BLM and Forest Service Announce 2009 Grazing Fee

The Subsidized Destruction of the American West Continues. $1.35 per AUM

The Federal grazing fee for 2009 will be $1.35 per animal unit month (AUM) for public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management and $1.35 per head month (HM) for lands managed by the Forest Service. The grazing fee for 2009 is the same as it was in 2008.

This seems to contrast with President Obama’s campaign promise to go line-by-line through the Federal budget to eliminate plans that don’t work.

Ted Williams: On second thought, Mr. Cheney

Cheney to be guest of honor at American Museum of Fly Fishing-

Outdoor writer not happy about honoring the fish killer, former VP. On second thought, Mr. Cheney. By Ted Williams. Writers on the Range, High Country News.

– – – – –

In fact, Cheney loves to fly cast. I’ve always thought a Wyoming stream could be reserved for him alone, if it’s the right stream. I propose he be given sole use of Spread Creek in Grand Teton National Park.*

*Likely only folks that live in Jackson Hole or fish there will get this.

Major oil terminal beneath Redoubt Volcano could result in huge oil spill

Status of Drift River terminal is not known due to homeland security secrecy-

Will a natural disaster trigger an oil spill disaster? We don’t know because of lingering secrecy from the Bush Administration.

Story: “Drift River Oil Terminal sits in harm’s way of volcano. SECRECY: Citing homeland security, officials give out little information about the plant’s status.”  By Tom Kizzia. Anchorage Daily News.

Bison advocates speak their mind in Helena

“Having the Department of Livestock manage wildlife is a direct conflict of interest.”

Here is the Bozeman newspaper’s take on the hearing to make bison “wildlife” in Montana. Note they have the bill number wrong. It is HB253, not 243.

Montana FWP did not support the bill.

Bison advocates speak their mind in Helena. By Daniel Person. Bozeman Chronicle.

Environmentalists setting up anti-oilsands training camp in Calgary

There is going to be a big fight over this rapidly growing development as its external costs become more widely known-

Environmentalists setting up anti-oilsands training camp in Calgary.  By Kelly Cryderman, Canwest News Service

For more information, here is the blog “Oil Sands Watch.” It has interesting information like “Oil Sands Development Could Claim More Than 160 Million Boreal Birds.”

Alaskans brace for Redoubt Volcano eruptions

Major volcano close to Anchorage and Seward could have major wildlife and economic impacts-

Alaskans brace for Redoubt Volcano eruption. By Dan Joling. AP

Idaho Fish and Game forecasting the largest salmon returns in years

Great news! Will it pan out?

Fish and Game forecasting the largest salmon returns in years. In other news, F&G will issue fewer moose tags and mountain goat permits in 2009 and 2010. By Roger Phillips. Idaho Statesman.

More money and more political battling have been used to restore salmon (and steelhead) than any other endangered species.

2008 grizzly bear mortality in NCDE

Not a bad year for grizzlies in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem, unlike the Greater Yellowstone-

Thirteen grizzlies were known to have died, eleven were human caused. Is it significant that the grizzly in the NCDE is still listed as a “threatened species” and the Greater Yellowstone population has been delisted?

Graphical display of 2008 NCDE grizzly mortality. (pdf file)

How Meat, Especially Beef, Contributes to Global Warming

Those who write for this blog don’t think, “beef, it’s what for dinner.”  If you care about the future of humankind, at least it shouldn’t be.

This from the Scientific American.

How Meat Contributes to Global Warming: Producing beef for the table has a surprising environmental cost: it releases prodigious amounts of heat-trapping greenhouse gases. By Nathan Fiala

Idaho Wolf Rediscovered in Wyoming

NW Montana wolf shows up in Southeast Idaho too.

Idaho wolf B-271M, which was born to the Steel Mountain Pack, has shown up again west of Cody, WY after disappearing from Yellowstone’s wolf watchers last summer.

Will he form a successful pack?

Also, there is a wolf from NW Montana in Southeast Idaho which is part of the GYE DPS.

The latest report Wyoming Report made a correction saying this wolf is from SW Montana.

Salazar to take preservation nationwide – Interior secretary to use Colorado land-conservation program as model.

This is an interesting development in the DOI agenda under Secretary Salazar with this being his first public comment on his plans for a national preservation program. The questions begin with concerns about whom the actual beneficiaries would be? And just how would this program be implemented by anti-federal regulation interior western extractive interest promoting state legislative bodies? Another concern would be just what the definition of a “working farm” is with regard to such a program and would it really be considered “change”?

Salazar to take preservation nationwide – Interior secretary to use Colorado land-conservation program as model
by Joe Hanel – Herald Denver Bureau

Wyoming Game and Fish Slaughters Elk

Captures occurring at multiple sites.

192 elk were captured on Tuesday at the Fall Creek feedground of which 122 were females and 6 of those tested positive for exposure to brucellosis. Another 150 were captured Wednesday at the Muddy Creek feedground of which 60 were females.

State sends six elk to slaughter
By CAT URBIGKIT
Casper Star Tribune.

Wolf sightings rise near Casper, Wyoming

Some good news from central Wyoming-

Wolf sightings rise near Casper. By Wes Smalling Casper Star Tribune.

This is deep in Wyoming’s “kill-them-all zone,” but with the wolf relisted, they can’t do it.

Idaho Legislature sides with polluters on ground water

Mines and land developers can breathe a sigh of relief-

ID lawmakers side with industry on water rules. By Sarah D. Wire. Associated Press Writer.

The fix was in before the legislature met on the ground water rules, the gift to Idaho Association of Realtors was more of surprise. They argued that meeting water quality goals would hurt construction during the recession/depression.

I guess building sub-standard houses is a way to heal the sick economy in the legislatures’s view of things.

Green group asks Obama’s new gov’t waste finder to cut BLM programs

Nancy Killefer, President Barack Obama’s new chief performance officer, asked to target wasteful natural resource programs-

To offset the cost of the stimulus package, President Obama has created a new position to look for existing government programs that are useless and wasteful. WildEarth Guardians has some ideas!

Environmentalists want Obama appointee to end waste. By Susan Montoya Bryan. AP on MSNBC.

News release from WildEarth Guardians. New White House Chief Performance Officer Called on to Reform Wasteful, Ineffective and Environmentally Harmful Public Lands and Natural Resource Programs. Jan. 28, 2009

Detroit Calls Emissions Proposals Too Strict

Need gas guzzlers to make a profit, they say-

What part of meltdown don’t these people get? They live in a dreamworld not unlike George W. Bush. Then too they are living off a government bailout, and yet they want to build gas guzzlers to make a profit. The price of gas will stay low only as long as the recession remains deep. Tell them “no,” and outlaw the production of gas guzzlers unless the buyers demonstrate a need or pay a heavy tax.

Detroit Calls Emissions Proposals Too Strict. New York Times.

In a related matter, Citibank wanted to buy a luxurious $50-million corporate jet after getting a $45-billion bailout from the government. The President stopped it.

Obama Officials Tell Citibank To Ditch Plans For $50 Million Private Jet. Huffington Post

For 2008, Wall Street gave out 18.4 billion dollars in bonuses, rewarding the worst performance in about 70 years.

Study Says 80% Of Wall Street Got 2008 Bonus. Maurna Desmond. Forbes.

The stimulus package passed the House today without a single Republican vote despite President Obama’s wining and dining the GOP and its stable of MSM columnists. I think there is going to be growing pressure for the President to move to left. That’s what FDR did after first trying to cooperate with basically the same group of interests.

Note that Idaho’s new Democratic Republican congressman, Walt Minnick, was one of 12 nominal Democrats voting against the stimulus.

Bishop says Alberta oil sands development is morally objectionable

Ft. McMurry Catholic Bishop joins with others in condemning what some say is the most environmentally damaging project on the planet-

Bishop spurns oilsands development.  Roman Catholic leader wants environmental concerns addressed; industry welcomes debate. Edmonton Journal.

Bridger-Teton National Forest produces its long-awaited travel plan

Big news because this forest is so scenic, recreational and wildlife important-

With the growth in use of off-road vehicles, the travel plan for each national forest has become a bigger and more important decision. After a number of years of work and rounds of public input the Bridger-Teton National Forest in NW Wyoming has finally released their new travel plan.

Forest plan limits ATVs. Environmental groups, motorized use advocates praise formalized trail system, Bridger-Teton staff for response to public comments. By Cory Hatch. Jackson Hole News and Guide.

Secretary Salazar will review numerous Kempthorne decisions at Interior

He can undo some with a stroke of a pen. Others could stand or be modified. Some will take years of rule-making-

“Salazar to revisit recent Interior Department actions. The department’s new chief will review many of the energy and environmental decisions made in the waning days of the Bush administration.”  By Jim Tankersley. LA Times.

Bush oil-shale rules to get review. By Mark Jaffe. The Denver Post

Unlikely Allies Owyhees Initiative unites warring factions

A Model for the Future? What was wrong with a national monument?

Unlikely Allies. Owyhees Initiative unites warring factions. By Deanna Darr. Boise Weekly.

I’ve never been much of an enthusiast for the Owyhee Country because my picture of it is scenic, vertical-walled deep canyons with piles of manure and cheatgrass separating them. With the passage of this “unique Idaho solution,” almost everything will stay the same. Apparently the “model for the future” is more of the past.

What threats to the scenic canyons does the OI’s passage prevent?

– – – – –

Note: it hasn’t truly passed yet. It must clear the U.S. House of Representatives. It is part of the Omnibus Public Lands bill, about why we have posted a number of articles.

– – – – –

Photos: Scenic canyons. Big Jacks Creek. Trashed uplands.

Snowmobilers cross YNP boundaries into backcountry. Caught!

$5,000 and up to six months in jail possible-

Given the difficulty of detecting the more serious violations like these, I think it would be nice to see them get the max.

Story: 4 snowmobilers caught. Billings Gazette.

Time for hard-rock mining companies to pay up. New mining reform bill introduced

Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick Rahall wants hard rock mines to pay royalties-

Despite Obama’s seeming lack of interest in mining reform (probably due to prompting from Harry Reid), the chair of the House Natural Resources Committee is not detered.

Story in the Salt Lake Tribune. Report: Time for hard-rock mining companies to pay up. Bill’s sponsor says no free ride during economic crisis. By Thomas Burr.

Gold mines are doing well in the bad economy, and that is bad news for both the economy and the environment because they are terrible polluters. Moreover, the production of gold has no clear net economic benefit because it is mostly used as an alternative way of storing wealth (and a completely unproductive one at that).

Number two at Interior will be David Hayes

Pick has a fair conservation record but lobbying ties to energy companies-

“Hayes is vice chairman of American Rivers and a senior fellow of the World Wildlife Fund, advising that group’s president on climate issues.”

Story: Hayes to be No. 2 at Interior. By H. Josef Herbert. Associated Press.

Grizzlies spotted in Manitoba

Grizzlies had been extinct in Manitoba-

Grizzlies spotted in Manitoba. Bartley Kives, Winnipeg Free Press

Buffalo Field Campaign Supports Montana Bison Bill

HB253 Will Remove Department of Livestock’s Management Authority

The Buffalo Field Campaign just sent out this press release. For full disclosure, I am a board member of BFC.

KC

=========================================

Buffalo Field Campaign
P.O. Box 957
West Yellowstone, MT 59758
(P) 406-646-0070
(F) 406-646-0071
bfc-media@wildrockies.org
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org

Press Release

BUFFALO FIELD CAMPAIGN SUPPORTS MONTANA BISON BILL
HB253 Will Remove Department of Livestock’s Management Authority

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – January 27, 2009
Press Contact: Stephany Seay, Buffalo Field Campaign, 406-646-0070

WEST YELLOWSTONE, MONTANA: The front lines wild bison advocacy group, Buffalo Field Campaign, announces support of HB253, the Wild Buffalo Recovery & Conservation Act of 2009. BFC joins with a diverse group of conservationists, private property owners, hunters, bison advocates and others in support of HB253.

River access bill gets overwhelming support in Montana’s House

Looks like the Stockgrowers opposition was far from fatal-

The bill passed 95-5. It must also go to the Montana Senate.

River access bill gets overwhelming support in House. Proposal could be on its way to the Senate as early as today. By JENNIFER McKEE. Billings Gazette State Bureau

Another Mexican wolf shot

Fewer than 50 now?

Gray wolf’s shooting death under investigation. Associated Press. KSWT News

This program simply has to undergo great revision by the new leadership at USFWS (this leadership has not yet been announced). Feds: Mexican gray wolf plan needs updating. By Susan Montoya Bryan. Associated Press.

Are Bison Wildlife or Livestock?

Montana HB253 would change the answer to wildlife-

This is the second story on HB253 posted in this forum.

Are Bison Wildlife or Livestock? You have to start somewhere, and this proposed legislation would be a good first step. By Bill Schneider. New West.

The Montana Wild Buffalo Recovery and Conservation Act of 2009 is co-sponsored by Mike Phillips (D-Bozeman) and Ted Washburn (R-Bozeman). The first hearing is on Thursday, Jan. 29.

It seems to me that since you can hunt bison in Montana that should make them wildlife unless it is legal to hunt other livestock. Is it just a matter that there is a permanent closed season on cattle 😉  ?

What is it with Republicans from Idaho and bathrooms?

What is it with Republicans from Idaho and bathrooms? By Eric Epstein. Central Penn Business Journal.

😉                 😉

More on these guys . . . from the Daily Kos. Dirk! GOP Looks to 2012. By mcjoan

Wolves colonize deeper into France

Wolf seen 300 miles SW of Paris-

Wolves in France. AFP

Representative Grijalva reintroduces bill prohibiting Grand Canyon uranium mining

Grand Canyon Watersheds Protection Act-

Bill Would Stop Uranium Mining Near Grand Canyon National Park. ENS

Ex-Secretary of Interior Kempthorne deliberately refused to prevent this potentially massive group of developments from being halted despite protests from the Los Angeles Water District, the Southern Nevada Water Authority, the Arizona Game and Fish Department, Coconino County and the Navajo, Hopi, Havasupai, Hualapai, and Kaibab Piute nations.

In 2008 the House Natural Resources Committee passed a resolution directing Kempthorne to withdraw about one million acres of public lands around Grand Canyon National Park from mineral entry. Kempthorne ignored the resolution.

Idaho Fish & Game Inadvertently Catches Wolverine

Idaho Fish & Game Inadvertently Catches Wolverine.

