Dick Cheney goes hunting again

This story is about Cheney’s recent “hunting” trip.

The Alternet headline is about the slaughter of animals. It does appear not to be a fair chase hunt, but the thing that I think should impress most folks the most, especially those who live in the West, is that guys like Cheney have no need for public lands. Private clubs are just fine . . . even better because there is no chance of running into some average American like me or you.

Story by Martha Rosenberg, AlterNet.

Note: I posted this to indicate the threat to public lands and wildlife men and women like Cheney pose with their exclusive private hunting clubs

Some very good comments were posted about this, but mostly they are about other aspects of the Chief.

. . . . no I don’t like him either, and for many reasons. Ralph Maughan

Wolf open house finally scheduled for Wood River Valley. County Commissioners to take oral testimorny.

After numerous complaints that Idaho Fish and Game did not schedule an open house on their proposed wolf population management plan in the Wood River Valley (Ketchum, Hailey, Bellvue, Idaho), one has been set for December 17.

The open house will begin about 5:30 PM with an ID Fish and Game Powerpoint presentation. Then the Department will take questions for about an hour. At 7 PM, in a first, an actual public hearing will be held, not by Fish and Game, but the the Blaine County Commissioners. That will go for about an hour with each person getting 2 minutes or so to speak.

The meeting will be held at the Community Campus in Hailey.

Public discusses new Mexican wolf-recovery plan

Currently on the brink of failure due to low population numbers and excessive killing due to alleged conflicts with livestock, the rule governing the management of the Mexican wolves is being updated and your comments are needed. Right now they are in the part of the NEPA process called “scoping” — to determine the scope and range of issues and opportunities.

Here is the notice in the Federal Register.

Defenders of Wildlife is recommending the following changes:

Allow wolves to roam beyond the current artificial boundaries to find suitable habitat and prey.

• Resolve livestock-wolf conflicts in ways that keep wolves in the wild and achieve progress toward reintroduction objectives.
• Revise the service’s 25-year-old recovery plan.
• Allow opportunities to expand wolf reintroduction to other areas in the future.

Your comments are due Dec. 31. You can email them in to: r2fwe_al@fws.gov

Defenders page on “recovery of the Lobo”

Western Watersheds Project on commenting on the Mexican wolf.

Mexican wolf population statistics (government page)

Pair of wolves moves into Eastern Oregon

At least it looks like a pair of wolves, rather than a single wolf has moved into Oregon. The tracks of the pair (and there could be more) have been repeatedly seen in the canyon and high peak country of the Wallowa Mountains.

Story in the Baker, Oregon (Baker City Herald). newspaper. Local wolves not all lone. By Jayson Jacoby.

When the wolf is delisted, slated for late February, any wolves in Eastern Oregon will lose their federal protection because the USFWS was careful to draw the delisting lines to more sure good wolf habitat adjacent to Idaho in other states would not be protected. Fortunately, Oregon does have a state wolf protection plan in place.

Bad air: Reason to leave Utah?

The air in northern Utah in the winter is just plain dirty, and has been for a long time.

Story in the Salt Lake Tribune. Bad air: Reason to leave Utah? Expert says breathing pollution is like smoking five cigarettes a day. By Judy Fahys