This is big news for all who float or boat the main fork of the Salmon River below the Corn Creek put-in. I’d like to know more about what caused this blowout on April 1.
White water created on Salmon River by blowout. By Eric Barker. The Lewiston Tribune as reported in the Idaho Statesman.
Around Christmas, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced that the administration would be pursuing a BLM Wild Lands initiative, vague direction to BLM to inventory lands which exhibit wilderness characteristics for future Congressional Wilderness designation consideration.
It was a brief respite from Obama’s anti-environment Interior Department. Now that relief is being defunded, more anti-environment funding cuts carried by the budget bill:
Budget deal stops BLM Wild Lands inventory – Idaho Statesman
The budget deal prohibits the Obama administration from spending federal funds on its proposed Wild Lands initiative.
Idaho Republican Rep. Mike Simpson authored the provision to stop the Bureau of Land Management from carrying out its inventory of public lands with wilderness characteristics.
Will the proposed budget cut funds to administer environmentally destructive subsidized uses of publics lands like welfare ranching ?
The Eagle Cap Wilderness in the Wallowa Mountains is large and rugged. It’s in extreme NE Oregon near Washington and Idaho. This herd of 25 bison is of unknown origin. What a happy discovery!
The Eagle Cap Wilderness, the nearby Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness and areas in Oregon’s Blue Mountains are also where the state’s wolves live.
Wild herd of bison roams base of Wallowa Mountains in Oregon. Richard Cockle. The Oregonian
One of my photos of the Eagle Cap Wilderness.
Clement “Butch” Otter has always made his way catering to most backward power groups in his unequal, economically poor, but wilderness rich state. The poorly paid teachers, educationally deprived students, overflowing prisons, and dispirited population are fine by him, but he has never liked wild backcountry, and especially designated Wilderness, and there is a lot of it in Idaho. Some of it was protected by Act of Congress during Idaho’s brief green period, 1969-1980. The rest has been protected by rugged topography and dedicated Idahoans and their allies who have fought long odds ever since.
Otter recently shared his ignorance about Idaho’s Wilderness with a committee in the new Tea Party U. S. House of Representatives. Rocky Barker has a good article on his testimony before the House Natural Resources Committee in today’s Idaho Statesman.
Idaho Gov. Butch Otter’s wilderness math doesn’t add up. “In a fight against more wilderness, Otter may have vastly underestimated the economic impact of what the state already has.” By Rocky Barker. rbarker@idahostatesman.com. Idaho Statesman
Judge upholds ban on motorized travel in Badger-Two Med. By Karl Puckett. Great Falls Tribune Staff Writer.
I’ve only been there twice, and just into it a little way. My impression is that it isn’t quite as rugged as the country to the north (Glacier N.P.) and the Great Bear and Bob Marshall Wildernesses to the south. It is very much full of wildlife.
The oil and gas industry has lusted after it for a long time. It has religious significance to the Blackfeet Nation (an issue in this failed lawsuit).
Simpson takes another shot at CIEDRA
By KATHERINE WUTZ – Idaho Mountain Express
When I heard about the Interior Department’s decision to reverse the changes that the Bush Administration made to the policy on wild lands protection I was pleased. However, I remain skeptical at how the policy will be implemented by the current bunch running BLM who I don’t really trust. There is no doubt, however, how Idaho Governor Butch Otter feels about it.
The new policy reverses what the Bush Administration changed and allows the BLM inventory its lands to determine whether they meet the criteria for wilderness. The BLM would then go through a public process whereby lands could be designated as “wild lands”.
For Butch, and his buddies, complete domination over the landscape is not enough. It is unacceptable that anyone, other than the chosen few who maintain control, have any say in how the public’s landscapes are managed. It seems as if their motto is “one cow, one vote”.
Kevin Richert: This year’s fight with the feds: Otter vs. BLM.
