Aerial wolf kill to protect caribou

A collective of Canadian environmental groups has written an open letter to Premier Gordon Campbell decrying the provincial government's proposal for an aerial wolf kill in efforts to protect the dwindling mountain caribou population. In the letter, sent Monday, 16 environmental groups state they are strongly opposed to the killing of wolves — as well as other carnivorous animals including cougars and bears — arguing human activities such as the logging of old-growth forests and snowmobiling are the main causes of mountain caribou population decline. The provincial goal is to increase the mountain caribou population — now estimated at 1,800 to 1,900 animals — to the pre-1995 level of 2,500 animals within 20 years. The proposal for the aerial wolf kill first surfaced in February...more

Suit: USFS skirted law on timber sale

Two environmental groups are claiming in a lawsuit that officials with the Helena National Forest coaxed a state agency into changing the designation of an area as elk winter range in order to get a timber sale near Elliston under way. In the complaint filed this week in U.S. District Court, the Alliance for the Wild Rockies and Native Ecosystems Council say they have copies of e-mails that show the federal agency pressured Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials to “help them evade the law” by changing the elk designation from winter range to summer range. The two groups claim that with the change by FWP, the Forest Service won’t have to comply with its own requirements for projects on elk winter range, and it will allow the federal agency to move forward more easily with the 763-acre tree-thinning project...more

Environmental agency, Gov. Christie discuss privatizing N.J. forests, parks

The state Department of Environmental Protection and Gov. Chris Christie’s administration are in discussions about having private vendors, rather than state personnel, manage state forests and parks. "We are barely getting by this year with enough funding to run the parks, so we are looking for ways to ensure that our parks stay open and that all residents of New Jersey have an opportunity to be able to use the parks and recreation sites," said DEP Commissioner Bob Martin today. The Garden State is not the first state to consider the idea, which the DEP stressed was only in the talking stage and part of a larger effort to figure out efficient ways to manage state parks and forests. The DEP also offered no specifics on which, if any, of the 50 state parks and dozens of other forests would be eligible for private management. Several environmentalists said they fear the consequences of privatization, including whether fast-food chains would be allowed. Privatizing public parks and forests is not new. Private firms have managed many federal, county and local lands for years, such as Ocala National Forest in Florida. Vendors charge entrance and other user fees and pay government a percentage as they handle all maintenance and park operations. State parks, however, have been slow to catch on, said Warren Meyer, owner of Recreation Resource Management, an Arizona firm that operates 175 federal, county and local park and forest facilities in 13 states...more

Automakers Seek to Delay Ethanol Blending Raise

Citing new test data, the auto industry says the federal government’s plan to raise the amount of ethanol mixed into gasoline will damage cars and increase the amount of pollution they emit. The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to issue a rule in the next few weeks that would permit oil companies to increase the percentage of ethanol in automotive fuel to 15 percent, up from the current level of 10 percent, so they can meet E.P.A. quotas for renewable fuels. Automakers have opposed the change since the E.P.A. first signaled it last year. But now the industry says it has conducted tests that confirm the higher-ethanol blend will cause problems in many cars. Half of the engines tested so far have had some problems, said C. Coleman Jones, the biofuel implementation manager at General Motors, who spoke on behalf of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers...more

Racetrack Developer Loses Gaming License In New Mexico

The state of New Mexico was looking forward to the tax revenue that would come from a new racetrack and casino in Raton. On Tuesday, however, the plans for that facility were put on hold by the New Mexico Gaming Control Board. The Board voted to revoke the license issued to racino owner Michael Moldenhauer because the developer missed a deadline to have a temporary casino up and running. Moldenhauer claims the casino was set to open in a tent in less than a month. In addition to the Control Boards decision, the New Mexico Racing Commission is expected to revoke the racing license at a meeting on May 19th. In New Mexico, it is not legal to operate a racetrack without a casino. Moldenhauer is planning on appealing the ruling...more

