drill for natural gas along Montana's Rocky Mountain Front, the Bureau of Land Management confirmed Saturday, quieting for now one of the state's hottest environmental debates. The Front, which stretches about 100 miles along the eastern crags of the Rockies south of Glacier National Park, is home to grizzly bears, elk, bighorn sheep and other wildlife. "We feel that given the complexity of the issue and the enormous public interest in the Rocky Mountain Front, it would be better to take a step back and thoroughly evaluate all options," said Celia Boddington, a BLM spokeswoman in Washington, D.C. BLM suspended work on an environmental impact study for the Front's Blackleaf area, where a Canadian company wanted to drill for gas. The decision to shelve drilling came at the "highest levels" of the Interior Department, said Marty Ott, state BLM director....
The federal government will no longer consider letting companies drill for natural gas along Montana's Rocky Mountain Front, the Bureau of Land Management confirmed Saturday, quieting for now one of the state's hottest environmental debates. The Front, which stretches about 100 miles along the eastern crags of the Rockies south of Glacier National Park, is home to grizzly bears, elk, bighorn sheep and other wildlife. "We feel that given the complexity of the issue and the enormous public interest in the Rocky Mountain Front, it would be better to take a step back and thoroughly evaluate all options," said Celia Boddington, a BLM spokeswoman in Washington, D.C. BLM suspended work on an environmental impact study for the Front's Blackleaf area, where a Canadian company wanted to drill for gas. The decision to shelve drilling came at the "highest levels" of the Interior Department, said Marty Ott, state BLM director....
OPINION/COMMENTARY
The Never Ending Story
Late this week -- for the fourth time in recent memory -- major press outlets trumpeted that, as Bloomberg News put it, "Russia Approves Kyoto Protocol". The stories claimed Russia would be ratifying the global treaty designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, thus ensuring enough participant countries for the treaty to enter into effect. None of the major outlets explicitly noted the irony of having reported this purported breakthrough on several prior occasions -- although one curious Reuters headline hinted at the media's earlier errors: "Kyoto Saved Again".
What's behind the latest outburst of "news"? Russian officials cleverly continue to engineer a campaign to obtain from the European Union certain concessions and understandings. Russia appears driven to tell the EU what it wants to hear on Kyoto, in order to avert problems with Brussels over other matters, including Russia's response to Beslan and other terrorist attacks. Until recently, trade-off negotiations with the EU centered on Russia's desire for membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO)....
The Never Ending Story
Late this week -- for the fourth time in recent memory -- major press outlets trumpeted that, as Bloomberg News put it, "Russia Approves Kyoto Protocol". The stories claimed Russia would be ratifying the global treaty designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, thus ensuring enough participant countries for the treaty to enter into effect. None of the major outlets explicitly noted the irony of having reported this purported breakthrough on several prior occasions -- although one curious Reuters headline hinted at the media's earlier errors: "Kyoto Saved Again".
What's behind the latest outburst of "news"? Russian officials cleverly continue to engineer a campaign to obtain from the European Union certain concessions and understandings. Russia appears driven to tell the EU what it wants to hear on Kyoto, in order to avert problems with Brussels over other matters, including Russia's response to Beslan and other terrorist attacks. Until recently, trade-off negotiations with the EU centered on Russia's desire for membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO)....
OPINION/COMMENTARY
COLD, HARD FACTS ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING
Are glaciers, ice caps and sea ice melting worldwide because human industrial activity is causing global warming? Geologic history says otherwise.
Researchers from Montana State University found the fluctuation of glaciers at the Glacial National Park in Montana is the result of unique interactions between summer draught and winter snow concentrations rather than rising CO2 concentrations.
Using tree-rings and National Park Service observations, the researchers found numerous links between the variability of drought (also reconstructed through tree-rings) to glacier positions. Furthermore:
---During the late 19th century, a shift from cool and rainy conditions to drought coincides with the onset of glacial retreat from the previous ice age.
---Similarly, extreme drought between 1917 and 1941 coincided with rapid glacial recession in the park.
---Montana’s glaciers began to retreat long before the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases began to change significantly.
Combining data on drought variability and winter snow-pack accumulation, the researchers were able to derive a 300-year index that provides a precise history of glacial dynamics. In other words, these two natural quantities account for the observed glacial variability over the last three centuries.
Though it is yet to be determined what potential effect CO2 concentrations may have on these drought and snow interactions, these findings show how natural phenomena can result in glacial retreat and advance for hundreds of years in the absence of greenhouse gases.
Source: “Cold, Hard Facts,” Greening Earth Society, July 29, 2004.
For text http://www.greeningearthsociety.org/wca/2004/wca_21a.html
COLD, HARD FACTS ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING
Are glaciers, ice caps and sea ice melting worldwide because human industrial activity is causing global warming? Geologic history says otherwise.
Researchers from Montana State University found the fluctuation of glaciers at the Glacial National Park in Montana is the result of unique interactions between summer draught and winter snow concentrations rather than rising CO2 concentrations.
Using tree-rings and National Park Service observations, the researchers found numerous links between the variability of drought (also reconstructed through tree-rings) to glacier positions. Furthermore:
---During the late 19th century, a shift from cool and rainy conditions to drought coincides with the onset of glacial retreat from the previous ice age.
---Similarly, extreme drought between 1917 and 1941 coincided with rapid glacial recession in the park.
---Montana’s glaciers began to retreat long before the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases began to change significantly.
Combining data on drought variability and winter snow-pack accumulation, the researchers were able to derive a 300-year index that provides a precise history of glacial dynamics. In other words, these two natural quantities account for the observed glacial variability over the last three centuries.
Though it is yet to be determined what potential effect CO2 concentrations may have on these drought and snow interactions, these findings show how natural phenomena can result in glacial retreat and advance for hundreds of years in the absence of greenhouse gases.
Source: “Cold, Hard Facts,” Greening Earth Society, July 29, 2004.
For text http://www.greeningearthsociety.org/wca/2004/wca_21a.html
OPINION/COMMENTARY
Back to School for Pests
As students return to school this fall, parents will again worry about new illnesses as kids come in contact with more cold and flu germs. But there are other risks they should worry about--illnesses caused by the common bugs and rodents found in school buildings.
But perhaps the even more dangerous pests are those individuals who prevent school administrators from swiftly addressing these problems.
Anti-chemical activists have pushed, and nearly 20 states and local government have passed, laws to eliminate or drastically reduce the use of pesticides in schools. Yet pesticides are used to control roaches, molds, mice, rats, wasps, lice, fleas, mosquitoes, spiders, fire ants, poison ivy, and other pests. The public health implications of allowing these things to get out of control should be obvious: increased allergies and illnesses related to insect and rodent bites, as well as reactions to plants like poison ivy....
Back to School for Pests
As students return to school this fall, parents will again worry about new illnesses as kids come in contact with more cold and flu germs. But there are other risks they should worry about--illnesses caused by the common bugs and rodents found in school buildings.
But perhaps the even more dangerous pests are those individuals who prevent school administrators from swiftly addressing these problems.
Anti-chemical activists have pushed, and nearly 20 states and local government have passed, laws to eliminate or drastically reduce the use of pesticides in schools. Yet pesticides are used to control roaches, molds, mice, rats, wasps, lice, fleas, mosquitoes, spiders, fire ants, poison ivy, and other pests. The public health implications of allowing these things to get out of control should be obvious: increased allergies and illnesses related to insect and rodent bites, as well as reactions to plants like poison ivy....
OPINION/COMMENTARY
ENVIRONMENT IMPROVES UNDER BUSH
Environmental activists have accused President Bush of being America’s “worst environmental president,” yet the empirical evidence suggests the environment is getting cleaner, says Steven F. Hayward of the American Enterprise Institute.
Each year, the AEI and the Pacific Research Institute compile an annual Index of Leading Environmental Indicators. The 2004 Report shows that the environment has consistently improved since the 1980s.
---Between 1976 and 2002, ambient air pollution decreased significantly; ozone levels declined by 31 percent, sulfur dioxides by 71 percent, carbon monoxide by 75 percent, and nitrogen dioxide by 41 percent.
---When measuring emissions on a per capita or per dollar of gross domestic product (GDP), the United States experienced emission declines on par with Europe between 1982 and 1998.
---The percentage of the population served by water supplies with no reported violations of health-based standards increased from 79 percent in 1993 to 94 percent in 2002.
---Since 1988, so-called toxic releases have declined 60 percent cumulatively, with a 90-percent decline in dioxin since 1970.
Furthermore, the number of new species listed under the Endangered Species Act has declined substantially between 1996 and 2003, likely due to private efforts in species conservation.
The only environmental trend that has not been positive is the management of public lands. Between 90 and 200 million acres of public land are at risk for catastrophic fires. Public parks are experiencing billions of dollars in maintenance backlogs. Yellowstone Park, for example, is contaminated with sewage. Holly Lipke Fretwell of the Property and Environment Research Center recommends allowing states to manage land and the public to lease land and resources.
Source: Steven F. Hayward, et al., “2004 Index of Leading Environmental Indicators, Ninth Edition,” American Enterprise Institute, July 2004.
For text: http://www.aei.org/docLib/20040414_book764text.pdf
ENVIRONMENT IMPROVES UNDER BUSH
Environmental activists have accused President Bush of being America’s “worst environmental president,” yet the empirical evidence suggests the environment is getting cleaner, says Steven F. Hayward of the American Enterprise Institute.
Each year, the AEI and the Pacific Research Institute compile an annual Index of Leading Environmental Indicators. The 2004 Report shows that the environment has consistently improved since the 1980s.
---Between 1976 and 2002, ambient air pollution decreased significantly; ozone levels declined by 31 percent, sulfur dioxides by 71 percent, carbon monoxide by 75 percent, and nitrogen dioxide by 41 percent.
---When measuring emissions on a per capita or per dollar of gross domestic product (GDP), the United States experienced emission declines on par with Europe between 1982 and 1998.
---The percentage of the population served by water supplies with no reported violations of health-based standards increased from 79 percent in 1993 to 94 percent in 2002.
---Since 1988, so-called toxic releases have declined 60 percent cumulatively, with a 90-percent decline in dioxin since 1970.
Furthermore, the number of new species listed under the Endangered Species Act has declined substantially between 1996 and 2003, likely due to private efforts in species conservation.
The only environmental trend that has not been positive is the management of public lands. Between 90 and 200 million acres of public land are at risk for catastrophic fires. Public parks are experiencing billions of dollars in maintenance backlogs. Yellowstone Park, for example, is contaminated with sewage. Holly Lipke Fretwell of the Property and Environment Research Center recommends allowing states to manage land and the public to lease land and resources.
Source: Steven F. Hayward, et al., “2004 Index of Leading Environmental Indicators, Ninth Edition,” American Enterprise Institute, July 2004.
For text: http://www.aei.org/docLib/20040414_book764text.pdf
OPINION/COMMENTARY
Economics for ecologists
In 1968 I had the immense good fortune to work with Garrett Hardin, a distinguished ecologist. His Science article, "The Tragedy of the Commons," is the most reprinted article in the magazine's history. Together, Garrett and I produced a book in print for nearly 20 years, Managing the Commons. (A second edition is published by Indiana University Press.)
Hardin noted when a resource is owned in common, there is little incentive for any individual to protect it. Garrett used this as a heuristic example we all intuitively understand. However, as Elinor Ostrom and other political economists have documented, traditional societies devise systems to resolve the problem. Systems evolve to generate information, coordinate and monitor use, and assign rights to a valued resource....
Economics for ecologists
In 1968 I had the immense good fortune to work with Garrett Hardin, a distinguished ecologist. His Science article, "The Tragedy of the Commons," is the most reprinted article in the magazine's history. Together, Garrett and I produced a book in print for nearly 20 years, Managing the Commons. (A second edition is published by Indiana University Press.)
Hardin noted when a resource is owned in common, there is little incentive for any individual to protect it. Garrett used this as a heuristic example we all intuitively understand. However, as Elinor Ostrom and other political economists have documented, traditional societies devise systems to resolve the problem. Systems evolve to generate information, coordinate and monitor use, and assign rights to a valued resource....
OPINION/COMMENTARY
NINTH CIRCUIT REJECTS ENVIROS APPEAL OF FOREST HEALTH CASE
An attempt by an environmental group to prevent the U.S. Forest Service from harvesting timber in an area burned by the devastating forest fires that swept through Arizona in 2002 was rejected today by a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The Forest Conservation Council had asked the appellate court to reverse a July 2003 ruling by an Arizona federal district court holding that the U.S. Forest Service had complied with federal environmental study rules as to two of the salvage sale categories and that, as to a third category, the Forest Service could perform required additional environmental studies as it conducted the harvest activity. A nonprofit, public interest law firm joined the Forest Service in asking the Ninth Circuit to uphold the lower court.
“We are delighted that the demand by environmental groups for more ‘paralysis by analysis’ was rejected in light of the unprecedented drought conditions in almost every western county,” said William Perry Pendley of Mountain States Legal Foundation, which filed the friend of the court brief in support of the Forest Service. “The Ninth Circuit was wise to uphold the ruling of the district court to ensure that the Forest Service has the flexibility to act in an expeditious manner to preserve forest health. Because the area that was so badly burned over in 2002 is still at risk for fire, it is absolutely critical that the Forest Service move as quickly as it did in this case.”....
NINTH CIRCUIT REJECTS ENVIROS APPEAL OF FOREST HEALTH CASE
An attempt by an environmental group to prevent the U.S. Forest Service from harvesting timber in an area burned by the devastating forest fires that swept through Arizona in 2002 was rejected today by a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The Forest Conservation Council had asked the appellate court to reverse a July 2003 ruling by an Arizona federal district court holding that the U.S. Forest Service had complied with federal environmental study rules as to two of the salvage sale categories and that, as to a third category, the Forest Service could perform required additional environmental studies as it conducted the harvest activity. A nonprofit, public interest law firm joined the Forest Service in asking the Ninth Circuit to uphold the lower court.
“We are delighted that the demand by environmental groups for more ‘paralysis by analysis’ was rejected in light of the unprecedented drought conditions in almost every western county,” said William Perry Pendley of Mountain States Legal Foundation, which filed the friend of the court brief in support of the Forest Service. “The Ninth Circuit was wise to uphold the ruling of the district court to ensure that the Forest Service has the flexibility to act in an expeditious manner to preserve forest health. Because the area that was so badly burned over in 2002 is still at risk for fire, it is absolutely critical that the Forest Service move as quickly as it did in this case.”....
OPINION/COMMENTARY
SMART-GROWTH REPORT IS FLAWED
An Environmental Protection Agency report offers evidence of the benefits of “smart growth” communities -- less congestion and pollution. However, complaints from another government agency over the accuracy of the report forced the EPA to retract its findings.
According to researchers Wendell Cox and Ronald D. Utt, the report compared urban areas that have promoted “smart growth” practices, i.e. high density housing, pedestrian-friendly streets and mass transit, with “control group” cities (those that are auto-oriented and low density).
The report concluded that three smart growth cities – Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and New Orleans had less traffic congestion and more transit ridership than control group cities such as Houston, St. Louis and Charlotte, however:
---The EPA failed to mention that the three smart growth cities selected have higher unemployment rates than the control group cities; for example, Charlotte has 20 percent more employment per 1,000 people than New Orleans.
---Furthermore, the smart growth cities have seen significant population declines since the 1990s: Philadelphia, 4.3 percent, Pittsburgh, 9.5 percent and New Orleans, 2.5 percent.
---Finally, the EPA report left out one of the most controversial smart growth cities -- Portland, Oregon -- which has the worst traffic congestion of any metropolitan city its size.
The report selected smart-growth cities with generally stagnant economies and population declines. Such characteristics obviously have an impact on reducing congestion, as fewer people travel to and from jobs, say Cox and Utt.
Source: Wendell Cox and Ronald D. Utt, “The EPA Withdraws Inaccurate Smart Growth – Traffic Congestion Report,” Backgrounder 1782, July 28, 2004, Heritage Foundation.
For text: http://www.heritage.org/Research/SmartGrowth/loader.cfm?url=/commonspot/security/getfile.cfm&PageID=66995
SMART-GROWTH REPORT IS FLAWED
An Environmental Protection Agency report offers evidence of the benefits of “smart growth” communities -- less congestion and pollution. However, complaints from another government agency over the accuracy of the report forced the EPA to retract its findings.
According to researchers Wendell Cox and Ronald D. Utt, the report compared urban areas that have promoted “smart growth” practices, i.e. high density housing, pedestrian-friendly streets and mass transit, with “control group” cities (those that are auto-oriented and low density).
The report concluded that three smart growth cities – Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and New Orleans had less traffic congestion and more transit ridership than control group cities such as Houston, St. Louis and Charlotte, however:
---The EPA failed to mention that the three smart growth cities selected have higher unemployment rates than the control group cities; for example, Charlotte has 20 percent more employment per 1,000 people than New Orleans.
---Furthermore, the smart growth cities have seen significant population declines since the 1990s: Philadelphia, 4.3 percent, Pittsburgh, 9.5 percent and New Orleans, 2.5 percent.
---Finally, the EPA report left out one of the most controversial smart growth cities -- Portland, Oregon -- which has the worst traffic congestion of any metropolitan city its size.
The report selected smart-growth cities with generally stagnant economies and population declines. Such characteristics obviously have an impact on reducing congestion, as fewer people travel to and from jobs, say Cox and Utt.
Source: Wendell Cox and Ronald D. Utt, “The EPA Withdraws Inaccurate Smart Growth – Traffic Congestion Report,” Backgrounder 1782, July 28, 2004, Heritage Foundation.
For text: http://www.heritage.org/Research/SmartGrowth/loader.cfm?url=/commonspot/security/getfile.cfm&PageID=66995
Saturday, October 02, 2004
NEWS ROUNDUP
Ranger: Trees cut for house move House movers who felled trees to help squeeze their cargo along a narrow mountain road face a citation, and perhaps a claim for damages, a Forest Service ranger said Friday. About four trees on Helena National Forest land were cut down to make way for the house transported over Stemple Pass and limbs were removed from others, Ranger Amber Kamps of the Lincoln Ranger District said. The felling, which apparently happened Tuesday or Wednesday, damaged the tops of some other trees on federal land, Kamps said....
NTSB report on air crash reveals little new U.S. Forest Service dispatchers lost contact with a plane that crashed into a mountain, killing three of five on board, just minutes before its scheduled landing at a grass air strip south of Glacier National Park, a preliminary crash report released Friday says. Contract pilot Jim Long said he was "inbound for Schafer," a guard station in the Great Bear-Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex, before dispatchers lost radio communication mid-afternoon on Sept. 20, according to the report by National Transportation Safety Board staff. No engine or mechanical failure was mentioned, and investigators have confirmed that the wreckage shows no signs of it....
Forest not altering grazing practices Proposed revisions to managing Bighorn National Forest contain no new management practices involving grazing permits, according a forest official. What at first glance appears to be a significant change in the plan relates to the number of animal unit months that will be allowed in "suitable rangelands." The 1985 plan allows up to 144,000 animal unit months. The revised forest plan, which is probably at least a year away from being adopted by the Forest Service, calls for a maximum of 118,000. But, Stellingwef said, the reduction in numbers is a paper exercise, nothing more than a recognition that there never have been, and "very likely" never will be, that many cattle, sheep or other domestic livestock in the Big Horns....
Column: A rule to sue by Some people want nearly 59 million acres of public land set aside from additional road building and believe that roughly 400,000 miles of roads in the national forest system is quite enough. Others disagree. Both sides have legitimate arguments to make, but that is not the focus here. Instead, I wish to examine the roadless rulemaking process and how this important decision should not be made. The Bush administration has proposed replacing the original roadless rule with a "petitioning process" that would give governors an opportunity to seek establishment of management requirements for roadless areas within their states....
Town hopes eruption brings tourist dollars When Carol Hubbell heard about the mini-eruption of Mount St. Helens on a Forest Service scanner in the Cougar Store, she ran into the parking lot to watch the plume of steam and ash waft over the mountain 12 miles to the north. Then she hustled back inside; it would be a busy afternoon of selling ice, snacks and beer. The logging community of Cougar is the closest town to the erupting crater of Mount St. Helens. The residents were celebrating the burst of steam that emanated from the mountain around noon on Friday, anticipating a heavy tourist influx over the weekend....
Senate will take a look at mining fees The Senate is poised to overturn a mining fee increase until the government can develop a system to track permits prospectors obtain to extract minerals from public lands. A Department of Interior spending bill awaiting Senate votes rolls back a $125 mining claim fee the Bureau of Land Management implemented this month. The fee would revert back to $100. The bill responds to complaints from mining companies that have resisted new fees so long as delays persist in obtaining permits. "Until we're seeing a better service, we don't think we should be talking about payment," said Luke Popovich, spokesman for the National Mining Association....
Logs to slow streams, build new fish habitat Using a 200-foot-long cable with a claw-like grapple at the end, the helicopter moved logs into place into and over Rock and Threemile creeks in the Fremont-Winema National Forests. The work aims to slow the flow of water through the creeks and to create cool pools of water for spawning and rearing of young fish. "We are building the home for the fish again," said Neil Anderson, fisheries biologist with the U.S. Forest Service....
Brown bear sow charges duck hunter in the Valley Two brown bear sows with cubs are frequenting the Dredge Lakes area and one of the sows charged a duck hunter on Sunday. The hunter was walking on a trail when he surprised a sow with a 3-year-old at point-blank range, said Neil Barten, area management biologist for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. The sow charged the hunter, who discharged two rounds of bird shot at it. The bear ran away and U.S. Forest Service and Alaska State Troopers found no evidence that it had been harmed, Barten said. Wildlife officials are urging Juneau residents to take extra precaution....
Search called off for plane in Alaska After 10 days of searching by air and sea, the Coast Guard has suspended the search for a plane and its five occupants missing near Sitka, Alaska. A Coast Guard spokesman said the search was suspended because no debris or any other sign of the plane has been found. "We found nothing at all," said Coast Guard operations specialist David Foucault. Searchers covered 4,615 square miles and made 42 air and sea searches. In addition to the Coast Guard, searchers included members of the Forest Service, Civil Air Patrol and a local search and rescue team, he said....
Wyoming man pleads guilty to fee tube thefts A Wyoming man pleaded guilty in Great Falls federal court Wednesday to breaking into nearly 100 campsite fee tubes -- many of them in Montana. He also told police he stole about $3,000 from fee tubes, according to a U.S. Department of Justice news release. Ernest E. Hartwell, 31, of Rawlins, Wyo., remains in custody after he admitted to destroying government property earlier this year....
Editorial: Forest boondoggle YEAR IN and year out, the politically powerful Alaska congressional delegation encourages the US Forest Service to build, at taxpayer expense, logging roads in the Tongass National Forest for the benefit of the state's dwindling timber business. It is bad enough that Congress goes along with this kind of corporate welfare make-work. Even worse is the fact that taxpayers are financing the destruction of the largest remaining temperate rain forest in the world. Enter Senator John McCain of Arizona, who knows a boondoggle when he sees one. McCain favors an amendment to an appropriations bill that would ban logging subsidies in the Tongass, which was first protected in 1907 by another Republican conservationist, President Theodore Roosevelt. The House passed a similar ban on Tongass road-building in June by a 222-205 vote. Like McCain's, that amendment had the support of a coalition of conservationists, budget balancers, and sportsmen....
Battle heats up over drilling on Alaska's North Slope Federal officials say the marshy tundra around a giant lake on Alaska's North Slope could hold hundreds of millions of barrels of crude oil, enough to significantly boost domestic oil production for a nation heavily dependent on foreign imports. To get at the oil, the Bureau of Land Management recently proposed rolling back restrictions imposed in 1998 during the Clinton administration that keep oil explorers out of areas important for migratory geese and other wildlife. Now the BLM is under siege from environmental groups, other federal agencies and Eskimos, all of whom say leasing the protected waters of Teshekpuk Lake and the surrounding tundra is a horrible idea....
Greens say mining not sole threat to 3 Utah rivers An order signed earlier this month by Interior Secretary Gale Norton prohibiting mining along the banks of three rivers in southeastern Utah won't substantially protect the land or water along the rivers from oil and gas development, according to a study by an environmental group. A review of Interior Department land-use records by the Environmental Working Group showed that there is considerably more acreage under lease for oil and gas development than there is for hard-rock mining in the Three Rivers Withdrawal, signed by Norton on Sept. 11. Within five miles of the river, there are eight times as many acres under lease for oil and gas development than for mining, the group found....