Kevin Richert – Idaho Statesman
Back to the issue of construction of wildlife facilities in designated Wilderness areas, although there are many more issues here than the one before the court. One must not lose sight of that.
US Court of Appeals: US wrongly put water tanks in Kofa National Wildlife Refuge. Tony Davis. Arizona Daily Star.
Every year the U.S. Congress’ procedure becomes more and more unglued. The reason for this is mostly partisan gridlock. So few freestanding bills (called regular order) are allowed by the opposition to pass or fail on a straight vote that extraordinary measures are now being taken if there is to be any action at all, even on necessary bills.
This year is ending up worse than ever. This is no comment on the merits of Senators Tester’s wilderness/jobs bill. We have discussed that earlier. That bill, however, largely thought to be dead, has been added to the Senate’s omnibus appropriations bill, and could become law with no direct vote ever having been taken on it.
The way the process is emerging is that almost all legislation for a year will come up in one giant bill that contains every other bill that has somehow found its way through the new, arcane process. The only votes that can be said to count will mostly be those on the giant measure. What is in the giant bill will be for everyone to discover after the Congress is over, not before the legislation is passed!
Montana wilderness, jobs bill added to Senate appropriations bill. By Rob Chaney Missoulian.
Oil Sands Effort Turns on a Fight Over a Road. By Tom Zelller. New York Times.
I wish the NYT had also exposed the sellout to the oil companies by the states’ politicians.
The Missoulian reports that a subsidiary of the national oil company of Korea now wants to use scenic U.S. Highway 12 through north central Idaho and over Lolo Pass to transport numerous giant oil (tar sands) equipment to Alberta.
Despite worthless assurances about this kind of activity being a one time thing, it’s plainly obvious that as predicted the oil companies mean to make the highway along this asphalt ribbon through the wilderness an equipment hauling route.
This will slowly ruin the lives to downstream residents who have to endure these highway blockages, disrupt traffic into Montana, harm the Lochsa, and Middle Fork of the Clearwater River, and make recreational and timber cutting access into the surrounding mountains slow and difficult by requiring long alternative routes.
Third oil company looks to bring big rigs over U.S. Highway 12. By Kim Briggeman of the Missoulian.
The Lochsa River. North Central Idaho. Copyright Ralph Maughan
While Highway 12 through Idaho is just a 2-line highway, its improvement over the years (a gravel road until the 1960s) has long disrupted the lives of people. In the past it was Montana. A number of abandoned Eastern Montana towns came to their end as transport of their grain changed from the railroads to trucks going in the opposite direction down Highway 12.
Western Watersheds Project wins a great legal victory for wilderness and endangered fish.~ Jon Marvel On July 30th, 2010 Idaho Chief District Judge B. Lynn Winmill issued an Order in Western Watersheds Project‘s favor overturning a Bureau of Land Management decision to build fencing within the Burnt Creek Wilderness Study Area (WSA) on the Burnt Creek Allotment in central Idaho’s Pahsimeroi River Watershed. Read the rest of this entry » |
Well we have certainly seen this model many times in recent years. This wet, area of little known mountains (little known nationally) up against the Idaho/B.C. border is very important wildlife habitat.
Proposal for Colville [WA state] National Forest a collaborative effort. Spokesman-Review. By Becky Kramer.
The Buffalo Gap National Grassland of South Dakota doesn’t have buffalo any more but it certainly has a handful of ranchers with a strong sense of entitlement. They are worrying that wilderness designation will “steal” control that they seem to believe they should have over these publicly owned lands. Amazingly, the new wilderness designation leaves their control in place and allows them to continue grazing.
In the article ranchers bring up the tired old argument that Easterners are telling them what to do with “their” land but it’s not their land and the idea to designate it as wilderness, as the article points out, came from people who live there too.
“These outsiders from New York and New Jersey are telling us what to do, all these special interests,” Hermosa rancher Denise Baker said. “They’ll get the designation, pat themselves on the back and leave. And us? We’re stuck with it.”