Last American Cowboy to air on Animal Planet

Hidden amid the mammoth- Montana landscape are three family-owned and operated cattle ranches and the setting of Animal Planet's newest original series, LAST AMERICAN COWBOY. This epic adventure follows three families of tough, tenacious and headstrong cowboys through freak storms, deadly outbreaks of disease, hungry predators and forest fires that threaten their livelihood. Each ranch will need to rely on family bonds and personal strength to keep this tradition of the American West alive. Premiering Monday, June 7, at 10 PM (ET/PT), LAST AMERICAN COWBOY shares the highs and lows of life on a ranch for the Hughes, Galt and Stucky families. From the multi-generational ranch family committed to working only on horseback to the modern rancher who uses high-tech equipment, all-terrain vehicles and even a helicopter to manage his massive operation to the small nuclear family determined to persevere against all odds, all must struggle to make ends meet and all are deeply committed to this classic way of life lived close to the land. The Hughes family, the smallest of the three ranches, is as close to "Little House on the Prairie" as you can get. Scott and Stacey Hughes, along with their three-year old son and nine-year-old daughter, live on a 12,000-acre ranch and manage their herd of 500 Black Angus all alone. Comparatively, the Galt Ranch is one of the largest cattle ranches in Montana with over 100,000 acres, 5,500 cattle and 100 horses. It is so vast that owner Bill Galt manages it from the sky in his own helicopter. Bill and the rest of the Galt family believe technology is the future of ranching and necessary to efficiently run a ranch of this size and caliber. Contrary to the Galt family, the Stuckys are traditional ranchers choosing horseback over ATVs and doing most of the work by hand. Keeping these traditions alive is deeply important to the entire clan, and as the ranch continues to grow and expand, the Stuckys hope it will be passed down through generations...more

White Sands Festival Honours 'Nokota Heart'

'Nokota Heart', a feature documentary by Irish writer/director Sean Garland, walked away from this year’s White Sand’s International Film Festival with the title of Best Feature Documentary. The Awards Ceremony, held recently in New Mexico, USA, was attended by ‘Nokota Heart’ producer Lawrence Fee from Yard Ireland who also edited the piece. Lawrence collected the Best Feature Documentary Award on behalf of himself and Sean Garland who is the film’s director and director of photography. The feature doc tells the true story of Leo Kuntz, Vietnam vet turned horse rancher, his life and loves out on the Great Plains of North America and his fight to save the legendary Nokota horse of Sitting Bull from extinction in the inexorable onslaught of the 21st century. Lawrence describes the project for IFTN saying: “Intimate and raw, grand and daring, this is W.B.Yeats meets Sam Shepard, the vanishing American frontier through the prism of an Irish storyteller, suffused with the quiet mysticism and unassuming humanity of an everyman, humble onto himself yet unquestionably an unsung hero left behind by time.”...more

The Clanton Gang’s Former New Mexico Stomping Ground to Be Sold at Auction May 25

A piece of our nation’s history will be sold at auction this month. Land frequented by the notorious Clanton Gang as they ran their cattle across the west, and located just 15 miles from the site of Geronimo’s 1886 surrender, will be offered with no starting bids on Tuesday, May 25. The sale of New Mexico’s 680-acre Painted Pony Ranch offers a rare opportunity to own part of America’s history. The Painted Pony Ranch is situated between the Chiracahua and Peloncillo mountains, former home to the Chiracahua Apache Indians and their most prominent leader, Geronimo. During that time, the land now known as the Painted Pony Ranch, was part of the area then referred to as the Robber’s Path due to its frequent use by the infamous Clanton Gang (The Cowboys), outlaws who used the land throughout the 1870s and 1880s leading up to the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in 1881. Painted Pony Ranch is located in Rodeo, N.M., a quiet community located between Tucson, Ariz., and El Paso, Texas...more

Song Of The Day #304

Ranch Radio continues the week with modern artists who are "sticking with tradition."

In today's selection Justin Townes Earle gives us the traditional sound and instrumentation in his Ain't Glad I'm Leaving.

The tune is available on his 2008, 10 track CD The Good Life.

Click on the music player and enjoy.

Forest Service to fight obesity

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Tuesday that the U.S. Forest Service will contribute $500,000 this year to the “More Kids in the Woods” program for projects that promote active lifestyles and connect kids to nature. “If we are going to put an end to childhood obesity, we must promote healthy, active lifestyles and encourage our kids to get off the couch and go outside,” Vilsack said. “Our More Kids in the Woods challenge not only promotes physical activity, it fosters environmental awareness and stewardship among young people as we face critical environmental challenges, such as the effects of climate change.” Vilsack said the initiatives supported by the program will help children make a connection among “healthy forests, healthy communities and their own healthy lifestyles.”...More

All you parents step back - the Forest Service is taking over teaching your kids how to eat, how to enjoy nature and how to be more "active". Yes sir, your kids will grow up buff and as good little greenies who support larger budgets for the Forest Service.