On the trail of history From border trails and Hill Country passes, ancient roads in thick pines and river crossings on the Sabine, Texas is connected by a long and diverse path. That disparate route will soon have national attention and protection. Congress passed legislation this week designating El Camino Real de los Tejas as a National Historic Trail. El Camino Real de los Tejas has been described as "a corridor of trails used by settlers, immigrants, Indians and the military." It is a combination of routes totaling almost 2,600 miles from the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass and Laredo to Natchitoches, La. It was a pathway known to Davy Crockett and Sam Houston, and equally familiar to Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna....
Park plan would cut boat trips Trying to navigate the choppy waters of rafting on the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, the National Park Service is proposing a plan that would reduce the season for motorized boats while permitting a 28 percent jump in the number of days passengers of all boats can spend on the river. But the restrictions on motorized boats were criticized Friday by both tour operators and environmentalists....
Coalition disputes economics of drilling Opponents of natural-gas drilling on the Rocky Mountain Front tried to buttress their argument Thursday with a report finding development could cost the Front's Teton County more than it would gain. In a news release, the Coalition to Protect the Rocky Mountain Front said that given tax breaks for the energy industry and formulas for distributing government money, Teton County stands to gain little from federal royalties and state severance taxes if natural gas is extracted from the Front's Blackleaf area, which is in the county....
Environmental group challenges water project An environmental group has asked the state water court to halt construction on the Animas-La Plata water project in southwest Colorado, which is $162 million over budget and less than 20 percent complete after years of planning. The Citizens Progressive Alliance filed its motion Monday, claiming that water rights owed to the Southern Ute and the Ute Mountain Ute Indian tribes were settled by acts of Congress in the 19th century. Animas-La Plata was built largely to settle claims to water rights by the two tribes. "These applications defy the 1971 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that the 1868 reservation was extinguished in 1880 by an act of Congress. Both the Department of Justice and counsel for the Colorado Ute tribes are fully aware of this Supreme Court ruling yet have brazenly defied it," the group said Thursday....
Ranger: Trees cut for house move House movers who felled trees to help squeeze their cargo along a narrow mountain road face a citation, and perhaps a claim for damages, a Forest Service ranger said Friday. About four trees on Helena National Forest land were cut down to make way for the house transported over Stemple Pass and limbs were removed from others, Ranger Amber Kamps of the Lincoln Ranger District said. The felling, which apparently happened Tuesday or Wednesday, damaged the tops of some other trees on federal land, Kamps said....
NTSB report on air crash reveals little new U.S. Forest Service dispatchers lost contact with a plane that crashed into a mountain, killing three of five on board, just minutes before its scheduled landing at a grass air strip south of Glacier National Park, a preliminary crash report released Friday says. Contract pilot Jim Long said he was "inbound for Schafer," a guard station in the Great Bear-Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex, before dispatchers lost radio communication mid-afternoon on Sept. 20, according to the report by National Transportation Safety Board staff. No engine or mechanical failure was mentioned, and investigators have confirmed that the wreckage shows no signs of it....
Forest not altering grazing practices Proposed revisions to managing Bighorn National Forest contain no new management practices involving grazing permits, according a forest official. What at first glance appears to be a significant change in the plan relates to the number of animal unit months that will be allowed in "suitable rangelands." The 1985 plan allows up to 144,000 animal unit months. The revised forest plan, which is probably at least a year away from being adopted by the Forest Service, calls for a maximum of 118,000. But, Stellingwef said, the reduction in numbers is a paper exercise, nothing more than a recognition that there never have been, and "very likely" never will be, that many cattle, sheep or other domestic livestock in the Big Horns....
Column: A rule to sue by Some people want nearly 59 million acres of public land set aside from additional road building and believe that roughly 400,000 miles of roads in the national forest system is quite enough. Others disagree. Both sides have legitimate arguments to make, but that is not the focus here. Instead, I wish to examine the roadless rulemaking process and how this important decision should not be made. The Bush administration has proposed replacing the original roadless rule with a "petitioning process" that would give governors an opportunity to seek establishment of management requirements for roadless areas within their states....
Town hopes eruption brings tourist dollars When Carol Hubbell heard about the mini-eruption of Mount St. Helens on a Forest Service scanner in the Cougar Store, she ran into the parking lot to watch the plume of steam and ash waft over the mountain 12 miles to the north. Then she hustled back inside; it would be a busy afternoon of selling ice, snacks and beer. The logging community of Cougar is the closest town to the erupting crater of Mount St. Helens. The residents were celebrating the burst of steam that emanated from the mountain around noon on Friday, anticipating a heavy tourist influx over the weekend....
Senate will take a look at mining fees The Senate is poised to overturn a mining fee increase until the government can develop a system to track permits prospectors obtain to extract minerals from public lands. A Department of Interior spending bill awaiting Senate votes rolls back a $125 mining claim fee the Bureau of Land Management implemented this month. The fee would revert back to $100. The bill responds to complaints from mining companies that have resisted new fees so long as delays persist in obtaining permits. "Until we're seeing a better service, we don't think we should be talking about payment," said Luke Popovich, spokesman for the National Mining Association....
Logs to slow streams, build new fish habitat Using a 200-foot-long cable with a claw-like grapple at the end, the helicopter moved logs into place into and over Rock and Threemile creeks in the Fremont-Winema National Forests. The work aims to slow the flow of water through the creeks and to create cool pools of water for spawning and rearing of young fish. "We are building the home for the fish again," said Neil Anderson, fisheries biologist with the U.S. Forest Service....
Brown bear sow charges duck hunter in the Valley Two brown bear sows with cubs are frequenting the Dredge Lakes area and one of the sows charged a duck hunter on Sunday. The hunter was walking on a trail when he surprised a sow with a 3-year-old at point-blank range, said Neil Barten, area management biologist for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. The sow charged the hunter, who discharged two rounds of bird shot at it. The bear ran away and U.S. Forest Service and Alaska State Troopers found no evidence that it had been harmed, Barten said. Wildlife officials are urging Juneau residents to take extra precaution....
Search called off for plane in Alaska After 10 days of searching by air and sea, the Coast Guard has suspended the search for a plane and its five occupants missing near Sitka, Alaska. A Coast Guard spokesman said the search was suspended because no debris or any other sign of the plane has been found. "We found nothing at all," said Coast Guard operations specialist David Foucault. Searchers covered 4,615 square miles and made 42 air and sea searches. In addition to the Coast Guard, searchers included members of the Forest Service, Civil Air Patrol and a local search and rescue team, he said....
Wyoming man pleads guilty to fee tube thefts A Wyoming man pleaded guilty in Great Falls federal court Wednesday to breaking into nearly 100 campsite fee tubes -- many of them in Montana. He also told police he stole about $3,000 from fee tubes, according to a U.S. Department of Justice news release. Ernest E. Hartwell, 31, of Rawlins, Wyo., remains in custody after he admitted to destroying government property earlier this year....
Editorial: Forest boondoggle YEAR IN and year out, the politically powerful Alaska congressional delegation encourages the US Forest Service to build, at taxpayer expense, logging roads in the Tongass National Forest for the benefit of the state's dwindling timber business. It is bad enough that Congress goes along with this kind of corporate welfare make-work. Even worse is the fact that taxpayers are financing the destruction of the largest remaining temperate rain forest in the world. Enter Senator John McCain of Arizona, who knows a boondoggle when he sees one. McCain favors an amendment to an appropriations bill that would ban logging subsidies in the Tongass, which was first protected in 1907 by another Republican conservationist, President Theodore Roosevelt. The House passed a similar ban on Tongass road-building in June by a 222-205 vote. Like McCain's, that amendment had the support of a coalition of conservationists, budget balancers, and sportsmen....
Battle heats up over drilling on Alaska's North Slope Federal officials say the marshy tundra around a giant lake on Alaska's North Slope could hold hundreds of millions of barrels of crude oil, enough to significantly boost domestic oil production for a nation heavily dependent on foreign imports. To get at the oil, the Bureau of Land Management recently proposed rolling back restrictions imposed in 1998 during the Clinton administration that keep oil explorers out of areas important for migratory geese and other wildlife. Now the BLM is under siege from environmental groups, other federal agencies and Eskimos, all of whom say leasing the protected waters of Teshekpuk Lake and the surrounding tundra is a horrible idea....
Greens say mining not sole threat to 3 Utah rivers An order signed earlier this month by Interior Secretary Gale Norton prohibiting mining along the banks of three rivers in southeastern Utah won't substantially protect the land or water along the rivers from oil and gas development, according to a study by an environmental group. A review of Interior Department land-use records by the Environmental Working Group showed that there is considerably more acreage under lease for oil and gas development than there is for hard-rock mining in the Three Rivers Withdrawal, signed by Norton on Sept. 11. Within five miles of the river, there are eight times as many acres under lease for oil and gas development than for mining, the group found....
On the trail of history From border trails and Hill Country passes, ancient roads in thick pines and river crossings on the Sabine, Texas is connected by a long and diverse path. That disparate route will soon have national attention and protection. Congress passed legislation this week designating El Camino Real de los Tejas as a National Historic Trail. El Camino Real de los Tejas has been described as "a corridor of trails used by settlers, immigrants, Indians and the military." It is a combination of routes totaling almost 2,600 miles from the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass and Laredo to Natchitoches, La. It was a pathway known to Davy Crockett and Sam Houston, and equally familiar to Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna....
Park plan would cut boat trips Trying to navigate the choppy waters of rafting on the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, the National Park Service is proposing a plan that would reduce the season for motorized boats while permitting a 28 percent jump in the number of days passengers of all boats can spend on the river. But the restrictions on motorized boats were criticized Friday by both tour operators and environmentalists....
Coalition disputes economics of drilling Opponents of natural-gas drilling on the Rocky Mountain Front tried to buttress their argument Thursday with a report finding development could cost the Front's Teton County more than it would gain. In a news release, the Coalition to Protect the Rocky Mountain Front said that given tax breaks for the energy industry and formulas for distributing government money, Teton County stands to gain little from federal royalties and state severance taxes if natural gas is extracted from the Front's Blackleaf area, which is in the county....
Environmental group challenges water project An environmental group has asked the state water court to halt construction on the Animas-La Plata water project in southwest Colorado, which is $162 million over budget and less than 20 percent complete after years of planning. The Citizens Progressive Alliance filed its motion Monday, claiming that water rights owed to the Southern Ute and the Ute Mountain Ute Indian tribes were settled by acts of Congress in the 19th century. Animas-La Plata was built largely to settle claims to water rights by the two tribes. "These applications defy the 1971 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that the 1868 reservation was extinguished in 1880 by an act of Congress. Both the Department of Justice and counsel for the Colorado Ute tribes are fully aware of this Supreme Court ruling yet have brazenly defied it," the group said Thursday....
Friday, October 01, 2004
MAD COW DISEASE & CJD
Cattle feed may have been infected with BSE The diseased cow that sparked Canada's mad cow crisis in May 2003 was turned into feed and may have been mistakenly fed to other cows, CBC News has learned. Documents obtained through the Access to Information Act show the Canadian Food Inspection Agency had discovered cattle at a number of farms were eating feed intended only for pigs and chickens. That feed may have contained the rendered remains of the diseased cow. By law, cattle cannot be given feed made from rendered cows, precisely because it could spread bovine spongiform encephalopathy. The agency estimated that feed was sold to as many as 1,800 farms and launched an investigation. They visited 200 cattle operations and found several cases where cows were exposed to the feed. Three cattle farms were quarantined and 63 cattle destroyed. Inspectors also learned there was frequent cross-contamination of chicken and cattle feed, and in one case, the farmer admitted he routinely gave chicken feed to cows....
Rules banning BSE-risk materials from animal feed on the way: Minister Rules banning the use of cow brain, eyes and backbone in all animal feed will be published in the next few weeks, the federal agriculture minister said Friday. Andy Mitchell was responding to a CBC report that highlighted how cattle can sometimes be exposed to feed containing rendered material from other cattle, increasing the risk of spreading mad cow disease. "This is something that requires a period of time to put in place," Mitchell said of the new rules. "In July we announced that we were, in fact, going to make the changes . . . Over the next little while we will move toward implementation." It's been a long-standing practice to use rendered cattle material as protein in feed for chickens and pigs. When a cow is rendered now, all of the carcass is used, including the brain, eyes and spinal column....
Alaska farm group wants to import Canadian cattle An Alaska farm group is working on a proposal to try to get its state border opened to live Canadian cattle. "We have historically purchased our animals from Canada," said Jane Hamilton, executive director of the Alaska Farm Bureau. "Canada is our closest neighbor. There is a lot less trauma and stress in transporting an animal from Canada instead of going all the way to the Lower 48."....