Rocky Barker has an important column on this many-years-in-the-making-“wilderness” bill.
Simpson addresses Otter’s concerns about wilderness bill. Letters from the West. Idaho Statesman. By Rocky Barker.
It looks to be that Rep. Simpson mostly just reassures the governor and promises him no changes in the language of the bill. After all Otter will not support a Wilderness bill anyway, regardless. The important people who have to go along are Idaho Senators Crapo and Risch and national conservation groups, especially the Sierra Club, who can probably have the bill killed if funny language shows up.
Below a prominent Idaho Statesman political columnist weighs in to Otter’s sorry move. Considering Otter’s last minute actions to turn once supportive congressional Republicans against this fairly good and delicately balanced bill, I am reminded of Otter’s position on wolves. We can certainty trace the change from partial compromise on the Idaho wolf issue to one of nasty divisiveness to one man — Butch Otter. Thinking of all the other non-outdoor related things he has done, I think he’s Idaho worst governor, even including legendary “dumb” Don Samuelson back in the day.
Kevin Richert: Otter writes his sorry wilderness legacy. By Kevin Richert. Idaho Statesman.
The Central Idaho Economic Development and Recreation Act (CEIDRA), the bill which would create a Boulder-White Clouds Wilderness, had its hearing yesterday in the U.S. Senate. There are some good and bad things about the bill but the land swaps to Custer County, except for very small exchanges, have been removed.
Additions by Ralph Maughan. This bill seemed to be well under way to passage, shepherded by Idaho Republicans. Now it sounds to me they are looking for a excuse to kill it.
Boulder-White Clouds bill still needs work, Idaho lawmakers tell Senate panel.
BY LAUREN FRENCH – MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS
Update. Risch: Wouldn’t bet on Idaho wilderness in 2010. AP
For those who haven’t followed this closely, efforts to protect the area as Wilderness have been underway for over 30 years. The bill before the Senate Committee was essentially written by Idaho’s Republican Representative Mike Simpson. Since Governor Butch Otter says he opposes the bill even if his suggestions for changes are adopted and “now Simpson now says addressing Otter’s concerns is his top priority,” it sounds like Simpson may be abandoning his bill.
This bill was developed by the much hailed “collaborative process” championed by Simpson and Idaho senator Mike Crapo. I have always been skeptical of such a process because it takes so long and requires everyone’s agreement. If the bill is taken back now for more collaboration, there will never be a bill.
It is also notable that Otter’s objections are largely related to already existing Wilderness areas, not the Boulder-White Clouds area itself. The off-road vehicle people quoted opposing the bill have always opposed any bill at all.
June 19. See the latest post in this forum. Butch Otter . . . a sorry piece
The USFS won’t allow Idaho Public Television to film in the Wilderness of Idaho because they claim that they are a commercial operation but the station is funded and operated by the State of Idaho.
It kind of puts the helicopter darting of wolves into perspective doesn’t it? FYI, that issue is still being litigated in Federal Court.
Gov. Otter takes on feds over wilderness filming.
John Miller – Associated Press
Wilderness bill revised, reintroduced. Controversial land transfers near Stanley dropped. By Jason Kauffman. Idaho Mountain Express Staff Writer
~~
Although Representative Simpson (R-Idaho) has not introduced his CIERDA bill this year in the House, Idaho’s two U.S. Senators yesterday introduced it in the Senate. If it moves, it will probably get attached to omnibus or other legislative and sort of by-pass the House.
This year’s version, which I have not reviewed, strips out some controversial public land giveaways at Stanley, Idaho.
Unlike Senator Tester’s Wilderness bill in Montana, the Idaho bill provides a mechanism and incentives for the voluntary retirements of grazing allotments.
Story: Rep. Simpson’s Boulder-White Cloud bill is introduced in the US Senate. By John Miller. AP
Blanch Lake and Sundial Peak. Twin Peaks Wilderness. Wasatch Front. Copyright Ralph Maughan
A pretty fair portion of the rugged divides between the major Wasatch Mountain canyons at Salt Lake City are already protected as Wilderness. Rep. Matheson proposes to add to the Mount Olympus, Twin Peaks and Lone Peak wilderness and establish a new Wilderness near between Parley’s and Mill Creek Canyon — Wayne Owens Grandeur Peak-Mount Aire Wilderness.
Utah has poor senators on Wilderness issues, making Senate passage a problem. In addition Senator Bennett is being challenged by a far rightist who doesn’t seem to believe there should be public lands.
[Representative] Matheson to introduce wilderness legislation. By Patty Henetz. The Salt Lake Tribune
Personally, I always loved hiking the rugged Wasatch and like seeing them conserved from development.
After the lawsuit and all the expense and danger of darting wolves from the air to collar them in the rugged Frank Church Wilderness, the results are in. After risk to life and limb, instead of 12 wolves the department got only 4 collared. This is apparently the same number of collared wolves as were shot in the recent and still on-going Idaho wolf hunt (although the Frank Church area had its wolf quota met and has been closed to hunting for the season).
If I was an employee of the department I would be outraged that the state’s politicians in the legislature, Fish and Game Commission and department had me risk my life for this kind of bullshit.
I had heard most of this a couple days ago, but didn’t know the info had been released. Today Rocky Barker put the info on his blog, “It took biologists 12 helicopter landings to collar four wolves in wilderness.” Letters from the West. By Rocky Barker.
Here is the final outcome of the trial we posted about — the one on the Georgia father and son who left a dying horse and abused others in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness.
Ravalli County jury finds Georgia men guilty of abusing horses on wilderness trip. Missoulian.
They were convicted.
Vets, ranger, backpacker testify horses in Bitterroot abuse case were in bad shape. By Perry Backus. Ravalli Republic (as published in the Missoulian)
Ohh . . . . here’s more on this. Georgia men back in court appealing Ravalli County horse abuse sentence. By Perry Backus. Ravalli Republic (republished in the Missoulian)
It’s a high bar to get a judge to rule against an agency that claims expertise and say “this is ridiculous.” That is my first take.
I think, the U.S. Forest Service needs to be told to revise their general regulations for Wilderness Areas. The last revision was a Bush update giving more leeway for machines for this kind of thing.
helicopters-wilderness-court-order
The judge did warn the Forest Service to make sure Idaho Fish and Game does not run amuck.
“The Forest Service must proceed very cautiously here because the law is not on their side if they intend to proceed with further helicopter projects in the Frank Church Wilderness. The Court is free to examine the cumulative impacts of the projects, and the context of the use. Given that this project is allowed to proceed, the next project will be extraordinarily difficult to justify.”
Chief District Judge B. Lynn Winmill is set to hear oral arguments on the Frank Church Wilderness/Helicopter Landing litigation this afternoon. The “Wilderness Wolf Watchers” Coalition seeks an Injunction/Temporary Restraining Order preventing the landing of helicopters in the Frank Church Wilderness before they take place, while the merits of the case are considered.
The Idaho Department of Fish & Game and the US Forest Service each filed briefs against the Wilderness Wolf Watcher coalition’s request :
Among their arguments, the government belittles several advocates’ declarations describing their trips to the Frank this winter and their potential for their wilderness experience to be harmed by the helicopter incursion.
Laurie Rule, Wilderness/Wolf advocates’ esteemed attorney, replied to the governments’ argument with this excellent brief :
Earlier ↓
As folks probably know, the Montana Wilderness Association supports Senator Tester’s Jobs and Recreation Act of 2009, which establishes new designated Wilderness areas in Montana, mandates acreages of timber to be logged (not volumes of it), and misc. provisions.
It seems there is a split by many former officers and council members with the current organization. I was emailed their statement.
– – – – –
WILDERNESS LOST
We, the undersigned former council members and officers of the Montana Wilderness Association, respectfully urge Senator Tester to modify the Forest Jobs and Recreation Act of 2009 to rectify the problems outlined by the Undersecretary of Agriculture as well as the Last Best Chance Wildlands Campaign. We cannot support the legislation as now written. We diverge from MWA here because we believe that the bill degrades both the quantity and quality of some of America’s most cherished wildlands in Montana. We encourage consideration of the issues we have outlined below that would be necessary in order for us to support it.
We endorse the 10-point position paper, Keeping It Wild! In Defense of America’s Public Wildlands, which has been submitted by the Last Best Place Wildlands Campaign, available at: http://testerloggingbilltruths.wordpress.com/.
The bill legislates the net loss of hundreds of thousands of roadless area acres, including S-393 Wilderness Study Areas designated in 1977 by the late Senator Lee Metcalf. This will create widespread environmental damage and the loss of an irreplaceable legacy for which future generations will, quite correctly, hold ours accountable. Also, the bills’ Congressional mandate for timber cut levels sets a dangerous precedent. Resulting below-cost timber sales will cost taxpayers over $100 million. And proposed new Wilderness Areas are medium, often disjointed, primarily “rock and ice” parcels that would fail to protect fragile wildland and wildlife ecosystems and corridors.
To make matters worse, the bill includes special provisions for new “Wilderness” units that defy both the intent and letter of the Wilderness Act, and the spirit of Wilderness that so many Americans believe is a vital and wondrous part of this great nation’s heritage. Motor Vehicles, including helicopters, simply have no place in designated Wilderness. Yes, we need more Wilderness – lots of it – but we want it to be real Wilderness!
The bill also codifies secretive negotiated agreements – such as the Beaverhead-Deerlodge – that excluded many individuals and groups who’ve long been involved in the public process. This, and similar agreements, have been sealed by MWA and others over the objections of excluded organizations and individuals, of whom most live and work close to the land and know the compromised areas intimately.
It is with a heavy heart that we are compelled to oppose the organization that we once served as Council members and officers. Most of Montana’s undeveloped wilds are long gone, and we cannot afford to lose big chunks of what remains. We believe that in recent years, the Montana Wilderness Association [MWA] has clearly compromised its long-held wildland protection mission and vigilant advocacy. We know many current and former MWA members who agree. In fact, many conservationists in the region are convinced that, quite simply, MWA has lost its way. We are among those people.
In summary, this bill will irreparably damage Montana’s dwindling public wildland legacy. It will salt the gaping social wounds created by MWA’s recent actions. It degrades the Wilderness Act of 1964 with provisions that damage both Wilderness and the Wilderness Idea. And it’s a bad deal for future generations of Montanans who will need wild country more than ever in an increasingly crowded and uncertain future.
Lou Bruno (past president) – East Glacier
Joan Montagne (past president) – Bozeman
Elaine Snyder (past president) – Kalispell
Loren Kreck (past vice-president) – Columbia Falls
Larry Campbell – Darby
Susan Colvin – Great Falls
Paul Edwards – Helena
Randall Gloege – Billings
Keith Hammer – Kalispell
Steve Kelly – Bozeman
Bob Oset – Hamilton
Paul Richards – Boulder
Ross Titus – Big Fork
George Wuerthner – Helena
Janet Zimmerman – Pony
Lance Olsen – Missoula
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Larry Campbell, 406-821-3110, lcampbell@bitterroot.net
Well what a cause for celebration this is! I can remember I was just starting to explore the wild country as a young man back in 1974 when Sage Creek Coal proposed a big coal mine on Cabin Creek, a tributary to the North Fork of the Flathead. In 2008 I was standing in this incredible place and pondering how awful the giant coal pit and adjacent coalbed methane wells would be. I never suspected the B.C. government would side with conservation on this.
B.C’s ban on industrial development in N. Fork Flathead ends a 36-year international struggle. By Michael Jamison. Missoulian.
This is an opinion in the Billings Gazette by Stewart Brandborg who was executive director of the Wilderness Society when the Wilderness Act became law.
– – – – –
My take on Tester’s bill is that is very much the stuff ex-Idaho senator Larry Craig was always pushing — mandated levels of logging completely unrelated to the conditions of the market. One big difference in favor of Tester is he does designate some Wilderness.
Craig simply pushed artificial levels of logging. I used to call them Craig’s Soviet forestry because of their similarity to the way production goals were set in the former Communist Soviet Union.
Brandborg fills out the whole rooster of violations of past law and public oversight embodied in the Tester Bill.
Guest opinion: Tester logging bill proposes a calamitous precedent. By Stewart M. Brandborg. Billings Gazette.|
More recent opinion on Tester bill.
USFS Retiree [Bill Worf] on Tester Bill: Gutting the USFS is not the Solution. Unfiltered in New West. By Matthew Koehler,
I want to reiterate that the part of the lawsuit applying to the Frank Church Wilderness and the chasing, darting, and landing there to radio collar wolves, is not primarily a wolf issue. It is a Wilderness integrity issue. I would be equally irritating if they were doing this to capture elk, wolverine, bears, . . . whatever.
– – – – – –
Wilderness wolf lawsuit attracts wide environmental base. By Rocky Barker. Idaho Statesman.
As Rocky explains, I think the declaration by Dr. Jim Peak gives a crushing blow to Idaho Fish and Game’s argument that this is necessary wildlife management. Here is Dr. Peek’s declaration. Critical reading!
Now I think it is a number one priority to kill this awful bill. We don’t need more cattle stomped “wilderness areas” because they aren’t really wilderness.
Tester Makes Some Changes to Wilderness Bill, Refuses Others. “In response to feedback, Sen. Tester aims to make changes that improve his bill, and its chance of passage.” New West. By Amy Linn, 2-05-10
On Patrol Ridge. Frank Church Wilderness. Salmon River Mtns © Ralph Maughan
The Wolf Recovery Foundation and Western Watersheds Project recently filed suit to end the Idaho Department of Fish & Game’s (IDF&G) attempt to use helicopters to chase, capture, and collar wolves in the Frank Church-River-Of-No-Return Wilderness. The suit also seeks to shut down Wildlife Service’s wolf killing operations in the state of Idaho, and halt grazing in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area as it conflicts with wildlife, particularly predators including wolves.
More groups sue over wilderness helicopter use – AP
Now, a number of additional conservation groups are jumping on to challenge the Frank Church/wolf/helicopter-landing part of the lawsuit including:
Great Old Broads for Wilderness
Winter Wildlands Alliance
Wilderness Watch
Idaho Conservation League
The Wilderness Society
I hope you’ll take a look at the motion and brief filed yesterday :
Read the Opening Injuction Brief
Read the Injunction Motion
Should the IDF&G be allowed to harass, land, and collar wolves with helicopters, many prominent conservationists’ wilderness/wildlife-watching experiences will be harmed as they plan to recreate and take solitude within the lower 48-state’s largest Wilderness area this coming season.
I hope you’ll take the time to read the declarations of former wolf & Wilderness managers, Wolf Recovery Foundation & WWP board, staff, and members whose powerful experiences with wolves and the Frank Church wilderness is an inspiration: Read the rest of this entry »
Friends,
On December 31, 2009 Western Watersheds Project and the Wolf Recovery Foundation welcomed the New Year by filing litigation in federal court challenging the federal government’s mismanagement of public lands and wolves in Central Idaho.
Read the Associated Press article :
Groups Sue to End Idaho wilderness copter landings – John Miller, AP 1/06/10
Sawtooth Mountains - Sawtooth National Recreation Area © Lynne Stone
This important litigation aims to protect Idaho wolves by asking a federal court to halt mismanagement in three key ways :
What could more opposite, animals and people roaming freely in the great outdoors; or struggling through rough country under the never sleeping watch of souless technology, subject to summary execution from the air on the order of distant bureaucrats?
That’s what is a stake in the Forest Service approval of radio collaring wolves in the lower 48 states’ largest Wilderness area. Does anyone think this will stop with wolves and other animals, or with the Frank Church Wilderness?
The photo shows a small part of the 2.4 million acres of the Frank Church/River of No Return Wilderness. Is this to be a killing zone and a place of government watching?
Photo by Lee Mercer.
Wow, this fellow knows what he is talking about. Ralph Maughan
– – – – – – – – – –
January 2, 2010
Dear Mr. Tidwell Chief, U. S. Forest Service
I am a retired USFS forest planner from the Nez Perce National Forest in Idaho. I have a masters degree in forestry from Oregon State University. While still employed by the USFS I knew that in order to do my job effectively and efficiently, I must learn to quote several of the environmental laws of the United States from memory. This included the Wilderness Act of 1964.
I’ll try to make this comment letter short. I could write pages on this illegal action.
We have covered this battle before. Dec. 13, 2009. Idaho Senators try to pressure Tester to remove an area from his “wilderness bill”
Photo of Mt. Jefferson from the Montana side. It is the highest mountain in the Centennial Range. Photo of Lilian Lake at the top of Hellroaring Creek.
Mount Jefferson access rises to forefront of forest bill controversy. By Ben Pierce. Bozeman Chronicle “Out There” Editor
From the standpoint of wildlife, the Centennial Mountains have long been know for terrific elk hunting. They are also a key corridor of wildlife migration from the Greater Yellowstone area to central Idaho. The biggest problem is the Sheep Experiment Station, but very high snowmobile use causes damage too. See photo of how busy it is at high elevation.
Well they finally issued it. People I talk with are really stirred up about this. It is not a wolf thing. It is the integrity of Wilderness. The Forest Service needs to have their hat handed to them on this one. We need to kick their sorry ass. RM
USDA Forest Service. Intermountain Region. Payette and Salmon-Challis National Forests. Idaho, Custer, Lemhi and Valley Counties, State of Idaho. Various locations in the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness
Rocky had a story on it yesterday in his blog. State biologists may soon dart wolves from helicopters in Frank. Rocky Barker.
Tester’s Forest Jobs and Recreation Act Gets First Hearing. By Courtney Lowery. New West.
Here is the video of the full hearing.
Even though 90% of the comments received were opposed to Idaho Fish Game’s plan to violate the Wilderness Act because they want a better count of the number of wolves in the Frank Church Wilderness, this week the Forest Service told interested parties they were approving the request.
In 2006 Idaho Fish and Game was fended off, but this year they were back again claiming they needed to use high tech methods to count wolves in Wilderness. Because they have promised to maintain a population of 500 wolves in Idaho, well above the 100 required by the wolf restoration plan, their plan for unnecessarily exact counting is hard to understand. It makes folks very suspicious about their motives. Worse this is a threat to the entire American Wilderness System on behalf of a one-state interest.
The purpose of the Wilderness System is to maintain wildness. Having high tech monitoring of the individual animals located by flying low, darting, and landing in this supposedly forever protected land is an abomination.
The Forest Service is advancing this plan by means of an non-appealable “categorical exclusion.” That type of document is for public land matters so unimportant that an environmental analysis is not needed. The only remedy is to go immediately to court. The whole thing is a fraud. If it is so unimportant why did they fly up from Ogden, Utah to tell people their intentions?
The radio collaring is expected to begin in March.
Update added late on 12-17. Will helicopters land in Church wilderness? State seeking Forest Service approval to help collar wolves. By Jon Duval. