Drive to Axe Federal Predator Eradication Program

A coalition of conservation organizations and individuals is calling on Congress to de-fund Wildlife Services [Killers] Predator Eradication Program.

This directly confronting attempts of the livestock industry to gain more money for Predator Control.

Read the exceptional letter the coalition sent to congresspeople linked to at the end of this Press Release, the other links are very informative as well.

This promises to be a drawn out battle with the Livestock industry. I think it’s an important one at bringing attention to what exactly it is that Wildlife Services‘ [Killers] does and why you shouldn’t have to pay for it anymore.

Press Release
For Immediate Release: Thursday, March 6, 2008

Drive to Axe Federal Predator Eradication Program
$100 Million Agriculture Program Slaughters 1.6 Million Wild Animals a Year

Roadless without a map. Hazy Horizon for West’s Roadless Lands

This article in New West is a good update on the status of the National Forest roadless area issue. Roadless without a map. Hazy Horizon for West’s Roadless Lands. By David Frey.

In fact there is a very good map of the roadless areas on-line. It is an interactive map to which you can contribute photos and comments. Roadlessland.org.

Hailey resident questions the economics of killing of the Buffalo Ridge Pack

This open letter to Cal Groen, director of Idaho Fish and Game, was published in the Challis Messenger today.

Cost of control. By Gloria Carlton

We must howl to Congress to keep the green fire glowing

Opinion in the Seattle Times. By Brenda Peterson.

Major guest opinions like this are very helpful reminding Americans and others why the wolves were restored and what is at stake with state management.

Artificial flood released on Colorado River. Effort promoted as renewing Grand Canyon ecosystem.

A 60-hour flood of water is being released from Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River in what is supposed to be renewal of the Grand Canyon’s dwindling sandbars, beaches, vegetation, and habitat for rare and endangered fish.

This is the third time such a flood has been created since the giant dam and reservoir was built in the 1960s. The project turned the warm, silt-laden Colorado into a cold and clear river that eroded away the beaches and backwaters during the artificial daily rhythm of generating hydropower.

It was felt that major releases of water every so often would mimic the floods that now longer occured and restore the river, but many who were once-hopeful say the floods have failed because they are too rare and not big enough. Others say no manipulation can restore the river from a dam that should have never been built.

Nevertheless, Secretary of Interior Dirk Kemphthorne is making a big show of the big release of water.

Questions on Grand Canyon ‘Blow Out’, By Mike Nizza. New York Times.

Eleven groups fight wolf delisting

Eleven conservation groups have notified the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service they will be sued for issuing their rule delisting the wolf in the Northern Rockies. Story (one of many similar).

This, of course, has been expected for a long time. So to try to shore up what might be a losing action on their, the federal agency earlier issued a new “10j rule.” This is the critical list of regulations as to how the federal government will manage the wolf if they lose on delisting. Their latest 10j rule is essentially the same as delisting. So the conservation groups have sued over it too.

To win, the conservation groups need to prevail on both the 10j and the delisting suits, and they also need to get the judge to issue an injunction preventing these two rules from going into effect while the litigation goes on. In order words, a number of legal victories must be won to protect the wolf from what they say will be lethal state management.

The wolf is not delisted yet. Unless the courts rule against the USFWS, it will be delisted March 28, 2008.

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Here is the news release issued by the litigating groups, although with supporting materials.

press-release-60-day-notice.pdf

The 60-day notice.pdf

fact-sheet.pdf