If anything is obese its the Forest Service and I don't remember Smokey being all that slim either. However, we should all get ready for "ONLY YOU CAN PREVENT OBESITY".

So I consulted with Gus & Woodrow and they said the parents should do their job without the help of any federal agents and that the real trimming needs to be done at the federal table. I got them to back off on the dally and drag thing, but it was clear they don't want the federales messin' with our kids.

Beetle outbreak may close forests

Some national forests in Colorado and Wyoming may have to be closed if the U.S. Forest Service cannot hasten cleanup of beetle-infested trees, Regional Forester Rick Cables said Tuesday. Testifying here before the U.S. House Agriculture Committee, Cables said he expects 100,000 trees a day to fall in the national forests in the two states over the next 10 years. "The trees are falling," Cables said. "We've had several near misses already where falling trees have come close to hurting people."...more

I can't figure out how those trees missed all those fat folks out there.

On the other hand, what a great way to get exercise. Just round up all those tubbly teens, turn 'em loose in the forest and let them dodge 100,000 trees a day. They'd also learn pretty damn quick about healthy forests.

Collaboration Leads to Protection of Colorado's James Peak Wilderness

The Wilderness Land Trust, in partnership with the Colorado Conservation Trust, has protected approximately 320-acres of private land located in the stunning glacial cirque on the edge of the James Peak Wilderness, the partners announced today. The protected area, which includes Little Echo Lake, riparian areas along Mammoth Gulch, and a broad ridge extending from James Peak, was not included in the 2002 James Peak Wilderness Area designation due to potential conflicts between management of the public and private lands. Eventually the partners plan to transfer ownership to the U.S. Forest Service for an eventual addition to the wilderness so that the entire region can be managed together for public benefit. The $725,000 purchase was made possible in part due to a $600,000 loan from the Colorado Conservation Trust. The Wilderness Land Trust works with willing sellers to eliminate private lands within the National Wilderness Preservation System. More than 400,000 acres of privately held lands remain within designated Wilderness areas which can lead to fragmentation of pristine ecosystems, degradation of the wilderness experience for visitors, and more costly and time consuming challenges for public land management agencies. The Trust is the national leader in securing Wilderness Areas for future generations to enjoy...more

Another example of the land trusts working as stalking horses for federal land acquisition.

All that "collaborating" brought us was less private property.

Gus & Woodrow say we need a land trust with the same tax breaks to work on disposing of federal property. I'm thinking they're gonna have to do a big bunch of dallyin' and draggin' before that can happen.

Federal Judge Upholds Drilling In SW Colorado

A federal judge has upheld approval of gas wells in parts of the southwestern Colorado mountains, rejecting arguments by environmentalists that the plan doesn't adequately protect sensitive areas and wildlife. U.S. District Judge Richard Matsch said in his ruling, issued Monday, that any flaws in the plan authorizing about 140 natural gas wells in the San Juan National Forest are "minor in proportion to the full context of the agency action under review." Environmental groups contend the project conflicts with the forest management plan. They say federal agencies' pledges to avoid old growth forests and protect key wildlife habitat and waterways on the public land have been ignored. Of special interest are the HD Mountains, which include roadless areas and make up roughly 45,000 acres of the 125,000-acre project area. Environmentalists also argued in a December hearing that the environmental assessment of the project didn't adequately consider the potential effects on air quality, particularly on nearby federal wilderness areas and national parks in Colorado and New Mexico...more

Court upholds timber sales in Tongass Nat'l Forest

Two conservation groups have failed to stop four timber sale offerings they say threaten a rare species of wolf that lives in the Tongass National Forest. Greenpeace and Cascadia Wildlands Project filed a lawsuit two years ago accusing the U.S. Forest Service of violating federal environmental laws when planning for the sales. Together, the timber sales amount to 30 million board-feet of Tongass timber — about the same as was harvested last year from the nation's largest national forest. U.S. District Court Judge Ralph Beistline found no wrongdoing on the part of the Forest Service, describing the problem as more of a "scientific disagreement" rather than an error by the agency. He said the Forest Service conducted an extensive environmental analysis of the four projects in the national forest that covers about 26,500 square miles — more than the entire state of West Virginia...more