Schwarzenegger Vetoes Meat Recall Disclosure Bill Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA) vetoed a bill yesterday that would have let Californians know whether they’ve purchased contaminated meat or poultry. The bill, SB 1585, would have ended a secrecy agreement between the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and California that prevents the state from disclosing the names and locations of stores that receive shipments of recalled meat. Earlier this year, California was one of several states that received meat from the Washington State cow that tested positive for mad cow disease. But because California is one of 12 states that have signed a secrecy agreement with USDA, state health officials were prohibited from identifying stores or restaurants that may have received beef from the infected cow....
Japan, U.S., meet to discuss beef ban Japan announced Friday it will meet with the United States next week to discuss its ban on U.S. beef imports. The two-day session begins Monday in Colorado, the Japanese Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry said. Japan banned beef imports from the United States after the discovery of the first U.S. case of mad cow disease last December. Leaders insisted U.S. beef cattle be tested for the disease in the same way cattle are tested in Japan, the Kyodo news service said....
Atlanta Hospital Warns Of Possible Exposure To Brain Disease Emory University Hospital in Atlanta is telling more than 500 patients they may have been exposed to a fatal brain disease, although the actual risk is "remote." The advisory comes after a brain surgery patient tested positive for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, which is similar to mad cow disease in animals. Officials say they're contacting 98 brain or spinal surgery patients who may have had contact with the surgical instruments that were used on the infected patient. They're also informing 418 patients who had other types of surgery....
Surgeons to get CJD-risk advice An NHS watchdog is to develop guidelines for surgeons to help minimise the risk of contracting CJD infections through operations. It will advise on surgical procedures and instruments used in operations involving tissues carrying a high or medium risk CJD or Variant CJD. The finished document is not expected until May 2006. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence will not examine the risks posed by blood transfusions, however. Last month, 4,000 patients in the UK were sent letters warning them they may have been exposed to vCJD through contaminated blood products....
Cattle feed may have been infected with BSE The diseased cow that sparked Canada's mad cow crisis in May 2003 was turned into feed and may have been mistakenly fed to other cows, CBC News has learned. Documents obtained through the Access to Information Act show the Canadian Food Inspection Agency had discovered cattle at a number of farms were eating feed intended only for pigs and chickens. That feed may have contained the rendered remains of the diseased cow. By law, cattle cannot be given feed made from rendered cows, precisely because it could spread bovine spongiform encephalopathy. The agency estimated that feed was sold to as many as 1,800 farms and launched an investigation. They visited 200 cattle operations and found several cases where cows were exposed to the feed. Three cattle farms were quarantined and 63 cattle destroyed. Inspectors also learned there was frequent cross-contamination of chicken and cattle feed, and in one case, the farmer admitted he routinely gave chicken feed to cows....
Rules banning BSE-risk materials from animal feed on the way: Minister Rules banning the use of cow brain, eyes and backbone in all animal feed will be published in the next few weeks, the federal agriculture minister said Friday. Andy Mitchell was responding to a CBC report that highlighted how cattle can sometimes be exposed to feed containing rendered material from other cattle, increasing the risk of spreading mad cow disease. "This is something that requires a period of time to put in place," Mitchell said of the new rules. "In July we announced that we were, in fact, going to make the changes . . . Over the next little while we will move toward implementation." It's been a long-standing practice to use rendered cattle material as protein in feed for chickens and pigs. When a cow is rendered now, all of the carcass is used, including the brain, eyes and spinal column....
Alaska farm group wants to import Canadian cattle An Alaska farm group is working on a proposal to try to get its state border opened to live Canadian cattle. "We have historically purchased our animals from Canada," said Jane Hamilton, executive director of the Alaska Farm Bureau. "Canada is our closest neighbor. There is a lot less trauma and stress in transporting an animal from Canada instead of going all the way to the Lower 48."....
Schwarzenegger Vetoes Meat Recall Disclosure Bill Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA) vetoed a bill yesterday that would have let Californians know whether they’ve purchased contaminated meat or poultry. The bill, SB 1585, would have ended a secrecy agreement between the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and California that prevents the state from disclosing the names and locations of stores that receive shipments of recalled meat. Earlier this year, California was one of several states that received meat from the Washington State cow that tested positive for mad cow disease. But because California is one of 12 states that have signed a secrecy agreement with USDA, state health officials were prohibited from identifying stores or restaurants that may have received beef from the infected cow....
Japan, U.S., meet to discuss beef ban Japan announced Friday it will meet with the United States next week to discuss its ban on U.S. beef imports. The two-day session begins Monday in Colorado, the Japanese Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry said. Japan banned beef imports from the United States after the discovery of the first U.S. case of mad cow disease last December. Leaders insisted U.S. beef cattle be tested for the disease in the same way cattle are tested in Japan, the Kyodo news service said....
Atlanta Hospital Warns Of Possible Exposure To Brain Disease Emory University Hospital in Atlanta is telling more than 500 patients they may have been exposed to a fatal brain disease, although the actual risk is "remote." The advisory comes after a brain surgery patient tested positive for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, which is similar to mad cow disease in animals. Officials say they're contacting 98 brain or spinal surgery patients who may have had contact with the surgical instruments that were used on the infected patient. They're also informing 418 patients who had other types of surgery....
Surgeons to get CJD-risk advice An NHS watchdog is to develop guidelines for surgeons to help minimise the risk of contracting CJD infections through operations. It will advise on surgical procedures and instruments used in operations involving tissues carrying a high or medium risk CJD or Variant CJD. The finished document is not expected until May 2006. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence will not examine the risks posed by blood transfusions, however. Last month, 4,000 patients in the UK were sent letters warning them they may have been exposed to vCJD through contaminated blood products....
Drought causing drastic impacts
State Parks Director Dave Simon has managed to find a positive side to the dwindling water supply at Elephant Butte Reservoir. “The fishing is great,” Simon said Monday during the opening day of the 2004 New Mexico Drought Summit. “We have the same number of fish but only half the water, so they’re real easy to catch.” But for Gerald LaFont, owner of the Elephant Butte Inn, there is nothing positive at all about the ongoing drought and its impact on the reservoir. LaFont said 18 businesses in the community of Elephant Butte have gone out of business, and he blames the drought for much of that. “When the water’s up, business is up,” LaFont said. “When the water’s down, business is down.”....
State Parks Director Dave Simon has managed to find a positive side to the dwindling water supply at Elephant Butte Reservoir. “The fishing is great,” Simon said Monday during the opening day of the 2004 New Mexico Drought Summit. “We have the same number of fish but only half the water, so they’re real easy to catch.” But for Gerald LaFont, owner of the Elephant Butte Inn, there is nothing positive at all about the ongoing drought and its impact on the reservoir. LaFont said 18 businesses in the community of Elephant Butte have gone out of business, and he blames the drought for much of that. “When the water’s up, business is up,” LaFont said. “When the water’s down, business is down.”....
Angeles Forest Dwellers Ignore Order to Evacuate
Some cabin dwellers in the Angeles National Forest are defying an order from park managers to evacuate immediately because of extreme fire danger, creating a tense standoff as the wildfire season approaches. Although the vast forest is mostly open space and campgrounds, it is also home to 500 cabins, many of them owned by residents who have lived there for years. Under the evacuation order, people in 120 of the cabins had to clear out by last Sunday because officials said the risk of a wildfire was so great that they doubted they could safely rescue the residents in case of a major blaze. It's the first time that forest officials have issued such a sweeping evacuation order — a sign, they say, of an unprecedented fire danger when Santa Ana winds arrive in October. But residents like Larry Bartlett are refusing to go....
Some cabin dwellers in the Angeles National Forest are defying an order from park managers to evacuate immediately because of extreme fire danger, creating a tense standoff as the wildfire season approaches. Although the vast forest is mostly open space and campgrounds, it is also home to 500 cabins, many of them owned by residents who have lived there for years. Under the evacuation order, people in 120 of the cabins had to clear out by last Sunday because officials said the risk of a wildfire was so great that they doubted they could safely rescue the residents in case of a major blaze. It's the first time that forest officials have issued such a sweeping evacuation order — a sign, they say, of an unprecedented fire danger when Santa Ana winds arrive in October. But residents like Larry Bartlett are refusing to go....
NEWS ROUNDUP
Groups: Gas leases violate roadless rule Environmentalists on Wednesday erected a paper roadblock they hope will keep drilling rigs out of a roadless area southwest of Carbondale. A coalition of environmental groups filed an administrative appeal of a U.S. Bureau of Land Management decision to auction off gas leases in the Thompson Creek area in May. The groups contend the leases violate the White River National Forest Plan, which says the U.S. Forest Service will uphold the national Roadless Area Conservation Rule and not allow leasing in roadless areas....
Idaho will oversee wolves before packs are delisted Most of the management of Idaho's thriving wolf population will be transferred from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to the state within months, and even before the animal is pulled from the Endangered Species List, a federal wolf expert said Wednesday. "The state will do everything we do now. Essentially, Fish and Wildlife disappears," said Ed Bangs, wolf recovery team leader. "It's good news for wolves and for wolf recovery." Oversight could be shifted by next spring....
Bigger isn't always better for species survival Being the biggest dog may pay off at feeding time, but species that grow too large may be more vulnerable to extinction, new research suggests. Over 50 million years a succession of large carnivores evolved in North America, diversified, and then died out....
State releasing pair of wolves The state is releasing a pair of endangered Mexican gray wolves in the Gila Wilderness. The male was born in the wild to a pack released in Arizona and had been radio-collared as a pup in 2002. The female was also born in the wild and had never been captured before. She has also been fitted with a radio collar. The wolves were captured last month in the San Mateo Mountains of southwestern New Mexico outside the official area for the species recovery. Wolves released in New Mexico usually are taken into the Gila Wilderness on mules and set free inside mesh enclosures. They chew their way free of the enclosure, then the enclosure is removed....
Editorial: Common ground for wolves regon is almost ready for the next wolf at its door. A panel of Oregon ranchers, hunters, wildlife activists and others has prepared a 100-page plan for making a home for wolves in Oregon. It's a good, carefully written plan that should be approved next month by the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission. Oregon wasn't ready when B45, a female gray wolf, roamed into Northeast Oregon in February 1999. Ranchers howled about the dangers of this lone wolf, and environmentalists turned her into a celebrity, holding a statewide name-that-wolf contest (the winner: "Freedom"). Federal biologists trapped B45 and shipped her back to Idaho....
In a national park, the call of the wild: Is it cellular? At least 30 national parks now sport cell phone towers or other antennas, according to a newly released partial inventory by the National Park Service. This list, the first of its kind, is evidence that phone companies are targeting America's national parks for business. The result, critics say, is a much-degraded visual experience when a tower sprouts on an otherwise pristine landscape — or a jarring aural annoyance when a cell phone rings deep in nature....
Update on North Fruita Desert The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recently released the final management plan for the North Fruita Desert. The North Fruita Desert is home to some of the best riding on the planet, including famous trails like the Edge Loop, Zippety, Prime Cut, Chutes and Ladders and Joe's Ridge. IMBA sent out an action alert regarding this plan last winter, asking our members to comment. IMBA would like to thank our members for commenting, and would also like to commend the BLM for creating a plan that accommodates a number of our concerns and balances the interests of everyone....
Sand dunes threatened with closure Environmental and conservation groups on Wednesday vowed to file an injunction that would eliminate all off-road vehicle use at the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area if the federal government reopens a 49,000-acre portion temporarily closed as a result of a lawsuit filed by those groups to protect a threatened plant species. "The only legal option we may have is to move for a full injunction which would close all of the dunes to all off-roading. We don't want to be in a position to do that," said Daniel Patterson, conservationist with the Tucson-based Center for Biodiversity....
Camouflaged wells calm few concerns over oil, gas drilling In the battle over whether and where to drill for oil and natural gas on public lands in the West, the Bush administration has a new approach: Drill more wells and camouflage them. The Bureau of Land Management this summer ordered its field managers who approve drilling permits to require companies to do a better job of making new wells blend in with the environment. Among the actions drilling companies could have to take: bury power lines, install mufflers and air pollution control devices on compressor stations, immediately reseed well pads and access roads, and paint equipment to blend in with the scenery....
Calif. bill will give tribes more protection over sacred sites Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday signed a bill that will give American Indian tribes more protection over their sacred sites on public land, allowing them to buy property and shield it from development. Tribes praised the decision and said it was a victory in a battle to preserve cultural resources. The bill, which becomes effective March 1 and extends to both federally recognized and unrecognized tribes, also requires local governments to notify tribes about possible future development....
