Second group of prairie dogs released

After being caged, dusted and inspected, 27 New Mexico natives were introduced Monday to new homes in Las Cienegas National Conservation Area, about 50 miles southeast of Tucson. Apart from being a little homesick, the black-tailed prairie dogs, released by the Arizona Game and Fish Department, have a bright future, Kristen Lenhardt said. This is the second of six planned prairie dog releases by Game and Fish and the BLM. The reintroduction is aimed at restoring the native species that was wiped out in Arizona by the 1960s. Last year the department released 74 prairie dogs on land adjacent to the conservation area. The reintroduction number this year was significantly less due to poor weather conditions during the trapping in New Mexico. The organizations plan to add more to the site in the next couple of weeks...AzDailyStar

It's All Trew: Animal stories

Recently, my neighbor Burl Stubbs called offering me the deal of a lifetime. Seems he had a cat worth $500 that he would sell me for 25 cents. If that price was too high he was open to negotiation and would deliver the animal to my home, free. In spite of the bargain, I turned down the offer as we live out in the boondocks with coyotes and bobcats visiting nightly awaiting the arrival of our next domestic pet. Though ridiculous in content and certainly not the norm for judging horseflesh, my father and untold numbers of old timers used the following verse in buying or trading a horse: "One white foot - eye him, Two white feet - try him. Three white feet - buy him and four white feet and a white nose - feed him to the crows." Unfortunately, during my lifetime of owning, riding and working many horses and observing many more, the old adage is true more times than not. Grandma Trew once owned a "broody hen." In explanation to the unlearned, a broody hen is a fowl that exhibits a perpetual, super-motherly instinct, and is always wanting to sit on and hatch a setting of eggs. Once hatched, she raises, protects and nourishes her brood in high fashion, making her a valuable asset to the usual farm menagerie. Of course, during the cold winter season, baby chicks are susceptible to the cold climate and not desired. However, the broody hen still desires to be a mother. To keep her satisfied, Grandma used "fooler-eggs" that were actually white glass door knobs. It seemed to make no difference to the motherly hen as she faithfully attended her instincts...Amarillo.com

Song Of The Day #137

Today's selection is a pretty ballad by Faron Young - his 1952 recording of Tattle Tale Tears.

It's available on his 24 track CD Live Fast, Love Hard: Original Capitol Recordings, 1952-1962 and the wonderful 5 disc box set The Classic Years 1952-62.

Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack To Visit Las Cruces

The USDA website has the following announcement:

September 30 - Secretary Tom Vilsack will travel to Las Cruces, NM, to discuss rural infrastructure.

It's part of USDA's Rural Tour and that's all the info I have at this time.

Condoms & Climate Change

What's the connection you ask?

Never fear, Time Magazine will tell you all about it.

Prophet of climate doom a scientific black sheep

Researchers from a broad swathe of disciplines are strangely ill at ease when asked about fellow scientist James Lovelock, whose improbable career has just entered its seventh decade. Chemists, biologists, climatologists and physicists are all quick to reach for superlatives: "brilliant", "ahead of his time", a "renaissance scientist" in an age of ultra-specialisation. But even as the scientific community sings Lovelock's praises, one waits for the other shoe to drop. When it comes to climate change -- the issue that has consumed Lovelock's interest more than any other over the last decade -- the old man has got it wrong, they say. At least they hope he is wrong. Five years ago, Lovelock's "The Revenge of Gaia" issued a terrifying warning: if humankind didn't radically curtail greenhouse-gas emissions, there would, quite literally, be hell to pay. His new book out this year, "The Vanishing Face of Gaia," says it has now become bleakly apparent that we blew our chance. "We have left it far, far too late to save the planet as we know it," Lovelock said. Lovelock's grim conviction that we cannot prevent a global warming apocalypse in which billions of people will perish is rooted not in what we will fail to do in the future, but what we have already done in the past. For even if we stop spewing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere tomorrow, he says, the carbon dioxide (CO2) already there has triggered natural events -- the shrinking Arctic ice cap, the decay of the Greenland ice sheet, methane release from permafrost -- that will continue to drive global warming on their own...EconomicTimes

Financial Issues Weigh on Climate-Change Debate

U.S. President Barack Obama promised strong action on climate change from his first day in office, but he is heading into a series of meetings with other world leaders this month under growing pressure to deliver on his rhetoric. More than 100 world leaders, including Mr. Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao, are scheduled to meet Tuesday at the 64th United Nations General Assembly to talk about fighting climate change, in a prelude to the Pittsburgh Group of 20 meetings starting Thursday. While the talk will be about the environment, the substance will be about money. Poor nations say that if rich nations want them to stop burning coal or cutting down forests, they should be willing to pay. China has proposed that developed nations contribute 1% of gross domestic product to subsidize efforts by poorer nations to cut carbon-dioxide emissions. That translates to more than $140 billion for the U.S. alone. U.S. climate envoy Todd Stern says the Chinese proposal is "untethered from reality."...WSJ

As droughts expand and water supplies shrivel, is a world water war inevitable?