Capitan residents remember Smokey Bear

It was 60 years ago this week that his dad brought home in a shoebox a tiny black bear cub that would become the incarnation of a national icon - but Donald Bell still remembers it vividly. A typical 15-year-old, Donald wasn't much impressed by the arrival of the injured bear at his Santa Fe home; his father, Ray Bell, was a game warden, and routinely brought home injured animals, got them medical care and found homes for them at area zoos. It wasn't until some photos of the bear, his blistered feet bandaged, made their way into newspapers across the country that little Hotfoot Teddy, as he had been named, caught the attention of the U.S. Forest Service and became Smokey Bear - the living symbol of the fire prevention mascot that debuted in 1944. Nowadays, Smokey Bear, in his dungarees and ranger's hat, is one of the most recognizable characters in the U.S. But in May of 1950, he was just a 5-pound cub that frolicked around the Bell home in the evenings with their cocker spaniel puppy...more

Song Of The Day #303

Continuing to honor those who "stick with tradition", Ranch Radio offers you Dang These Texas Honky Tonks performed by Bill Green.

You can find the tune on his 11 track CD Dang These Texas Honky Tonks.

Warnings Ignored as Arizona Sheriff Deputy Shot by Drug Smugglers on Federal Wilderness Lands

Only weeks after Republican Committee Ranking Members introduced legislation to ensure Border Patrol agents’ operational control of the border isn’t compromised by Department of Interior environmental policies, a shooting occurred on public lands near the border. On Friday, April 30, Pinal County Sheriff Deputy Louie Puroll was ambushed and shot by five drug smugglers in the Table Top Wilderness Area, federal land just south of Phoenix, Arizona. Puroll, on foot patrol for drug smugglers, was forced to abandon his vehicle as he entered Table Top due to the prohibition of motorized vehicles in Wilderness Areas. This is the latest violent crime to occur on federal Wilderness areas along the U.S. border where Border Patrol is unable to effectively monitor the land due to environmental policies enforced by Department of Interior (DOI) land managers. According to Bureau of Land Management sources there have been 11 shooting incidents in Table Top Wilderness Area in 2010. Action needs to be taken by the Department and Congress before another incident occurs...more

Border Patrol Agent Union Strongly Supports Bill to Improve Border Security on Public Lands

he National Border Patrol Council (NBPC), a professional union representing more than 17,000 Border Patrol Agents and support staff, sent a letter yesterday in support of H.R. 5016, a bill to prevent the Department of Interior and the Department of Agriculture from implementing policies that restrict or impede Border Patrol from carrying out their mission to secure the U.S. border on public lands. The need for this legislation has recently been highlighted by the tragic murder of Arizona rancher Robert Krentz and the non-fatal shooting of Arizona’s Pinal County Sheriff Deputy Louie Puroll. The suspects in both incidents are believed to have entered the U.S. on federal lands near the border. The President of the NBPC, T.J. Bonner wrote the following in support of the legislation: “Achieving the elusive goal of securing our Nation’s borders is complicated by numerous obstacles, including rugged, terrain, extreme climatic conditions, an overwhelming amount of illegal traffic, and escalation violence perpetrated by smugglers and other criminals. Bureaucratic regulations that prevent Border Patrol agents from utilizing vehicles and technology on public lands should be the least of their concerns, but unfortunately are not....more

Border policies continue to jeopardize national security

by Congressman Mike Coffman

The March 27 murder of Arizona rancher Rob Krentz in Cochise County, 20 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border made headlines in Arizona, sparked significant unrest in border communities, and, in part, led to the enactment of the new controversial illegal immigration law in that state.

Although catalyzed by the killing of Mr. Krentz, Arizona’s rebellion has its roots in failed federal policies and a woeful neglect of federal responsibilities. The new Arizona law aimed at controlling illegal immigration is an understandable response to the failures of the federal government to secure our borders and protect our national security.

What has incensed so many is the baffling reality that our porous borders are not the result of neglect or lack of resources. Rather, they’re unsecured because the federal government currently prioritizes protecting ecosystems and wildlife along the border over controlling access and preventing illegal entry. In effect, current policy allows other federal agencies to obstruct the Department of Homeland Security’s mission.

The Mexican drug smuggler who shot Mr. Krentz on his ranchlands entered the U.S. from Mexico using a heavily trafficked trail in the San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge (SBNWR), which sits 25 miles east of border town of Douglas. Everyone in Cochise County knows smugglers, many of whom are armed, use that route regularly. What angers and instills fear in local residents as much as the murder itself is the harsh reality that residents are powerless to do anything about the situation.