A wolverine was captured in a recreational bobcat trap and was then given a transmitter and GPS collar.

It reminds me of this amazing journey in 2004:

Wolverine Takes A Road Trip: Scientists Track Male Animal Over A Three-state, 550-mile Walk-about

Science Daily 9-24-04

Bush legacy leaves uphill climb for U.S. parks, critics say

Bush legacy leaves uphill climb for U.S. parks, critics say. By Julie Cart. LA Times.

The more I think of what Bush and has cronies did; the more I think it was like the United States was occupied by a foreign power for 8 years, and an unfriendly one at that.

I want a trial!

How Will the Stimulus Affect Energy?

This article suggests the energy stimulus will be mostly green and decentralized-

I’m not sure how the author of this article (Richard Martin) knows this, but he says the part of the stimulus directed specifically at energy will consist mostly of community based activities, retrofitting, energy efficiency and the like.

I add that this kind of energy stimulus will also create more jobs per dollar by far than remote solar farms, wind farms, and transmission lines.

The article is in New West. How Will the Stimulus Affect Energy? By Richard Martin

Obama to Take Steps On Car Fuel Efficiency

Announces two policies that will speed efficient and less CO2 emitting vehicles-

Obama to Take Steps On Car Fuel Efficiency. By Juliet Eilperin and Steven Mufson. Washington Post Staff Writers

Another “Burrowing” Bush Loyalist

Kathie Olsen, a Bush climate change denier in the National Science Foundation “burrows” into a civil service position.

A Loyal Bushie Burrows Into Obama’s System
By Elana Schor
Talking Points Memo

Can Wolves Restore An Ecosystem?

This seems to be a reasonable conclusion made by Dr. Bechta and Dr. Ripple who studied the Lamar Valley’s rehabilitation of cottonwood and willow following wolf reintroduction in Yellowstone NP. These researchers feel that wolves, if returned to the Olympic Peninsula, would help restore the flora as well as a balance in the fauna in the national park. They claim that elk are an obstruction to forest health by feeding on the young trees which appear to be unable to thrive there.

Can Wolves Restore An Ecosystem?

Cattle industry domination over elk and bison

Op-Ed. By Stephany J. Seay. Buffalo Field Campaign. West Yellowstone, Montana

GNF Supervisor Mary Erickson’s morbid sense of humor claims renewal of the Department of Livestock’s permit for the Horse Butte bison trap is a “tool of tolerance.”  It certainly fits with Governor Schweitzer’s interpretation of “more tolerance” for wild bison; all we’ve seen from his Administration is a canned hunt and the largest-scale slaughter since the 1800s.

The private/public Horse Butte peninsula is 100% cattle-free; residents welcome buffalo and oppose the trap and DOL’s presence.  At the dawn of the Adaptive Management Plan (AMP) crafted by IBMP partners, the trap is a serious contradiction.  But, the brucellosis argument is full of contradictions.

Kempthorne for president?

The former Idaho governor’s name turns up in a blog, and his wife and spokesman don’t deny it.

Is Kempthorne planning a run for president?
BY ROCKY BARKER and BRIAN MURPHY
Idaho Statesman

Now that Dirk Kempthorne is now the Former Secretary of Interior there is speculation that he may run for president in 2012.

It has been reported that Kempthorne gave a farewell speech to Interior employees where he presented a slide show with 600 photo’s of himself.

Can you imagine a ticket: Kempthorne/Palin?

Jackson Hole Daily | Elk tests, kills to start

Wyoming Game and Fish continues fourth year of elk test and slaughter program.

Jackson Hole Daily | Elk tests, kills to start

The article points out that $815,000 has been spent and that seroprevalence has declined. This reduction may or may not be associated with past test and slaughter efforts and will likely be for naught if Wyoming persists with its feeding of elk during the winter which concentrates them and makes transmission more likely.

As pointed out by Franz Camenzind, executive director of the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance, this does not address the likely impending chronic wasting disease outbreak.

– – – –

Robert Hoskins wrote to me saying WY Game and Fish does not use an experimental design for this program. Therefore, you can’t conclude it is working.

This is a general problem in politically based studies of policy. Experimental or semi (quasi) experimental designs are rarely used. An experimental design includes one or more groups that get “the treatment” and a similar group or groups which is the “control” group, meaning no treatment. If both groups increase or decrease by about the same amount, the treatment has had no effect. Some other (some outside) factor was responsible. Regarding this program, we have no idea. Ralph Maughan

Obama’s EPA puts hold on South Dakota coal plant

Wow, quick action! Lisa Jackson was just confirmed the new EPA Administrator-

Obama’s EPA Raises Objections to South Dakota Coal Power Plant. By Catherine Dodge. Bloomberg.com

Carl Pope Switches Roles at the Sierra Club

Most media are saying, “Pope steps down”

Carl Pope Switches Roles at the Sierra Club. By Kate Galbraith. New York Times.

This makes a lot of news not just because of the size of the Sierra Club, but its high level of activity.

Pope has been the Club’s executive director for a long time. He is moving over to a related organization working on climate change. Another article on this said that “In his new position, Pope would likely be the Sierra Club’s “public face” on global warming issues.

Pope gets a lot of credit for moving hard into effort to reduce CO2 emissions, but he has been criticized for being an advocate of centralized, big, alternative energy; and pushing the Club to endorse that.

The Club has been very helpful stopping a coal plant slated for just NW of Pocatello, Idaho, where I live. When I say “coal plant,” I mean just that. It wasn’t clear what the company wanted to do with coal; just something “coalish” — generate electricity? gasify coal? produce industrial chemicals? produce chemicals for fertilizer?  Whatever, however;  local business cheerleaders mostly jumped on their wagon.*

Sierra Club lawyers have been very good at resisting this coal plant unless the CO2 emissions are much lower than projected.

– – – –

* Idaho has no coal, but Pocatello is a railroad center.

Buffalo Allies supports passage of Montana HB 253 – Wild Buffalo Recovery & Conservation Act

This is a direct link to their news release as formated in New West-

Buffalo Allies supports passage . . .

Poaching on the rise as the economy sinks

This is entirely predictable-

.  .  . and you can bet most state legislatures will do nothing about it.

Black-market meat – Illegal killing of animals on rise as economy sinks. By Tracie Cone. AP in the Missoulian.

Idaho Fish and Game needs more money, although they make me mad and I don’t think they deserve it. They are asking the legislature for a hunting and fish fee increase. I doubt they will get it.

IDFG does require more conservation officers in the field. The same is true in other states.

As folks have said many times in this forum, wildlife conservation and management needs sources of income that don’t depend on hunting and fishing license and tag fees.

State seeks to kill N. Idaho wolves

Plan is out in the open-

Although they wanted to just do a quick kill, under the 10j rules Idaho can kill off wolves in an area if wolves are making it so that ID F and G objectives aren’t being meet. They have to perform a ritual first, however.  A delisted population could have just been killed.

Updated story (much longer). State seeks to kill N. Idaho wolves. AP

Idaho Fish and Game says they have done a study that proves this, but they haven’t released the study. There was an article about it in the Idaho Statesman where some figures were given. Ken Cole critiqued it, but if they have proof, let’s see it, or is it a secret?