If your neighbor had plenty of water but you hadn’t enough to keep your family, your livestock and your crops alive, would you fight for it? Would you go to war? Lots of people – from multi-degreed behavioral psychologists to barroom philosophers – believe you would. To those whose wells are dry, it doesn’t matter whether the water shortage is caused by climate change or not. Politicians and government leaders can forever squabble about the cause, but those who are thirsty want water. Environmentalists in Europe claim the credit for first coining the phrase “World Water War” in the late 90s. But for almost half a century, the U.S. military has been planning for conflicts spawned by an acute shortage of water for drinking and farming. A world water war is no longer a question of if, but rather when, explains a Marine colonel who studied the potential for H2O-triggered battles at the U.S. Army War College. According to water experts at the United Nations, more than 45 percent of the world’s populations – more than 3 billion people – are already in need of more clean water. They cite research from The World Bank that shows that more than 80 countries now have water shortages that threaten their health and economies...coldtruth

Wolves: majestic symbol or bloodthirsty predator? Debate divides Oregonians

Jack London probably never expected "The Call of the Wild," the title of his classic novel and his term for a wolf's mournful howl, to become a fracture zone in the urban-rural divide. But now Oregon and the West have two kinds of people: those who see wolves as symbols of the wilderness and enjoy hearing their cries echo through the mountains -- and those who regard them as bloodthirsty predators that need to be kept away from livestock, with guns if necessary. Hearing wolves "just raises the hair on the back of your neck," says retired schoolteacher Mary McCracken, 66, of La Grande, who loves listening to them tune up. "It is just a real top-of-the-the-food chain creature." Ed Bangs, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's wolf recovery coordinator for the northern Rockies, agrees. In the backcountry, "having big predators around is what makes it wild," he says of wolves, cougars and bears. "Otherwise, it's just scenery." But La Grande area rancher Sharon Beck says wolves are a threat to cattle, her family's livelihood. "The only way we are going to make these wolves afraid to come around human beings and livestock," says Beck, 71, "is (for wolves) to be shot at." The issue has come to a head in three states...Oregonian

Socialized Nature!

Ken Burns has a knack for making documentaries about some of the most contentious episodes in American history without saying anything that will tick anyone off. Over two decades, his PBS films have taken on the Civil War, feminism, World War II and, above all, race. They've been criticized for omissions: Hispanics in The War, modern artists in Jazz. But on the whole, they're substantive without being polarizing, passionately arguing positions almost everyone agrees with: Racism is bad, democracy is good, war is hell. His latest, six-part PBS series — The National Parks: America's Best Idea, which debuts Sept. 27 — does not sound like an exception. Who's going to argue with a tree? And the opening minutes — luxuriating in dramatic shots of lava flows, stalactites and waterfalls — promise plenty of unobjectionable, pledge-drive-friendly nature porn. But in a way he couldn't have planned, Burns has ended up making his most topical and political film yet. With America frothing over the role of government — should it save banks? should it expand health coverage? — The National Parks makes a simple case for an idea that is wildly controversial in the year of the tea party: That we need government to do things the private sector can't or won't...Time

It's interesting that the author of this review has to resort to the national parks to defend Big Government and attack the TEA Party movement. He may think he is cute, and doesn't realize he is wrong. Both he and Ken Burns need to spend some time at the Property & Environment Research Center website.

Conservation easements are a sustainable development land grab

Are you about to sign a conservation easement contract? Please hold off until you read this. Your signature will, in essence, split the estate on your property. You are releasing to a land trust, the controlled "use" of the land and development rights, while you retain title to the "land" and remain responsible for all costs of ownership . . forever. It will be virtually impossible for you, your heirs or a purchaser, regardless of circumstance, to over-ride this contract agreement. Differences of opinion with the land trust concerning interpretation of contract terms may eventually lead you to seek court settlement. Unfortunately you, the owner of the land, are committed to bearing all court costs if you lose, which in all likelihood you will. Furthermore, they you can take you to court if they decide you are not adequately meeting contract obligations. You will bear all legal costs including their high priced attorneys. And if your current friendly land trust shows too much leniency, another more demanding third party agency can step in, take over and rule with a firmer hand possibly in the interests of "the environment". For various reasons including financial difficulty or family disagreements, you or your heirs may attempt to sell all or part of the property. The contract prevents dividing or selling off portions. Prospective buyers are limited for easement encumbered land; the larger the acreage the more limited. Basically it is hard to get rid of...ESR

Debate over US Badlands site designation

The fate of about 12,000 acres (5,000 hectares) of scenic North Dakota Badlands on the National Register of Historic Places is at the center of a debate over recognizing an area that inspired Theodore Roosevelt. The U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service are pushing for the designation to highlight the significance of the region, where Roosevelt ran his cattle more than a century ago. Ranchers and state officials, though, fear it would hinder development and say local residents were not consulted. "Our view is that it's benign," said Dave Pieper, the Forest Service's Dakota Prairie Grasslands supervisor. "It's just an acknowledgment." The National Register of Historic Places is the federal government's list of properties it considers worthy of preservation and recognition. "It doesn't pose any restrictions," said Valerie Naylor, the superintendent of Theodore Roosevelt National Park in southwestern North Dakota. "It's a nice recognition of its historical significance." "If it's just a title, then why do we need it?" counters Jim Arthaud, a rancher and Billings County commissioner. "This is about locking the land up. So for them to say it will not do anything is completely bogus. The people in this county are nervous." Arthaud said the historic designation could prevent oil and gas development in the area and lessen the amount of land open for grazing. He said it also could hinder plans for a bridge over the Little Missouri River, which local residents say is a key to travel. For the purchase of the private ranch two years ago, the federal government paid $4.8 million and conservation groups contributed $500,000. The Forest Service promised to keep allowing grazing and other activities, including oil and gas development, on the land. A historic designation would restrict land use as outlined in that agreement, said Gov. John Hoeven's staff attorney, Ryan Bernstein. "We believe the status change would add different layers of bureaucracy," Bernstein said. "We feel this is contrary to the original agreement."...AP

N. Idaho kennel owners win legal fight with forest

A federal judge has ruled there are circumstances when dogs can be defined as livestock, a decision that clears the way for a northern Idaho kennel business to continue operating on land where federal Wild and Scenic River rules apply. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Edward Lodge is a victory for Ron and Mary Park, owners of Wild River Kennels, and a legal blow to the U.S. Forest Service. It also ends, for now, a 10-year-old legal dispute for the kennel, which is built along the Clearwater River near Kooskia. The kennel property is along private land subject to an easement under the federal Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. While the easement allows for livestock farming, the forest service claimed dogs and commercial kennels didn't qualify and that the business should not be allowed to operate. "Under the facts of this case, the court finds that the dogs being used on the easement property for breeding, hunting and boarding are dogs being used for work and/or profit and can be considered livestock under the plain meaning of the term livestock," Lodge wrote. Later, he spelled out circumstances when dogs don't meet the livestock definition. "A family dog that does not work on the farm, is not bred, or is not used to help produce food when a person hunts, is just a family pet and is not livestock," he wrote...AP

HT: NABR

Moths put cactuses in prickly situation

The moths are coming. The cactus moth (Cactoblastis cactorum) is on its way to Texas, and it’s only a matter of time. According to a report by The Associated Press, the cactus-eating moth has established itself in Mississippi and Louisiana, and officials are trying to keep it from invading Texas by introducing sterile male moths and destroying infested cactuses. The biggest questions: when and where? And maybe: Can a moth that eats prickly pear, which is abundant in some pastures, be a bad thing? “If everyone hated prickly pear, this wouldn’t be an issue,” said Robert Pritz, Taylor County agricultural extension agent. “But it is a complex issue because cattle producers in our area consider it a pest, while the wildlife enthusiasts like the cover it provides for quail.”...ReporterNews

Idaho farmers regroup after pesticide mishap

When a federal agency sprayed a powerful herbicide that eventually wiped out crops worth millions of dollars for 118 local farmers, some of them lost more than money. Brad Rogers of Paul was one of the farmers. He lost his entire 1,100-acre farm, his only means of recouping the $1.5 million in losses he incurred from the misapplied herbicide. "Three years into my losses the bank just said 'you're done,'" said Rogers, who farmed sugar beets, beans, wheat and hay for 22 years before he sold the farm to pay off his creditors. Almost a full decade has passed since the Bureau of Land Management sprayed the chemical - called Oust - on wildfire-scorched public lands to control weeds. Eventually the wind blew the chemical onto surrounding farms, causing widespread damage to thousands of acres. Now, although traces of the herbicide have disappeared from the land it once stripped, the legal dust has yet to settle. On Aug. 24, a jury in U.S. District Court in Boise presided over by Judge B. Lynn Winmill found the BLM and chemical manufacturer E.I. DuPont de Nemours and Co. negligent in four sample cases of the mass lawsuit filed by a coalition of farmers. The jury awarded the four plaintiffs more than $17.5 million, said Peter Houtsma, an attorney with Holland and Hart of Boise, the plaintiffs' attorney. With more than 100 more plaintiffs still to prove their damages during the next phase of the proceedings, Houtsma said, the total damages could exceed $200 million...AP

Rochester hog farmer entitled to damages because of lawsuit, court rules

A Rochester hog farmer is entitled to damages stemming from a lawsuit filed by opponents of his large-scale hog operation that delayed its construction, the Illinois 4th District Appellate Court decided this week. Robert Young had appealed a ruling of Sangamon Circuit Judge Leslie Graves that he was not entitled to damages. Young previously successfully challenged an injunction request by the Rochester-Buckhart Action Group, which wanted to block expansion of his hog farm. “The court ruled that we were right, and RBAG was wrong. Now, we will be asking RBAG to pay for the harm that was done,” Tom Immel, Young’s attorney, said Friday. A hearing in Sangamon County court regarding the amount of damages will be scheduled later. Immel said Young will seek more than $300,000, including legal expenses and income Young and his wife, Sandra, lost while fighting the lawsuit. The appellate court, in a ruling Tuesday, said Young was “engaged in a lawful business, and the planned expansion of his hog farm was put on hold at plaintiff’s (RBAG’s) behest. “A party should not be able to throw up a legal roadblock in the path of another’s business without the adversely affected party having the opportunity to seek financial recourse if it is found to have been wrongfully impacted,” the court said...StateJournalRegister

Scientists discover low-methane sheep

Scientists have proven not all sheep are created equal, at least when it comes to belching greenhouse gases. Researchers working for a Government partnership with the farming industry have discovered that some sheep naturally make less methane digesting their food than others - potentially opening the way for a low-methane breeding programme. When fed grass, the difference in emissions between a low-methane flock and a high-methane flock was about 20 per cent. The difference varied depending on what the sheep ate - but it was always there. "For the first time we have opened up the possibility we could breed animals with lower greenhouse gas emissions," said Harry Clark, the scientist heading the study at Agresearch...NZHerald

HT: climate_change

Ohio Livestock Decision Is up to the Voters

The decision on how Ohio farmers and ranchers can “treat” their livestock is about to be decided by Buckeye state voters. According to an article by Dave Elias in the State Journal online, while the vote is not until November, the debate on the issue is boiling over. The basic situation is this: Ohio farmers do care about their livestock and they do want to protect this food supply as it is how they make their living. However, when it comes down to the laws and regulations they have to follow to protect their animals, they would prefer those laws be set at the state level and not in Washington, DC. Additionally, after witnessing what has happened with ballot initiatives in states like California, they also fear a stream of activists pushing for changes in raising standards at the state level and doing so like they did in California—through a ballot initiative. To circumvent such action, advocates for the farmers and ranchers took proactive steps, came up with their own ballot initiative (called Issue 2), and got Issue 2 on the ballot. According to Elias’s article, “Issue two calls for bringing together a group of animal care experts to set standards when it comes to caring for farm animals and local farmers tell me they support the idea.” While such a standard setting board could still require changes in how farm animals are cared for, farmers tend to think their voice will carry a little more weight this way in affecting what changes are ultimately made. Or as beef farmer Bob Morrison states in the article, ‘"There is an out of state entity that is trying to force regulations upon us by their wishes and this will help protect local producers to produce food in a safe effective way for consumers under local control."’...AALA

Mich. House approves farm animal care standards

The Michigan House has voted to require farms to comply with rules phased in over the next decade against confining and tethering some animals. Some lawmakers say the measure passed 87-20 Wednesday is designed to avert possible animal treatment ballot initiatives such as those passed in Arizona, California and Florida. The Humane Society of the United States says it now supports the Michigan bill after changes were made...AP

Bring Dutch oven to fall hunting camps

Fall is rolling around fast. That means hunting season, the time for serious camping, is at hand. Aside from a coffee pot, cooking in hunting camp demands only one thing: a good Dutch oven. The first time I saw anybody cook with a Dutch oven was 25 years ago, when a friend's father let me tag along on a deer hunt on the sagebrush flats of northern Taos County, N.M. After hunting for the first few hours of the day, we returned to the trucks. One of the men took his cherished Dutch oven out of its burlap sack. He lighted a large, fast-burning, smoky fire from dead, gnarled, silver-gray sagebrush. He then dug a hole in the ground just big enough so he could bury his Dutch oven. He shoveled half the ashes into the hole and put the Dutch oven in to heat up. Next, he spooned in a generous dollop of lard that quickly liquefied and started to smoke. From his cooler he withdrew a plastic bag holding strips of meat marinated in red chili sauce. Those spattered and popped when they hit the hot grease and delicious smells started to rise. He tossed in a few potatoes that he had peeled and cubed. After mixing the potatoes with the meat, he put the lid on the oven and shoveled the rest of the coals on top. The buried pot soon baked the chili to perfection...AP