At the highest levels our federal government is jeopardizing out national security by not adequately resolving the well documented disputes between federal agencies over the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) ability to patrol the border on federally owned lands. Essentially, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) is encouraging and assisting illegal entry by restricting and obstructing DHS Customs and Border Patrol access to federal lands – as a matter of official policy.

By law, Customs and Border Patrol has unrestricted access to private lands within 25 miles of the border with the exception of private dwellings. However, on public lands managed by the National Forest Service, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, or the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Border Patrol must negotiate access agreements with those “sister agencies.”

The SBNWR has no pedestrian fence barring smugglers from entering the U.S. across its international border. The reason there is no barrier is that DOI continues to assert the priority of its mission of protecting wildlife as a priority over the need to prevent unlawful entry.

Not only is there no barrier on the international border, Border Patrol is expressly prohibited from doing routine patrols within designated wildlife areas including the SBNWR and may only enter for certain limited purposes, such as “life threatening circumstances.” Pursuing or apprehending unauthorized border trespassers is not one of the approved purposes.

Appallingly, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently spent over $200,000 of “stimulus funding” to upgrade 11 miles of perimeter fencing to keep Border Patrol out of the SBNWR. Just this past month, a high-ranking Border Patrol officer told a local rancher that their access to the area has never been worse.

Similar policies and interagency agreements restrict Border Patrol access to other federal lands across the southern border. Drug smugglers, human traffickers, and even potentially terrorists have free entry into a hundred square miles of national forest land—and the towns and cities beyond.

This problem is not new. In 2002, an internal DOI report, “Public Lands Threat Assessment,” documented the dangers and degradation to the public lands caused by unlawful traffic by drug smugglers and tens of thousands of unlawful entrants. The report was buried, never distributed to agency managers, and never acted upon.

To address this stunning problem of misaligned federal priorities, I have co-sponsored legislation recently introduced by Congressman Rob Bishop of Utah. The bill, H.R. 5016, would prohibit the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture from taking actions on public lands, which would impede the activities of the Department of Homeland Security to secure the border on such lands.

It is up to the federal government to prioritize securing our homeland and protecting our borders. The federal government is failing to secure our borders, failing to protect our national security, and failing to pick the right priorities. Congress needs to act and pass H.R.5016 to ensure securing our borders is a top priority. The killing of Mr. Krentz and the subsequent enactment of Arizona’s new law are but two consequences of those federal government failures. [link]

Congressman Mike Coffman represents the 6th District of Colorado. A small business owner for more than 17 years and Marine Corps combat veteran, he is the only member of Congress to have served in both the first Gulf War and the Iraq War. Coffman serves on the House Armed Services Committee, House Natural Resources Committee, and the House Committee on Small Business.

Legal battle brews over protection of jaguars in southwest

A conservation group is threatening to go another round in court over whether the federal government is doing enough to keep the endangered jaguar safe in the Southwest. The Center for Biological Diversity is targeting the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services division, alleging that the traps, snares and poisons used by the agency to deal with unwanted predators and invasive species could injure or kill jaguars and smaller endangered cats known as ocelots. The group claims Wildlife Services and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have violated the Endangered Species Act by failing to consult with each other on activities that might affect the jaguar and ocelot. The group sent a notice of intent to sue to the agencies on Friday. The 18-page notice points to a 1999 biological opinion that authorizes predator-control efforts in the Southwest as long as Wildlife Services minimizes the use of traps and snares in occupied jaguar habitat. Robinson argues that the opinion is outdated and data collected in recent years shows jaguar habitat stretches beyond the areas highlighted on the decade-old maps and the measures outlined in the opinion for minimizing the take of jaguars are no long enough to avoid risk to the cats. Wildlife Services had not received the group's notice by late Friday, but spokeswoman Carol Bannerman said the agency always takes precautions whenever conducting projects in areas where there are threatened or endangered species. She said Wildlife Services has consulted with the Fish and Wildlife Service about impacts to jaguars and that neither a jaguar nor ocelot has been inadvertently killed by the agency in many years. Fish and Wildlife Service spokesman Tom Buckley acknowledged that the two agencies have not consulted about potential impacts to ocelots because there have been no confirmed sightings of the small cats in Arizona in more than 40 years...more