NEWS ROUNDUP
National preserve management draws fire The Valles Caldera is singular, too, in another way. Purchased six years ago for $101 million by the federal government, the 89,000-acre former cattle ranch -- with its meadows, pine forests, hot springs, streams, volcanic domes and huge elk herds -- is managed not by a federal agency, but by a board of trustees appointed largely by the president. The board's daunting task: protect the land's natural and cultural resources, provide recreational opportunities, operate it as a working ranch, and be financially self-sufficient by 2015. It's an experiment in the way public lands are managed -- only the Presidio in San Francisco, the military base-turned-park, has a similar governance -- and one that is now under fire from the same conservation groups that urged the government to buy the land in the first place. The Valles Caldera Coalition accuses the nine-member board of poor management, of dragging its feet on crucial long-term planning, and of being unresponsive to a public hungering for input and access. The coalition says an event on a Saturday in late August was "the tip of the mismanagement iceberg." The Valles Caldera was opened to the general public for a first-ever, free drive-through. More than 3,700 visitors in 1,400-plus vehicles clogged the preserve's narrow, muddy roads, and hundreds more vehicles were shut out when the overwhelming traffic problems forced organizers to close the gate early. The trust "could not properly design a relatively simple drive-through event," the coalition complained in a recent letter to U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M. Critics also say the board isn't allowing its professional staff enough leeway. Former New Mexico Land Commissioner Ray Powell quit as the trust's executive director in 2005 -- after less than a year on the job -- saying it wasn't a policy-making position....
Cougar attacks livestock near White Swan Yakama tribal authorities are asking the public to report any cougar sightings following a suspected attack on livestock last week in the White Swan area. A tribal wildlife expert Monday confirmed a rancher's report that a horse was killed and another mauled sometime Wednesday night in a pasture off Hawk Road. The rancher, Steven Gardner, said he discovered the dead horse on Thanksgiving morning. Gardner said the horse, a 2-year-old filly named Major Sugar Fix, was part of a herd of 13 horses. He said the way the filly died suggested a large predator was responsible. The filly's skull was crushed, he said, and the abdomen torn open. An older mare also was injured. The attack was a first for Gardner, who has lived in the area for 60 years and raises registered quarter horses as well as cattle....
Earthshakers: the Top 100 Green Campaigners of All Time From the woman who raised the alarm over the profligate use of pesticides to the doctor who discovered that chimney sweeps in 18th century London were dying because of their exposure to soot, the government's Environment Agency has named the scientists, campaigners, writers, economists and naturalists who, in its view, have done the most to save the planet. To help celebrate its tenth anniversary, a panel of experts listed its 100 greatest eco-heroes of all time. And it does mean all time: St Francis of Assisi (1182-1226) is there, as is Siddartha Gautama Buddha, who died in 483BC. Top of the list is Rachel Carson, a US scientist whose 1962 book, Silent Spring, is credited by many with kick-starting the modern environmental movement. Her account of the damage caused by the unrestrained industrial use of pesticides provoked controversy and fury in equal measures. Barbara Young, the Environment Agency's chief executive, said: "She started many of us off on the road to environmental protection." At number two is the maverick economist EF Schumacher, a German national rescued from an internment camp in the English countryside by John Keynes, who went on to achieve worldwide fame with his green-tinged economic vision....
Will Surprise Canyon remain off limits to off-road drivers? Five years after it was temporarily closed to off-road enthusiasts who winched their vehicles up its limestone waterfalls, a coveted canyon on Death Valley National Park's western edge has been reclaimed by nature's hand. Thick willow groves have erased nearly all traces of the washed-out road that once pointed extreme sportsmen to the ruins of a onetime silver boom town. Bighorn sheep appear with greater frequency, conservationists note, and the endangered Inyo California towhee has returned. But the battle for Surprise Canyon, home of the longest year-round stream in the Panamint Range, has revved up a notch: More than 100 four-wheel-drive aficionados determined to see their prized run reopened have filed a lawsuit in federal court that is being closely watched throughout the West. The claim relies on a Civil War-era mining law that allowed counties and states to lay routes over federal land. Although the statute, known as RS 2477, was repealed three decades ago, routes established before then were allowed under a grandfather clause. A gravel toll road in Surprise Canyon that fell into public hands before succumbing to flooding is such a route, the lawsuit contends. Since the Surprise Canyon suit was filed in late August, Inyo and San Bernardino counties have filed separate RS 2477 federal court claims that assert local control over 18 other routes. Six environmental groups are seeking to intervene in the Surprise Canyon case, hoping to see the canyon permanently closed and to weigh in on the antiquated statute....
New BLM report may alter drilling debate Federal land managers will issue a long-awaited report today detailing how much of the country's onshore oil and gas are available for drilling -- data that could shape the debate over land-use restrictions on energy companies seeking access to prized reserves. The report comes three years after a study commissioned by a 2000 energy bill found that more than 80 percent of the reserves is already available for development. That assessment was popular with environmentalists, who use it to argue that the industry does not need special breaks to get access oil and gas under federal lands, some of it locked beneath pristine Rocky Mountain wild lands. But energy companies said the earlier study didn't tell the full story, and they lobbied for an updated tally, which was mandated by the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Environmentalists and industry advocates expect the new inventory to show that energy companies face more restrictions than the Bureau of Land Management previously reported. The updated study examines a wider geographic area, including regions east of the Mississippi River and a northern Alaska basin that includes the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, said Matt Spangler, a BLM spokesman. Lawmakers have battled for 25 years over whether to tap vast oil reserves on the 19 million-acre Alaska refuge. The new study also considers the effect of conditions placed on drilling permits, such as restrictions on wintertime drilling to protect elk and deer....
Editorial - Drilling Utah: BLM too quick to sell oil, gas permits The Bureau of Land Management, taking its cue from the Bush administration's determination to pillage the West's open spaces to quench the nation's thirst for energy, has put 336,000 acres of Utah public land on the auction block for oil and gas drilling. Leases put up for bid last week on 256 parcels include areas that do not belong on any map of drilling sites. They are near the Golden Spike National Monument, outside Arches National Park and in the Book Cliffs on the West Tavaputs Plataeu - places with unique value because of their scenic and archaeological characteristics, their pristine air and history. The BLM has pulled back permits to drill inside Wilderness Inventory Areas, set aside by the Clinton administration for their worth to Americans as wilderness, but only because a court ruling forbade the sales. U.S. District Judge Dale Kimball ruled in August that the agency had ignored federal environmental laws and its own findings that those wilderness-quality lands deserve to be protected. Had the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance not sued over the WIAs, those lands, too, would have been opened to energy companies to build roads, operate heavy equipment and drill, despite the ill effects such development would have on wildlife, clean air and water, viewsheds and recreation. County and state officials have teamed up with BLM officials and the energy industry to expedite drilling throughout Utah and the West. More drilling permits than ever before are being sold, often without thorough environmental assessments....
Bioprospecting: Mining Our National Parks One Gene at a Time The National Park Service (NPS) is quietly taking public comment through Dec. 15 on a proposal to allow private companies to "bioprospect" in our national parks -- to commercially mine, not the mineral riches of a park, but the genetic resources of plants, animals, and microorganisms in territories specifically set aside for stewardship in the public trust. The proposal is contained in a Sept. 15, 2006, court-ordered Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), an outgrowth of a lawsuit over a similar 1997 proposal at Yellowstone National Park during the Clinton administration. Steady privatization has been under way at the Park Service for more than 20 years, but the requirement that the NPS actually study the effects of bioprospecting seemed to shelve this particular bad idea. And then, magically, seven years later, the EIS appears, laying out three options that would cover not just Yellowstone but all parks....
Escaped elk may be hybrid One elk that escaped from an Idaho game farm near the Wyoming border may be a red deer hybrid, according to preliminary test results. That elk tested positive as having red deer genetics in two of three tests, according to Idaho Department of Agriculture spokesman Wayne Hoffman. Genetic and disease test results for the other escaped domestic elk in have come back with negative results. Hoffman said what’s confusing is that the elk in question has paperwork in which it is certified as a pure-blood elk. “They both can’t be correct,” he said, referring to genetic test results and the certification that came from the state of Minnesota, by way of Colorado. Idaho agriculture and wildlife agency staff and hunters with permits for the region went gunning this fall for up to 160 domesticated elk that escaped in August from the Chief Joseph hunting preserve near Tetonia, not far from the Wyoming border and Yellowstone National Park. The widely voiced concern at that time was that the escaped game farm elk might spread disease or breed with wild elk, passing on undesirable genetic traits. Idaho Department of Fish and Game spokesman Niels Nokkentved said he’s been told that 36 of Rammell’s elk have been killed, with another 61 captured and in quarantine....
Tribe using beach access as leverage The small Quileute Indian reservation sits on a shoreline of storm-tossed driftwood and pebble beaches, with dramatic views of rock formations rising out of the Pacific Ocean. But the same ocean that crashes daily on these beaches could roll ashore and sweep away the tribe's lower village in a tsunami. That fear is stoking the fire under a long-simmering boundary battle between the Quileute Tribe and the National Park Service. The tribe has closed public access to one beach, and threatens to close another if members don't get additional land on higher ground. The tribe has offered a land swap – it will hand over eight acres of disputed land at Rialto Beach and reopen access to Second Beach if the park cedes – or buys for the tribe – enough land to more than double the size of the reservation. The reservation is bounded on one side by the ocean and three sides by Olympic National Park. The tribe wants to move its school, senior center, tribal offices and some housing to higher ground as well as expand its reservation to build more housing developments....
States seek OK to kill sea lions The states of Oregon, Washington and Idaho on Monday asked the federal government for permission to kill sea lions eating salmon and steelhead at Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River. "Lethal removal is a management method we prefer not to use, but one that may be necessary to restore balance to the Columbia River ecosystem where threatened and endangered stocks of salmon and steelhead are being preyed on by a healthy and growing population of California sea lions," Guy Norman, a regional director of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, said in a statement. Fish and wildlife agencies from the three states joined to formally seek permission to use lethal force under terms of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The request does not include Stellar sea lions, which are protected by the Endangered Species Act. The request will be considered by a task force of state and federal agencies, tribes, scientists, and conservation and fishing groups in a review process that could take several years. Meanwhile, a bill is pending in Congress to quickly give permits to kill problem sea lions to the states and Indian tribes....
Freudenthal signs Platte River agreement Gov. Dave Freudenthal on Monday signed a three-state agreement that helps guide the use of Platte River water while protecting endangered species. "I've signed the agreement reluctantly," Freudenthal said in a statement. "There are no good choices in this area, but it seems to me that the only hope rests in the Platte River recovery program." Wyoming was the last of the three states to sign the Platte River Cooperative Agreement. The governors of Nebraska and Colorado had signed earlier. The plan is designed to help guide Platte River Basin entities in complying with the Endangered Species Act while retaining their access to federal water, land or funding. The goal is to improve the river and protect habitat for native birds and fish....
Lawyers: Deal changes water law A recent legal review of the multistate Platte River Recovery Implementation Program’s components indicates the pact could mean a departure from how Wyoming’s water law has been administered. The analysis, undertaken by Karen Budd Falen and Hertha Lund of the Budd-Falen Law Offices, said the program changes current water law from that of prior appropriation to one in which federally protected species in Nebraska would have the first right to Wyoming’s water. Budd Falen and Lund maintain that the program takes water from the historic prior appropriation system into a whole new realm -- one in which a three-state governance committee will oversee water issues, “giving away state control of Wyoming water.” According to the legal analysis, “The program changes the current water law of prior appropriation to one in which Endangered Species Act-listed species in Nebraska have the first right to Wyoming’s water.” The attorneys maintain that the program will become a mandate overlay on all state water issues....
Expect litigation, water user group says The state's decision to enter an agreement with Colorado and Nebraska over Platte River Basin water will almost certainly result in litigation, the spokesman for a Wyoming water users group said. Joe Glode, president of the Upper North Platte Water Users Association, said the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program offers no assurances that his members' water rights will be protected. The agreement, which is not yet final, requires Wyoming to guarantee 34,000 acre feet of space in Pathfinder Reservoir for downstream wildlife habitat in Nebraska. It allocates another 20,000 acre feet of space for discretionary use in Wyoming. Nebraska and Colorado also are contributing water and money to enhance habitat for the whooping crane, piping plover, least tern and pallid sturgeon in Nebraska. Glode is concerned that the water users he represents upstream from Pathfinder Reservoir will lose out in dry years because they have no place to store water. “You've created two new water rights in the state of Wyoming for which there's no additional water,” said Glode, who lives in Saratoga....
Fence plan alarms landowners Ranching magnate Bill Moody's vast holdings spread across three Texas counties and include 35 miles of frontage along the Rio Grande, where thousands of illegal immigrants and smugglers have crossed from Mexico into the USA. They have worn paths through Moody's pastures, cut his fences and stolen some of his cattle. From his perch on the front lines of the battle against illegal immigration, Moody would seem to be the type of person who would embrace the federal government's most provocative effort to stop illegals from entering this country: a plan to build 700 miles of fence along the 2,100-mile Southwest border, including Moody's land. Instead, Moody is a powerful voice in a growing alliance of border landowners and local law enforcement officials who oppose a fence. Most everyone here agrees that more border security is needed to curb illegal immigration. Ranchers such as Moody and Dob Cunningham, who has a 700-acre spread north of here with 2 miles of river frontage, say they often give Border Patrol agents access to their land to help the agents track down illegals. Like many ranchers and local law enforcement officers, Cunningham believes the U.S. government should focus on hiring more and better-trained Border Patrol agents rather than erecting the proposed double-walled barrier. He fears the fence would deny him access to the Rio Grande's waters that are a lifeline for his cattle and for the migrating wildlife sought by hunters who lease parts of his ranch. Cunningham also isn't happy about the possibility of having to give up a strip of his land along the river to the U.S. government for fence construction....
U.S. tries again to increase cattle imports from Canada The Agriculture Department is trying again to increase cattle and beef imports from Canada, reviving a plan that had stalled amid evidence that Canada's safeguards against mad cow disease were not working. The plan was on hold while authorities weighed the risk of importing older Canadian cattle, which carry a higher risk of having mad cow disease than younger animals. On Friday, the department quietly sent its plan back to the White House for final consideration. At issue is a ban on using cattle remains in cattle feed, the primary firewall against the spread of mad cow disease. The only known way for cattle to get the disease is by eating feed containing diseased cattle tissue, a practice largely outlawed in Canada and the United States in 1997. In July, Canada discovered an infected cow born in 2002, five years after the ban went into effect. The cow's age _ younger than previously infected animals _ suggests a shorter incubation period for the brain wasting disease, meaning it could have gotten a bigger dose of infection than other Canadian cases. Canadian Food Inspection Agency officials have maintained that the incubation period in the cow was still within a normal range of three to eight years. Canada's feed ban is even stricter than the feed ban in the U.S., which is under pressure from McDonald's and other food companies to strengthen its defenses. About 12 percent of the nation's beef is imported from other countries. Canada, accounting for nearly a quarter of those imports, shipped $1.2 billion worth of beef and veal to U.S. markets last year....
FDA readies cloning policy A pending decision by the Food and Drug Administration could allow the sale of meat and milk from cloned animals. It may solve a long-standing frustration for ranchers who can't now reproduce their best steers, but it doesn't mean you'll find a cloneburger any time soon at the local bar and grill. The FDA expects to release a draft of the new regulations by year's end. Repeated studies by the agency "show that the meat and milk from cattle clones and their offspring are as safe as that from conventionally bred animals," the FDA said. Despite those studies, some modern Luddite groups oppose any cloning of agricultural products. But farmers have actually practiced "reproductive cloning" for thousands of years by using cuttings from plants to grow genetically identical offspring. Strawberries and some grasses even clone themselves naturally by sending out runners. Only in recent years, however, has cloning technology reached the point where it can be used for cattle and other mammals. Still, at a price of about $20,000 per animal, cloning is far too expensive to be used to put food on your table. Instead, it will be used to reproduce breeding animals with highly desirable traits....
U.S. wheat industry plans legal attack on AWB The U.S. wheat industry is considering taking legal action against AWB Ltd. and its monopoly grip on Australia's wheat exports after an inquiry found that AWB had misled the United Nations over payments to secure wheat deals in Iraq. The Australian government inquiry, published on Monday, found that AWB broke United Nations oil-for-food sanctions against Iraq with the payment of $222 million in kickbacks to the government of Saddam Hussein between 1999 and 2003. U.S. Wheat Associates, which represents United States wheat exporters who have long complained that AWB's monopoly inhibits competition, said on Tuesday that AWB's subsidiary in the United States could be liable under U.S. law. "The funds that came from the oil-for-food programme moved through U.S. banks," Alan Tracy, president of U.S. Wheat Associates, told ABC radio. "There are a lot of connections here and possible violations of U.S. law." Mark Samson, the U.S. group's vice president for South Asia, told Reuters from Singapore that the U.S. wheat industry was concerned about AWB's utilisation of U.S. credit programmes....
On The Edge of Common Sense - Bear picture S ammi is one of those children for which parents have great expectations but a healthy dose of apprehension. In other words, her self-confidence was bound to get her into trouble now and then. As a 13-year-old ranch kid, she could rope and ride, do the chores, cook, read, shoot and take care of herself like most kids reared up in a country raisin.' The family was overnighting at one of the line camps on the forest. Sammi and her girlfriend had gone down to the creek to fish. She had been to the same camp many times and was aware of the wildlife precautions. Signs had been posted warning of bears in the area and her mother had reiterated the message to her. Knee-deep in the creek, the girls soon became absorbed in girl talk as they walked downstream, nonchalantly casting and reeling as they chattered like squirrels about boys, teachers, music, clothes, volleyball, boys, teachers, music, clothes, volleyball, boys, teachers, music, etc. Suddenly Sammi screamed! "Run!" she shouted. "There's a bear!"....