New Obama Orders on Transparency, FOIA Requests

This should make it easier to get wolf and other wildlife information-

One of the major problems that has emerged in recent years is simply getting information from the federal government which should be by law, freely available. The Bushies made it so the FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) was becoming almost useless, and agencies like USFWS and Wildlife Services could withhold anything that made them “uncomfortable.” Lately, that seemed to be just about everything.

As a result, you had to put 2 and 2 together to get real news (or likely) news. For example, yesterday I did a story on the “quick kill” of wolves that Idaho was planning as soon as delisting took place. For several months, conservation groups had expected that this was likely immediately on delisting. However, Montana or Idaho or the federal agencies would hardly tell you this.

As a result, for the story I had to begin with the Idaho Cattle Association meeting held in Sun Valley just after the election and the resolutions they passed. They passed a resolution asking the wolf packs that were “problems” be taken out during the winter even though there were no “depredations” currently (or ever) from those packs. I had to watch what Wildlife Services did, what was being said about wolves in the state legislature where conservation folks attend committee meetings, and watch from stray comments in email or stories on-line to figure out that a quick kill was on its way.

In the near future, a more direct route to stories is likely.

Here the good news story from the Washington Post.

New Obama Orders on Transparency, FOIA Requests. The Federal Eye. “Keeping Tabs on the Government” by Ed O’Keefe. Washington Post.

The Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit is now genetically extinct

This loss highlights the importance of genetic interchange and landscape-level habitat preservation

Photo Courtesy USFWS

The Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit has been listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act but efforts to restore the bunny have been unsuccesful.  Even efforts at maintaining as much of the Columbia Basin ancestory/gene by interbreeding with Idaho pygmy rabbits are not looking good.

Last-ditch effort to save pygmy rabbits near an end – Wenatchee Work Online

Pygmy rabbits are very timid animals, not prone to travel large distances or cross open spaces without cover from predators.  Fragmentation and manipulation of habitat associated with development, livestock grazing, and other activities that degrade the thick old-growth sagebrush pygmy rabbits need to survive is largely responsible for the imperilment of the rabbits.

Update – Dr. Steve Herman explains some history :

2008 Idaho wolf count. Population up 7% statewide but only 5% south of I-90.

Preliminary wolf numbers are announced by Idaho Fish and Game-

Idaho Wolves: At A Glance IDFG new release.

The news release reports that there are 824 wolves, 88 packs of which 38 are considered breeding pairs. This is up from the 732 wolves and 83 packs but not in the way that you may think.

At first glance these numbers would indicate a 15% increase in wolf numbers but that doesn’t take into account many factors. Each year when the final reports are written there are packs that were counted which didn’t appear in the previous year’s numbers but have yearling or sub-adult wolves in them. These wolves are retroactively added as packs to the previous years population numbers. This means that, from information that I have learned, that the population of wolves in Idaho has grown only 7% statewide and that most of that growth has occurred north of I-90 where wolves receive full protection under the ESA. If you take those wolves out of the equation then the population growth rate drops to only 5% south of I-90.

Rate of growth is declining. In previous years the population growth estimate has been about 20% until last year when there was a 8% growth rate and this year with a 7% growth rate.

The media often cites the 20% number or uses the mid-year numbers of wolves to indicate the growth rate of the population but since wolves have pups only once per year in April and May that number is always an overestimate since there is great mortality between the mid-year estimate and the end-of-the year estimate.

As far as radio collared wolves there are 84 wolves in 50 packs which had radio collars in December 2008, a little over 10%.

KC

President Obama’s regulatory freeze halts wolf delisting!!

It looks like the freeze of all unpublished Bush regulations stops the current run to delist the wolf-

Obama Rule Halts Wolf Delisting. Center for Biological Diversity. News Release

This is very happy news because we just learned that Idaho has some very nasty plans for the wolves if they are delisted — a quick kill off before a lawsuit can be filed.

Update: now the slower MS media are picking up the story.

• Obama administration puts brakes on wolf delisting. By Jason Kauffman. Idaho Mountain Express.
• Wolf delisting decision placed on hold by Obama Administration. By Rocky Barker. Idaho Statesman.
• Feds drop rule taking away endangered status for wolves. By John Flesher, AP environmental writer.
• Review halts wolf delisting. By Cory Hatch. Jackson Hole News and Guide.

– – – – – – – – – – –

For Immediate Release, January 21, 2009

Contact: Michael Robinson, (575) 313-7017

Obama Rule Halts Wolf Delisting

SILVER CITY, N.M.– President Barack Obama has issued a freeze on publication of federal regulations planned under the previous administration but not yet published in the Federal Register. This action, which will give the new administration a chance to review Bush-era policy decisions, will delay and possibly prevent the premature removal of gray wolves from the endangered species list in Montana, Idaho, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, and portions of Washington, Oregon, Utah, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio.

According to Michael Robinson of the Center for Biological Diversity, the pause will afford President Obama and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar the opportunity to rethink the previous administration’s efforts to remove wolves from the endangered species list. “Rather than remove protections from wolves in a piecemeal fashion, in the isolated locations where they have finally begun to recover from past persecution,” Robinson said, ” the Obama administration should develop and implement a national gray-wolf recovery plan that will ensure the survival of these magnificent animals.”

Thanksgiving Day was Jan. 20

A new chance for America and the world.
– – – –

Will criminal activity of the Bush Administration go unpunished?

Jan. 11, 2009. Obama doesn’t rule out a special prosecutor. From a USA Today blog.
Jan. 13, 2009. Democrats seek criminal probe of Bush ‘abuses’. USA Today.
Jan. 16, 2009. Poll Finds Disapproval of Bush Unwavering. By Megan Thee-Brenan. New York Times.
Jan. 17, 2009. Forgive and Forget? By Paul Krugman. New York Times.
Jan. 18, 2009. Pelosi Open to Prosecution of Bush Administration Officials By Bill Sammon. FOX News

President Obama halts as many Bush midnight regulations as possible

Article says he did the same as Bush did in 2001.

Obama halts all regulations pending review. Order goes out Tuesday afternoon, shortly after inauguration. AP in MSNBC.

This is what folks hoped for. Of course, this will only stop Bush regulations which are at a certain stage. How far back the order is able to cut them is not known yet.

This is a happy day for Americans in many types of work and service.

Update. This might have halted the wolf delisting. Unsure for now.

Update 1-21-2009. Regulators Ordered to Leave Work Unfinished. By Amy Goldstein. Washington Post.
The headline above is very misleading, as though the agencies were doing some important work and had to stop, rather than that their “work ” was to carry out Bush directives to favor his political allies and cronies.

Grizzly bear found dead in the Ashton Reservoir (Idaho)

Yearling male grizzly found dead under suspicious circumstances-

Idaho Fish and Game Dept. news release. Jan. 16, 2009

Sheepherder Wants Special Treatment from Idaho Legislature.

Weiser sheep rancher tells Idaho lawmakers Forest Service threatens his livelihood
Brian Murphy – Idaho Statesman

Sheepherder Ron Shirts has appealed to the Idaho Senate to intervene and give him special consideration above the interests of the public, wildlife, and the Nez Perce Tribe. Shirts complains that his livelihood is threatened because the Payette National Forest is not living up to an agreement made in 1997 when bighorn sheep were transplanted to Hells Canyon. The article fails to mention that this agreement did not include the Nez Perce Tribe who still hold treaty rights to grazing and hunting in the area which supersede those of Shirts and other sheepherders.

