Vilsack Takes Over Roadless Rule

Obama begins to put his imprint on the much litigated “roadless rule”-

Bill Schneider at New West has followed the long battle of what was originally Bill Clinton’s roadless rule for the national forests.  Today the Obama Administration made its first move.

Schneider tells the story in New West.

Vilsack Takes Over Roadless Rule.

“After hearing conservation group recommendations, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has decided to take over authority to approve any development in national forest roadless areas, taking this decision away from district rangers and forest supervisors, where local politics often has a big impact.”

Update . . . more. This article from the New York Times. One-year delay on roadless rule for federal lands expected. By Noelle Straub and Eric Bontrager.

Obama Touts Energy Progress He Calls Projects In Nevada, “Models”

The President visited projects done the right way-

These projects were near a load center and built on degraded land. I wonder if he thinks this is the way most Nevada projects will be, or whether he simply did a cynical PR ploy?

Obama said. “We’ll invest in the development and deployment of solar technology wherever it can thrive, and we’ll find the best ways to integrate solar power into our electric grid.”

I guess this means it our patriotic duty to make sure solar technology cannot thrive in the wrong kind of places — remote, scenic and biologically important areas, far from load centers.

Obama Touts Energy Progress. He Calls Projects In Nevada, Models. By William Branigin. Washington Post Staff Writer

Wyoming moose numbers are far below Game and Fish objective

Deer and bighorn are down too. Pronghorn and elk doing well-

Moose © Ken Cole

Recently we ran the story how well Wyoming’s supposedly beleaguered elk population was doing. Every herd in the state was above Fish and Game objectives.

It’s a different story for moose, which are only at 44% of objective. We ran a story how the moose were starving and suffering from climate change in NW Wyoming. Bighorn would do better if some domestic sheep allotments on public land were closed.

State moose numbers fall short of target. Mule deer count is also below goals, but antelope are going strong, Game and Fish survey shows. By Angus M. Thuermer Jr. Jackson Hole News and Guide.

Conservation groups not satisfied with new critical habitat boundaries for lynx

Sierra Club and others file lawsuit-

The recent designation of more critical habitat for the recovery of the lynx was another response to Julie MacDonald’s political meddling during the Bush Administration.

The major remaining point of contention is the desired addition of Colorado where a state-funded lynx restoration project that brought lynx in from Canada, began with big success, but has since faded out due to increasingly poor reproduction.

Lynx critical habitat challenged in court. By Susan Gallagher. Associated Press Writer