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Monday, November 27, 2006
FLE
Justice Official Opens Spying Inquiry
After months of pressure from Congressional Democrats, the Justice Department’s inspector general said Monday that his office had opened a full review into the department’s role in President Bush’s domestic eavesdropping program and the legal requirements governing the program. Democrats said they saw the investigation as a welcome step that could answer questions about the operations and legal underpinnings of the program, which allows the National Security Agency to monitor, without obtaining court warrants, the international communications of Americans and others inside this country with suspected terrorist ties. “This is a long overdue investigation of a highly controversial program,” said Representative John Conyers Jr., the Michigan Democrat who will take over as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. Last December, more than three dozen Democrats called for the Justice Department inspector general, Glenn A. Fine, to open an investigation. Mr. Fine declined at the time, saying a review of the program’s legality fell outside his jurisdiction. He referred the matter to another arm of the Justice Department, the Office of Professional Responsibility. That office sought to examine ethical issues surrounding the roles played by Justice Department lawyers in the eavesdropping program. But its review was blocked this year when Mr. Bush personally refused security clearances for its investigators. Democrats have since renewed their calls for a full Justice Department investigation, accusing the Bush administration of stonewalling. On Monday, Mr. Fine informed members of Congress in a letter that he was opening an investigation after the White House had agreed to approve the necessary security clearances for members of his staff. The review will have a somewhat different scope than the investigation sought and rejected last year. The review, Mr. Fine said in his letter, will examine the controls in place at the Justice Department for the eavesdropping, the way information developed from it was used, and the department’s “compliance with legal requirements governing the program.” Officials said the investigation could examine the legal authority given to the Justice Department under a secret executive order first signed by Mr. Bush in October 2001, as well as the laws and procedures governing intelligence wiretaps under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which was approved by Congress in 1978 after the Watergate scandal and required a special court warrant for wiretaps on Americans. The review could also look at how intelligence generated by the eavesdropping was used to seek traditional court warrants and to pursue criminal cases, the officials said....
Justices Rebuff Times on Leak Inquiry
The United States Supreme Court refused today to stop a federal prosecutor from reviewing the telephone records of two reporters for The New York Times. The records, the paper said, include information about many of the reporters’ confidential sources. In a one-sentence order offering no reasoning and noting no dissenting votes, the Supreme Court rejected a request from The Times to stay a lower court’s decision while the paper tried to persuade the high court to review the case. Today’s order effectively allows the United States attorney in Chicago, Patrick J. Fitzgerald, to begin reviewing the records, which he has already obtained from phone companies, as early as this week. The Justice Department told the Supreme Court on Friday that Mr. Fitzgerald is under enormous time pressure. “The statute of limitations,” the government said, “will imminently expire on December 3 and 13, 2006, on certain substantive offenses that the grand jury is investigating.” The grand jury, in Chicago, is looking into who told the two reporters, Judith Miller and Philip Shenon, about actions the government was planning to take in December 2001 against two Islamic charities in Illinois and Texas. The disclosures to the reporters, the government lawyers wrote Friday, may have amounted to obstruction of justice. In August, a divided three-judge panel of the federal appeals court in Manhattan ruled in favor of Mr. Fitzgerald, saying that the reporters were not entitled to shield their sources in the unusual circumstances of the case. The government contended that the reporters had tipped off the charities to the impeding actions against them. The Times said the reporters had engaged only in routine newsgathering....
Justice Official Opens Spying Inquiry
After months of pressure from Congressional Democrats, the Justice Department’s inspector general said Monday that his office had opened a full review into the department’s role in President Bush’s domestic eavesdropping program and the legal requirements governing the program. Democrats said they saw the investigation as a welcome step that could answer questions about the operations and legal underpinnings of the program, which allows the National Security Agency to monitor, without obtaining court warrants, the international communications of Americans and others inside this country with suspected terrorist ties. “This is a long overdue investigation of a highly controversial program,” said Representative John Conyers Jr., the Michigan Democrat who will take over as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. Last December, more than three dozen Democrats called for the Justice Department inspector general, Glenn A. Fine, to open an investigation. Mr. Fine declined at the time, saying a review of the program’s legality fell outside his jurisdiction. He referred the matter to another arm of the Justice Department, the Office of Professional Responsibility. That office sought to examine ethical issues surrounding the roles played by Justice Department lawyers in the eavesdropping program. But its review was blocked this year when Mr. Bush personally refused security clearances for its investigators. Democrats have since renewed their calls for a full Justice Department investigation, accusing the Bush administration of stonewalling. On Monday, Mr. Fine informed members of Congress in a letter that he was opening an investigation after the White House had agreed to approve the necessary security clearances for members of his staff. The review will have a somewhat different scope than the investigation sought and rejected last year. The review, Mr. Fine said in his letter, will examine the controls in place at the Justice Department for the eavesdropping, the way information developed from it was used, and the department’s “compliance with legal requirements governing the program.” Officials said the investigation could examine the legal authority given to the Justice Department under a secret executive order first signed by Mr. Bush in October 2001, as well as the laws and procedures governing intelligence wiretaps under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which was approved by Congress in 1978 after the Watergate scandal and required a special court warrant for wiretaps on Americans. The review could also look at how intelligence generated by the eavesdropping was used to seek traditional court warrants and to pursue criminal cases, the officials said....
Justices Rebuff Times on Leak Inquiry
The United States Supreme Court refused today to stop a federal prosecutor from reviewing the telephone records of two reporters for The New York Times. The records, the paper said, include information about many of the reporters’ confidential sources. In a one-sentence order offering no reasoning and noting no dissenting votes, the Supreme Court rejected a request from The Times to stay a lower court’s decision while the paper tried to persuade the high court to review the case. Today’s order effectively allows the United States attorney in Chicago, Patrick J. Fitzgerald, to begin reviewing the records, which he has already obtained from phone companies, as early as this week. The Justice Department told the Supreme Court on Friday that Mr. Fitzgerald is under enormous time pressure. “The statute of limitations,” the government said, “will imminently expire on December 3 and 13, 2006, on certain substantive offenses that the grand jury is investigating.” The grand jury, in Chicago, is looking into who told the two reporters, Judith Miller and Philip Shenon, about actions the government was planning to take in December 2001 against two Islamic charities in Illinois and Texas. The disclosures to the reporters, the government lawyers wrote Friday, may have amounted to obstruction of justice. In August, a divided three-judge panel of the federal appeals court in Manhattan ruled in favor of Mr. Fitzgerald, saying that the reporters were not entitled to shield their sources in the unusual circumstances of the case. The government contended that the reporters had tipped off the charities to the impeding actions against them. The Times said the reporters had engaged only in routine newsgathering....
NEWS ROUNDUP
On the Move to Outrun Climate Change As the Bush administration debates much of the world about what to do about global warming, butterflies and ski-lift operators, polar bears and hydroelectric planners are on the move. In their separate ways, wild creatures, business executives and regional planners are responding to climate changes that are rapidly recalibrating their chances for survival, for profit and for effective delivery of public services. Butterflies are voting with their wings, abandoning southern Europe and flying north to the more amenable climes of Finland. Ski-lift operators in the West are lobbying for leases on federal land higher up in the Rockies, trying to outclimb snowlines that creep steadily upward. Polar bears along Hudson Bay are losing weight and declining in number as the ice shelf melts and their feeding season shrinks. Power planners in the Pacific Northwest, which gets three-quarters of its electricity from hydroelectric dams, are meeting in brainstorming sessions and making contingency plans for early snow melts, increased wintertime rainfall, lower summertime river flows and electricity shortfalls during hotter, drier summers. With the issue of a warming planet shifting rapidly from scientific projection to on-the-ground reality, animals and plants are being compelled, along with businesses and bureaucracies, to take action aimed at self-preservation. They are doing so even as the Bush administration eschews regulations, laws or international treaties that would require limits on carbon dioxide emissions, which scientists say are the main cause of global warming....
The wolf in winter In the language of biologists, they are "charismatic megafauna," the species that define a landscape and get the lion's share of attention in our parks and refuges. Wolves, bears, moose and eagles are not only wild creatures in the woods -- they are symbols of what we admire and sometimes fear about the wilderness. As the human population grows, questions about whether we want to live in a world with wolves and other wild animals become more urgent. Minnesota is one of the last places in the Lower 48 with an ecosystem that still includes big predators and game animals. In the state's remaining wild spaces, we are fortunate to be able to encounter, and learn about, our animal kingdom's star attractions. In 1963, the wolf population in the contiguous United States was estimated at between 360 and 710, all in Minnesota except for 10 on Isle Royale in Lake Superior. Today, there are more than 5,000 in the lower 48, about 3,000 of them in Minnesota. Their recovery is remarkable, especially considering that many people would just as soon see them dead....
Native elk thrive again on fringes of Bay Area On the east side of Santa Clara County, up over the Diablo Range and not more than 30 miles from Silicon Valley, cattle rancher Keith Hurner bounced his red pickup truck down a dirt road last week and came upon a herd. Not cows. Elk. Hurner hears the elk bugling at night. He keeps pictures of them in his home on the ranch that has been in his family for 110 years. ``I think it's the greatest thing that's ever happened here,'' said Hurner, 70. ``I really enjoy watching them.'' It might surprise the Bay Area's city dwellers to know there are at least 300 tule elk in Silicon Valley's rural Back 40, roaming across the wide-open ranch lands between Pacheco Pass, Livermore and Interstate 5....
West's newest prospectors seek geothermal energy Mormon ranchers in Idaho’s Raft River Valley who hit gushers of hot water while drilling irrigation wells in the 1950s soon learned the corrosive, 300-degree liquid killed their crops. Their sons and daughters who remain in this wind-washed country near the Utah border remember the steaming ponds were good for at least something: boiling farm animals. “The locals would bring their chickens and pigs and scald the hair and feathers off them,” recalls Paul Barnes, a Malta rancher. “When I was a kid, we actually cooked pinion nuts we gathered in the hills.” Barnes now returns to the geothermal area daily — not to roast pinions, but as a roughneck on a drilling crew boring 6,000 feet into the earth. Come next October, his employer, U.S. Geothermal, expects to begin producing electricity from a hot-water-fired power plant. Utility Idaho Power Co. has agreed to buy enough electricity to light 7,500 homes. It’s no coincidence U.S. Geothermal, which in August won $34 million in financing from investment bankers at Goldman Sachs in New York, is now prospecting for geothermal energy on Idaho’s high desert. Across the West, some 60 new geothermal projects are in the works, in addition to 61 existing sites in five states....
Circling the Welcome Wagons For a long time, people settled in this country where the natural resources were, or along railroads and highways. That left giant swaths of American outback empty by default, and the Rocky Mountain West, with its mind-numbing distances and extreme environment, was, for a long time, among the emptiest. Thirty years ago, when I moved from upstate New York to Montana, it was still a high-country Brigadoon, hidden away from the real world by its location, climate and deficit of jobs. The few cities were islands in an ocean of drop-dead beautiful landscapes. Montana and the other mountains and canyons of the nation's cordillera, in Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico, weren't yet known as the Third Coast—the next major American settlement after the East Coast, the first, and the West Coast on the Pacific Ocean. The problem with living on the Third Coast is that we all saw what happened to the second....
Greens honor McCloskey An environmental award normally reserved for those in government went this year to former Congressman Pete McCloskey, whose failed primary campaign against Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Tracy, was judged key by the Sierra Club in the eventual defeat of the congressional incumbent. Although McCloskey played down his role in Democrat Jerry McNerney’s victory, he said he would treasure the Edgar Wayburn Award as much as his two Purple Hearts. “I was deeply touched; I was practically in tears,” McCloskey said of the surprise Nov. 17 award ceremony. The Yolo County rancher’s campaign, described by McNerney’s campaign manager as “a battleship softening up the shore for the troops,” focused in part on the environment. McCloskey helped draft the Endangered Species Act that Pombo wanted to wind back, and he co-chaired the first Earth Day in 1970....
Bombing range's makeover under fire A couple of miles east of E-470, plans are afoot for the biggest development few have ever heard of: a 2,880-acre community on par in size with Stapleton and Lowry, yet resting solidly outside the metro area's urban growth boundary. The embryonic development, sitting on a chunk of land once used for bombing practice by the Air Force, has the unusual quality of falling under the ownership of the State Land Board, an obscure Colorado agency that more often deals in grazing rights, gas leases and gravel pits. But with little public fanfare, the land board is now playing the role of mega-developer. Its five-member board is on the verge of picking from one of three proposals submitted by companies that want to plan homes, schools and businesses on land even some Aurorans consider the boonies....
Wind River Ranch: Nature's refuge Five thousand tree-studded acres of canyon and prairie along the Mora River north of Las Vegas, N.M., used to be the vacation home of philanthropist Eugene Thaw. Now it is the headquarters of a conservation organization with an ambitious list of environmental goals. It also provides refuge to 150 Santa Fe prairie dogs displaced by development. Here's how it happened. Two years ago, Thaw, now 79, felt he was growing too old for his hobby of raising Arabian horses. He decided he wanted Wind River Ranch, 16 miles northwest of Las Vegas to serve a public purpose. Thaw had hoped to donate the ranch to the Wildlife Conservation Society. He offered it to the organization. And it looked like all systems were go at first. The group even recruited Brian Miller, a conservation biologist from the Denver Zoo, to manage the ranch. But the deal fell through. Undeterred, Thaw hired Miller himself. And the Wind River Ranch Foundation, a private nonprofit, was founded. The mission of the foundation is simple: "To further conserve the wild landscapes through ecological restoration, research and education." But its goals are many....
Prospects increasing for helping threatened frogs' survival Survival prospects could leap upward for the threatened Chiricahua leopard frog _ if such mortal threats as bullfrogs and fungal disease can be dealt with. The green critters speckled with black dots, native to portions of Arizona, New Mexico and northern Mexico, have dwindled greatly in population and habitat because of factors ranging from nonnative predators to disease, drought and habitat destruction _ essentially ranches being broken up for development. But since 2000, even before the frogs' 2002 listing as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act, federal and state wildlife agencies have been developing a plan to get ranchers and other private landowners to help protect them through so-called safe harbor agreements....
Some Kansas prairie dogs being exterminated with poison The fight over the fate of prairie dogs in Logan County escalated during the weekend, when two exterminators started spreading poison, much to the surprise of the landowners. One of the landowners, Larry Haverfield, said he contacted his attorney on Monday to figure out a way to fight the poisoning. The Wyoming-based exterminators spread the poison on land that has been targeted for reintroduction of the federally endangered black-footed ferret — an idea that has been strongly resisted by some in the area. Last week, the Logan County Commission, which has fought the ferret reintroduction, rejected a prairie dog management plan proposed by Haverfield. Two days after the plan was submitted, Haverfield received a letter from Logan County Attorney Andrea Wyrick rejecting the plan and saying the county would proceed with eradication on Haverfield’s land — and send the bill to him....
The Greatest Hunting Controversy of Them All I’ve been writing about wildlife and conservation for 34 years, and one thing I’ve learned is that if you want controversy, write about wolves or hunting. Now, I’m wondering what would happen if I wrote about both at the same time. Hunting is engrained in the culture of the New West, but demographics are gradually changing with new folks moving in every day from urban America where hunting may not be so engrained into their lifestyle. Still, I feel safe in saying that the majority of NewWesties accept hunting as a legitimate form of outdoor recreation instead of viewing it as legalized murdering of innocent animals. But will the majority accept wolf hunting? It won’t be too long before we have to answer this question. As you read this, at dusk in our general big game hunting seasons, the option of making the wolf a trophy big game animal is buried in the management plans, formal and informal, written by the Idaho, Montana and Wyoming wildlife agencies....
Future uncertain for wilderness ranch This time of year, frigid temperatures and blowing snow mean casual visits are about to end at the historic Red's Horse Ranch eight miles from the nearest road in northeastern Oregon's Eagle Cap Wilderness. The trails will reopen in June, and the U.S. Forest Service will take stock of how the former dude ranch fared during another winter season. But the agency can do only basic maintenance; with a budget of $4,000 a year, that's all it can afford. The approach hasn't changed much in the 12 years since the Forest Service acquired the spread. Fans of the picturesque site -- shoehorned into a deep wilderness canyon beside the Minam River and accessible only by shoe leather, horseback and small airplane -- worry that the ranch will continue to fall into disrepair, and they want to preserve the rich history of the place....
Denver water system still reeling from effects of wildfire More than four years after the huge Hayman fire roared through the forests southwest of Denver, surrounding the Denver water utility’s oldest reservoir, the company continues to wrestle with the fire’s aftereffects. Mud, ash and decomposed material pours into 101-year-old Cheesman Reservoir whenever a storm hits, sending tons of muck into the lake that was at the fire’s center. All this creates an ongoing headache for Colorado’s largest water provider. Utility managers worry debris may eventually fill in the reservoir, gum up the pipes and render the water system ineffective. ‘‘We were told it would stabilize in five years,’’ said Kevin Keefe, superintendent of source supply for Denver Water. ‘‘This is year four. It’s not getting better,’’ Keefe said. ‘‘It’s getting worse.’’ The utility has spent $7.8 million in the last four years removing debris, replacing culverts, building sediment dams and seeding slopes, officials say....
Getting to bottom of mysterious elk deaths It wasn't until game warden Benge Brown ran out of ammunition putting down elk that he knew Wyoming had a big problem. It was February 2004, and the Rawlins-based game warden for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department had just returned to the Red Rim, a low red sandstone rise 12 miles west of Rawlins, after spending a few days in Afton dealing with elk getting into haystacks. Brown had seen just a few elk down with mysterious symptoms before he left for Afton, but he'd thought about them the whole time he was gone, concerned there might be more. One elk down was nothing unusual, but two elk was worrisome. "When I got back, I drove around looking," he said, "and I didn't have to look very far." Dying elk were scattered all over the low rocky country of the Red Rim-Daley Wildlife Habitat Management Area, a reserve created primarily not for elk, but for pronghorn antelope. There were, in fact, several hundred antelope there that February, and they seemed to be fine. The elk, however, were dying slow, horrible deaths, helplessly stranded on their bellies in snow drifts and caught grotesquely on fences, which they normally could jump with ease....
Editorial - Shale leases welcome Americans who worry about this country's increasing dependence on foreign oil - and that should be most of them - should cautiously welcome news that the Department of the Interior has approved leases on parcels of federal land in Rio Blanco County for oil shale research, development and demonstration projects. Cautiously, because there are many unanswered questions about the process. But welcome, because if those questions can be answered satisfactorily, the West's oil-shale resources would supply a significant share of America's energy needs. The five leases will be for 160-acre parcels on land managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Shell will have three of them, and Chevron and EGL Resources one each. Interior's determination that the leases would have " no significant impact" rests in part on the simple fact that 800 acres is a minute portion of the 1,455,900 acres managed by the BLM in the White River Resource Area. There are multiple safeguards written into the environmental assessments (available at www.co.blm.gov/wrra/nepa.htm). In addition, the companies will have to obtain all the applicable local, state and federal permits regulating air and water quality. And even if all this were to prove insufficient in some unforeseen way, the effects would be minimal....
Column - Wild horses have become the West's sacred cows Our national obsession with keeping "wild" horses and burros on public lands that are incapable of supporting them has always struck me as bizarre, especially since it's the result of our alleged love for them. Ask most any wild horse advocacy group and you'll be told that wild horses are native wildlife and anyone who wants them off the public land is fronting for the cattle industry. It's true that cattle do more damage than free-ranging horses or burros because there are more of them. But one horse does far more damage than one cow. And though it's true that a form of horse evolved in North America, it went extinct along with other ice-age megafauna such as the woolly mammoth. Arguing that the modern horses unleashed by the Conquistadores are "native" to the continent because their progenitors were here 10,000 years ago is as absurd as arguing that elephants are native, too, because their progenitors were also here 10,000 years ago. Unlike all native ungulates, and even unlike cattle, horses and burros have meshing incisors and solid hoofs. Because native vegetation of the arid West has evolved no defense against these animals, they extinguish it and then starve....
Suit filed to open remote road A long-simmering issue involving an obscure 19th-century law that grants rights of way on federal land is heading for court. A major legal battle looms over the public's right to use a closed Inyo County road through remote Surprise Canyon to the ghost town of Panamint City in Death Valley National Park. "Under law, the federal government must give private landowners access to their property," said Wyoming attorney Karen Budd-Falen, counsel to three groups of landholders who own property near the old mining camp. Their land is surrounded by federal land and can be reached by road only by a 132-year-old route through Surprise Canyon. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management installed a gate to close the road in mid-2001, sparking the court challenge by the landowners and off-road- vehicle groups that frequented the canyon. Budd-Falen said the plaintiffs - the nonprofit Friends of the Panamint Valley, the Little Chief Millsite partnership, and landowner Bryan Lollich - contend the Civil War-era law granting right of way on public land must be upheld. "Through the Mining Act of 1866, which later became Revised Statute 2477, Congress granted rights of way over unreserved public lands for the construction of highways," the Budd-Falen said. "Passage of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 repealed RS 2477, but rights of way existing before its adoption on Oct. 21, 1976, were grandfathered in. This included the road through Surprise Canyon."....
Burros to be gathered next week They'll be gathering jacks and jennies in Johnnie next week. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is planning to remove between 20 and 40 wild burros from private property in Johnnie early next week to address safety concerns for the public and the burros. The BLM outlined plans for the removal of 240 wild horses and 540 burros from the entire Spring Mountains Herd Management Complex in January. That management complex includes both sides of the Spring Mountains including Johnnie on the west and Red Rock Canyon on the east. In the last two months calls have increased about wild burros entering private property on the north end of Pahrump. In the last two weeks, two wild burros died after being hit by vehicles. A private homeowner has agreed to allow the BLM and Nye County Animal Control to bait trap the burros by placing feed in a corral and closing the gate once the animals enter. The burros have encroached on the landowner's property, the BLM states in a written press release....
White House opposes White Pine Public Lands Bill The Bush administration voiced a familiar refrain on Thursday when it came out against a plan to sell off public land in White Pine County while creating new wilderness and expanding parks. A Bush official said a bill that reconfigures federal property in eastern Nevada was unacceptable because profits from public land sales would remain within the state. The official's comments echoed Bush's dislike for previous laws that authorize disposal of excess federal land in Clark County and Lincoln County while specifying the proceeds be spent locally or dedicated for Nevada purposes. "The administration believes that all American taxpayers should benefit from the sale of public lands," Chad Calvert, Interior Department deputy assistant secretary for land and minerals, said at a Senate hearing. Nevada senators who wrote the White Pine bill shrugged at the opposition, which had been expected....
Home on line in BLM land dispute A cabin tucked in the pines outside Placerville has been home to a series of owners for nearly half a decade. But because of a mining-claim misunderstanding even older than the cabin, the federal government views it as a squatter's dwelling and the owners who have lived there the past 25 years as trespassers. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management notified Sally Siegel and David Mattner this summer that unless they can convince bureau attorneys otherwise, they must leave and wipe out any signs of human habitation on their 5 acres. Siegel and Mattner and their predecessors on the property have been fighting the BLM since the days when Dwight Eisenhower was president and nearby Telluride was an undiscovered remnant of a mining town. It was an era when some mining claims were still marked with rocks and bridge posts. "No one ever tried to dupe anyone. This is an abuse of power," said Siegel, a well-known preschool teacher in the Telluride area....
State weighs wolf hunt before taking oversight Michigan's federally protected population of gray wolves could be under state oversight by spring, and a group charged with developing a management plan is divided between allowing the reclusive animal to be hunted or keeping it safeguarded. The Michigan Wolf Management Roundtable will offer advice to update the state's management plan, which was developed in 1997. Gray wolves will become the responsibility of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources if the federal government delists the animal as an endangered species in four months. The impending switch to state oversight is being driven by an increasing population in the Upper Peninsula, where possibly more than 400 wolves exist. Interior Secretary Gale Norton announced a proposal earlier this year to remove the wolf from the endangered species list in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin, where a combined 3,800 are estimated to live. But the farmers, hunters, scientists, conservationists, environmentalists and tribal representatives who make up the advisory panel are split over the issue of sport or recreational hunting of the animal. Some support hunting, while others vehemently oppose it....
‘Vestiges of what Colorado used to be’ When Edwin James, the man credited with the first recorded climb of Pikes Peak, explored the mountain in July 1820, there were no official trails. The mountain was a wild place, home to bears, elk and mountain lions. Its highest hillsides were decorated with tiny alpine flowers. And its streams held a fish that had lived there long before explorers arrived. Today, the mountain is still a wild place. Its forests and meadows are still home to elk, bears and mountain lions, and flowers still cling to the tundra. Sure, there have been changes — a highway and a railroad route wind up the mountain. Every day, explorers climb established trails to the summit and around its base. But that native fish — a brightly colored greenback cutthroat trout — still lives in the stream called Severy Creek. It’s a valuable link to the biological past of Colorado, which is why Severy Creek and a trail that crosses it were closed in 1999....
Big Win for Enviros There's no question that America's environmentalists won big in the midterm elections. "We picked up twenty new environmental votes in the House of Representatives and five in the Senate, plus four governorships," says Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club, who called 2006 "the most successful midterm election in the environmental movement's history." Whether the victory is big enough to change government policy during the last two years of the Bush presidency, especially on the overriding threat of global warming, is less clear. Much will depend on how worried Republicans get about running on Bush's environmental record in 2008. "Congressional Republicans will adopt an 'avoid embarrassing Bush' strategy," predicts Brent Blackwelder, president of Friends of the Earth. Now that Democrats enjoy majorities in both houses of Congress, Blackwelder adds, "they could get a decent global warming bill through the House and probably onto the Senate floor. If Republicans conclude they can't defeat the bill on a straight vote, they'll filibuster it to save Bush, and ultimately themselves, the embarrassment of vetoing it."....
A greener Congress Deadly chemical runoff and suffocating loads of sediment plague the Mississippi River, and the governors of Missouri, Illinois and three other states in the river basin want an accounting of the problem. A bill in Congress would do just that, and now that Democrats have taken control, it could speed to passage. "The Congress is definitely a deeper shade of green after these elections," said Melinda Pierce, a Sierra Club lobbyist. The Mississippi River bill has a modest price tag and focuses on a regional problem. It's one type of narrower environmental initiative that Democrats will probably seek to guide through when they take control of Congress in January 4. But Democratic leaders are setting their sights higher as weel, promising major policy shifts including....
UN authorities lobby for increased environment power ELEANOR HALL: At a meeting of world leaders in Sydney today, the United Nations authorities are lobbying for the international body to be given more power, particularly on the environment. The European Union is now leading the charge, arguing that the UN's existing environment body lacks resources and that the program is outdated. But as Sarah Clarke reports, the EU is not expecting much support from the Australian Government. SARAH CLARKE: Climate change has been described by the outgoing United Nations Secretary General as "grave a threat as conflict, poverty and the spread of weapons". Yet even members of the United Nations Environment Program say the agency is overstretched, and needs more power if it's to fulfil its role. Shafqat Kakakhel is the Executive Director. SHAFQAT KAKAKHEL: We think that we need an international organisation of a higher profile, a higher stature, in order to deal with the ever-worsening and escalating environmental challenges that the planet faces. SARAH CLARKE: Today he'll join delegations, academics and environmental groups at an international meeting in Sydney to push for a stronger global watchdog....
Doubletree Hotels help kids get wild in classrooms across the nation Tigers, humpback whales, polar bears, and monarch butterflies - oh my! Not exactly Dorothy's traveling troupe of friends, these threatened and endangered animals are all getting a little help from more than 10,000 grade school children across the U.S. and Canada this fall as part of a special education initiative. Doubletree Hotels today announced an exclusive partnership with World Wildlife Fund, one of the world's largest and most recognized conservation organizations, as a continuation of the hotel brand's successful Teaching Kids to CARE community outreach program. From now until December, thousands of kids will learn about the threats and challenges facing the world's animal population today and encourage them to do their part to protect our planet's wildlife. "With more than 10,000 animals currently considered endangered and at risk of disappearing forever, our Doubletree Teaching Kids to CARE initiative empowers students to do their part to protect the world's magnificent creatures," said Dave Horton, senior vice president - brand management, Doubletree....
U.S., Colombia sign trade pact The Bush administration signed a free-trade agreement Wednesday with the government of Colombia, despite strong Democratic Party objections that threaten to keep the pact from becoming law. The signing ceremony at the Inter-American Development Bank culminated more than 2 1/2 years of work on the pact, which the White House sees as an important tool for promoting stability in the volatile Andean region. "The agreement will deepen and strengthen our trade ties by providing new opportunities for U.S. businesses, manufacturers, farmers and ranchers to export their goods and services to one of Latin America's most robust economies," Deputy U.S. Trade Representative John Veroneau said. Two-way trade between the U.S. and Colombia totaled $14.3 billion in 2005, with machinery, chemicals and agricultural goods topping U.S. exports. Crude oil was Colombia's No. 1 export to the U.S., followed by other energy products, clothing and cut flowers....
Mark of the Old West With cattle rustling staging a comeback in Texas, Kansas and elsewhere, Eldon Crowder wants to ensure it doesn't become a big problem in Colorado. He's among 60 state brand inspectors scattered across Colorado. It's a state law-enforcement job with roots dating to the 1860s, in what was Colorado Territory. And it's a job that hasn't changed much over the years. Cattle industry officials say the recording of livestock brands for proof of ownership has kept a lid on cattle rustling in Colorado vs. states where brand laws are less strict. "It's a deterrent more than anything else," says the 49-year-old Crowder, a brand inspector for nearly two decades. "It's one of those deals that keeps honest people honest."....
Residents react to rodeo and parade cancellation, plead with City Council to protect traditions A tearful 10-year-old Dani Sommerhauser of Thousand Oaks pleaded with the Thousand Oaks City Council to please save the Conejo Valley Days parade and rodeo. "Me and my horse both enjoy that and you guys are taking it away and I'm very, very sad," was all she could get out before she became too choked up to continue. "She is beyond sad," said her mother Tammy Sommerhauser, after the meeting. Dani isn't the only one in Thousand Oaks who's upset over the cancellation of this year's parade and rodeo by Conejo Valley Days organizers. Several people showed up at the council meeting to ask for help in continuing the 50-year-old traditions. Brad Merville of Thousand Oaks also spoke at the Council meeting asking the Council to look into alternative funding, possibly from local corporations or other interested parties. He grew up in the San Fernando Valley and watched that community give up its traditions and turn into a place with concrete, gangs and violence, he said....
On the Move to Outrun Climate Change As the Bush administration debates much of the world about what to do about global warming, butterflies and ski-lift operators, polar bears and hydroelectric planners are on the move. In their separate ways, wild creatures, business executives and regional planners are responding to climate changes that are rapidly recalibrating their chances for survival, for profit and for effective delivery of public services. Butterflies are voting with their wings, abandoning southern Europe and flying north to the more amenable climes of Finland. Ski-lift operators in the West are lobbying for leases on federal land higher up in the Rockies, trying to outclimb snowlines that creep steadily upward. Polar bears along Hudson Bay are losing weight and declining in number as the ice shelf melts and their feeding season shrinks. Power planners in the Pacific Northwest, which gets three-quarters of its electricity from hydroelectric dams, are meeting in brainstorming sessions and making contingency plans for early snow melts, increased wintertime rainfall, lower summertime river flows and electricity shortfalls during hotter, drier summers. With the issue of a warming planet shifting rapidly from scientific projection to on-the-ground reality, animals and plants are being compelled, along with businesses and bureaucracies, to take action aimed at self-preservation. They are doing so even as the Bush administration eschews regulations, laws or international treaties that would require limits on carbon dioxide emissions, which scientists say are the main cause of global warming....
The wolf in winter In the language of biologists, they are "charismatic megafauna," the species that define a landscape and get the lion's share of attention in our parks and refuges. Wolves, bears, moose and eagles are not only wild creatures in the woods -- they are symbols of what we admire and sometimes fear about the wilderness. As the human population grows, questions about whether we want to live in a world with wolves and other wild animals become more urgent. Minnesota is one of the last places in the Lower 48 with an ecosystem that still includes big predators and game animals. In the state's remaining wild spaces, we are fortunate to be able to encounter, and learn about, our animal kingdom's star attractions. In 1963, the wolf population in the contiguous United States was estimated at between 360 and 710, all in Minnesota except for 10 on Isle Royale in Lake Superior. Today, there are more than 5,000 in the lower 48, about 3,000 of them in Minnesota. Their recovery is remarkable, especially considering that many people would just as soon see them dead....
Native elk thrive again on fringes of Bay Area On the east side of Santa Clara County, up over the Diablo Range and not more than 30 miles from Silicon Valley, cattle rancher Keith Hurner bounced his red pickup truck down a dirt road last week and came upon a herd. Not cows. Elk. Hurner hears the elk bugling at night. He keeps pictures of them in his home on the ranch that has been in his family for 110 years. ``I think it's the greatest thing that's ever happened here,'' said Hurner, 70. ``I really enjoy watching them.'' It might surprise the Bay Area's city dwellers to know there are at least 300 tule elk in Silicon Valley's rural Back 40, roaming across the wide-open ranch lands between Pacheco Pass, Livermore and Interstate 5....
West's newest prospectors seek geothermal energy Mormon ranchers in Idaho’s Raft River Valley who hit gushers of hot water while drilling irrigation wells in the 1950s soon learned the corrosive, 300-degree liquid killed their crops. Their sons and daughters who remain in this wind-washed country near the Utah border remember the steaming ponds were good for at least something: boiling farm animals. “The locals would bring their chickens and pigs and scald the hair and feathers off them,” recalls Paul Barnes, a Malta rancher. “When I was a kid, we actually cooked pinion nuts we gathered in the hills.” Barnes now returns to the geothermal area daily — not to roast pinions, but as a roughneck on a drilling crew boring 6,000 feet into the earth. Come next October, his employer, U.S. Geothermal, expects to begin producing electricity from a hot-water-fired power plant. Utility Idaho Power Co. has agreed to buy enough electricity to light 7,500 homes. It’s no coincidence U.S. Geothermal, which in August won $34 million in financing from investment bankers at Goldman Sachs in New York, is now prospecting for geothermal energy on Idaho’s high desert. Across the West, some 60 new geothermal projects are in the works, in addition to 61 existing sites in five states....