Energy inefficient

Editorial the the NYT stresses what should be a well known fact — cheapest source of new energy is greater efficiency-

Energy Inefficient. Editorial by the New York Times.

– – – – – – –

Update: President Obama already has online a new whitehouse.gov. On it, among many other things, he lists his policy goals in the following area “Create Millions of New Green Jobs”

* Ensure 10 percent of Our Electricity Comes from Renewable Sources by 2012, and 25 percent by 2025.
* Deploy the Cheapest, Cleanest, Fastest Energy Source – Energy Efficiency. [boldface and colors mine]
* Weatherize One Million Homes Annually.
* Develop and Deploy Clean Coal Technology.
* Prioritize the Construction of the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline.

Last minute court decision blocks sale of the Utah oil and gas leases-

Decision stopped bidders from taking possession of controversial leases just hours before they were final-

11th-Hour Court Order Blocks Oil and Gas Leases in Utah. By Felicity Barranger. New York Times.

A temporary restraining has order stopped the winning bidders from the Dec. 19 lease sale from taking possession of tens of 110,000 acres of federal land in scenic red rock canyon country of Utah. The temporary order will last several weeks.

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It looks like President Obama will call for a new era of responsibility on the part of citizens. It looks like folks in the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, and the brave student Tim DeChristopher, have a jump on this. Hopefully the BLM bureaucrats will come out of the cave of fear they have been forced into and help bring us out of the dark we have suffered in almost every corner of the public lands.

Cattle denude the Sonoran National Monument

ORVs were kicked out of monument; the real damage is grazing-

This is apparently, though a good place to find the bleached bones of cattle, a common visual theme of cartoons of people lost in the desert.

Inane official, public actions scar Sonoran monument. By Linda Valdez. The Arizona Republic

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Update. Link to WWP Arizona Office. Great photo of cattle in Sonoran Desert National Monument 😦

Magnitude 4.0 quake near Jackson Hole

Moderate quake was in the Snake River mountain range-

I first learned about this when someone made a note of it on a photo I had uploaded to Panoramio (Google Earth). My photo was at the quake’s location.

Story in the Jackson Hole News and Guide. By Cory Hatch and Angus M. Thuermer Jr.  Quake Shakes Region.

The Idaho/Wyoming border area doesn’t have as many quakes as Yellowstone Park, but it has quake a few and they tend to be stronger.

The high cost of concentrated solar/wind energy in the desert-

Alternative energy from the wind and sun comes at a high environmental cost and a cost to democracy if it is done wrong-

Basin and Range Watch is a web site that shows the reality of wind and solar in SW deserts-

Read (and look at the photos) in the Watch’s Green Energy vs Actual “Green” Energy.

Montana Stockgrowers screws up stream access bill at the last minute

Stream access bill snags on specifics. By Jennifer McKee. Helena Independent State Bureau.

The proposed Stockgrower’s Association amendment would make the stream access bill largely meaningless.

Conservation groups sue over Idaho roadless lands

Interesting, a move up from collaborationism-

Idaho has more roadless, undeveloped national forest land than any other state but Alaska.  Compared to most other western states only a modest portion of this has been protected as designated Wilderness. The rest was allocated into various categories in an initiative pushed by Jim Risch during his brief governorship of Idaho. This was done under the Bush version of the roadless rule, which modified the roadless rule originally issued in the last months of the Clinton Administration. Idaho and Colorado were the only states to do this. Colorado’s effort is not complete.

This allocation of Idaho roadless lands is final and now part of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Several conservation groups in Idaho were willing to go along with this (Trout Unlimited, Idaho Conservation League). Because the process had fully played out, I doubted a lawsuit would happen. However, a major lawsuit was just filed. It includes some of the groups who were enthusiasts for the “collaborative” Owyhee Initiative which will probably soon become law.

News story on the lawsuit. Conservation groups sue over Idaho roadless plan. By Jessie L. Bonner.  Associated Press Writer

News release from the Wilderness Society. Idaho Roadless Rule Challenged in Federal Court. Note that the same release was issued by the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, The Lands Council, the Sierra Club and the NRDC.

Blog. Wilderness Society sues to stop Risch roadless rule for Idaho. By Rocky Barker. Idaho Statesman. Here Barker explains the basics and bemoans the defection of the Wilderness Society away from collaboration.

Don’t Blame Mother Nature for the airplane crash

Human activity is indirectly adding large birds to skies near airports-

Don’t Blame Mother Nature for the Crash. The editors. 2 articles. New York Times

Looks like Bush/Kempthorne gutting of ESA will be reversed

Lawsuits and congressional action are likely to void the gutting of section 7 of ESA-

This has already been reported in the comments on one of the threads here;  but for everyone this is what has happened.

California filed suit to overturn the Bush/Kempthorne diminishment of section 7 consultation.

Congress is right now moving to directly overturn this new regulation. Story

Now Oregon has sued as well. Oregon joins lawsuit against feds on endangered species. By Michael Milstein. Oregonian.

Section 7 requires that an agency with a project has to consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to see if the project will affect endangered species. Any experience with government agencies tell you that you can’t expect an agency to be honest about the side effects of a project they want to build, carryout or whatever. So you need a neutral party of experts to give an independent judgment. Agencies almost always just hate to get an opinion from the USFWS that their prize project “may jeopardize” an species.

The Bush/Kempthone rule would, among other things, make it so that agencies don’t have to consult.

Columbia River pollutants at unacceptable levels, EPA says

EPA says Columbia River pollution levels “unacceptable risk to people, fish and wildife-

For those not familiar, the Columbia River is the major river of the Pacific Northwest. It and its tributaries drain almost all of Idaho, and Washington states, and western Montana. . . . much of Oregon and British Columbia too, plus the NW corner of Wyoming and a tiny bit of Nevada (where the mercury pollution from gold mines is tremendous).

Columbia River pollutants at unacceptable levels, EPA says. By Scott Learn, The Oregonian

This is the EPA’s first “state of the river” report. This is quite sobering coming from the Bush EPA. It is not a new problem, however. PCBs and DDT are slowly decreasing. Numerous other pollutants are present at unacceptable levels, but the trend isn’t clear.

A great deal of money has been spent trying to conserve and recover samon and steelheads runs. This pollution makes the faltering effort even more difficult.

Link to the EPA report

Ken Salazar promises reform at Interior Department

Salazar’s hearing before Senate Committe-

Sounds like any generic, old school Western Democrat that has been in this “saddle” many times before-

Ken Salazar promises reform at Interior Department. LA Times. By Jim Tankersley

Barack Obama criticized — again — over pick of Ken Salazar as Interior secretary. By Pete Thomas. LA Times.

I should add that there are those who say many of Obama’s cabinet choices will not have a lot of freedom of action because the big decisions will be made by advisors at higher levels closer to the President. This can be good or bad, depending on the advisors, the President and the issue.

Omnibus Public Lands bill wins final passage in U.S. Senate

House passage is expected next week-

The bill finally passed today. The final vote for passage was 73-21.

While most of the media seem to still think this is just a bill wilderness bill, folks are slowly finding the other stuff. For example, contained in the bill is the “Wolf Livestock Loss Mitigation Act,” authored by U.S. Senators Jon Tester, D-MT and John Barrasso, R-WY.

Some of the media are concentrating on the purely politics part — how Harry Reid stuck it to Tom Coburn.

A Busy Week for Wild Buffalo & Elk

Buffalo Field Campaign update from the field-

• Gallatin National Forest Approves Horse Butte bison trap, WTF!
• Montana begins killing elk to appease livestock interests-

Although BFC is on my blogroll (down in the right column of the blog), I haven’t posted one of their “updates from the field” lately. Here is a slightly abridged version. Ralph Maughan

– – – – – – – – – –

Buffalo Field Campaign
Yellowstone Bison
Update from the Field
January 15, 2009

In this issue:
* Update from the Field
* Montana Delegation, Schweitzer, to Ride in Obmama Parade
* Order Your Buffalo Valentines Today!
* Buffalo in the News
* Last Words
* Kill Tally
——————————
* Update from the Field

Dear Buffalo Friends,

A study was released this week that determines what we’ve known all along:  the risk of brucellosis transmission from wild bison to cattle is extremely remote.  The study, “Wildlife-Livestock Conflict: the Risk of Pathogen Transmission from Bison to Cattle Outside Yellowstone National Park” was conducted by A. Marm Kilpatrick, Colin M. Gillin, and Peter Daszak, and published in the Journal of Applied Ecology.  In summary, the study states, “… We have shown that the quantitative risk of transmission of [brucellosis] …is highly variable in space, time and frequency.  We believe that this variability offers great potential for focused adaptive management efforts that will reduce the costs of brucellosis management, reduce the need for hazing of bison, and maintain very low risk for the cattle industry of Montana.”  You can learn more about the study’s findings under “Buffalo in the News” below.

Nevertheless, livestock interests are running rampant with power in Montana.  This has been an incredible week of war against wildlife, even though the field remains quiet with no wild buffalo migrating out of Yellowstone National Park.

Vilsack glides through Senate Ag Committee confirmation hearing

He said a lot of standard stuff-

Agriculture Pick’s Hearing Is Smooth. By Andrew Martin. New York Times.

Here was a hopeful story from Jan. 14. Hope and the new USDA chief. Coming together to work toward a sustainable food and farm future. David Murphy (Guest Contributor).  Grist Magazine.

Here is today’s story. “Not-so-tough row to hoe. Vilsack glides through Senate Ag Committee confirmation hearing.” Posted by Tom Philpott. Grist Magazine.

Salazar confirmation hearings today expected to yield few fireworks

This is the big office for those interested in Western wildlife and public lands. The nomination doesn’t seem controversial to his fellow senators-

Salazar confirmation hearings expected to yield few fireworks. Senator generally respected, admired by GOP and Dems. By M.E. Sprengelmeyer, Rocky Mountain News

Kevin Richert: Pricey privy: What was Kempthorne thinking?

For most Americans, this is what Kempthorne might be remembered for-

Kevin Richert: Pricey privy: What was Kempthorne thinking? Idaho Statesman.

The average American, especially those not from the West, doesn’t know much about the scandal-ridden Department of Interior. This is the sort of think that sticks in peoples’ minds.

Human fishing and hunting is accelerating evolution of species

Result is mostly toward smaller and shorter-lived individuals-

Human fishing and hunting accelerating evolution of species. Fishing and hunting by humans is accelerating the speed of evolution in some species as it removes whole generations of large adults who would otherwise reproduce. By Richard Alleyne, Science Correspondent. UK Telegraph.

Assuming that the prey does not become extinct, this finding is just what you’d predict when faced with heavy hunting, harvest, or whatever you call it. Heavy predation speeds up evolution, and the direction of the evolution is in the direction that makes the prey less desirable (such as smaller).  Therefore, more of the prey survive by evolving into something not so sought after by humans.

Reaction to the latest try to delist wolves-

Here are links to a number of reactions-

• NRDC. Flawed Flip-Flop on Wolves. Bush Administration changes course again with Endangered Species List re-removal.
• Defenders of Wildife. Bush administration rushes to strip protections from Northern Rockies wolves. Despite previous court decisions, administration again ignores Endangered Species Act requirements.
• Wyoming Chapter of the Sierra Club- News Release pdf
• Oregon Wild- Bush Administration Issues Parting Shot to Gray Wolves. pdf

Story. Gray wolves to lose endangered status. Story in the LA Times by By Jim Tankersley
Story. State left out of wolf move. By Cory Hatch. Jackson Hole Daily.
Update story. Last word on wolves is yet to come. Bush removes protections in most of the Rockies, but the Obama administration could reverse the decision. By Rocky Barker. Idaho Statesman.
Update story. Last year the Greater Yellowstone Coalition (GYC) was widely criticized by other conservation groups for their view on delisting. Here is what they said this time. Green groups will like it more. I got this copy from a TV news story.

Service Removes Western Great Lakes, Portion of Northern Rocky Mountain Gray Wolf Populations from Endangered Species List

A last of the Bush Administration special-

Here’s the link to the USFWS News Release–

OR read it below

Contacts

(Northern Rocky Mtns) Ed Bangs 406-449-5225, x204
Sharon Rose 303-236-4580
(Western Great Lakes)  Laura Ragan 612- 713-5157
Georgia Parham 812-334-4261, x203

Wolves in Wyoming to Remain Protected by Endangered Species Act

Deputy Secretary of the Interior Lynn Scarlett announced today the removal of the western Great Lakes population and portions of the northern Rocky Mountain population of gray wolves from protection under the Endangered Species Act. The success of gray wolf recovery efforts in these areas has contributed to expanding populations of wolves that no longer require the protection of the Act. However, gray wolves found within the borders of Wyoming will continue to be protected by the Act due to a lack of adequate regulatory mechanisms ensuring their protection under state law.

31 Utah bison are headed for the Book Cliffs

Utah’s Henry Mountains herd — the source — originally came from Yellowstone Park-

31 Utah bison headed for the Book Cliffs. Associated Press. Salt Lake Tribune.

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“Buffaloed” provided a better (a video) link.  http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=5310294. KSL Television. Thanks!

Photo of Blue Castle Canyon in the Book Cliffs (one of hundreds such canyons in this vast area). I am amazed that Yellowstone bison have been able to thrive in the rugged Henry Mountains, and now this similar country of the Book Cliffs.

– – –
Another photo of the Book Cliffs (with Green River)

Massive Public Lands Bill a Bonanza for Sportsmen, but?

Protection of Wyoming and Salt River Range, plus Commissary Ridge from drilling wins praise-

Massive Public Lands Bill a Bonanza for Sportsmen. By Chris Hunt. New West.

But there is more in the bill than protection of certain parcels of land-

If you don’t think about the Owyhee Initiative part of the bill, it seems like a good bill for wildlife; although there are several little discussed provisions. For example, I just got email containing an almost overlooked entire “Title” of the bill. This title creates the “Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Fund,” which could result in a lot of tree cutting and brush clearing on the public lands and adjacent private and state lands, although it looks like the number of projects are legally limited. If this was lifted, this one way a lot of local employment could be created during the recession/depression.

To quote from the bill . . . the purpose of the Title is

“. . . to encourage the collaborative, science-based ecosystem restoration of priority forest landscapes through a process that–

(1) encourages ecological, economic, and social sustainability;

(2) leverages local resources with national and private resources;

(3) facilitates the reduction of wildfire management costs, including through reestablishing natural fire regimes and reducing the risk of uncharacteristic wildfire; and

(4) demonstrates the degree to which–

(A) various ecological restoration techniques–

(i) achieve ecological and watershed health objectives; and

(ii) affect wildfire activity and management costs; and

(B) the use of forest restoration byproducts can offset treatment costs while benefitting local rural economies and improving forest health.”

