Animals: Bigger Not Necessarily Better, When It Comes to Brains

Tiny insects could be as intelligent as much bigger animals-

This finding really amazed me, but we certainly see it in some birds like ravens and crows. They are no “birdbrains.”

Bigger Not Necessarily Better, When It Comes to Brains. ScienceDaily

Islam Siddiqui, Obama Nominee, Under Fire From Environmentalists

Friend of pesticides and hormones for livestock nominated to be Chief Agriculture Negotiator-

He even criticized Michelle Obama’s organic garden, but still got the nod.  And the Republicans say Obama is some kind of anti-corporate socialist!

Islam Siddiqui, Obama Nominee, Under Fire From Environmentalists. The Huffington Post. Jenna Staul

Questions for a Trade Official. New York Times editorial saying this is a bad nomination.

Obama represents big business first and foremost. Orange County Populist Examiner. By Joe Sabet

One more trophy moose poached in Montana

Poaching was on the Rocky Mountain Front west of Choteau-

Wardens seek poacher who killed moose on Front. Great Falls Tribune.

New Study Finds that Mountain lions prey selectively on prion-infected mule deer

Could predation slow the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease?

A study conducted in Colorado, where chronic wasting disease (CWD) has become widespread among deer and elk, indicates that mountain lions prey selectively on infected individuals over healthy deer. I think that healthy populations of large carnivores like wolves and mountain lions could help slow the spread of this disease which has been found in a moose near Wyoming’s petri dish elk feed grounds. It has been shown that chronic wasting disease can bind to the soils and infect an area indefinitely exposing generations of cervids to this protein virus or prion.

It is possible that CWD has already infected Wyoming’s feed grounds since it may go unnoticed. Testing for CWD is usually done on brain tissue obtained from deer and elk that have been killed by hunters.

Mountain lions prey selectively on prion-infected mule deer
Biology Letters
Caroline E. Krumm, Mary M. Conner, N. Thompson Hobbs, Don O. Hunter and Michael W. Miller

Idaho to pay to settle lawsuit on who can bid for grazing leases

Lawsuit’s aftermath forces Idaho’s Land Board set rules allowing conservationists to lease state grazing lands-

The Western Watersheds Project was born when Jon Marvel outbid a rancher at a state grazing lease auction, and the Land Board gave the lease to the rancher anyway*. Finally, Idaho’s Land Board is apparently going to let other interests compete for grazing leases on the state’s school endowment lands. This is a victory for Idaho’s school children, wildlife. It is also a victory for the Idaho and U. S Constitution, that we are equal under the law . . .  a well deserved slap at Idaho’s livestock nobility.

Idaho to pay $50K to settle grazing lease lawsuit. By John Miller. Associated Press Writer.

I met the winner of lawsuit, Gordon Younger, one time. He is a self-made millionaire, orginally from Washington State. He speaks very directly and is not impressed by Idaho’s livestock nobility. Younger’s attorney was Laird Lucas, executive director of Advocates for the West.

This is great! 🙂

Update. Here are the opinions. The first was March 2007.It was a decision by US Magistrate Judge Mikal Williams, which upheld the validity of the equal protection claims under federal civil rights law.
The second is by US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which affirmed Judge Williams and held further that the individual state officials could be personally liable because their discrimination against conservationists violated clearly established law. The Ninth Circuit decision is reported as Lazy Y Ranch v. Behrens, 546 F.3d 580 (9th Cir. 2008). I couldn’t get an electronic copy of the published version, but have the slip opinion.
Lazy Y March 07 dismiss order
Lazy Y Ninth Circuit opinion

– – – –

*Actually Marvel didn’t strictly outbid the rancher. The rancher refused to bid at all. Nevertheless, he was given the grazing lease. Reading about this blatant unfairness, my spouse and I immediately joined Marvel’s  nascent Idaho Watersheds Project.

Utah governor to go slow in negotiating agreement with Nevada to dewater Snake Valley

Nevada court decision against Southern Nevada Water Authority cautions Utah’s new governor-

Herbert agrees to ‘go slow’ on Snake Valley water deal. In the meantime, Nevada courts are sorting out an in-state conflict. By Patty Henetz. The Salt Lake Tribune

A danger is that Harry Reid will use the US Senate to help Nevada developers steal the water.