Circling the Welcome Wagons For a long time, people settled in this country where the natural resources were, or along railroads and highways. That left giant swaths of American outback empty by default, and the Rocky Mountain West, with its mind-numbing distances and extreme environment, was, for a long time, among the emptiest. Thirty years ago, when I moved from upstate New York to Montana, it was still a high-country Brigadoon, hidden away from the real world by its location, climate and deficit of jobs. The few cities were islands in an ocean of drop-dead beautiful landscapes. Montana and the other mountains and canyons of the nation's cordillera, in Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico, weren't yet known as the Third Coast—the next major American settlement after the East Coast, the first, and the West Coast on the Pacific Ocean. The problem with living on the Third Coast is that we all saw what happened to the second....
Greens honor McCloskey An environmental award normally reserved for those in government went this year to former Congressman Pete McCloskey, whose failed primary campaign against Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Tracy, was judged key by the Sierra Club in the eventual defeat of the congressional incumbent. Although McCloskey played down his role in Democrat Jerry McNerney’s victory, he said he would treasure the Edgar Wayburn Award as much as his two Purple Hearts. “I was deeply touched; I was practically in tears,” McCloskey said of the surprise Nov. 17 award ceremony. The Yolo County rancher’s campaign, described by McNerney’s campaign manager as “a battleship softening up the shore for the troops,” focused in part on the environment. McCloskey helped draft the Endangered Species Act that Pombo wanted to wind back, and he co-chaired the first Earth Day in 1970....
Bombing range's makeover under fire A couple of miles east of E-470, plans are afoot for the biggest development few have ever heard of: a 2,880-acre community on par in size with Stapleton and Lowry, yet resting solidly outside the metro area's urban growth boundary. The embryonic development, sitting on a chunk of land once used for bombing practice by the Air Force, has the unusual quality of falling under the ownership of the State Land Board, an obscure Colorado agency that more often deals in grazing rights, gas leases and gravel pits. But with little public fanfare, the land board is now playing the role of mega-developer. Its five-member board is on the verge of picking from one of three proposals submitted by companies that want to plan homes, schools and businesses on land even some Aurorans consider the boonies....
Wind River Ranch: Nature's refuge Five thousand tree-studded acres of canyon and prairie along the Mora River north of Las Vegas, N.M., used to be the vacation home of philanthropist Eugene Thaw. Now it is the headquarters of a conservation organization with an ambitious list of environmental goals. It also provides refuge to 150 Santa Fe prairie dogs displaced by development. Here's how it happened. Two years ago, Thaw, now 79, felt he was growing too old for his hobby of raising Arabian horses. He decided he wanted Wind River Ranch, 16 miles northwest of Las Vegas to serve a public purpose. Thaw had hoped to donate the ranch to the Wildlife Conservation Society. He offered it to the organization. And it looked like all systems were go at first. The group even recruited Brian Miller, a conservation biologist from the Denver Zoo, to manage the ranch. But the deal fell through. Undeterred, Thaw hired Miller himself. And the Wind River Ranch Foundation, a private nonprofit, was founded. The mission of the foundation is simple: "To further conserve the wild landscapes through ecological restoration, research and education." But its goals are many....
Prospects increasing for helping threatened frogs' survival Survival prospects could leap upward for the threatened Chiricahua leopard frog _ if such mortal threats as bullfrogs and fungal disease can be dealt with. The green critters speckled with black dots, native to portions of Arizona, New Mexico and northern Mexico, have dwindled greatly in population and habitat because of factors ranging from nonnative predators to disease, drought and habitat destruction _ essentially ranches being broken up for development. But since 2000, even before the frogs' 2002 listing as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act, federal and state wildlife agencies have been developing a plan to get ranchers and other private landowners to help protect them through so-called safe harbor agreements....
Some Kansas prairie dogs being exterminated with poison The fight over the fate of prairie dogs in Logan County escalated during the weekend, when two exterminators started spreading poison, much to the surprise of the landowners. One of the landowners, Larry Haverfield, said he contacted his attorney on Monday to figure out a way to fight the poisoning. The Wyoming-based exterminators spread the poison on land that has been targeted for reintroduction of the federally endangered black-footed ferret — an idea that has been strongly resisted by some in the area. Last week, the Logan County Commission, which has fought the ferret reintroduction, rejected a prairie dog management plan proposed by Haverfield. Two days after the plan was submitted, Haverfield received a letter from Logan County Attorney Andrea Wyrick rejecting the plan and saying the county would proceed with eradication on Haverfield’s land — and send the bill to him....
The Greatest Hunting Controversy of Them All I’ve been writing about wildlife and conservation for 34 years, and one thing I’ve learned is that if you want controversy, write about wolves or hunting. Now, I’m wondering what would happen if I wrote about both at the same time. Hunting is engrained in the culture of the New West, but demographics are gradually changing with new folks moving in every day from urban America where hunting may not be so engrained into their lifestyle. Still, I feel safe in saying that the majority of NewWesties accept hunting as a legitimate form of outdoor recreation instead of viewing it as legalized murdering of innocent animals. But will the majority accept wolf hunting? It won’t be too long before we have to answer this question. As you read this, at dusk in our general big game hunting seasons, the option of making the wolf a trophy big game animal is buried in the management plans, formal and informal, written by the Idaho, Montana and Wyoming wildlife agencies....
Future uncertain for wilderness ranch This time of year, frigid temperatures and blowing snow mean casual visits are about to end at the historic Red's Horse Ranch eight miles from the nearest road in northeastern Oregon's Eagle Cap Wilderness. The trails will reopen in June, and the U.S. Forest Service will take stock of how the former dude ranch fared during another winter season. But the agency can do only basic maintenance; with a budget of $4,000 a year, that's all it can afford. The approach hasn't changed much in the 12 years since the Forest Service acquired the spread. Fans of the picturesque site -- shoehorned into a deep wilderness canyon beside the Minam River and accessible only by shoe leather, horseback and small airplane -- worry that the ranch will continue to fall into disrepair, and they want to preserve the rich history of the place....
Denver water system still reeling from effects of wildfire More than four years after the huge Hayman fire roared through the forests southwest of Denver, surrounding the Denver water utility’s oldest reservoir, the company continues to wrestle with the fire’s aftereffects. Mud, ash and decomposed material pours into 101-year-old Cheesman Reservoir whenever a storm hits, sending tons of muck into the lake that was at the fire’s center. All this creates an ongoing headache for Colorado’s largest water provider. Utility managers worry debris may eventually fill in the reservoir, gum up the pipes and render the water system ineffective. ‘‘We were told it would stabilize in five years,’’ said Kevin Keefe, superintendent of source supply for Denver Water. ‘‘This is year four. It’s not getting better,’’ Keefe said. ‘‘It’s getting worse.’’ The utility has spent $7.8 million in the last four years removing debris, replacing culverts, building sediment dams and seeding slopes, officials say....
Getting to bottom of mysterious elk deaths It wasn't until game warden Benge Brown ran out of ammunition putting down elk that he knew Wyoming had a big problem. It was February 2004, and the Rawlins-based game warden for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department had just returned to the Red Rim, a low red sandstone rise 12 miles west of Rawlins, after spending a few days in Afton dealing with elk getting into haystacks. Brown had seen just a few elk down with mysterious symptoms before he left for Afton, but he'd thought about them the whole time he was gone, concerned there might be more. One elk down was nothing unusual, but two elk was worrisome. "When I got back, I drove around looking," he said, "and I didn't have to look very far." Dying elk were scattered all over the low rocky country of the Red Rim-Daley Wildlife Habitat Management Area, a reserve created primarily not for elk, but for pronghorn antelope. There were, in fact, several hundred antelope there that February, and they seemed to be fine. The elk, however, were dying slow, horrible deaths, helplessly stranded on their bellies in snow drifts and caught grotesquely on fences, which they normally could jump with ease....
Editorial - Shale leases welcome Americans who worry about this country's increasing dependence on foreign oil - and that should be most of them - should cautiously welcome news that the Department of the Interior has approved leases on parcels of federal land in Rio Blanco County for oil shale research, development and demonstration projects. Cautiously, because there are many unanswered questions about the process. But welcome, because if those questions can be answered satisfactorily, the West's oil-shale resources would supply a significant share of America's energy needs. The five leases will be for 160-acre parcels on land managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Shell will have three of them, and Chevron and EGL Resources one each. Interior's determination that the leases would have " no significant impact" rests in part on the simple fact that 800 acres is a minute portion of the 1,455,900 acres managed by the BLM in the White River Resource Area. There are multiple safeguards written into the environmental assessments (available at www.co.blm.gov/wrra/nepa.htm). In addition, the companies will have to obtain all the applicable local, state and federal permits regulating air and water quality. And even if all this were to prove insufficient in some unforeseen way, the effects would be minimal....
Column - Wild horses have become the West's sacred cows Our national obsession with keeping "wild" horses and burros on public lands that are incapable of supporting them has always struck me as bizarre, especially since it's the result of our alleged love for them. Ask most any wild horse advocacy group and you'll be told that wild horses are native wildlife and anyone who wants them off the public land is fronting for the cattle industry. It's true that cattle do more damage than free-ranging horses or burros because there are more of them. But one horse does far more damage than one cow. And though it's true that a form of horse evolved in North America, it went extinct along with other ice-age megafauna such as the woolly mammoth. Arguing that the modern horses unleashed by the Conquistadores are "native" to the continent because their progenitors were here 10,000 years ago is as absurd as arguing that elephants are native, too, because their progenitors were also here 10,000 years ago. Unlike all native ungulates, and even unlike cattle, horses and burros have meshing incisors and solid hoofs. Because native vegetation of the arid West has evolved no defense against these animals, they extinguish it and then starve....
Suit filed to open remote road A long-simmering issue involving an obscure 19th-century law that grants rights of way on federal land is heading for court. A major legal battle looms over the public's right to use a closed Inyo County road through remote Surprise Canyon to the ghost town of Panamint City in Death Valley National Park. "Under law, the federal government must give private landowners access to their property," said Wyoming attorney Karen Budd-Falen, counsel to three groups of landholders who own property near the old mining camp. Their land is surrounded by federal land and can be reached by road only by a 132-year-old route through Surprise Canyon. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management installed a gate to close the road in mid-2001, sparking the court challenge by the landowners and off-road- vehicle groups that frequented the canyon. Budd-Falen said the plaintiffs - the nonprofit Friends of the Panamint Valley, the Little Chief Millsite partnership, and landowner Bryan Lollich - contend the Civil War-era law granting right of way on public land must be upheld. "Through the Mining Act of 1866, which later became Revised Statute 2477, Congress granted rights of way over unreserved public lands for the construction of highways," the Budd-Falen said. "Passage of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 repealed RS 2477, but rights of way existing before its adoption on Oct. 21, 1976, were grandfathered in. This included the road through Surprise Canyon."....
Burros to be gathered next week They'll be gathering jacks and jennies in Johnnie next week. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is planning to remove between 20 and 40 wild burros from private property in Johnnie early next week to address safety concerns for the public and the burros. The BLM outlined plans for the removal of 240 wild horses and 540 burros from the entire Spring Mountains Herd Management Complex in January. That management complex includes both sides of the Spring Mountains including Johnnie on the west and Red Rock Canyon on the east. In the last two months calls have increased about wild burros entering private property on the north end of Pahrump. In the last two weeks, two wild burros died after being hit by vehicles. A private homeowner has agreed to allow the BLM and Nye County Animal Control to bait trap the burros by placing feed in a corral and closing the gate once the animals enter. The burros have encroached on the landowner's property, the BLM states in a written press release....
White House opposes White Pine Public Lands Bill The Bush administration voiced a familiar refrain on Thursday when it came out against a plan to sell off public land in White Pine County while creating new wilderness and expanding parks. A Bush official said a bill that reconfigures federal property in eastern Nevada was unacceptable because profits from public land sales would remain within the state. The official's comments echoed Bush's dislike for previous laws that authorize disposal of excess federal land in Clark County and Lincoln County while specifying the proceeds be spent locally or dedicated for Nevada purposes. "The administration believes that all American taxpayers should benefit from the sale of public lands," Chad Calvert, Interior Department deputy assistant secretary for land and minerals, said at a Senate hearing. Nevada senators who wrote the White Pine bill shrugged at the opposition, which had been expected....
Home on line in BLM land dispute A cabin tucked in the pines outside Placerville has been home to a series of owners for nearly half a decade. But because of a mining-claim misunderstanding even older than the cabin, the federal government views it as a squatter's dwelling and the owners who have lived there the past 25 years as trespassers. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management notified Sally Siegel and David Mattner this summer that unless they can convince bureau attorneys otherwise, they must leave and wipe out any signs of human habitation on their 5 acres. Siegel and Mattner and their predecessors on the property have been fighting the BLM since the days when Dwight Eisenhower was president and nearby Telluride was an undiscovered remnant of a mining town. It was an era when some mining claims were still marked with rocks and bridge posts. "No one ever tried to dupe anyone. This is an abuse of power," said Siegel, a well-known preschool teacher in the Telluride area....
State weighs wolf hunt before taking oversight Michigan's federally protected population of gray wolves could be under state oversight by spring, and a group charged with developing a management plan is divided between allowing the reclusive animal to be hunted or keeping it safeguarded. The Michigan Wolf Management Roundtable will offer advice to update the state's management plan, which was developed in 1997. Gray wolves will become the responsibility of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources if the federal government delists the animal as an endangered species in four months. The impending switch to state oversight is being driven by an increasing population in the Upper Peninsula, where possibly more than 400 wolves exist. Interior Secretary Gale Norton announced a proposal earlier this year to remove the wolf from the endangered species list in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin, where a combined 3,800 are estimated to live. But the farmers, hunters, scientists, conservationists, environmentalists and tribal representatives who make up the advisory panel are split over the issue of sport or recreational hunting of the animal. Some support hunting, while others vehemently oppose it....
‘Vestiges of what Colorado used to be’ When Edwin James, the man credited with the first recorded climb of Pikes Peak, explored the mountain in July 1820, there were no official trails. The mountain was a wild place, home to bears, elk and mountain lions. Its highest hillsides were decorated with tiny alpine flowers. And its streams held a fish that had lived there long before explorers arrived. Today, the mountain is still a wild place. Its forests and meadows are still home to elk, bears and mountain lions, and flowers still cling to the tundra. Sure, there have been changes — a highway and a railroad route wind up the mountain. Every day, explorers climb established trails to the summit and around its base. But that native fish — a brightly colored greenback cutthroat trout — still lives in the stream called Severy Creek. It’s a valuable link to the biological past of Colorado, which is why Severy Creek and a trail that crosses it were closed in 1999....
Big Win for Enviros There's no question that America's environmentalists won big in the midterm elections. "We picked up twenty new environmental votes in the House of Representatives and five in the Senate, plus four governorships," says Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club, who called 2006 "the most successful midterm election in the environmental movement's history." Whether the victory is big enough to change government policy during the last two years of the Bush presidency, especially on the overriding threat of global warming, is less clear. Much will depend on how worried Republicans get about running on Bush's environmental record in 2008. "Congressional Republicans will adopt an 'avoid embarrassing Bush' strategy," predicts Brent Blackwelder, president of Friends of the Earth. Now that Democrats enjoy majorities in both houses of Congress, Blackwelder adds, "they could get a decent global warming bill through the House and probably onto the Senate floor. If Republicans conclude they can't defeat the bill on a straight vote, they'll filibuster it to save Bush, and ultimately themselves, the embarrassment of vetoing it."....
A greener Congress Deadly chemical runoff and suffocating loads of sediment plague the Mississippi River, and the governors of Missouri, Illinois and three other states in the river basin want an accounting of the problem. A bill in Congress would do just that, and now that Democrats have taken control, it could speed to passage. "The Congress is definitely a deeper shade of green after these elections," said Melinda Pierce, a Sierra Club lobbyist. The Mississippi River bill has a modest price tag and focuses on a regional problem. It's one type of narrower environmental initiative that Democrats will probably seek to guide through when they take control of Congress in January 4. But Democratic leaders are setting their sights higher as weel, promising major policy shifts including....
UN authorities lobby for increased environment power ELEANOR HALL: At a meeting of world leaders in Sydney today, the United Nations authorities are lobbying for the international body to be given more power, particularly on the environment. The European Union is now leading the charge, arguing that the UN's existing environment body lacks resources and that the program is outdated. But as Sarah Clarke reports, the EU is not expecting much support from the Australian Government. SARAH CLARKE: Climate change has been described by the outgoing United Nations Secretary General as "grave a threat as conflict, poverty and the spread of weapons". Yet even members of the United Nations Environment Program say the agency is overstretched, and needs more power if it's to fulfil its role. Shafqat Kakakhel is the Executive Director. SHAFQAT KAKAKHEL: We think that we need an international organisation of a higher profile, a higher stature, in order to deal with the ever-worsening and escalating environmental challenges that the planet faces. SARAH CLARKE: Today he'll join delegations, academics and environmental groups at an international meeting in Sydney to push for a stronger global watchdog....
Doubletree Hotels help kids get wild in classrooms across the nation Tigers, humpback whales, polar bears, and monarch butterflies - oh my! Not exactly Dorothy's traveling troupe of friends, these threatened and endangered animals are all getting a little help from more than 10,000 grade school children across the U.S. and Canada this fall as part of a special education initiative. Doubletree Hotels today announced an exclusive partnership with World Wildlife Fund, one of the world's largest and most recognized conservation organizations, as a continuation of the hotel brand's successful Teaching Kids to CARE community outreach program. From now until December, thousands of kids will learn about the threats and challenges facing the world's animal population today and encourage them to do their part to protect our planet's wildlife. "With more than 10,000 animals currently considered endangered and at risk of disappearing forever, our Doubletree Teaching Kids to CARE initiative empowers students to do their part to protect the world's magnificent creatures," said Dave Horton, senior vice president - brand management, Doubletree....
U.S., Colombia sign trade pact The Bush administration signed a free-trade agreement Wednesday with the government of Colombia, despite strong Democratic Party objections that threaten to keep the pact from becoming law. The signing ceremony at the Inter-American Development Bank culminated more than 2 1/2 years of work on the pact, which the White House sees as an important tool for promoting stability in the volatile Andean region. "The agreement will deepen and strengthen our trade ties by providing new opportunities for U.S. businesses, manufacturers, farmers and ranchers to export their goods and services to one of Latin America's most robust economies," Deputy U.S. Trade Representative John Veroneau said. Two-way trade between the U.S. and Colombia totaled $14.3 billion in 2005, with machinery, chemicals and agricultural goods topping U.S. exports. Crude oil was Colombia's No. 1 export to the U.S., followed by other energy products, clothing and cut flowers....
Mark of the Old West With cattle rustling staging a comeback in Texas, Kansas and elsewhere, Eldon Crowder wants to ensure it doesn't become a big problem in Colorado. He's among 60 state brand inspectors scattered across Colorado. It's a state law-enforcement job with roots dating to the 1860s, in what was Colorado Territory. And it's a job that hasn't changed much over the years. Cattle industry officials say the recording of livestock brands for proof of ownership has kept a lid on cattle rustling in Colorado vs. states where brand laws are less strict. "It's a deterrent more than anything else," says the 49-year-old Crowder, a brand inspector for nearly two decades. "It's one of those deals that keeps honest people honest."....
Residents react to rodeo and parade cancellation, plead with City Council to protect traditions A tearful 10-year-old Dani Sommerhauser of Thousand Oaks pleaded with the Thousand Oaks City Council to please save the Conejo Valley Days parade and rodeo. "Me and my horse both enjoy that and you guys are taking it away and I'm very, very sad," was all she could get out before she became too choked up to continue. "She is beyond sad," said her mother Tammy Sommerhauser, after the meeting. Dani isn't the only one in Thousand Oaks who's upset over the cancellation of this year's parade and rodeo by Conejo Valley Days organizers. Several people showed up at the council meeting to ask for help in continuing the 50-year-old traditions. Brad Merville of Thousand Oaks also spoke at the Council meeting asking the Council to look into alternative funding, possibly from local corporations or other interested parties. He grew up in the San Fernando Valley and watched that community give up its traditions and turn into a place with concrete, gangs and violence, he said....
Sunday, November 26, 2006
WOLVES - MORE LETTERS TO ALBQ. JOURNAL
Ms. Soussan, I find your article "Wildlife officials kill problem wolf" is designed to get a sympathetic response from the public to support a one sided view of wolf reintroduction. I have read many of your past articles on wolves and you have maintained the same. A responsible reporter gives the public all the information on an issue so they can make an informative decision. First, the trapping and kill orders on a three strike wolf are in the SOP's. These Sop's are law and all organizations had a say when they were structured. If you read the information listed on the Federal Register concerning the Mexican Wolf, you will see there is little protection for the people against wolf interactions. There are little or no protections for the residents of Catron County. We have wolves on private property at homes killing and injuring cows, horses,dogs, cats, chickens and so on. Wolves confronting our children. There has been documented psychological trauma by a child psychologist on our children and families. Nightmares, PTSD, sleepless nights, children afraid to walk from home to the bus stop to go to school, children afraid to go out of their homes to play in their yards.
Do any of these things make the news papers, no or very little. Why?
Aren't these rural families and their children as important as any other child in America? I want you to remember what I say to you: One day a Mexican wolf is going to severally injure or kill one of our children and there will be a thousand reporters writing on this terrible tragedy, but they will cite one hundred reasons it was not the wolves fault for killing the child, are you going to be one of these? Will Mr. Robinson have a comment, likely not. Did you know there is no historic information on Mexican wolf behavior? It is ongoing as we speak and the fact is the USFWS and other NGO's do not know what a Mexican wolf will of will not do.Second, you look to Mr. Robinson as you only source for a comment. He has been using this same statement that you cite as the only authority. I have found no scientific peer reviewed documentation that wolves scavenging on cattle, horses etc. will cause a wolf to habituate and make them start killing them. But if you cite this statement long enough in the news paper, the public will believe it even if it is not scientifically proven. Simply, a wolf does what a wolf does, they kill animals. Most times they will stress a cow down from a chase and feed on it while it is still alive, then it finally dies. We are not talking about just a wolf killing a cow. The cow is private property of another, the owner feeds his family, houses his family with the money he makes raising this cow, and just like you do with the money you make as a reporter.You do not have any idea how severally the family ranchers are impacted by livestock losses to wolves. You live two hundred miles from us and you know little to nothing of what the truth is, how the folks here have changed the way they live to accomadate the wolf. I have seen what the wolf does. I have looked into the eyes of the scared children and parents, I have necropsy ed the remains of a childes pet and ranchers livestock. I know firsthand what wolves can do, But the worst thing I know is, that the city folks seem to careless what is happening to the rural people of New Mexico.
Jess Carey CWII
Catron County Wolf Interaction Investigator
Does the Journal really think this lady has it right? She ought to get your award for "Most Biased Reporting" and you ought to receive the same award for allowing it.
There is another side to this wolf recovery program. Its called TRUTH. I challenge you to objectively report the TRUTH about the Wolf Recovery Program and its devastating attack on the lives and property rights of our fellow New Mexicans in Catron County and surrounding areas.
The anguish, anger, fear and feeling of helplessness that these wolves create in our friends and neighbors (...they are your friends and neighbors too!) around the wolf recovery area is beyond description and, I think, criminal.
Maybe one day when one of these wolves threatens or hurts someone close to you.....you will see the light. Ms. Soussan, bless her heart, never will.
Joe Delk
Paragon Foundation
When writing articles from which the public will form opinions regarding the wolves, Tania Soussan might seriously reconsider using her current source. When he attends any wolf meetings in the New Mexico and Arizona areas, the Wildlife Services, Game and Fish, and the USFS personnel are extremely impatient with him. We take our leads from the governmental agencies and how they respond to his position on this issue.
They make no attempt to conceal their contempt for him, or for the irresponsible comments he makes. Often he is ungraciously told to “sit down and shut up,” or he is simply not allowed to make further comments. When the very agencies who are attempting to force the wolf program upon us cannot abide by his opinions, The Albuquerque Journal may want to think this over. In the future, perhaps you can consider speaking to someone who knows what is going on in the Gila National Forest.
You might begin with Mr. Jess Carey, our Catron County Wolf Predations Investigator. He can be reached at 505-533-6776. Psychological counseling has been set up for several families and their children who are terrorized by the wolves watching children waiting for the school buses, or attacking their pets on the front porches!
Perhaps you might consider some of the ranchers still in business, but losing it fast to wolf predations on horses and cattle. Don and Jeannie Jones of the Y Canyon Ranch are at 505-772-5195. How about Don Gatlin of the Rainy Mesa Ranch, or Preston Bates of the N Bar Ranch? Unfortunately, several ranchers and hunter guides are gone bankrupt as a direct result of the wolf introduction.
Wolves have been in my neighborhood a several occasions, but one actually took down prey no more than 1300 feet from my front door. My driveway is only 12 feet wide, a straight up bluff on one side with a 100 foot drop straight down to the river on the other. Had I met this wolf head on at this point, I would have had no place to hide. I would also have been caught by surprise without a pistol. Earlier this summer, another wolf attacked my neighbor’s calves at 6:30 am. That was about the same distance from my bedroom window. Fortunately my neighbor was in the field and was able to frighten the wolf away.
Mr. Joe Nelson’s 14 years old boy was surrounded and stalked by 3 wolves. He was terrified at their stalking and threatening approach, but he was afraid to use his rifle in self-defense for the fear that his father would go to prison and lose everything the family owns.
No, Ms. Soussan is not getting the whole picture. Just as in a court of law, if it isn’t the “whole truth and nothing but the truth,” it isn’t the truth at all.
Only two days ago, a documentary was on television regarding the need to raise bear cubs in captivity, due to the deaths of the mothers. Throughout the program, it was considered a very sad thing that these animals could not safely be returned to the wild, because having been habituated to humans made them defenseless in the wild. I have seen many documentaries on this subject with various wild animals. Why is it that the wolf should be the exception? Human habituation of these wolves is the very reason they are unable to live a truly wild life and are a nuisance to humans. If we turn our human habituated dog or cat loose in the forest and expect it to survive or live well, we would be arrested for cruelty to animals!
There are many of us who would love to share more with The Albuquerque Journal’s “responsible” journalists.
C. Gillespie
Reserve, NM 87830
Ms. Soussan, I find your article "Wildlife officials kill problem wolf" is designed to get a sympathetic response from the public to support a one sided view of wolf reintroduction. I have read many of your past articles on wolves and you have maintained the same. A responsible reporter gives the public all the information on an issue so they can make an informative decision. First, the trapping and kill orders on a three strike wolf are in the SOP's. These Sop's are law and all organizations had a say when they were structured. If you read the information listed on the Federal Register concerning the Mexican Wolf, you will see there is little protection for the people against wolf interactions. There are little or no protections for the residents of Catron County. We have wolves on private property at homes killing and injuring cows, horses,dogs, cats, chickens and so on. Wolves confronting our children. There has been documented psychological trauma by a child psychologist on our children and families. Nightmares, PTSD, sleepless nights, children afraid to walk from home to the bus stop to go to school, children afraid to go out of their homes to play in their yards.
Do any of these things make the news papers, no or very little. Why?
Aren't these rural families and their children as important as any other child in America? I want you to remember what I say to you: One day a Mexican wolf is going to severally injure or kill one of our children and there will be a thousand reporters writing on this terrible tragedy, but they will cite one hundred reasons it was not the wolves fault for killing the child, are you going to be one of these? Will Mr. Robinson have a comment, likely not. Did you know there is no historic information on Mexican wolf behavior? It is ongoing as we speak and the fact is the USFWS and other NGO's do not know what a Mexican wolf will of will not do.Second, you look to Mr. Robinson as you only source for a comment. He has been using this same statement that you cite as the only authority. I have found no scientific peer reviewed documentation that wolves scavenging on cattle, horses etc. will cause a wolf to habituate and make them start killing them. But if you cite this statement long enough in the news paper, the public will believe it even if it is not scientifically proven. Simply, a wolf does what a wolf does, they kill animals. Most times they will stress a cow down from a chase and feed on it while it is still alive, then it finally dies. We are not talking about just a wolf killing a cow. The cow is private property of another, the owner feeds his family, houses his family with the money he makes raising this cow, and just like you do with the money you make as a reporter.You do not have any idea how severally the family ranchers are impacted by livestock losses to wolves. You live two hundred miles from us and you know little to nothing of what the truth is, how the folks here have changed the way they live to accomadate the wolf. I have seen what the wolf does. I have looked into the eyes of the scared children and parents, I have necropsy ed the remains of a childes pet and ranchers livestock. I know firsthand what wolves can do, But the worst thing I know is, that the city folks seem to careless what is happening to the rural people of New Mexico.
Jess Carey CWII
Catron County Wolf Interaction Investigator
Does the Journal really think this lady has it right? She ought to get your award for "Most Biased Reporting" and you ought to receive the same award for allowing it.
There is another side to this wolf recovery program. Its called TRUTH. I challenge you to objectively report the TRUTH about the Wolf Recovery Program and its devastating attack on the lives and property rights of our fellow New Mexicans in Catron County and surrounding areas.
The anguish, anger, fear and feeling of helplessness that these wolves create in our friends and neighbors (...they are your friends and neighbors too!) around the wolf recovery area is beyond description and, I think, criminal.
Maybe one day when one of these wolves threatens or hurts someone close to you.....you will see the light. Ms. Soussan, bless her heart, never will.
Joe Delk
Paragon Foundation
When writing articles from which the public will form opinions regarding the wolves, Tania Soussan might seriously reconsider using her current source. When he attends any wolf meetings in the New Mexico and Arizona areas, the Wildlife Services, Game and Fish, and the USFS personnel are extremely impatient with him. We take our leads from the governmental agencies and how they respond to his position on this issue.
They make no attempt to conceal their contempt for him, or for the irresponsible comments he makes. Often he is ungraciously told to “sit down and shut up,” or he is simply not allowed to make further comments. When the very agencies who are attempting to force the wolf program upon us cannot abide by his opinions, The Albuquerque Journal may want to think this over. In the future, perhaps you can consider speaking to someone who knows what is going on in the Gila National Forest.
You might begin with Mr. Jess Carey, our Catron County Wolf Predations Investigator. He can be reached at 505-533-6776. Psychological counseling has been set up for several families and their children who are terrorized by the wolves watching children waiting for the school buses, or attacking their pets on the front porches!
Perhaps you might consider some of the ranchers still in business, but losing it fast to wolf predations on horses and cattle. Don and Jeannie Jones of the Y Canyon Ranch are at 505-772-5195. How about Don Gatlin of the Rainy Mesa Ranch, or Preston Bates of the N Bar Ranch? Unfortunately, several ranchers and hunter guides are gone bankrupt as a direct result of the wolf introduction.
Wolves have been in my neighborhood a several occasions, but one actually took down prey no more than 1300 feet from my front door. My driveway is only 12 feet wide, a straight up bluff on one side with a 100 foot drop straight down to the river on the other. Had I met this wolf head on at this point, I would have had no place to hide. I would also have been caught by surprise without a pistol. Earlier this summer, another wolf attacked my neighbor’s calves at 6:30 am. That was about the same distance from my bedroom window. Fortunately my neighbor was in the field and was able to frighten the wolf away.
Mr. Joe Nelson’s 14 years old boy was surrounded and stalked by 3 wolves. He was terrified at their stalking and threatening approach, but he was afraid to use his rifle in self-defense for the fear that his father would go to prison and lose everything the family owns.
No, Ms. Soussan is not getting the whole picture. Just as in a court of law, if it isn’t the “whole truth and nothing but the truth,” it isn’t the truth at all.
Only two days ago, a documentary was on television regarding the need to raise bear cubs in captivity, due to the deaths of the mothers. Throughout the program, it was considered a very sad thing that these animals could not safely be returned to the wild, because having been habituated to humans made them defenseless in the wild. I have seen many documentaries on this subject with various wild animals. Why is it that the wolf should be the exception? Human habituation of these wolves is the very reason they are unable to live a truly wild life and are a nuisance to humans. If we turn our human habituated dog or cat loose in the forest and expect it to survive or live well, we would be arrested for cruelty to animals!
There are many of us who would love to share more with The Albuquerque Journal’s “responsible” journalists.
C. Gillespie
Reserve, NM 87830
Cowboy cookin’ – making it simple
By Julie Carter
Now that everyone is over-stuffed with delectable, traditional holiday food you may find yourself saying, "I can't believe I ate whole thing."
Let me share with you my latest entertainment - a recipe exchange.
The deal was to send a short, minimal-ingredient recipe to the guy at the top of the list of two names, take him off, move up the next name to the top and put yours on the bottom. Simple enough.
My first chuckle was over the person who sent me the recipe game. I never figured him for someone that would collect recipes. He assured me his true status is as a "fantasy chef." He fantasizes about cooking then goes out to eat at a good restaurant. "Similar to fantasy football," he said.
Apparently, his friends knew this about him, as evidenced by a recipe he received, which I will share with you. The other recipe comes from genuine cowboy country with first-hand knowledge as to its relevance.
Kraft Macaroni & Cheese:
Truly mouth-watering, but the directions on box omit critical information:
--Let the macaroni boil only 7 minutes. No more, no less.
--Place the noodles in colander; drain well
--While the noodles are draining, place the 1/4 cup butter in the saucepan. The heat should be on low. Melt the butter completely. Margarine can also be used with few ill-effects
--Once the butter/margarine is melted, then, and only then, place the well-drained noodles (they should almost be dry at this point) back in the saucepan.
--Stir the noodles well so the melted butter/margarine coats them.
--Keep the heat on low.
--Then, pour the 1/4 cup milk and the contents of the cheese pouch in the saucepan at the same time.
--Don't turn off the heat! The saucepan should still be heated on low.
--Stir contents well so the fake cheese stuff and milk are fully engaged and the noodles become a lovely, unnatural color of orange.
Ropers' Pork & Beans
--2 cans store-brand cheapest-possible on sale pork and beans
--good supply of onions, brown sugar, barbeque sauce, jalapenos, crisp bacon pieces, pineapple and everything else you can think of to doctor up these beans
--Serve beans warm or cold - nobody is going to eat them anyway. Keep putting them on the table and back in the icebox for about four days. Just when you think your penicillin experiment is finally going to work, take them out to the pack of hounds. They won't eat them either.
The wonderful advantage of these particular beans is that a roper always needs quicker reflexes. Putting any dish down in front of the hounds will make you get your arm up sooner, kick your horse up into position, get your dally quicker, and, in general, take four seconds off every run.
--Special equipment needed: icebox big enough to hold an extra bowl for about four days and at least four to five hungry hounds.
Of course, if you're not a roper, you can just go ahead and buy better quality cans of beans and circumvent untold adventures.
Just so you know, this recipe exchange not only netted a few good laughs but it also garnered genuine recipes worthy of the kitchen recipe stash. Some are so decadent sounding I couldn't pronounce them and others were basic yummy like "Cowboy Coffee Cake."
Bottom line for feeding cowboys is food and lots of it. It doesn't get any simpler than that.
© Julie Carter 2006
By Julie Carter
Now that everyone is over-stuffed with delectable, traditional holiday food you may find yourself saying, "I can't believe I ate whole thing."
Let me share with you my latest entertainment - a recipe exchange.
The deal was to send a short, minimal-ingredient recipe to the guy at the top of the list of two names, take him off, move up the next name to the top and put yours on the bottom. Simple enough.
My first chuckle was over the person who sent me the recipe game. I never figured him for someone that would collect recipes. He assured me his true status is as a "fantasy chef." He fantasizes about cooking then goes out to eat at a good restaurant. "Similar to fantasy football," he said.
Apparently, his friends knew this about him, as evidenced by a recipe he received, which I will share with you. The other recipe comes from genuine cowboy country with first-hand knowledge as to its relevance.
Kraft Macaroni & Cheese:
Truly mouth-watering, but the directions on box omit critical information:
--Let the macaroni boil only 7 minutes. No more, no less.
--Place the noodles in colander; drain well
--While the noodles are draining, place the 1/4 cup butter in the saucepan. The heat should be on low. Melt the butter completely. Margarine can also be used with few ill-effects
--Once the butter/margarine is melted, then, and only then, place the well-drained noodles (they should almost be dry at this point) back in the saucepan.
--Stir the noodles well so the melted butter/margarine coats them.
--Keep the heat on low.
--Then, pour the 1/4 cup milk and the contents of the cheese pouch in the saucepan at the same time.
--Don't turn off the heat! The saucepan should still be heated on low.
--Stir contents well so the fake cheese stuff and milk are fully engaged and the noodles become a lovely, unnatural color of orange.
Ropers' Pork & Beans
--2 cans store-brand cheapest-possible on sale pork and beans
--good supply of onions, brown sugar, barbeque sauce, jalapenos, crisp bacon pieces, pineapple and everything else you can think of to doctor up these beans
--Serve beans warm or cold - nobody is going to eat them anyway. Keep putting them on the table and back in the icebox for about four days. Just when you think your penicillin experiment is finally going to work, take them out to the pack of hounds. They won't eat them either.
The wonderful advantage of these particular beans is that a roper always needs quicker reflexes. Putting any dish down in front of the hounds will make you get your arm up sooner, kick your horse up into position, get your dally quicker, and, in general, take four seconds off every run.
--Special equipment needed: icebox big enough to hold an extra bowl for about four days and at least four to five hungry hounds.
Of course, if you're not a roper, you can just go ahead and buy better quality cans of beans and circumvent untold adventures.
Just so you know, this recipe exchange not only netted a few good laughs but it also garnered genuine recipes worthy of the kitchen recipe stash. Some are so decadent sounding I couldn't pronounce them and others were basic yummy like "Cowboy Coffee Cake."
Bottom line for feeding cowboys is food and lots of it. It doesn't get any simpler than that.
© Julie Carter 2006
Saturday, November 25, 2006
LAURA, WOLVES & THE "REPORTER"
Dear Albuquerque Journal,
I don't know about you but I am getting pretty sick of Tania Soussan's sole source of information about Mexican wolf problems being the one and only Michael Robinson from the Center for Biological Diversity. If you look at her wolf stories from the past couple years you will see her major source is Mr. Robinson and he basically gives her one quote that she uses over and over. She will not call anyone actually dealing with problem wolves wreaking havoc on their lives.
Has she no one else to turn to for information, or is she just too excited about getting his message across to get the facts from anyone else?
Michael Robinson does not live with or deal with wolves, he studies philosophizes and apparently writes poorly reviewed books about them. Robinson had to be shown peer reviewed studies that prove livestock scavenging is unrelated to depredation tolls. Did it matter to him, not in the least, he has his agenda and he sticks to it like glue. The question is, why is the Albuquerque Journal tolerating Soussan's lazy and biased reporting?
Had Ms. Soussan bothered to call me or anyone else who actually deals with wolf issues, she might have learned something about the habituation to livestock and people that the FWS has perpetuated in this program through their recycled wolf release and minimum management of problem wolves policies. She might have learned there are 40 known wolves in NM alone and about the same in Arizona. There are another 13 sightings and close encounters from September on just in New Mexico that should have been investigated by the FWS but were not.
I could also have told her how two weeks ago, an 8 year old girl was nearly attacked by a Mexican wolf on her parents private property in front of their home, thankfully, one the family dogs stepped in and took the brunt of the attack and ended up at the Vet's office in Silver City, the 8 year old did what 8 year olds do, she ran for mom and dad, a real no-no according to the biologists.
I could have told her how just last month, a 14 year old boy was accosted and stalked by three Mexican wolves and thankfully he was smart enough to back up to a tree and was lucky enough to have been raised with knowledge on wildlife behavior. He got away, this time anyway, but it may not have been the case if he had been from downtown Albuquerque instead of Glenwood NM. This kid knew not to run or he might just die. This young man was commended by a wildlife behaviorist for saving his own life. This PHD says the wolves were prey testing; he should know that is a PHD in wildlife behavior. I could have directed Ms. Soussan to this source but as I said, she never bothered to call.
I could have told her how M-589 was not a scavenger, he was a wild born wolf with no collar caught off a calf kill last year. If it was not a wolf's instinct to kill livestock as well as game, why did this wild born wolf not make it, without reverting to livestock depredation? Partly because of all the exposure this animal had to the many re-released problem animals that were killing livestock. I could have told her how M-859's mate F-924 is also badly human habituated, having to be run off the front yard of a ranch home where there is a two year old child.
Ms. Soussan has rapidly become the laziest reporter in the entire state, she is so disinterested in gathering the facts that I literally cringe when I see her byline. Knowing what I do about her lack of research and inability to interview someone who does not share her opinions makes me automatically chalk everything she writes as grammatically correct BS. Good grammar and syntax do not make a good reporter. The ability and willingness to go beyond your own opinions for real and varied information on your subject make a real reporter. Can't the journal just put her in the opinion section where she belongs?
Sincerely
Laura Schneberger
Gila Livestock Growers Association
P.O. Box 111
Winston NM 87943
Dear Albuquerque Journal,
I don't know about you but I am getting pretty sick of Tania Soussan's sole source of information about Mexican wolf problems being the one and only Michael Robinson from the Center for Biological Diversity. If you look at her wolf stories from the past couple years you will see her major source is Mr. Robinson and he basically gives her one quote that she uses over and over. She will not call anyone actually dealing with problem wolves wreaking havoc on their lives.
Has she no one else to turn to for information, or is she just too excited about getting his message across to get the facts from anyone else?
Michael Robinson does not live with or deal with wolves, he studies philosophizes and apparently writes poorly reviewed books about them. Robinson had to be shown peer reviewed studies that prove livestock scavenging is unrelated to depredation tolls. Did it matter to him, not in the least, he has his agenda and he sticks to it like glue. The question is, why is the Albuquerque Journal tolerating Soussan's lazy and biased reporting?
Had Ms. Soussan bothered to call me or anyone else who actually deals with wolf issues, she might have learned something about the habituation to livestock and people that the FWS has perpetuated in this program through their recycled wolf release and minimum management of problem wolves policies. She might have learned there are 40 known wolves in NM alone and about the same in Arizona. There are another 13 sightings and close encounters from September on just in New Mexico that should have been investigated by the FWS but were not.
I could also have told her how two weeks ago, an 8 year old girl was nearly attacked by a Mexican wolf on her parents private property in front of their home, thankfully, one the family dogs stepped in and took the brunt of the attack and ended up at the Vet's office in Silver City, the 8 year old did what 8 year olds do, she ran for mom and dad, a real no-no according to the biologists.
I could have told her how just last month, a 14 year old boy was accosted and stalked by three Mexican wolves and thankfully he was smart enough to back up to a tree and was lucky enough to have been raised with knowledge on wildlife behavior. He got away, this time anyway, but it may not have been the case if he had been from downtown Albuquerque instead of Glenwood NM. This kid knew not to run or he might just die. This young man was commended by a wildlife behaviorist for saving his own life. This PHD says the wolves were prey testing; he should know that is a PHD in wildlife behavior. I could have directed Ms. Soussan to this source but as I said, she never bothered to call.
I could have told her how M-589 was not a scavenger, he was a wild born wolf with no collar caught off a calf kill last year. If it was not a wolf's instinct to kill livestock as well as game, why did this wild born wolf not make it, without reverting to livestock depredation? Partly because of all the exposure this animal had to the many re-released problem animals that were killing livestock. I could have told her how M-859's mate F-924 is also badly human habituated, having to be run off the front yard of a ranch home where there is a two year old child.
Ms. Soussan has rapidly become the laziest reporter in the entire state, she is so disinterested in gathering the facts that I literally cringe when I see her byline. Knowing what I do about her lack of research and inability to interview someone who does not share her opinions makes me automatically chalk everything she writes as grammatically correct BS. Good grammar and syntax do not make a good reporter. The ability and willingness to go beyond your own opinions for real and varied information on your subject make a real reporter. Can't the journal just put her in the opinion section where she belongs?
Sincerely
Laura Schneberger
Gila Livestock Growers Association
P.O. Box 111
Winston NM 87943
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Horse Owners Urged to Implement Best Management Practices to Prevent Equine Viral Arteritis (EVA)
News Release
Texas Animal Health Commission
Box l2966 * Austin, Texas 78711 * (800) 550-8242 * FAX (512) 719-0719
Bob Hillman, DVM * Executive Director
For info, contact Carla Everett, information officer, at 1-800-550-8242, ext. 710, or ceverett@tahc.state.tx.us
For immediate release---
Texas equine producers, veterinarians and livestock health officials have become increasingly concerned about Equine Viral Arteritis (EVA), which has been detected in New Mexico and Utah this year. A viral disease of horses, donkeys, and other equine animals, EVA causes mares to abort, can cause mild to severe respiratory disease in some horses and may also cause some stallions to become chronically infected and shed the virus in semen. While EVA has been encountered rarely and is not a reportable disease in Texas, regulations have been implemented in some states, including Kentucky, New York and Colorado.
While some infected equine exhibit no signs of disease, owners should be alert and notify their accredited private veterinary practitioner if horses or foals develop signs of EVA, including fever, depression, diarrhea, coughing or nasal discharge, or swelling of the legs, body or head. Laboratory testing is necessary to confirm a diagnosis, as other equine diseases can present similar clinical signs.
“EVA is not currently a reportable disease in Texas,” said Dr. Bob Hillman, Texas’ state veterinarian and head of the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC), the state’s livestock and poultry health regulatory agency. “However, we urge veterinarians and horse owners to report suspected and confirmed cases of EVA to the TAHC to ensure we have the most accurate picture of the disease in the state and can provide up-to-date information to veterinarians and equine owners.”
Horses can be infected by inhaling the equine arteritis virus, through natural service of a mare by a carrier stallion, artificial insemination of a mare with semen from a carrier stallion, or by being exposed to bedding or other objects contaminated with the virus. Stallions that shed the equine arteritis virus in their semen can infect unvaccinated mares, causing a respiratory disease and abortion. Acutely infected horses spread the infection to other horses via the respiratory route. A pregnant mare may also be infected through contact with acutely infected horses and may abort. Cleaning and disinfection of stalls, trailers and equipment can reduce the risk of EVA exposure.
“Know the EVA status of stallions, semen shipments and mares before they are introduced onto your farm. Consult your accredited private veterinary practitioner about vaccination protocols for brood mares, stallions and colt foals, and ensure that good biosecurity measures are followed,” said Dr. Hillman.
“If you are shipping breeding horses out of state, check to determine the entry requirements of the receiving state and allow time to comply with any testing, vaccination or isolation requirements. Many breeding farms have implemented ‘best management’ practices, testing and vaccination procedures to prevent the introduction or spread of EVA. Before delivering mares to farms for breeding, owners should contact the facility managers to determine what testing and vaccination procedures must be met.”
“Although only supportive treatment can be provided, most affected mares, geldings or sexually immature stallions will eliminate the virus and recover,” said Dr. Hillman. “Sexually mature stallions, however, can become carriers of the disease and shed the virus for long periods. Shedding stallions should be isolated and bred only to vaccinated mares.”
“It is very important to have breeding horses tested, and if appropriate, vaccinated prior to the breeding season. After vaccination, stallions and mares should be withheld from breeding for at least 28 or 21 days, respectively. Vaccinated horses also must be maintained away from pregnant mares for at least 28 days,” he said. “EVA vaccine may be acquired only by veterinarians, with prior TAHC approval.”
Additionally, mares vaccinated for the first time and bred to a carrier stallion should be isolated from other equine for 21 days after breeding. Owners of breeding horses considering vaccination should consult their veterinarians if the horse may also be shipped in interstate or international commerce. A specific pre-vaccination protocol to assure the horse was test-negative prior to vaccination may be required, because vaccinated horses will test positive for the disease.
“Several horse breeders and a number of equine veterinarians have contacted the TAHC about EVA and to urge Texas equine producers to take all necessary precautions to prevent establishing EVA in Texas horses,” said Dr. Hillman. “Equine producers and veterinarians believe this disease can be handled through judicious application of best management and biosecurity practices, coupled with appropriate use of testing and vaccination of breeding animals.”
“The current EVA situation will be reported to TAHC commissioners at their meeting Tuesday, Dec. 5, in Austin,” he said. “Development of EVA rules is not anticipated at this time. Horse breeders are urged to work with their veterinarians to institute best management and biosecurity practices immediately to protect their investment and the health of their animals. EVA can be prevented and controlled by sound management practices and selective use of the EVA vaccine.”
Links to additional information about EVA may be accessed at the TAHC’s web site at http://www.tahc.state.tx.us .
--30
News Release
Texas Animal Health Commission
Box l2966 * Austin, Texas 78711 * (800) 550-8242 * FAX (512) 719-0719
Bob Hillman, DVM * Executive Director
For info, contact Carla Everett, information officer, at 1-800-550-8242, ext. 710, or ceverett@tahc.state.tx.us
For immediate release---
Texas equine producers, veterinarians and livestock health officials have become increasingly concerned about Equine Viral Arteritis (EVA), which has been detected in New Mexico and Utah this year. A viral disease of horses, donkeys, and other equine animals, EVA causes mares to abort, can cause mild to severe respiratory disease in some horses and may also cause some stallions to become chronically infected and shed the virus in semen. While EVA has been encountered rarely and is not a reportable disease in Texas, regulations have been implemented in some states, including Kentucky, New York and Colorado.
While some infected equine exhibit no signs of disease, owners should be alert and notify their accredited private veterinary practitioner if horses or foals develop signs of EVA, including fever, depression, diarrhea, coughing or nasal discharge, or swelling of the legs, body or head. Laboratory testing is necessary to confirm a diagnosis, as other equine diseases can present similar clinical signs.
“EVA is not currently a reportable disease in Texas,” said Dr. Bob Hillman, Texas’ state veterinarian and head of the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC), the state’s livestock and poultry health regulatory agency. “However, we urge veterinarians and horse owners to report suspected and confirmed cases of EVA to the TAHC to ensure we have the most accurate picture of the disease in the state and can provide up-to-date information to veterinarians and equine owners.”
Horses can be infected by inhaling the equine arteritis virus, through natural service of a mare by a carrier stallion, artificial insemination of a mare with semen from a carrier stallion, or by being exposed to bedding or other objects contaminated with the virus. Stallions that shed the equine arteritis virus in their semen can infect unvaccinated mares, causing a respiratory disease and abortion. Acutely infected horses spread the infection to other horses via the respiratory route. A pregnant mare may also be infected through contact with acutely infected horses and may abort. Cleaning and disinfection of stalls, trailers and equipment can reduce the risk of EVA exposure.
“Know the EVA status of stallions, semen shipments and mares before they are introduced onto your farm. Consult your accredited private veterinary practitioner about vaccination protocols for brood mares, stallions and colt foals, and ensure that good biosecurity measures are followed,” said Dr. Hillman.
“If you are shipping breeding horses out of state, check to determine the entry requirements of the receiving state and allow time to comply with any testing, vaccination or isolation requirements. Many breeding farms have implemented ‘best management’ practices, testing and vaccination procedures to prevent the introduction or spread of EVA. Before delivering mares to farms for breeding, owners should contact the facility managers to determine what testing and vaccination procedures must be met.”
“Although only supportive treatment can be provided, most affected mares, geldings or sexually immature stallions will eliminate the virus and recover,” said Dr. Hillman. “Sexually mature stallions, however, can become carriers of the disease and shed the virus for long periods. Shedding stallions should be isolated and bred only to vaccinated mares.”
“It is very important to have breeding horses tested, and if appropriate, vaccinated prior to the breeding season. After vaccination, stallions and mares should be withheld from breeding for at least 28 or 21 days, respectively. Vaccinated horses also must be maintained away from pregnant mares for at least 28 days,” he said. “EVA vaccine may be acquired only by veterinarians, with prior TAHC approval.”
Additionally, mares vaccinated for the first time and bred to a carrier stallion should be isolated from other equine for 21 days after breeding. Owners of breeding horses considering vaccination should consult their veterinarians if the horse may also be shipped in interstate or international commerce. A specific pre-vaccination protocol to assure the horse was test-negative prior to vaccination may be required, because vaccinated horses will test positive for the disease.
“Several horse breeders and a number of equine veterinarians have contacted the TAHC about EVA and to urge Texas equine producers to take all necessary precautions to prevent establishing EVA in Texas horses,” said Dr. Hillman. “Equine producers and veterinarians believe this disease can be handled through judicious application of best management and biosecurity practices, coupled with appropriate use of testing and vaccination of breeding animals.”
“The current EVA situation will be reported to TAHC commissioners at their meeting Tuesday, Dec. 5, in Austin,” he said. “Development of EVA rules is not anticipated at this time. Horse breeders are urged to work with their veterinarians to institute best management and biosecurity practices immediately to protect their investment and the health of their animals. EVA can be prevented and controlled by sound management practices and selective use of the EVA vaccine.”
Links to additional information about EVA may be accessed at the TAHC’s web site at http://www.tahc.state.tx.us .
--30
NEWS ROUNDUP
Feds order wolf removed from the wild The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wants to remove from the wild an endangered Mexican gray wolf that has killed livestock in southwestern New Mexico. The agency announced Tuesday that it has issued a permanent removal order for the male wolf _ identified as M859 _ because it has been involved in three confirmed livestock depredations since June. The order means that wildlife managers will try to either capture the animal or kill it. If the wolf is taken alive, it will be placed in captivity and will not be released into the wild. "While permanent removal orders may be perceived as a step back in reintroduction efforts, removing problem wolves is an integral part of wolf management and actually helps create an environment supporting future wolf releases," Benjamin Tuggle, director of the agency's southwestern region, said in a statement. Santa Fe-based Forest Guardians and The Rewilding Institute of Albuquerque recently appealed a decision by the Forest Service to allow continued grazing on two allotments in the Gila National Forest through a categorical exclusion, which reduces requirements for public involvement mandated under more formal environmental reviews. The Forest Service has since decided not to apply a categorical exclusion to the allotments, and the groups are hopeful the agency will consider environmental impacts before renewing grazing permits in the Gila....
U.S. fireman sentenced for setting forest blazes A former U.S. firefighter was ordered on Tuesday to undergo a mental evaluation and serve six months at a state corrections facility for setting three wildfires on public lands over the last three years. Levi Miller, 22, of Salmon, Idaho, could face up to 10 years in state prison depending on results of the psychological tests and his conduct at the corrections center, according to the sentence handed down by Judge James Herndon of Idaho's 7th Judicial District. "With the number of fires you're involved with, there might be some psychological reason you like doing that," Herndon told Miller during his sentencing. Miller, a firefighter for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, cried as he apologized to the court, noting he had caused pain to his family and fellow firefighters. Miller last month pleaded guilty to two counts of felony arson stemming from blazes he started in national forests in Idaho near the Montana border in 2003....
Federal government changing bison management The federal government is taking a new, holistic approach to bison management, one that treats animals at various national wildlife refuges and preserves more as a single unit than separate herds. The goal is to propagate more bison with a genetic makeup similar to their Great Plains ancestors, and to use the animals to help manage ecosystems. Next month, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plans to move bison among wildlife refuges and preserves in North Dakota, Montana, Nebraska and Iowa. The effort is aimed at taking advantage of 38 bison at North Dakota’s Sullys Hill National Game Preserve that DNA testing at Texas A&M University has shown to be close to genetically pure — or free of cattle genes. Starting on Dec. 5, the entire Sullys Hill herd will be moved to the Fort Niobrara refuge in Nebraska, said Matt Kales, a regional Fish and Wildlife spokesman in Denver. Seven bison from the National Bison Range in northwestern Montana will be moved to Sullys Hill and 25 to the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge in Iowa, where some of the existing bison have cattle genes....
Wolf Creek growth plan delayed until May Texas billionaire Red McCombs' plan to build a vast village near Wolf Creek Ski Area will be held up until at least May under a deal reached this week among the parties sparring over the development. The agreement, filed in federal court Monday, extends by several months last week's temporary 10-day order preventing McCombs and his venture from starting road construction or applying for a key permit. "This agreement will essentially preserve the status quo at Wolf Creek until the court is able to hear our case," said Ryan Demmy Bidwell of Colorado Wild, a Durango-based environmental group. Colorado Wild and the San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council sued the U.S. Forest Service over its approval of the project without a full environmental review. The project's developers have joined the case as defendants. In the deal reached this week, the Forest Service, developers and the environmentalists agreed the injunction barring any road work or permit applications should remain in place until May 1 or until the court rules on the merits of the pending lawsuit....
Nature programs' goal: No child left inside A back-to-nature movement to reconnect children with the outdoors is burgeoning nationwide. Programs, public and private, are starting or expanding as research shows kids suffer health problems, including obesity, from too much sedentary time indoors with TV and computers. "There's a lot of movement all over the country, and it's increasing," says Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder, a 2005 book that has increased interest in the topic. He says studies show that enjoying nature reduces kids' loneliness, depression and attention problems. In January, the U.S. Forest Service is launching a pilot program, More Kids In the Woods, that will fund local efforts to get children outdoors. It is the service's first full-scale program targeting kids, says Jim Bedwell, national director of recreation and heritage resources. Time in the woods helps children develop bonds with nature and other people, says Gina McCartney, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection. "We're trying to grow environmental stewards, not just healthy kids."....
Court rejects permit for helicopter skiing An Idaho judge ruled against a local helicopter skiing operation’s request for increased use in the Palisades Wilderness Study Area on Tuesday, saying the increased use would hurt the wilderness characteristics of the land. In his decision, U.S. District Court Judge B. Lynn Winmill in Idaho ordered that a 2005 U.S. Forest Service decision authorizing High Mountain Heli-Skiing increased use of the Snake River Range did not satisfy federal environmental laws and violated the 1984 Wyoming Wilderness Act. The 180,000-acre Palisades Wilderness Study Area is on the Wyoming side of the range that rises between Teton Pass and Palisades Reservoir. It is part of both the Bridger-Teton and the Caribou-Targhee national forests and the hills also are called the Palisades Range. High Mountain Heli-Skiing now has the option to enter negotiations with the plaintiffs in the case, the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance, the Sierra Club and the Wyoming Wilderness Association. The groups sued challenging the Bridger-Teton’s decision to grant the increase to High Mountain Heli-Skiing....
Judge OKs Helicopter Skiing Permit in Cottonwood Canyons A Snowbird-based firm can continue to dispatch backcountry skiers into the Cottonwood canyons from its helicopters, a federal judge has ruled. U.S. District Judge Ted Stewart rejected a challenge on Monday by environmental group Save Our Canyons over a five-year operating permit that was issued for Wasatch Powderbird Guides in 2004. The group does not see helicopter skiing as an acceptable use of Utah's canyons. Save Our Canyons argued the U.S. Forest Service acted in an "arbitrary and capricious" manner when it renewed the helicopter skiing permit, which the company has held for three decades. The group's lawsuit contended the federal agency did not take a hard look at data analyzing how many skiers and snowshoers use the canyons' backcountry areas. The group, dedicated to preserving the Wasatch Range, also claimed the Forest Service improperly considered the profitability of Wasatch Powderbird when the permit was up for review. But Stewart rejected the group's arguments, ruling the Forest Service complied with federal environmental laws....
Commissioners reject Measure 37 claim against Newberry Crater Deschutes County commissioners unanimously rejected a Measure 37 claim filed by a landowner who wants $203 million or the right to extract steam energy, expand a pumice mine and build a subdivision within the Newberry National Volcanic Monument. But Dennis Luke, the commission chairman, said he wouldn't be surprised if the courts get the final say. “I'm sure this one doesn't end here,” Luke said after Monday's vote. “It probably moves on, and there'll be a lot of interest in this claim.” Measure 37 allows landowners to claim compensation - or a waiver of land-use rules - if land-use rules are changed while they own property. James Miller, 83, asked for a waiver of county land-use laws to mine pumice, develop a geothermal power plant and build more than 100 homes on property within the protected natural area....
2006 echoes 1986; will we see a Montana wilderness bill? In 2007, Conrad Burns will no longer represent Montana in the U.S. Senate, and the Democrats will control Congress for the first time since they lost their majorities in 1994. That suggests we could see passage of a Montana wilderness bill, with official wilderness designation for the 224,000-acre Great Burn area along the Montana-Idaho border. Why? Because that’s exactly what happened the last time the Democrats took control of the Senate. Just as in 2006, the 1986 mid-term elections took place during the second term of a Republican president. In 1986, the Democrats went from a 47-53 deficit to a 55-45 majority in the Senate, and padded their lead in the U.S. House to 258-177. In that session, then-Sen. John Melcher of Montana sponsored S.2751, the “Montana Natural Resources Protection and Utilization Act of 1988,” which the 100th Congress passed and sent to President Ronald Reagan for his signature. But Reagan never signed the bill. The Montana Wilderness Association website says Reagan pocket-vetoed the bill as an election favor to Conrad Burns. Burns had criticized the wilderness bill during his succesful campaign against Melcher, the two-term Democratic incumbent. Three Senate terms later, voters narrowly decided to replace Burns with organic farmer Jon Tester. Once again, the Democrats could choose to pass a Montana wilderness bill on their own if they so choose....
Prescribed burns cut wildfire risk Santa Fe National Forest crews Monday began prescribed burns in the Santa Fe Municipal Watershed and other areas of the forest. The burns are scheduled to continue through Wednesday if the weather permits, according to the Forest Service. The burns are designed to lessen the risk of catastrophic wildfires near the source of Santa Fe's municipal water supplies and around El Porvenir campground, northwest of Las Vegas, N.M. Crews will stop burning Wednesday. "The burns are going well," said Dolores Maese, spokeswoman for the Santa Fe National Forest. About 75 acres were burned on the north side of the watershed Monday. About 12 acres of a planned 100 acres were burned around El Porvenir. The Forest Service has an air-quality permit from the state Environment Department to conduct the burn, Maese said. "If we go out of air-quality standards, they'll let us know we have to shut down early," she said. Fire crews also consider the moisture in trees and brush, weather forecasts, drought and wind before beginning a burn....
Parks delve in social sciences with plan for sweeping survey Yes, Picavet is biased. The National Park Service pays her salary. She presumably won't be called by the researchers now preparing the agency's new Comprehensive Survey of the American Public. But several thousand other Americans will be, as the National Park Service shows it's serious about the social sciences. By next spring, researchers will be telephoning randomly selected households. In the first national survey of its kind since 2000, the park service will be asking customers what they think. Park social science has grown, modestly, since a 1996 report called for a bigger federal investment. Congress, though, dismissed President Bush's request this year for an additional $250,000 to expand park visitor surveys. The park service operates its own social science shop now under the leadership of a Texas A&M University professor. Parks also attract scholars working on advanced degrees....
Colorado company bids $1M for drilling rights on Utah public land A Colorado-based land services consulting company successfully bid $1,000 an acre for drilling rights to 1,000 acres of public land in Utah offered on Tuesday by the Bureau of Land Management at its quarterly oil and gas lease sale. Lonetree Energy of Denver, however, placed the $1 million bid on behalf of one of its clients, said Austin Mater, Lonetree's owner. "At some point we'll end up assigning the lease to our client. At this time, they're not ready for their name to be known." Lonetree Energy Partners of Denver paid the highest amount per acre among all the 70 bidders at the auction, said Adrienne Babbitt, spokeswoman for the BLM's Utah State Office in Salt Lake City. The 1,000-acre parcel that Lonetree acquired is in Duchesne County, she added. In total, the BLM auctioned drilling rights to 215,000 acres of federal land for $15 million, with half the money going to Utah's state coffers. "There was a lot of interest in lands in the Vernal and Price areas," Babbitt said. Bids during the Tuesday auction ranged from $2 to $1,000 an acre. The average bid amount was $70, which represented a significant improvement from the $35 an acre the BLM's Utah office received in its prior lease auction, in mid-August. Babbitt said the 215,000 acres that were leased represented only a portion of the 334,000 acres that the BLM offered during the auction....
Wolves Part 2: Attacks on humans may not be so rare as claimed Environmentalists and animal lovers claim that wolves kill the old and infirm wildlife. They claim that they kill only what they need for survival. D. F. Oliveria, opinion writer-Spokene.net, states that in southwestern Idaho, wolf attacks have killed almost 40 University of Idaho sheep. Oddly, the predators have ignored the ewes and lambs to slaughter rams weighting 250 to 300 pounds ... and then leave the meat to rot. Studies on the research of Professor Warren Ballard in Alaska documented that wolves will kill about 30 moose per year (per wolf). If you calculate biomass it will probably take 60 or more elk to provide the same amount of biomass. It is also interesting to note that Ballard found no evidence of sickness or debility among any moose killed by wolves. So, given the research to date, if wolves are not aggressively controlled, and soon, devastation of Montana elk, deer, sheep, moose and goat populations is a reasonable projection. While these animals may not be wiped out to the last animal, uncontrolled wolves will certainly not leave enough for human hunters to be allowed to hunt. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is fully aware of numerous documented attacks on humans by wolves in North America, yet they refuse to write a rebuttal to fictitious statements that wolves are not attacking humans. Instead it is posted on their children's website that wolves don't attack humans! And the list goes on....
Prospero Ranch wins planners' OK Planning commissioners approved a 105-home housing tract that borders the city's Prime Desert Woodland preserve and is opposed by neighbors, who say it will destroy Joshua trees and other desert habitat that should be saved. In return for permission to build on the land, developer Fieldstone Lancaster must take a number of environmental measures. Those include buying 42 acres of desert habitat elsewhere to set aside as a preserve, delaying construction until any burrowing owls on the property have raised their young, and catching and relocating coast horned lizards and a snakelike reptile called the silvery legless lizard, as well as relocating or preserving elsewhere five specimens of a tiny plant called a sagebrush loeflingia. "We've been keeping that in mind as we've been designing the project," project manager Ben Hudson said of the tract's proximity to the city's 102-acre Prime Desert Woodland. "The environmental impact report was very clear there are no endangered species on the site, but there are some special-status species. What we will do is a series of preconstruction surveys before we actually begin construction."....
Renewable Energies, Conservation May Play Larger Roles in New Farm Bill Midwestern Democrats suddenly find themselves in key positions to shape the 2007 Farm Bill, they're clamoring for more incentives for farmers and ranchers to develop and produce agriculture-based fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel. Many scientists, who have become more vocal on the issue in recent months, have a more sobering message. Biofuels "will not solve any of our large-scale problems, but they will impact negatively on the environment," such as destroying or contaminating air, soil and water, said Tad Patzek, professor of geoengineering at the University of California, Berkeley. "Politicians are lying to the public, and the public is accepting the lies," he said. "In the meantime, we're not doing things that can matter." According to a University of Minnesota study released earlier this year, soybean-based biodiesel and corn-based ethanol harm the environment less than regular diesel and gasoline. In addition, the biofuels are worth more energy than is needed to create them. However, according to the study, "Neither biofuel can replace much petroleum without impacting food supplies."....
Snyder trial may be delayed The trial date for 35-year-old James Michael Snyder was left in limbo Monday following a continuance hearing in the case. Snyder, who is charged with an open count of murder and tampering with evidence for the Dec. 30, 2005 slaying of Grant County rancher John Timothy Edwards, was expected to go to trial on Jan. 22. But state District Judge Gary Jeffreys decided Monday to wait 30 days before ruling on the fate of Snyder's trial. Prosecuting Attorney George Zsoka, with the Sixth Judicial District Attorney's office, asked for a continuance in the case, citing a delay in the processing of DNA evidence by the state's crime lab. Zsoka said the evidence, a gun holster and cowboy hat, have not been processed to rule out three non-suspects. Five other pieces of evidence have been processed and were submitted to the state crime lab in late February. But the holster and hat were not submitted until June....
US Appeals Court Denies USDA Motion In Cattle-Import Case The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has denied the U.S. Department of Agriculture's request to halt previously scheduled briefings and arguments in a suit brought by R-CALF United Stockgrowers of America over Canadian cattle imports, according to a copy of the court order. The court's denial was in response to an August filing by the USDA of a rarely used "Motion for Summary Affirmance," said Shae Dodson, communications coordinator for the cattlemen's group R-CALF USA. "The motion for summary affirmance of this appeal is denied because the arguments raised in response to the motion are sufficiently substantial to warrant further argument," the Ninth Circuit said in its denial. The court also said R-CALF USA's opening brief is due Dec. 11, and the USDA's answer is due Jan. 10. An optional reply brief from R-CALF USA is due within 14 days of the USDA's answering brief, the court said. USDA spokesman Jim Rogers said Tuesday the USDA would have its arguments ready for the court. R-CALF USA sued the USDA on Jan. 10, 2005, claiming the agency's Final Rule on "Minimal Risk Regions: Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy and the Importation of Commodities," which relaxed long-standing import restrictions for countries affected by BSE, was inadequate to protect the U.S. cattle industry from the introduction of BSE from Canada, Dodson said....
It’s The Pitts: A Christmas Story My nephew and I were in a store when he spied a fake Santa Claus who’d just finished his shift. It must have been a hard one because Santa was buying some booze. "What if a little kid who was still a believer saw that?" asked my disgusted nephew. "I don't know who made up all these Christmas traditions to begin with, like flying reindeer, socks over the mantle, mistletoe and Santa Claus. Bah humbug." I tried to explain some of these customs to my bitter nephew. "What you see today is the Hollywood version of the story, but there really was a Santa Claus. He was a crotchety old rancher whose real name was Klaus and he lived up near North Fork, Montana, a long time ago. Klaus had lived nearly all of his 70 years by himself. Never married, he was a miserable old loner, but once a year he did something quite out of character. Every year at Christmas he’d take a bag full of toys that he’d made himself down to the orphanage at Chinook where he’d been raised as a child. “On one particular blustery Christmas Eve he pulled on his stocking cap, longjohns and red and white jacket and stepped into his black, five buckle overshoes. Then he hitched up his two mules, Rudolph and Prancer, and threw the bag of hand carved toys in his wagon for the trip to town. “On his way to Chinook the weather turned bad. A blizzard was blowing in and it got so cold that the nose on Rudolph, the mule, turned red. Klaus knew he couldn't make it to town and he wasn't sure he could make it back home, so in the blinding snow he pulled down the next lane he came across. It was the road to the widow's place....