Here is the text of the entire title s-22-title4-omnibus-public-lands pdf file.

Study: Chance of brucellosis transmission posed by roaming bison is low

Scientific study pretty much says Interagency Bison Management Plan (IBMP) is a waste of money-

For those of us not connected with the cattle industry the results of this paper coming out in the Journal of Applied Ecology are hardly surprising, but for the cattle bureaucrats it should be a real wake up call.

Study: Chance of brucellosis transmission posed by roaming bison is low. By Matthew Brown. AP. Casper Star Tribune.

Unusual alliances give dams upgrades

“Conservationists, farmers and governments work together so that everyone benefits. . .” Denver Post-

Denver Post story. By Mark Jaffe

I suspect there are folks on this blog who know the actual details who may have something to say about this “success.” Ralph Maughan

Wolf numbers decline in Yellowstone in ’08

Park wolf population declines by 27%-

This is no surprise because everyone who followed the Park wolves this year knew that with the high wolf pup mortality from some disease the population would decline.

I am skeptical that the Park wolf population will ever regain the high points reached twice in the last 5 years because of the decline in the elk numbers. It is possible that the restoration of the wolves resulting in a bit of an overshoot, and this might be true of the restored wolf population in Idaho as well. This is one reason why a big wolf hunt is premature.

Next year the wolf pup population could well recover as it has in the past, but the strife between the wolf packs will probably continue. That will keep wolf numbers down. It is also possible that this disease in not part of the natural regime. It might continue to reduce the wolf population until very low numbers are reached.

Bob Moen, who wrote the article below, uses 2007 data for the total number of wolves in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. However, it’s the 2008 figures, not yet available that will be interesting. Like the Park population we know that the overall wolf population did not grow by 20% as it has for a number of years. We don’t know that it grew at all, especially given what many see as excessive “wolf control” by Wildlife Services in Idaho and Montana.

Wolf numbers decline in Yellowstone in ’08. By Bob Moen. AP; and here is a similar story in the Jackson Hole News and Guide. By Cory Hatch.

Update. NPR story on the decline (audio). http://www.mtpr.net/program_info/2009-01-13-132

Today was the wolf restoration anniversary

Kathie Lynch reminded me that today was the 14th anniversary of the restoration of the wolves to Yellowstone. Maybe there should be a special event — a celebration planned for the 15th.

“Elusive, destructive wolf killed”

If this is as bad as it gets, wolves are not much of a problem-

Over a number of months a pair or wolves killed $5-6 thousand worth of sheep and goats owned by farmer near Reeds Point, Montana. The story is mostly interesting because it was so hard for Wildlife Services to get these wolves even with all of their high tech.

I suppose this was a serious matter in a state where the wildlife agency sees it acceptable to kill a pack of 27 wolves because they killed a handful of livestock, some of them sick.

How much did Wildlife Services spend to kill these two wolves, the last one of which was shot from a helicopter last Friday?

How much did you lose in your retirement account last year?

How much do you owe on your overpriced student loan(s)?

How much did your health insurance not pay on your serious, or even not so serious illness (assuming you have any health insurance)?

How much are you out because you lost your job?

Has the news media done a story on your personal struggles?

Why does the government waste money on things like this, and not help you?

News story in the Billings Gazette. Elusive, destructive wolf killed. By Brett French.

Moose gets loose in Washington State home

This article has a video link-

Moose gets loose in Washington Home. AOL News

Public Lands bill easily passes the U.S. Senate

The critical vote was 66-12-

The Caucus. New York Times blog. On a Sunday, the Senate Votes Yes on a Lands Bill. By Carl Hulse.

Here is the AP story. Senate boosts wilderness protection across US. By Mathew Daly.

The bill now goes to the House where there should be no challenge unless the bill gets an open rule from the House Rules Committee. An open rule permits amendments. The Rules Committee almost always follows the will of the Speaker. It is “her committee,” so to speak.

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Reaction is coming in.

Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance Cheers. SUWA Statement on Inclusion of Vastly Improved Washington County Public Lands Legislation in Senate Omnibus Lands Package

Federal wilderness protection for California land moves forward. By Richard Simon. LA Times

Senate votes to increase protections for land in Oregon and nationwide. By Charles Pope, The Oregonian

Gov. Schweitzer urges conservation groups on against that “row of vultures.”

Schweitzer, however, doesn’t promise any explicit help-

The “vultures” are the corporate lobbyists, according to the governor, but he says that his involvement could “complicate things.”

AP story on conservation group priorities, the governor, Republicans and corporate lobbyists.

Salazar, Udall file bill to designate 250,000 acres of Wilderness in Rocky Mtn NP

Many people don’t realize the Wilderness Act also applies to national parks–

Another point is that Ken Salazar is still a U.S. Senator. It is smart not to resign your old job until you actually confirmed (witness Bill Richardson who is still New Mexico’s governor)

– – – – – –

Salazar is also pushing for 210,000 acres of protection on the Uncompahgre plateau of SW Colorado. It would be named the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area. About 65,000 acres of this  would be classified as  the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Area. This is possibly more significant than the Rocky Mountain NP Wilderness because designating the backcountry of a national park as Wilderness can be a bit redundant.

Salazar’s actions will no doubt burnish his credentialsl as future secretary of Interior.

USGS to fight fake Yellowstone warning

Alarmist web site uses a fake USGS logo and tells people to evacuate-

USGS to fight fake Yellowstone warning. By Brett French. Billings Gazette.

Government Has a Suspect in August 2008 Mexican Wolf Killing

Finally, will someone get what they deserve for killing a rare Mexican wolf?

See the news release below. Ralph Maughan

– – – – – – –
For more information, contact:

Rob Edward, WildEarth Guardians, (303) 573-4898 x 762 redward@wildearthguardians.org
Greta Anderson, Western Watersheds Project, (520) 623-1878 greta@westernwatersheds.org
Dave Parsons, The Rewilding Institute, (505) 275-1944 pbc@cybermesa.com

Government Has Suspect in August 2008 Mexican Wolf Killing

SANTE FE, N.M. – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has concluded an investigation into the illegal killing of an endangered Mexican gray wolf and presented the results to the U.S. Attorney’s office.  Law enforcement officials report that the suspect in the killing is a ranch caretaker in southern New Mexico.

Larry Craig and his chief of staff considering consulting business

Says his consulting business will deal with “Western Issues”-

Larry Craig and his chief of staff considering consulting business. By Jim Snyder. The Hill.

Craig says he wants to concentrate on enforcement of the ESA.

Giant omnibus public lands bill to be voted on soon in new Congress

Looks like Harry Reid is keeping his promise to bring the bill back up-

This is a really big thing, much larger than the two parochial stories below, even though a lot of it deals with “cannonball parks.”

• Snake River, Wyoming Range bill on table. By Cory Hatch. Jackson Hole Daily
• Senate vote Sunday on land bills? Deseret News. By Lee Davidson
• Senate plans early push to add protections to Mount Hood and other public lands. by Charles Pope, The Oregonian

Here is s.22, ” The Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009.” This replaces the 2008 version I had up. They are debating it this weekend. Republicans are filibustering.

Last Congress the omnibus measure passed the House, but failed due to Senator Coburn’s filibuster at the last minute in the U.S. Senate. Majority Leader Reid said he would bring it up again without having the bills inside this “omnibus container” having to start at square one back in the committees of the two chambers of Congress.

Regarding Idaho, this contains the controversial Owhyee Initiative.

Cougar and dogs fight at Gimlet, Idaho

There will be more predators in the Big Wood River Valley because snows have pushed elk and deer right into town.

Story: Cougar attacks dogs in Gimlet. Fish and Game officers relocate big cat after confrontation. By Jason Kaufman. Idaho Mountain Express.

Jon Marvel: Idaho should start charging for its most precious resource

Marvel believes that given the economic crisis, the state water users should pitch in and help-

Jon Marvel: Idaho should start charging for its most precious resource. Reader’s View. Idaho Statesman.

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My thoughts are that if current plans play out, in Idaho those doing all the sacrificing will be the students, the sick, old, young, poor, and out-of-work. Ralph Maughan

A quick vote for the buffalo at Horse Butte

go here http://bozemandailychronicle.com/

Wildlife Services sprays tons of herbicide into Dakota marshes to destroy blackbirds

Another reason to eliminate this destructive agency-

In the Western United States we think of Wildlife Services as the agency that kills a host of native wildlife to benefit cattle and sheep growers, but their noxious actions are more far flung. In the Dakotas they are expanding their program of dumping the herbicide Rodeo into cattail marshes so the blackbirds will have no resting or roosting sites.

This is to benefit sunflower farmers who could solve the “blackbird problem” by not planting sunflowers next to marshes.

Story:  USDA taking applications for Cattail eradication. Associated Press

European natural gas crisis shows danger of centralized energy

Russian shutdown of gas pipeline starkly shows the danger of centralized energy-

We have been arguing against centralized energy as environmentally damaging and inherently insecure. With this development, I don’t think I need to say more.

Russia stops all gas supply to Europe via Ukraine. By Lynn Berry and Maria Danilova. AP

Park quakes could cause hydrothermal explosions But volcanic eruptions unlikely in Yellowstone, expert says.

Earthquakes were small, but it was an energetic swarm, expert says-

Although the quake swarm seems to be over, it might signify more changes with a small probability of dramatic stuff.

Story in the Jackson Hole News and Guide. By Cory Hatch.

– – – – –

The late Rick Hutcheson, the Park’s geyser expect, told me that he hoped to see a basalt flow in the Park before he died.

– – – – –

Follow the quakes, http://www.seis.utah.edu/

yellowstone

Agribusiness as usual. Obama’s campaign ag adviser mounts a weak defense of industrial food

Depressing news-

Agribusiness as usual. Obama’s campaign ag adviser mounts a weak defense of industrial food. Grist Magazine. Posted by Tom Philpott

Idaho’s one Democrat, Minnick, teams with Simpson to reintroduce CIEDRA

Prospects for “wilderness bill” have now improved-

Walt Minnick, the Democrat who defeated incumbent nutwinger Bill Sali for Idaho First Congressional District, joined with Idaho Second District Representative, Republican Mike Simpson to reintroduce the controversial Central Idaho Economic Development and Recreation Act (CIEDRA) on the first day of Congress.

With Democrats in control the prospects for the passage of the bill written by  Simpson have increased as well as the possibility of making the legislation less damaging.

While the media often call it a “Wilderness bill” because it designates 318,765 acres in the Boulder Mountains and White Cloud Mountains as Wilderness, there are other aspects of the bill that many see as problems. We need to see the actual text of the bill to see if any of these have been removed.

Norm Bishop on wolves and the northern range elk population-

Bishop, below responded to Montana State Sen. Joe Balyeat who has proposed legislation cut off relations between Montana and the federal government on wolves.
– – – – – –
Sen. Joe Balyeat [Bozeman Chronicle Dec. 30] proposes legislation to sever Montana’s ties with federal agencies on wolf management. He fears that allowing the wolf population to keep growing will doom the northern Yellowstone elk population, and elk throughout the state (where elk populations are 14% over goal).

Montana wolves increased to 394 in 2007, but the mid-year 2008 estimate is down 9%, to 360. Northern Yellowstone’s wolf population is down 21% 35% from 81 in 2007 to 64 53 in 2008. As the density of wolves increased in past years, interpack killing joined disease as a limiting factor.

Sen. Balyeat’s rationale for his bill appears to be based on a one-time count he made of the ratio of calves to cows of the northern Yellowstone elk herd. From dozens of peer-reviewed journal articles on the effects of restored gray wolves on their prey in Yellowstone, we can pick two to enlighten us on these complex issues.

Vucetich et.al. (2005. Influence of harvest, climate, and wolf predation on Yellowstone elk 1961-2004. OIKOS 111:259-270) studied the contribution of wolf predation in a decline of elk from 17,000 to 8,000. They built and assessed models based on elk-related data prior to wolf reintroduction (1961-1995), and used them to predict how the elk population might have fared from 1995 to 2004 had wolves not been restored. Climate and hunter harvest explained most of the elk decline. From 1995 to 2004 wolves killed mostly elk that would have died from other causes.

Wright et al. (2006. Selection of Northern Yellowstone Elk by Gray Wolves and Hunters JWM 70(4):1070-1078), documented that hunting exerted a greater total reproductive impact on the herd than wolf predation. The article’s authors were university, federal, and state wildlife biologists working cooperatively. No legislation is needed to improve on that.

Norman A. Bishop
Bozeman, MT

Note: Bishop was a leader and supporter of wolf restoration interpretation in Yellowstone.
He has received numerous awards for his Park Service work with wolves. Among other
organizations, he is a director of the Wolf Recovery Foundation.

Bush midnight regulations charted by ProPublica

Here is the whole dirty list-

Midnight Regulations. By Joaquin Sapien and Jesse Nankin, ProPublica .

This is depressisng to see, but they have to be dealth with.

Shedding limbs – U.S. Forest Service morale sinks to a new low

From Writers on the Range-

The essay is by By Laura Paskus.

The Trust for Public Land. 2008 achievements.

62,000 acres of land in 32 states-

Actually that’s not a very large acreage, but the acres were generally quite exceptional.

What the land trusts are doing is mostly quite beneficial, but what we need from Obama is a large government land acquisition program for wildlife habitat and other conservation purposes. Non-profits are going to have less money with the bad economy (although they may be able to pick up important remote parcels for which the developers had ugly plans).

The Trust for Public Land’s 2008 Parks and Conservation Achievements. News release.

The bulk of the national wildlife refuge system in the lower 48 states came from purchases, donations (often from distressed county governments) during the Great Depression.

A Monumental Decision George W. Bush becomes the conservation president, at least at sea

“The Conservation President?” That’s a joke, but he did do one good last-minute thing-

A Monumental Decision. George W. Bush becomes the conservation president, at least at sea. Washington Post editorial.

Bush has declared about 333,000 square miles of ocean, including scattered rocks and islets to be national monuments. This is an important innovation, especially because the world’s oceans are in rapid decline. It’s not clear how these will be managed to protect them.

– – – – – –

The story: Bush to create huge ocean sanctuary in Pacific. Grist Magazine.