Kyoto accord gets crucial Russian assent Russia's cabinet approved the Kyoto Protocol yesterday in a crucial step toward putting the long-delayed climate change treaty into effect, albeit without participation from the United States. Final approval by the Russian parliament, which would push the treaty past its required ratification threshold, was not guaranteed, however. While the State Duma generally approves legislation backed by President Vladimir Putin, many Russian officials remain opposed to the pact, fearing its restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions could hinder economic growth....
Column: The pledge For a few weeks in the spring and the fall of the year, I participate as a rodeo announcer for a kid’s rodeo that is held once a week. It includes mutton busting, calf riding, steer riding, junior bull riding and senior bull riding. Of course, we always present the colors (old glory and the Colorado flag) before we begin each rodeo. We encourage the youngsters to come up and volunteer to hold the flags while our national anthem is played. As a general rule, it’s the little girls that rush up to see if they can carry the flags out into the arena and hold them. My policy is a first come, first served, on the flags. It always warms my heart to see the young folks come forward each week to honor our country. What really warms my heart is to see the 3- and 4-year-olds, with cowboy hats held across their hearts, standing at attention and not taking their eyes off of the flags....
Groups: Gas leases violate roadless rule Environmentalists on Wednesday erected a paper roadblock they hope will keep drilling rigs out of a roadless area southwest of Carbondale. A coalition of environmental groups filed an administrative appeal of a U.S. Bureau of Land Management decision to auction off gas leases in the Thompson Creek area in May. The groups contend the leases violate the White River National Forest Plan, which says the U.S. Forest Service will uphold the national Roadless Area Conservation Rule and not allow leasing in roadless areas....
Idaho will oversee wolves before packs are delisted Most of the management of Idaho's thriving wolf population will be transferred from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to the state within months, and even before the animal is pulled from the Endangered Species List, a federal wolf expert said Wednesday. "The state will do everything we do now. Essentially, Fish and Wildlife disappears," said Ed Bangs, wolf recovery team leader. "It's good news for wolves and for wolf recovery." Oversight could be shifted by next spring....
Bigger isn't always better for species survival Being the biggest dog may pay off at feeding time, but species that grow too large may be more vulnerable to extinction, new research suggests. Over 50 million years a succession of large carnivores evolved in North America, diversified, and then died out....
State releasing pair of wolves The state is releasing a pair of endangered Mexican gray wolves in the Gila Wilderness. The male was born in the wild to a pack released in Arizona and had been radio-collared as a pup in 2002. The female was also born in the wild and had never been captured before. She has also been fitted with a radio collar. The wolves were captured last month in the San Mateo Mountains of southwestern New Mexico outside the official area for the species recovery. Wolves released in New Mexico usually are taken into the Gila Wilderness on mules and set free inside mesh enclosures. They chew their way free of the enclosure, then the enclosure is removed....
Editorial: Common ground for wolves regon is almost ready for the next wolf at its door. A panel of Oregon ranchers, hunters, wildlife activists and others has prepared a 100-page plan for making a home for wolves in Oregon. It's a good, carefully written plan that should be approved next month by the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission. Oregon wasn't ready when B45, a female gray wolf, roamed into Northeast Oregon in February 1999. Ranchers howled about the dangers of this lone wolf, and environmentalists turned her into a celebrity, holding a statewide name-that-wolf contest (the winner: "Freedom"). Federal biologists trapped B45 and shipped her back to Idaho....
In a national park, the call of the wild: Is it cellular? At least 30 national parks now sport cell phone towers or other antennas, according to a newly released partial inventory by the National Park Service. This list, the first of its kind, is evidence that phone companies are targeting America's national parks for business. The result, critics say, is a much-degraded visual experience when a tower sprouts on an otherwise pristine landscape — or a jarring aural annoyance when a cell phone rings deep in nature....
Update on North Fruita Desert The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recently released the final management plan for the North Fruita Desert. The North Fruita Desert is home to some of the best riding on the planet, including famous trails like the Edge Loop, Zippety, Prime Cut, Chutes and Ladders and Joe's Ridge. IMBA sent out an action alert regarding this plan last winter, asking our members to comment. IMBA would like to thank our members for commenting, and would also like to commend the BLM for creating a plan that accommodates a number of our concerns and balances the interests of everyone....
Sand dunes threatened with closure Environmental and conservation groups on Wednesday vowed to file an injunction that would eliminate all off-road vehicle use at the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area if the federal government reopens a 49,000-acre portion temporarily closed as a result of a lawsuit filed by those groups to protect a threatened plant species. "The only legal option we may have is to move for a full injunction which would close all of the dunes to all off-roading. We don't want to be in a position to do that," said Daniel Patterson, conservationist with the Tucson-based Center for Biodiversity....
Camouflaged wells calm few concerns over oil, gas drilling In the battle over whether and where to drill for oil and natural gas on public lands in the West, the Bush administration has a new approach: Drill more wells and camouflage them. The Bureau of Land Management this summer ordered its field managers who approve drilling permits to require companies to do a better job of making new wells blend in with the environment. Among the actions drilling companies could have to take: bury power lines, install mufflers and air pollution control devices on compressor stations, immediately reseed well pads and access roads, and paint equipment to blend in with the scenery....
Calif. bill will give tribes more protection over sacred sites Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday signed a bill that will give American Indian tribes more protection over their sacred sites on public land, allowing them to buy property and shield it from development. Tribes praised the decision and said it was a victory in a battle to preserve cultural resources. The bill, which becomes effective March 1 and extends to both federally recognized and unrecognized tribes, also requires local governments to notify tribes about possible future development....
Kyoto accord gets crucial Russian assent Russia's cabinet approved the Kyoto Protocol yesterday in a crucial step toward putting the long-delayed climate change treaty into effect, albeit without participation from the United States. Final approval by the Russian parliament, which would push the treaty past its required ratification threshold, was not guaranteed, however. While the State Duma generally approves legislation backed by President Vladimir Putin, many Russian officials remain opposed to the pact, fearing its restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions could hinder economic growth....
Column: The pledge For a few weeks in the spring and the fall of the year, I participate as a rodeo announcer for a kid’s rodeo that is held once a week. It includes mutton busting, calf riding, steer riding, junior bull riding and senior bull riding. Of course, we always present the colors (old glory and the Colorado flag) before we begin each rodeo. We encourage the youngsters to come up and volunteer to hold the flags while our national anthem is played. As a general rule, it’s the little girls that rush up to see if they can carry the flags out into the arena and hold them. My policy is a first come, first served, on the flags. It always warms my heart to see the young folks come forward each week to honor our country. What really warms my heart is to see the 3- and 4-year-olds, with cowboy hats held across their hearts, standing at attention and not taking their eyes off of the flags....
NMSU Rodeo Opens Season With Sweeps in Barrels, Team Roping
Barrel racers and team ropers from New Mexico State University dominated the competition last weekend at the Cochise College National Intercollegiate Rodeo in Douglas, Ariz.
NMSU’s rodeo team corralled the top four places in each event during the season’s first rodeo. Solid performances in barrel racing, breakaway and goat tying led the NMSU women to a first-place overall finish. The NMSU men were third.
Krista Norell of Meeker, Colo., an NMSU newcomer, won the women’s all-around competition.
NMSU rodeo coach Jim Dewey Brown was impressed with the new recruits, including the winning team roping duo of freshmen Victor Perez of Corona and Nate Mortensen of Virden.
“The freshmen were by far the biggest surprise,” Brown said. “It was nice to see the freshmen do so well in the team roping.”
Second place went to Tommy Etcheverry of Carlsbad, who teamed with a roper from another school. NMSU ropers Tim Baker of Payson, Ariz., (third) and Kody Gentry of Dell City, Texas, (fourth) also competed with ropers from other schools.
NMSU’s Chelsee Byerley of Gallup had an outstanding performance in barrel racing.
Byerley had a slow start last year on a new horse, but was able to put the pieces together at the Cochise rodeo.
“She didn’t leave any doubt,” Brown said. “She has him figured out, I think.” Byerley’s combined runs of 17.6 and 17.4 seconds outpaced the competition by almost a full second.
Three new NMSU team members rounded out the top four finishers in barrel racing: Wylene Penrod, Laveen, Ariz., second; freshman Bailey Gow, Roseburg, Ore., third; and Norell, fourth.
Freshman calf roper Wacey Walraven of Datil snagged first place for NMSU.
Norell was third in breakaway, with freshman Lacy Wilson of Artesia and Gow tying for fourth. In goat tying, NMSU newcomer Kambrah Allsup, formerly of Cochise College, was third, followed by NMSU’s Kayla Weiss of Great Falls, Mont.
NMSU riders also did well, with Justin Sanderlin of Morenci, Ariz., winning the bull riding. NMSU freshman Darren Albrecht of Veyo, Utah, was third.
In saddle bronc riding, NMSU’s Clint Phillipps of Douglas, Wyo., was third.
Next up for the NMSU team is the Gallup/Grand Canyon Regional NIRA rodeo in Gallup Oct. 8-9.
Brown said he will be looking for good things from his team, especially the freshmen. “Hopefully, they’ll keep it going.”
Barrel racers and team ropers from New Mexico State University dominated the competition last weekend at the Cochise College National Intercollegiate Rodeo in Douglas, Ariz.
NMSU’s rodeo team corralled the top four places in each event during the season’s first rodeo. Solid performances in barrel racing, breakaway and goat tying led the NMSU women to a first-place overall finish. The NMSU men were third.
Krista Norell of Meeker, Colo., an NMSU newcomer, won the women’s all-around competition.
NMSU rodeo coach Jim Dewey Brown was impressed with the new recruits, including the winning team roping duo of freshmen Victor Perez of Corona and Nate Mortensen of Virden.
“The freshmen were by far the biggest surprise,” Brown said. “It was nice to see the freshmen do so well in the team roping.”
Second place went to Tommy Etcheverry of Carlsbad, who teamed with a roper from another school. NMSU ropers Tim Baker of Payson, Ariz., (third) and Kody Gentry of Dell City, Texas, (fourth) also competed with ropers from other schools.
NMSU’s Chelsee Byerley of Gallup had an outstanding performance in barrel racing.
Byerley had a slow start last year on a new horse, but was able to put the pieces together at the Cochise rodeo.
“She didn’t leave any doubt,” Brown said. “She has him figured out, I think.” Byerley’s combined runs of 17.6 and 17.4 seconds outpaced the competition by almost a full second.
Three new NMSU team members rounded out the top four finishers in barrel racing: Wylene Penrod, Laveen, Ariz., second; freshman Bailey Gow, Roseburg, Ore., third; and Norell, fourth.
Freshman calf roper Wacey Walraven of Datil snagged first place for NMSU.
Norell was third in breakaway, with freshman Lacy Wilson of Artesia and Gow tying for fourth. In goat tying, NMSU newcomer Kambrah Allsup, formerly of Cochise College, was third, followed by NMSU’s Kayla Weiss of Great Falls, Mont.
NMSU riders also did well, with Justin Sanderlin of Morenci, Ariz., winning the bull riding. NMSU freshman Darren Albrecht of Veyo, Utah, was third.
In saddle bronc riding, NMSU’s Clint Phillipps of Douglas, Wyo., was third.
Next up for the NMSU team is the Gallup/Grand Canyon Regional NIRA rodeo in Gallup Oct. 8-9.
Brown said he will be looking for good things from his team, especially the freshmen. “Hopefully, they’ll keep it going.”
Thursday, September 30, 2004
NEWS ROUNDUP
Bush order eases rules protecting wildlife in forests National forest managers will not have to adhere to strict wildlife protections that have been in place for more than two decades under a temporary rule issued yesterday by the Bush administration. Issued in 1982 by the Reagan administration, the viability requirement was often cited in lawsuits that forced the Forest Service to sharply reduce timber cutting in the Pacific Northwest and other regions with declining populations of owls and other animals. Forest Service spokesman Joseph Walsh said that there was confusion over the two rewrites and that the temporary directive, published yesterday in the Federal Register, was intended as a clarification. It states that until final regulations are issued, forest managers can follow the 1982 regulations if they wish but that they are "not in effect." Instead, it directs managers to base forest plans on "the best available science."....
Survivor recalls noise, impact of crash Jodee Hogg said she is ready to move on with her life after walking away from a plane crash last week in the Montana wilderness that killed three companions. Hogg, appearing Wednesday on ABC News' "Good Morning America," also said it's enough for her that authorities had apologized for initially believing all five on board the single-engine aircraft - a pilot and four Forest Service workers - had perished in the crash near Glacier National Park. Matthew Ramige, of Jackson, Wyo., also survived. "I'm ready to close the book and move on, and get my life started again," she said....
Jackson resort permitted more backcountry skiers The Bridger-Teton National Forest will allow Jackson Hole Mountain Resort to guide more than twice as many skiers in the backcountry this winter. The resort had been permitted to guide 300 backcountry skiers each winter, although the Forest Service routinely allowed the company to exceed that limit. Under the new permit, approved by District Ranger Nancy Hall, the resort would be guaranteed 721 skier days with an option for an additional 179 if the resort proves skier demand warrants it, the agency said Tuesday. The resort could guide up to 900 skiers total....
For the sixth time since 1990, Arizona voters are again being asked to approve land swaps By that definition, we've got some positively certifiable lawmakers up in Phoenix. For the sixth time in 14 years, legislators are asking Arizona voters to let the state back into the business of swapping State Trust Land. This time, the prop is picking up patriotic appeal by flying under the banner of the Military Base Preservation Initiative--a title that has environmental organizations, including the Sierra Club and the League of Conservation Voters, tossing around terms like "political deception" and "mislead the public."....
Mount St. Helens on Higher Eruption Alert Mount St. Helens could erupt within days, government scientists said on Wednesday, raising the alert after movement in the volcano's lava crust was detected following a week of small earthquakes. "We think that the likelihood of an eruption has increased," Cynthia Gardner, seismologist for the U.S. Geological Survey told reporters....
Reagan was right: Trees do cause smog Although scientists knew that trees contribute substantial amounts of VOCs to the atmosphere, the rate of increase in recent decades was previously unrecognized. ''If we don't understand what's going on with biogenic (plant-produced) VOCs, we are not going to be able to weigh different air-quality strategies properly,'' said Purves. ''It's a big enough part of the puzzle that it really needs to go in there with the rest.'' The study may help explain why ozone levels have not improved in some parts of the country as much as was anticipated with the enactment of clean-air laws, Purves said....
Recreation Group Says TRAIL Act Will Penalize Bad Behavior, Keep Public Lands Open Americans for Responsible Recreational Access (ARRA) said yesterday's passage by the U.S. House of Representatives of H.R. 3247, the TRAIL Act of 2004, represents an important victory for all who pursue recreation on public lands in a responsible manner. "This bill, for the first time, would provide for consistent penalties across all public lands agencies for those who would abuse our public lands," said ARRA Executive Director Larry E. Smith. "Instead of allowing those few who misbehave to deny opportunities to everyone, the TRAIL Act will make it possible to repair the damage, penalize the wrongdoers and keep our public lands open to all."....
Executive director of BlueRibbon Coalition resigns Clark Collins, an original founder of the Pocatello-based BlueRibbon Coalition, has reassumed the group's executive director role, following the recent resignation of Bill Dart. Dart was cited with outfitting without a license Aug. 20 when a Forest Service officer reportedly caught him giving a motorcycle tour to an unknown number of clients in the Sawtooth National Forest. After initially being placed on indefinite administrative leave, he announced his resignation Sept. 24....
Forest residents told to leave Within the Angeles National Forest, Larry Bartlett and his neighbors stand guard against fires, littering and loitering. Now they are waiting out an order by the U.S. Forest Service to leave their homes in the forest, most of which was closed to the public Monday until the intense fire danger subsides. Last Friday, a dozen residents who live in a cluster of historical log cabins inside the North Trail Canyon near Tujunga said they were notified by telephone they had 48 hours to leave or face a fine of $5,000. But they are refusing, awaiting official eviction notices. At that point they will decide whether to leave or to fight to stay....
No to plea for squirrel species The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has turned down another petition to list the Western gray squirrel for protection under the Endangered Species Act, the agency said yesterday. A petition filed in December 2002 by the Institute for Wildlife Protection, based in Eugene, Ore., asked the Fish and Wildlife Service to name all Western gray squirrels as endangered, not just the Washington population as other recent petitions and lawsuits have asked....
Wolves killing more domestic animals in Wisconsin Timber wolves are killing more domestic animals in Wisconsin as the population has steadily grown to nearly 400 wolves, a state wolf expert says. So far this year, there have been 21 confirmed cases of wolves killing livestock on farms compared with 14 in all of 2003 and eight in 2002, said Adrian Wydeven, head of the state Department of Natural Resources' wolf management program....
Tree-sit removals draw crowd to courthouse steps About 50 logging activists gathered at the Humboldt County Courthouse as two of their peers were scheduled to check into jail for brief stays. They were greeted with honks from passing cars, and passed by log trucks escorted by Eureka Police Department motorcycles. In August, protesters boarded a log truck and blocked traffic, but Tuesday's demonstration was mellow. Activists Matt Dicks and Kim Starr were sentenced to 10 and 15 days in county jail last week for disturbing the peace and blocking access to Palco property in Southern Humboldt....
'Slobs' force officials to kill grizzly A grizzly bear had to be killed Wednesday after it became accustomed to human food and being in close contact with people. The young female grizzly spent weeks hanging around the Eagle Creek trailhead along the North Fork of the Shoshone River, just east of the East Entrance to Yellowstone National Park. The bear regularly fed on horse grain and human food that was carelessly left out by people, according to Chris Servheen, the scientist in charge of grizzly recovery for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "If people are going to keep acting like slobs, we're going to have to keep killing bears," Servheen said....
New Agreement Preserving Bowhunting Tradition The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today signed a four-year agreement with the Archery Trade Association, the Bowhunting Preservation Alliance, and Arrowsport to increase archery and bowhunting opportunities, building on bowhunters' continued support for wildlife conservation. "This is another example where the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is strengthening partnerships with the hunting community," Service Director Steve Williams said....
Alaska weighs ban on hunters luring bears with food Stale doughnuts, lard, honey-drenched dog food – is this any kind of meal for a wild Alaska bear? No, say activists promoting a ballot initiative that would outlaw the controversial practice of bear baiting in Alaska, one of the many states where bear are hunted....
$26-Million Deal Will Save 8,800 Acres of Fragile Desert An 8,800-acre swath of fragile desert wilderness in the Coachella Valley — which helps to sustain palm oases, sand dunes and the endangered desert tortoise — will be preserved under a $26-million land deal finalized last week by the Nature Conservancy. The acquisition of the Joshua Hills increases the Coachella Valley Preserve by nearly 50%. It also ensures a sand source for the dunes below and forms a link for bighorn sheep, bobcats and kit foxes traveling from Joshua Tree National Park to the valley....
Park's ecosystem at risk, EPA admits The Environmental Protection Agency has acknowledged that nitrogen pollution is harming Rocky Mountain National Park, and administrator Mike Leavitt says he wants to move quickly to fix the problem. Airborne pollutants from Front Range tailpipes, smokestacks, crop fields and feedlots are damaging the park's prized mountaintop ecosystems. If unchecked, the creeping accumulation of urban nitrogen compounds could acidify park waters and soils, posing a threat to fish, forests and alpine tundra, according to park researchers. The problem is known as nitrogen deposition....
Snowmobile protest in D.C. is banned What's good for the goose isn't always good for the gander, an environmental group has found. Campaign to Protect America's Lands wanted to demonstrate the commotion 11 snowmobiles make by parking them outside the nation's Capitol. But the National Park Service denied the group a permit to do so inside Simon Bolivar Park, which is located across the main entrance to the U.S. Department of Interior. The group claims it was denied a permit because snowmobiles aren't considered an acceptable use in D.C....
Bush Administration Sits on Revised Video Until After Election In order to edit out filmed scenes of gay and abortion rights demonstrations that occurred at the Lincoln Memorial, the Bush Administration has spent more than a year and nearly $200,000 making two new versions of a video, according to agency records released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). In November 2003, under pressure from conservative religious groups, the Park Service announced that it would alter an eight-minute video containing photos and footage of demonstrations and other events taking place at the Lincoln Memorial....
Editorial: BLM and OHVs Trying to be fair," is how Rex Smart, manager of the Kanab Bureau of Land Management field office, characterizes his plan to designate some trails in the Vermilion Cliffs area for off-highway vehicles and to make others off-limits. But fairness is only part of the equation. BLM managers must also act quickly as they weigh the often-devastating effects of uncontrolled OHV use on Utah's natural outdoor treasures and the complex issue of how the delicate ecosystems of the state's deserts and mountains can survive and co-exist with OHV users and non-motorized recreationists. Smart's office is responding to a petition from the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, but BLM managers shouldn't wait for conservationists to prod them before taking action to protect public lands....
'Who Owns the West?' You Do! Anti-development groups such as the Environmental Working Group (EWG) seek to block development of domestic supplies of clean-burning natural gas. In a recent report EWG presents myths instead of facts in hopes of scaring policy- makers, media and the public and prevent developing energy resources on Western lands -- non-park, non-wilderness public lands designated to serve, and be used by, all Americans. Here is a top-line look at some of the myths in the report, and the facts available from government, industry and third-party sources....
Bison hunt scaled down A proposed bison hunt in Montana is likely to get a lot smaller, according to the regional manager for the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Hunting in the West Yellowstone area is no longer on the table, FWP regional manager Pat Flowers said, because of the potential for conflict with annual bison hazing operations there....
Refinery report becomes environmental hot potato A government advisory panel has delayed releasing a report on ways to boost U.S. oil refining capacity, and one source familiar with the report attributed that to the Bush administration wanting to avoid a fight over environmental regulations before the national elections. The report by the National Petroleum Council to Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham had been scheduled for release on Thursday and was eagerly awaited by the oil industry, which saw U.S. crude oil prices hit a record $50.47 a barrel this week....
Russian cabinet set to approve Kyoto accord After years of wavering, the Russian government is expected to take concrete steps today toward ratifying the Kyoto climate-change accord, something that would bring the pact into legal force for its 120 signatory nations. Both the state-run Itar-Tass news agency and the more independent Interfax news service carried reports yesterday quoting unnamed government sources who believed President Vladimir Putin's cabinet would approve the accord at a meeting today and pass it on to the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, for ratification....
Drought shrinking jewels of the desert Lake Powell is enormous, but five years of drought have sapped it badly. It's less than half full and down 130 feet. And so the launch ramp at Wahweap, a lakeside resort, ended on dry land. The lake level is still falling — 21 inches a week. So the National Park Service, which extended the ramp 300 feet in 2003, extended it again this month. "Chasing the water," park service staffers call it....
Abandoned Mines Threaten West's Waterways More than a century ago, this wild stretch of mountain and rock was one of the richest mining areas on Earth. Tons of zinc, silver and lead were extracted. Colorado's largest chunk of gold was found here -- a 13-pound nugget named "Tom's Baby." The mines are still producing, but it's a product no one wants. Bright orange water runs from open shafts into tributaries of the Blue River, one of the state's major trout fisheries. Great piles of waste rock, or mine tailings, stand 80 feet high and extend for 30 acres in all directions. Just beneath the surface, tunnels full of poisonous gas honeycomb the mountains, reaching under the nearby town of Breckenridge....
Professor goes West to study dam removal A geology professor from Western Carolina University will spend the next few months in Olympic National Park in Washington attempting to gauge the impact of the nation’s largest dam removal project on water quality in what was once one of the Pacific Northwest’s most productive salmon rivers. A $182 million federally funded plan to restore the Elwha River, the largest watershed in Olympic National Park, will result in the removal of two dams — the 108-foot-tall Elwha Dam and the 210-foot Glines Canyon Dam. The project, set to begin in 2007, is designed to re-establish the salmon fishery in the Elwha River and restore the river’s delta area to its original sandy coastal environment....
Editorial: The Hetch Hetchy fantasy BUILDING A DAM in Yosemite Park would never happen today. But more than 80 years ago, San Francisco filled the Hetch Hetchy Valley to create a water-and-power system that now serves 2.4 million people in the Bay Area. Does it make sense to tear down O'Shaughnessy Dam today? Only if dozens of questions over water purity, water rights, drought years, electricity, politics and a monumental bill can be answered. The conservation group Environmental Defense wants to take out the dam and restore a spectacular, granite-faced Sierra valley. It's an inspiring goal, advocated by no less than John Muir, who fought the dam in the 1920s....
The Saints’ Fence Horace Greeley, noted newspaperman and proponent of westward migration, had two hard and fast rules when it came to colonization — no rum, and no fences. Mr. Greeley, it seemed, had authored a book titled “What I Know of Farming,” in which he championed the European practice of herding cattle instead of fencing them, whether out or in. In retrospect, the newspaperman apparently knew a lot more about newspapers than he did about livestock....
End of an era as drive-in screen comes down With a thud and a cloud of dust, the drive-in theater era in Fallon ended with the dismantling of the old Roper Drive-In screen. The decrepit screen was leaning perilously forward, and it fell Sept. 25 at the hands of a contractor. What's left is an empty lot, a few speaker poles and memories of hot summer nights in the minds of many long-time Fallon residents. The Roper Drive-In was constructed in the summer of 1954, said Bob Erickson, current owner of Fallon Theatres and former owner of the drive-in. The famous sheep rancher Walt Whitaker first opened the theater as a business venture and operated it with various partners until the theater closed in 1978, according to the Churchill County Museum....
Bush order eases rules protecting wildlife in forests National forest managers will not have to adhere to strict wildlife protections that have been in place for more than two decades under a temporary rule issued yesterday by the Bush administration. Issued in 1982 by the Reagan administration, the viability requirement was often cited in lawsuits that forced the Forest Service to sharply reduce timber cutting in the Pacific Northwest and other regions with declining populations of owls and other animals. Forest Service spokesman Joseph Walsh said that there was confusion over the two rewrites and that the temporary directive, published yesterday in the Federal Register, was intended as a clarification. It states that until final regulations are issued, forest managers can follow the 1982 regulations if they wish but that they are "not in effect." Instead, it directs managers to base forest plans on "the best available science."....
Survivor recalls noise, impact of crash Jodee Hogg said she is ready to move on with her life after walking away from a plane crash last week in the Montana wilderness that killed three companions. Hogg, appearing Wednesday on ABC News' "Good Morning America," also said it's enough for her that authorities had apologized for initially believing all five on board the single-engine aircraft - a pilot and four Forest Service workers - had perished in the crash near Glacier National Park. Matthew Ramige, of Jackson, Wyo., also survived. "I'm ready to close the book and move on, and get my life started again," she said....
Jackson resort permitted more backcountry skiers The Bridger-Teton National Forest will allow Jackson Hole Mountain Resort to guide more than twice as many skiers in the backcountry this winter. The resort had been permitted to guide 300 backcountry skiers each winter, although the Forest Service routinely allowed the company to exceed that limit. Under the new permit, approved by District Ranger Nancy Hall, the resort would be guaranteed 721 skier days with an option for an additional 179 if the resort proves skier demand warrants it, the agency said Tuesday. The resort could guide up to 900 skiers total....
For the sixth time since 1990, Arizona voters are again being asked to approve land swaps By that definition, we've got some positively certifiable lawmakers up in Phoenix. For the sixth time in 14 years, legislators are asking Arizona voters to let the state back into the business of swapping State Trust Land. This time, the prop is picking up patriotic appeal by flying under the banner of the Military Base Preservation Initiative--a title that has environmental organizations, including the Sierra Club and the League of Conservation Voters, tossing around terms like "political deception" and "mislead the public."....
Mount St. Helens on Higher Eruption Alert Mount St. Helens could erupt within days, government scientists said on Wednesday, raising the alert after movement in the volcano's lava crust was detected following a week of small earthquakes. "We think that the likelihood of an eruption has increased," Cynthia Gardner, seismologist for the U.S. Geological Survey told reporters....
Reagan was right: Trees do cause smog Although scientists knew that trees contribute substantial amounts of VOCs to the atmosphere, the rate of increase in recent decades was previously unrecognized. ''If we don't understand what's going on with biogenic (plant-produced) VOCs, we are not going to be able to weigh different air-quality strategies properly,'' said Purves. ''It's a big enough part of the puzzle that it really needs to go in there with the rest.'' The study may help explain why ozone levels have not improved in some parts of the country as much as was anticipated with the enactment of clean-air laws, Purves said....
Recreation Group Says TRAIL Act Will Penalize Bad Behavior, Keep Public Lands Open Americans for Responsible Recreational Access (ARRA) said yesterday's passage by the U.S. House of Representatives of H.R. 3247, the TRAIL Act of 2004, represents an important victory for all who pursue recreation on public lands in a responsible manner. "This bill, for the first time, would provide for consistent penalties across all public lands agencies for those who would abuse our public lands," said ARRA Executive Director Larry E. Smith. "Instead of allowing those few who misbehave to deny opportunities to everyone, the TRAIL Act will make it possible to repair the damage, penalize the wrongdoers and keep our public lands open to all."....
Executive director of BlueRibbon Coalition resigns Clark Collins, an original founder of the Pocatello-based BlueRibbon Coalition, has reassumed the group's executive director role, following the recent resignation of Bill Dart. Dart was cited with outfitting without a license Aug. 20 when a Forest Service officer reportedly caught him giving a motorcycle tour to an unknown number of clients in the Sawtooth National Forest. After initially being placed on indefinite administrative leave, he announced his resignation Sept. 24....
Forest residents told to leave Within the Angeles National Forest, Larry Bartlett and his neighbors stand guard against fires, littering and loitering. Now they are waiting out an order by the U.S. Forest Service to leave their homes in the forest, most of which was closed to the public Monday until the intense fire danger subsides. Last Friday, a dozen residents who live in a cluster of historical log cabins inside the North Trail Canyon near Tujunga said they were notified by telephone they had 48 hours to leave or face a fine of $5,000. But they are refusing, awaiting official eviction notices. At that point they will decide whether to leave or to fight to stay....
No to plea for squirrel species The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has turned down another petition to list the Western gray squirrel for protection under the Endangered Species Act, the agency said yesterday. A petition filed in December 2002 by the Institute for Wildlife Protection, based in Eugene, Ore., asked the Fish and Wildlife Service to name all Western gray squirrels as endangered, not just the Washington population as other recent petitions and lawsuits have asked....
Wolves killing more domestic animals in Wisconsin Timber wolves are killing more domestic animals in Wisconsin as the population has steadily grown to nearly 400 wolves, a state wolf expert says. So far this year, there have been 21 confirmed cases of wolves killing livestock on farms compared with 14 in all of 2003 and eight in 2002, said Adrian Wydeven, head of the state Department of Natural Resources' wolf management program....
Tree-sit removals draw crowd to courthouse steps About 50 logging activists gathered at the Humboldt County Courthouse as two of their peers were scheduled to check into jail for brief stays. They were greeted with honks from passing cars, and passed by log trucks escorted by Eureka Police Department motorcycles. In August, protesters boarded a log truck and blocked traffic, but Tuesday's demonstration was mellow. Activists Matt Dicks and Kim Starr were sentenced to 10 and 15 days in county jail last week for disturbing the peace and blocking access to Palco property in Southern Humboldt....
'Slobs' force officials to kill grizzly A grizzly bear had to be killed Wednesday after it became accustomed to human food and being in close contact with people. The young female grizzly spent weeks hanging around the Eagle Creek trailhead along the North Fork of the Shoshone River, just east of the East Entrance to Yellowstone National Park. The bear regularly fed on horse grain and human food that was carelessly left out by people, according to Chris Servheen, the scientist in charge of grizzly recovery for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "If people are going to keep acting like slobs, we're going to have to keep killing bears," Servheen said....
New Agreement Preserving Bowhunting Tradition The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today signed a four-year agreement with the Archery Trade Association, the Bowhunting Preservation Alliance, and Arrowsport to increase archery and bowhunting opportunities, building on bowhunters' continued support for wildlife conservation. "This is another example where the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is strengthening partnerships with the hunting community," Service Director Steve Williams said....
Alaska weighs ban on hunters luring bears with food Stale doughnuts, lard, honey-drenched dog food – is this any kind of meal for a wild Alaska bear? No, say activists promoting a ballot initiative that would outlaw the controversial practice of bear baiting in Alaska, one of the many states where bear are hunted....
$26-Million Deal Will Save 8,800 Acres of Fragile Desert An 8,800-acre swath of fragile desert wilderness in the Coachella Valley — which helps to sustain palm oases, sand dunes and the endangered desert tortoise — will be preserved under a $26-million land deal finalized last week by the Nature Conservancy. The acquisition of the Joshua Hills increases the Coachella Valley Preserve by nearly 50%. It also ensures a sand source for the dunes below and forms a link for bighorn sheep, bobcats and kit foxes traveling from Joshua Tree National Park to the valley....
Park's ecosystem at risk, EPA admits The Environmental Protection Agency has acknowledged that nitrogen pollution is harming Rocky Mountain National Park, and administrator Mike Leavitt says he wants to move quickly to fix the problem. Airborne pollutants from Front Range tailpipes, smokestacks, crop fields and feedlots are damaging the park's prized mountaintop ecosystems. If unchecked, the creeping accumulation of urban nitrogen compounds could acidify park waters and soils, posing a threat to fish, forests and alpine tundra, according to park researchers. The problem is known as nitrogen deposition....
Snowmobile protest in D.C. is banned What's good for the goose isn't always good for the gander, an environmental group has found. Campaign to Protect America's Lands wanted to demonstrate the commotion 11 snowmobiles make by parking them outside the nation's Capitol. But the National Park Service denied the group a permit to do so inside Simon Bolivar Park, which is located across the main entrance to the U.S. Department of Interior. The group claims it was denied a permit because snowmobiles aren't considered an acceptable use in D.C....
Bush Administration Sits on Revised Video Until After Election In order to edit out filmed scenes of gay and abortion rights demonstrations that occurred at the Lincoln Memorial, the Bush Administration has spent more than a year and nearly $200,000 making two new versions of a video, according to agency records released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). In November 2003, under pressure from conservative religious groups, the Park Service announced that it would alter an eight-minute video containing photos and footage of demonstrations and other events taking place at the Lincoln Memorial....
Editorial: BLM and OHVs Trying to be fair," is how Rex Smart, manager of the Kanab Bureau of Land Management field office, characterizes his plan to designate some trails in the Vermilion Cliffs area for off-highway vehicles and to make others off-limits. But fairness is only part of the equation. BLM managers must also act quickly as they weigh the often-devastating effects of uncontrolled OHV use on Utah's natural outdoor treasures and the complex issue of how the delicate ecosystems of the state's deserts and mountains can survive and co-exist with OHV users and non-motorized recreationists. Smart's office is responding to a petition from the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, but BLM managers shouldn't wait for conservationists to prod them before taking action to protect public lands....
'Who Owns the West?' You Do! Anti-development groups such as the Environmental Working Group (EWG) seek to block development of domestic supplies of clean-burning natural gas. In a recent report EWG presents myths instead of facts in hopes of scaring policy- makers, media and the public and prevent developing energy resources on Western lands -- non-park, non-wilderness public lands designated to serve, and be used by, all Americans. Here is a top-line look at some of the myths in the report, and the facts available from government, industry and third-party sources....
Bison hunt scaled down A proposed bison hunt in Montana is likely to get a lot smaller, according to the regional manager for the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Hunting in the West Yellowstone area is no longer on the table, FWP regional manager Pat Flowers said, because of the potential for conflict with annual bison hazing operations there....
Refinery report becomes environmental hot potato A government advisory panel has delayed releasing a report on ways to boost U.S. oil refining capacity, and one source familiar with the report attributed that to the Bush administration wanting to avoid a fight over environmental regulations before the national elections. The report by the National Petroleum Council to Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham had been scheduled for release on Thursday and was eagerly awaited by the oil industry, which saw U.S. crude oil prices hit a record $50.47 a barrel this week....
Russian cabinet set to approve Kyoto accord After years of wavering, the Russian government is expected to take concrete steps today toward ratifying the Kyoto climate-change accord, something that would bring the pact into legal force for its 120 signatory nations. Both the state-run Itar-Tass news agency and the more independent Interfax news service carried reports yesterday quoting unnamed government sources who believed President Vladimir Putin's cabinet would approve the accord at a meeting today and pass it on to the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, for ratification....
Drought shrinking jewels of the desert Lake Powell is enormous, but five years of drought have sapped it badly. It's less than half full and down 130 feet. And so the launch ramp at Wahweap, a lakeside resort, ended on dry land. The lake level is still falling — 21 inches a week. So the National Park Service, which extended the ramp 300 feet in 2003, extended it again this month. "Chasing the water," park service staffers call it....
Abandoned Mines Threaten West's Waterways More than a century ago, this wild stretch of mountain and rock was one of the richest mining areas on Earth. Tons of zinc, silver and lead were extracted. Colorado's largest chunk of gold was found here -- a 13-pound nugget named "Tom's Baby." The mines are still producing, but it's a product no one wants. Bright orange water runs from open shafts into tributaries of the Blue River, one of the state's major trout fisheries. Great piles of waste rock, or mine tailings, stand 80 feet high and extend for 30 acres in all directions. Just beneath the surface, tunnels full of poisonous gas honeycomb the mountains, reaching under the nearby town of Breckenridge....
Professor goes West to study dam removal A geology professor from Western Carolina University will spend the next few months in Olympic National Park in Washington attempting to gauge the impact of the nation’s largest dam removal project on water quality in what was once one of the Pacific Northwest’s most productive salmon rivers. A $182 million federally funded plan to restore the Elwha River, the largest watershed in Olympic National Park, will result in the removal of two dams — the 108-foot-tall Elwha Dam and the 210-foot Glines Canyon Dam. The project, set to begin in 2007, is designed to re-establish the salmon fishery in the Elwha River and restore the river’s delta area to its original sandy coastal environment....
Editorial: The Hetch Hetchy fantasy BUILDING A DAM in Yosemite Park would never happen today. But more than 80 years ago, San Francisco filled the Hetch Hetchy Valley to create a water-and-power system that now serves 2.4 million people in the Bay Area. Does it make sense to tear down O'Shaughnessy Dam today? Only if dozens of questions over water purity, water rights, drought years, electricity, politics and a monumental bill can be answered. The conservation group Environmental Defense wants to take out the dam and restore a spectacular, granite-faced Sierra valley. It's an inspiring goal, advocated by no less than John Muir, who fought the dam in the 1920s....
The Saints’ Fence Horace Greeley, noted newspaperman and proponent of westward migration, had two hard and fast rules when it came to colonization — no rum, and no fences. Mr. Greeley, it seemed, had authored a book titled “What I Know of Farming,” in which he championed the European practice of herding cattle instead of fencing them, whether out or in. In retrospect, the newspaperman apparently knew a lot more about newspapers than he did about livestock....
End of an era as drive-in screen comes down With a thud and a cloud of dust, the drive-in theater era in Fallon ended with the dismantling of the old Roper Drive-In screen. The decrepit screen was leaning perilously forward, and it fell Sept. 25 at the hands of a contractor. What's left is an empty lot, a few speaker poles and memories of hot summer nights in the minds of many long-time Fallon residents. The Roper Drive-In was constructed in the summer of 1954, said Bob Erickson, current owner of Fallon Theatres and former owner of the drive-in. The famous sheep rancher Walt Whitaker first opened the theater as a business venture and operated it with various partners until the theater closed in 1978, according to the Churchill County Museum....
Wednesday, September 29, 2004
NEWS ROUNDUP
George Bush Vs. John Kerry: The Field & Stream Interviews This much we know: The next President of the United States will be a sportsman. Whether it’s George W. Bush or John F. Kerry, each claims that hunting and fishing have been an integral part of his life. President Bush is a bass man. Senator Kerry is a saltwater fisherman. Both like to hunt birds. No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, this should come as very good news. Beyond that, of course, it gets complicated....
Activists Sue Over Calif. Forest Plan Environmental groups sued the U.S. Forest Service on Tuesday, claiming a six-year-old federal law aimed at preventing wildfires has degenerated into a backdoor effort to eventually increase logging across 340,000 acres of Sierra Nevada national forests. The federal lawsuit challenges the Forest Service's effort to log 6,400 acres over five years in the Plumas National Forest west of Quincy, where a coalition of loggers and local conservationists once met to propose what eventually became national fire-prevention policy....
House OKs forest-health youth jobs program Walden, who chairs the Resources Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health, introduced the Healthy Forest Youth Conservation Corps Act to give young adults ages 16 to 25 the opportunity to obtain skills and valuable education in forestland management while conducting work in fuels reduction projects on federal forestlands. Projects will be directed at efforts to prevent catastrophic fire and rehabilitate public land affected or altered by fires. Most notably, work will be done in accordance with HFRA plans to reduce hazardous fuels. Young adults participating in the corps will be managed by the agency in charge of the given forestland, namely the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management or the U.S. Forest Service, part of the Department of Agriculture. The managing agency can contract directly with youth, or they can enter into contracts with state-level departments of natural resources, agriculture or forestry....
Restraining order requested in prairie dog case Eight groups that have sued to prevent federal agencies from starting a program to poison and shoot black-tailed prairie dogs on federal land in southwestern South Dakota have asked a judge for a temporary restraining order. Last month, U.S. Interior Secretary Gale Norton removed prairie dogs from the list of candidates being considered for designation as endangered species, allowing states to take more steps to control prairie dogs....
BLM plans roundups, birth control for wild horses near Cody Federal land managers plan roundups and birth control measures next month to reduce an overpopulated wild horse herd near Cody. The goal is reduce the McCullough Peaks wild horse herd by some 400 animals to achieve a more manageable level of between 70 and 140 animals, according to the Bureau of Land Management. The agency also plans to use birth control methods to help stabilize and improve the health and genetic viability of wild horse herds, while also maintaining a healthy ecosystem, BLM officials said....
Next best delisting However, the "second best thing" to delisting could be in place by early next year, according to Ed Bangs, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's wolf recovery team leader. FWS is now revising what's known as the 10J rule, in order to pass along much of its authority to decide when and where to kill problem-causing wolves to the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. The new rule would let ranchers shoot wolves they see chasing livestock on private land. Doing so is illegal now. People with grazing permits on federal land would also get more leeway, and FWP would be able, under certain circumstances, to kill wolves causing unacceptable impacts to wildlife populations such as deer and elk....
Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch Linn Blancett pulls his pickup truck to a stop and lets out a weary sigh. "You see that area there," he says, pointing to a patch of land that borders a well pad pumping out gas, the surface once covered with grass now bare. "That's supposed to be reseeded." We are in the northwest corner of New Mexico, a few miles from the Colorado border, in the heart of the San Juan Basin, a bowl-shaped, 7,500-square-mile expanse that sits atop one of the largest natural-gas reserves in the country. Linn Blancett and his wife, Tweeti, have been running cattle here for much of their lives. Their ranch stretches across 32,000 acres of mostly federal land, hilly, high-desert terrain where the Blancetts first settled as homesteaders six generations ago, back in the 1870s. On this morning, though, several hours into our trek across the range, we've yet to spot any cattle. What we have seen plenty of are roads, pipelines and drilling rigs....
Small explosion at St. Helens possible within days A small explosion of rocks, ash and steam could occur within the next few days within the crater of Mount St. Helens, where earthquake activity has been steadily building for nearly a week, scientists said Tuesday. "It could certainly happen today; it might not happen for weeks or months," said seismologist Seth Moran of the U.S. Geological Survey's Cascade Volcano Observatory. He added that the likelihood of a significant eruption "is fairly small."....
Gates Close for Good at Ponderosa Ranch The old, if fictional, homestead has closed for good. The Ponderosa Ranch, made famous in the 1960s television program Bonanza, entertained its last visitors Sunday. The 548-acre ranch, located on a hill above Incline Village at the north end of Lake Tahoe, was sold to a developer in July. A Western theme park since 1967, the ranch provided several backdrops, including the horse stables, used in the Bonanza television series....
Rodeo's rumor mill churning Rodeo, much like auto racing, is also rife with rumors. The latest rumor blowing up cell phones among cowboys and cowgirls is possible changes for the National Finals Rodeo. The NFR has been in existence since 1959 with basically the same format. Each performance features the top 10 qualifiers in each event for 10 rounds of competition. The cowboy or cowgirl with the most money won at the end of the year is crowned world champion....
George Bush Vs. John Kerry: The Field & Stream Interviews This much we know: The next President of the United States will be a sportsman. Whether it’s George W. Bush or John F. Kerry, each claims that hunting and fishing have been an integral part of his life. President Bush is a bass man. Senator Kerry is a saltwater fisherman. Both like to hunt birds. No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, this should come as very good news. Beyond that, of course, it gets complicated....
Activists Sue Over Calif. Forest Plan Environmental groups sued the U.S. Forest Service on Tuesday, claiming a six-year-old federal law aimed at preventing wildfires has degenerated into a backdoor effort to eventually increase logging across 340,000 acres of Sierra Nevada national forests. The federal lawsuit challenges the Forest Service's effort to log 6,400 acres over five years in the Plumas National Forest west of Quincy, where a coalition of loggers and local conservationists once met to propose what eventually became national fire-prevention policy....
House OKs forest-health youth jobs program Walden, who chairs the Resources Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health, introduced the Healthy Forest Youth Conservation Corps Act to give young adults ages 16 to 25 the opportunity to obtain skills and valuable education in forestland management while conducting work in fuels reduction projects on federal forestlands. Projects will be directed at efforts to prevent catastrophic fire and rehabilitate public land affected or altered by fires. Most notably, work will be done in accordance with HFRA plans to reduce hazardous fuels. Young adults participating in the corps will be managed by the agency in charge of the given forestland, namely the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management or the U.S. Forest Service, part of the Department of Agriculture. The managing agency can contract directly with youth, or they can enter into contracts with state-level departments of natural resources, agriculture or forestry....
Restraining order requested in prairie dog case Eight groups that have sued to prevent federal agencies from starting a program to poison and shoot black-tailed prairie dogs on federal land in southwestern South Dakota have asked a judge for a temporary restraining order. Last month, U.S. Interior Secretary Gale Norton removed prairie dogs from the list of candidates being considered for designation as endangered species, allowing states to take more steps to control prairie dogs....
BLM plans roundups, birth control for wild horses near Cody Federal land managers plan roundups and birth control measures next month to reduce an overpopulated wild horse herd near Cody. The goal is reduce the McCullough Peaks wild horse herd by some 400 animals to achieve a more manageable level of between 70 and 140 animals, according to the Bureau of Land Management. The agency also plans to use birth control methods to help stabilize and improve the health and genetic viability of wild horse herds, while also maintaining a healthy ecosystem, BLM officials said....
Next best delisting However, the "second best thing" to delisting could be in place by early next year, according to Ed Bangs, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's wolf recovery team leader. FWS is now revising what's known as the 10J rule, in order to pass along much of its authority to decide when and where to kill problem-causing wolves to the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. The new rule would let ranchers shoot wolves they see chasing livestock on private land. Doing so is illegal now. People with grazing permits on federal land would also get more leeway, and FWP would be able, under certain circumstances, to kill wolves causing unacceptable impacts to wildlife populations such as deer and elk....
Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch Linn Blancett pulls his pickup truck to a stop and lets out a weary sigh. "You see that area there," he says, pointing to a patch of land that borders a well pad pumping out gas, the surface once covered with grass now bare. "That's supposed to be reseeded." We are in the northwest corner of New Mexico, a few miles from the Colorado border, in the heart of the San Juan Basin, a bowl-shaped, 7,500-square-mile expanse that sits atop one of the largest natural-gas reserves in the country. Linn Blancett and his wife, Tweeti, have been running cattle here for much of their lives. Their ranch stretches across 32,000 acres of mostly federal land, hilly, high-desert terrain where the Blancetts first settled as homesteaders six generations ago, back in the 1870s. On this morning, though, several hours into our trek across the range, we've yet to spot any cattle. What we have seen plenty of are roads, pipelines and drilling rigs....
Small explosion at St. Helens possible within days A small explosion of rocks, ash and steam could occur within the next few days within the crater of Mount St. Helens, where earthquake activity has been steadily building for nearly a week, scientists said Tuesday. "It could certainly happen today; it might not happen for weeks or months," said seismologist Seth Moran of the U.S. Geological Survey's Cascade Volcano Observatory. He added that the likelihood of a significant eruption "is fairly small."....
Gates Close for Good at Ponderosa Ranch The old, if fictional, homestead has closed for good. The Ponderosa Ranch, made famous in the 1960s television program Bonanza, entertained its last visitors Sunday. The 548-acre ranch, located on a hill above Incline Village at the north end of Lake Tahoe, was sold to a developer in July. A Western theme park since 1967, the ranch provided several backdrops, including the horse stables, used in the Bonanza television series....
Rodeo's rumor mill churning Rodeo, much like auto racing, is also rife with rumors. The latest rumor blowing up cell phones among cowboys and cowgirls is possible changes for the National Finals Rodeo. The NFR has been in existence since 1959 with basically the same format. Each performance features the top 10 qualifiers in each event for 10 rounds of competition. The cowboy or cowgirl with the most money won at the end of the year is crowned world champion....
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