Feds order wolf removed from the wild The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wants to remove from the wild an endangered Mexican gray wolf that has killed livestock in southwestern New Mexico. The agency announced Tuesday that it has issued a permanent removal order for the male wolf _ identified as M859 _ because it has been involved in three confirmed livestock depredations since June. The order means that wildlife managers will try to either capture the animal or kill it. If the wolf is taken alive, it will be placed in captivity and will not be released into the wild. "While permanent removal orders may be perceived as a step back in reintroduction efforts, removing problem wolves is an integral part of wolf management and actually helps create an environment supporting future wolf releases," Benjamin Tuggle, director of the agency's southwestern region, said in a statement. Santa Fe-based Forest Guardians and The Rewilding Institute of Albuquerque recently appealed a decision by the Forest Service to allow continued grazing on two allotments in the Gila National Forest through a categorical exclusion, which reduces requirements for public involvement mandated under more formal environmental reviews. The Forest Service has since decided not to apply a categorical exclusion to the allotments, and the groups are hopeful the agency will consider environmental impacts before renewing grazing permits in the Gila....
U.S. fireman sentenced for setting forest blazes A former U.S. firefighter was ordered on Tuesday to undergo a mental evaluation and serve six months at a state corrections facility for setting three wildfires on public lands over the last three years. Levi Miller, 22, of Salmon, Idaho, could face up to 10 years in state prison depending on results of the psychological tests and his conduct at the corrections center, according to the sentence handed down by Judge James Herndon of Idaho's 7th Judicial District. "With the number of fires you're involved with, there might be some psychological reason you like doing that," Herndon told Miller during his sentencing. Miller, a firefighter for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, cried as he apologized to the court, noting he had caused pain to his family and fellow firefighters. Miller last month pleaded guilty to two counts of felony arson stemming from blazes he started in national forests in Idaho near the Montana border in 2003....
Federal government changing bison management The federal government is taking a new, holistic approach to bison management, one that treats animals at various national wildlife refuges and preserves more as a single unit than separate herds. The goal is to propagate more bison with a genetic makeup similar to their Great Plains ancestors, and to use the animals to help manage ecosystems. Next month, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plans to move bison among wildlife refuges and preserves in North Dakota, Montana, Nebraska and Iowa. The effort is aimed at taking advantage of 38 bison at North Dakota’s Sullys Hill National Game Preserve that DNA testing at Texas A&M University has shown to be close to genetically pure — or free of cattle genes. Starting on Dec. 5, the entire Sullys Hill herd will be moved to the Fort Niobrara refuge in Nebraska, said Matt Kales, a regional Fish and Wildlife spokesman in Denver. Seven bison from the National Bison Range in northwestern Montana will be moved to Sullys Hill and 25 to the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge in Iowa, where some of the existing bison have cattle genes....
Wolf Creek growth plan delayed until May Texas billionaire Red McCombs' plan to build a vast village near Wolf Creek Ski Area will be held up until at least May under a deal reached this week among the parties sparring over the development. The agreement, filed in federal court Monday, extends by several months last week's temporary 10-day order preventing McCombs and his venture from starting road construction or applying for a key permit. "This agreement will essentially preserve the status quo at Wolf Creek until the court is able to hear our case," said Ryan Demmy Bidwell of Colorado Wild, a Durango-based environmental group. Colorado Wild and the San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council sued the U.S. Forest Service over its approval of the project without a full environmental review. The project's developers have joined the case as defendants. In the deal reached this week, the Forest Service, developers and the environmentalists agreed the injunction barring any road work or permit applications should remain in place until May 1 or until the court rules on the merits of the pending lawsuit....
Nature programs' goal: No child left inside A back-to-nature movement to reconnect children with the outdoors is burgeoning nationwide. Programs, public and private, are starting or expanding as research shows kids suffer health problems, including obesity, from too much sedentary time indoors with TV and computers. "There's a lot of movement all over the country, and it's increasing," says Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder, a 2005 book that has increased interest in the topic. He says studies show that enjoying nature reduces kids' loneliness, depression and attention problems. In January, the U.S. Forest Service is launching a pilot program, More Kids In the Woods, that will fund local efforts to get children outdoors. It is the service's first full-scale program targeting kids, says Jim Bedwell, national director of recreation and heritage resources. Time in the woods helps children develop bonds with nature and other people, says Gina McCartney, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection. "We're trying to grow environmental stewards, not just healthy kids."....
Court rejects permit for helicopter skiing An Idaho judge ruled against a local helicopter skiing operation’s request for increased use in the Palisades Wilderness Study Area on Tuesday, saying the increased use would hurt the wilderness characteristics of the land. In his decision, U.S. District Court Judge B. Lynn Winmill in Idaho ordered that a 2005 U.S. Forest Service decision authorizing High Mountain Heli-Skiing increased use of the Snake River Range did not satisfy federal environmental laws and violated the 1984 Wyoming Wilderness Act. The 180,000-acre Palisades Wilderness Study Area is on the Wyoming side of the range that rises between Teton Pass and Palisades Reservoir. It is part of both the Bridger-Teton and the Caribou-Targhee national forests and the hills also are called the Palisades Range. High Mountain Heli-Skiing now has the option to enter negotiations with the plaintiffs in the case, the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance, the Sierra Club and the Wyoming Wilderness Association. The groups sued challenging the Bridger-Teton’s decision to grant the increase to High Mountain Heli-Skiing....
Judge OKs Helicopter Skiing Permit in Cottonwood Canyons A Snowbird-based firm can continue to dispatch backcountry skiers into the Cottonwood canyons from its helicopters, a federal judge has ruled. U.S. District Judge Ted Stewart rejected a challenge on Monday by environmental group Save Our Canyons over a five-year operating permit that was issued for Wasatch Powderbird Guides in 2004. The group does not see helicopter skiing as an acceptable use of Utah's canyons. Save Our Canyons argued the U.S. Forest Service acted in an "arbitrary and capricious" manner when it renewed the helicopter skiing permit, which the company has held for three decades. The group's lawsuit contended the federal agency did not take a hard look at data analyzing how many skiers and snowshoers use the canyons' backcountry areas. The group, dedicated to preserving the Wasatch Range, also claimed the Forest Service improperly considered the profitability of Wasatch Powderbird when the permit was up for review. But Stewart rejected the group's arguments, ruling the Forest Service complied with federal environmental laws....
Commissioners reject Measure 37 claim against Newberry Crater Deschutes County commissioners unanimously rejected a Measure 37 claim filed by a landowner who wants $203 million or the right to extract steam energy, expand a pumice mine and build a subdivision within the Newberry National Volcanic Monument. But Dennis Luke, the commission chairman, said he wouldn't be surprised if the courts get the final say. “I'm sure this one doesn't end here,” Luke said after Monday's vote. “It probably moves on, and there'll be a lot of interest in this claim.” Measure 37 allows landowners to claim compensation - or a waiver of land-use rules - if land-use rules are changed while they own property. James Miller, 83, asked for a waiver of county land-use laws to mine pumice, develop a geothermal power plant and build more than 100 homes on property within the protected natural area....
2006 echoes 1986; will we see a Montana wilderness bill? In 2007, Conrad Burns will no longer represent Montana in the U.S. Senate, and the Democrats will control Congress for the first time since they lost their majorities in 1994. That suggests we could see passage of a Montana wilderness bill, with official wilderness designation for the 224,000-acre Great Burn area along the Montana-Idaho border. Why? Because that’s exactly what happened the last time the Democrats took control of the Senate. Just as in 2006, the 1986 mid-term elections took place during the second term of a Republican president. In 1986, the Democrats went from a 47-53 deficit to a 55-45 majority in the Senate, and padded their lead in the U.S. House to 258-177. In that session, then-Sen. John Melcher of Montana sponsored S.2751, the “Montana Natural Resources Protection and Utilization Act of 1988,” which the 100th Congress passed and sent to President Ronald Reagan for his signature. But Reagan never signed the bill. The Montana Wilderness Association website says Reagan pocket-vetoed the bill as an election favor to Conrad Burns. Burns had criticized the wilderness bill during his succesful campaign against Melcher, the two-term Democratic incumbent. Three Senate terms later, voters narrowly decided to replace Burns with organic farmer Jon Tester. Once again, the Democrats could choose to pass a Montana wilderness bill on their own if they so choose....
Prescribed burns cut wildfire risk Santa Fe National Forest crews Monday began prescribed burns in the Santa Fe Municipal Watershed and other areas of the forest. The burns are scheduled to continue through Wednesday if the weather permits, according to the Forest Service. The burns are designed to lessen the risk of catastrophic wildfires near the source of Santa Fe's municipal water supplies and around El Porvenir campground, northwest of Las Vegas, N.M. Crews will stop burning Wednesday. "The burns are going well," said Dolores Maese, spokeswoman for the Santa Fe National Forest. About 75 acres were burned on the north side of the watershed Monday. About 12 acres of a planned 100 acres were burned around El Porvenir. The Forest Service has an air-quality permit from the state Environment Department to conduct the burn, Maese said. "If we go out of air-quality standards, they'll let us know we have to shut down early," she said. Fire crews also consider the moisture in trees and brush, weather forecasts, drought and wind before beginning a burn....
Parks delve in social sciences with plan for sweeping survey Yes, Picavet is biased. The National Park Service pays her salary. She presumably won't be called by the researchers now preparing the agency's new Comprehensive Survey of the American Public. But several thousand other Americans will be, as the National Park Service shows it's serious about the social sciences. By next spring, researchers will be telephoning randomly selected households. In the first national survey of its kind since 2000, the park service will be asking customers what they think. Park social science has grown, modestly, since a 1996 report called for a bigger federal investment. Congress, though, dismissed President Bush's request this year for an additional $250,000 to expand park visitor surveys. The park service operates its own social science shop now under the leadership of a Texas A&M University professor. Parks also attract scholars working on advanced degrees....
Colorado company bids $1M for drilling rights on Utah public land A Colorado-based land services consulting company successfully bid $1,000 an acre for drilling rights to 1,000 acres of public land in Utah offered on Tuesday by the Bureau of Land Management at its quarterly oil and gas lease sale. Lonetree Energy of Denver, however, placed the $1 million bid on behalf of one of its clients, said Austin Mater, Lonetree's owner. "At some point we'll end up assigning the lease to our client. At this time, they're not ready for their name to be known." Lonetree Energy Partners of Denver paid the highest amount per acre among all the 70 bidders at the auction, said Adrienne Babbitt, spokeswoman for the BLM's Utah State Office in Salt Lake City. The 1,000-acre parcel that Lonetree acquired is in Duchesne County, she added. In total, the BLM auctioned drilling rights to 215,000 acres of federal land for $15 million, with half the money going to Utah's state coffers. "There was a lot of interest in lands in the Vernal and Price areas," Babbitt said. Bids during the Tuesday auction ranged from $2 to $1,000 an acre. The average bid amount was $70, which represented a significant improvement from the $35 an acre the BLM's Utah office received in its prior lease auction, in mid-August. Babbitt said the 215,000 acres that were leased represented only a portion of the 334,000 acres that the BLM offered during the auction....
Wolves Part 2: Attacks on humans may not be so rare as claimed Environmentalists and animal lovers claim that wolves kill the old and infirm wildlife. They claim that they kill only what they need for survival. D. F. Oliveria, opinion writer-Spokene.net, states that in southwestern Idaho, wolf attacks have killed almost 40 University of Idaho sheep. Oddly, the predators have ignored the ewes and lambs to slaughter rams weighting 250 to 300 pounds ... and then leave the meat to rot. Studies on the research of Professor Warren Ballard in Alaska documented that wolves will kill about 30 moose per year (per wolf). If you calculate biomass it will probably take 60 or more elk to provide the same amount of biomass. It is also interesting to note that Ballard found no evidence of sickness or debility among any moose killed by wolves. So, given the research to date, if wolves are not aggressively controlled, and soon, devastation of Montana elk, deer, sheep, moose and goat populations is a reasonable projection. While these animals may not be wiped out to the last animal, uncontrolled wolves will certainly not leave enough for human hunters to be allowed to hunt. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is fully aware of numerous documented attacks on humans by wolves in North America, yet they refuse to write a rebuttal to fictitious statements that wolves are not attacking humans. Instead it is posted on their children's website that wolves don't attack humans! And the list goes on....
Prospero Ranch wins planners' OK Planning commissioners approved a 105-home housing tract that borders the city's Prime Desert Woodland preserve and is opposed by neighbors, who say it will destroy Joshua trees and other desert habitat that should be saved. In return for permission to build on the land, developer Fieldstone Lancaster must take a number of environmental measures. Those include buying 42 acres of desert habitat elsewhere to set aside as a preserve, delaying construction until any burrowing owls on the property have raised their young, and catching and relocating coast horned lizards and a snakelike reptile called the silvery legless lizard, as well as relocating or preserving elsewhere five specimens of a tiny plant called a sagebrush loeflingia. "We've been keeping that in mind as we've been designing the project," project manager Ben Hudson said of the tract's proximity to the city's 102-acre Prime Desert Woodland. "The environmental impact report was very clear there are no endangered species on the site, but there are some special-status species. What we will do is a series of preconstruction surveys before we actually begin construction."....
Renewable Energies, Conservation May Play Larger Roles in New Farm Bill Midwestern Democrats suddenly find themselves in key positions to shape the 2007 Farm Bill, they're clamoring for more incentives for farmers and ranchers to develop and produce agriculture-based fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel. Many scientists, who have become more vocal on the issue in recent months, have a more sobering message. Biofuels "will not solve any of our large-scale problems, but they will impact negatively on the environment," such as destroying or contaminating air, soil and water, said Tad Patzek, professor of geoengineering at the University of California, Berkeley. "Politicians are lying to the public, and the public is accepting the lies," he said. "In the meantime, we're not doing things that can matter." According to a University of Minnesota study released earlier this year, soybean-based biodiesel and corn-based ethanol harm the environment less than regular diesel and gasoline. In addition, the biofuels are worth more energy than is needed to create them. However, according to the study, "Neither biofuel can replace much petroleum without impacting food supplies."....
Snyder trial may be delayed The trial date for 35-year-old James Michael Snyder was left in limbo Monday following a continuance hearing in the case. Snyder, who is charged with an open count of murder and tampering with evidence for the Dec. 30, 2005 slaying of Grant County rancher John Timothy Edwards, was expected to go to trial on Jan. 22. But state District Judge Gary Jeffreys decided Monday to wait 30 days before ruling on the fate of Snyder's trial. Prosecuting Attorney George Zsoka, with the Sixth Judicial District Attorney's office, asked for a continuance in the case, citing a delay in the processing of DNA evidence by the state's crime lab. Zsoka said the evidence, a gun holster and cowboy hat, have not been processed to rule out three non-suspects. Five other pieces of evidence have been processed and were submitted to the state crime lab in late February. But the holster and hat were not submitted until June....
US Appeals Court Denies USDA Motion In Cattle-Import Case The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has denied the U.S. Department of Agriculture's request to halt previously scheduled briefings and arguments in a suit brought by R-CALF United Stockgrowers of America over Canadian cattle imports, according to a copy of the court order. The court's denial was in response to an August filing by the USDA of a rarely used "Motion for Summary Affirmance," said Shae Dodson, communications coordinator for the cattlemen's group R-CALF USA. "The motion for summary affirmance of this appeal is denied because the arguments raised in response to the motion are sufficiently substantial to warrant further argument," the Ninth Circuit said in its denial. The court also said R-CALF USA's opening brief is due Dec. 11, and the USDA's answer is due Jan. 10. An optional reply brief from R-CALF USA is due within 14 days of the USDA's answering brief, the court said. USDA spokesman Jim Rogers said Tuesday the USDA would have its arguments ready for the court. R-CALF USA sued the USDA on Jan. 10, 2005, claiming the agency's Final Rule on "Minimal Risk Regions: Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy and the Importation of Commodities," which relaxed long-standing import restrictions for countries affected by BSE, was inadequate to protect the U.S. cattle industry from the introduction of BSE from Canada, Dodson said....
It’s The Pitts: A Christmas Story My nephew and I were in a store when he spied a fake Santa Claus who’d just finished his shift. It must have been a hard one because Santa was buying some booze. "What if a little kid who was still a believer saw that?" asked my disgusted nephew. "I don't know who made up all these Christmas traditions to begin with, like flying reindeer, socks over the mantle, mistletoe and Santa Claus. Bah humbug." I tried to explain some of these customs to my bitter nephew. "What you see today is the Hollywood version of the story, but there really was a Santa Claus. He was a crotchety old rancher whose real name was Klaus and he lived up near North Fork, Montana, a long time ago. Klaus had lived nearly all of his 70 years by himself. Never married, he was a miserable old loner, but once a year he did something quite out of character. Every year at Christmas he’d take a bag full of toys that he’d made himself down to the orphanage at Chinook where he’d been raised as a child. “On one particular blustery Christmas Eve he pulled on his stocking cap, longjohns and red and white jacket and stepped into his black, five buckle overshoes. Then he hitched up his two mules, Rudolph and Prancer, and threw the bag of hand carved toys in his wagon for the trip to town. “On his way to Chinook the weather turned bad. A blizzard was blowing in and it got so cold that the nose on Rudolph, the mule, turned red. Klaus knew he couldn't make it to town and he wasn't sure he could make it back home, so in the blinding snow he pulled down the next lane he came across. It was the road to the widow's place....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)