Latest Watersheds Messenger is available

The Watersheds Messenger for Summer 2007 is on-line. Here is the pdf version (much better quality).

This is the newsmagazine of the Western Watersheds Project. It has a lot of good articles, and they are not the bland generic stuff like that produced by many organizations.

Cody hearing on the new wolf rules (10j rule) saw both opponents and backers

Here is the AP story from the Casper Star Tribune. By Matthew Brown.

The story got the main point — the 10j changes are designed to get around the legal “problem” of delisting the wolves by treating them on the ground as if they had been legally delisted.

The story did not point out that the new rules would give states the right to kill wolves not just for being a suspect in the population decline of an elk herd, but for any “herd management objectives” (which, by the way it is defined, could mean for any reason the state wildlife departments want).

The only Montana hearing is tonight. Story on tonight’s hearing in Helena. By Eve Byron.

Yellowstone grizzlies will feel the effects of rising temperatures

 ”Just like their polar bear relatives in the Arctic, Yellowstone grizzlies are rapidly losing habitat as a result of global warming. . . .”

This story is columnist Joel Connelly’s at the Seattle Post Intelligencer, but I should add that failure to discuss or plan for the effects of climate change is one of the major arguments be used the grizzly bear delisting lawsuit that a number of conservation groups have filed.

Milford Flat fire has been contained at 363,000 acres

The biggest fire ever in Utah and the largest so far this year has been contained.

Last update on Milford Flat at Inciweb.

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Sen. Ken Salazar, Colorado Democrat, puts a hold on Jim Caswells’ nomination to head the BLM

Senator Salazar is upset about the BLM’s giveaway of the huge and wildlife-rich Roan Plateau in Western Colorado to the energy companies. One the surface, at least, all the Salazar is asking is a 120-day extension to review the Roan Plateau Resource Management Plan.

Story in Rocky Barker’s blog. Rocky Barker’s blog: Senator places hold on Caswell’s BLM nomination. Idaho Statesman.  Holds can delay nominations for a short time, and sometimes for a very long time.

Caswell was a natural resources aide (Idaho Office of Endangered Species) to Governor Kempthorne of Idaho, who is now Secretary of Interior. The Bureau of Land Management has not had a director since Kathleen Clarke of Utah resigned about 6 months ago.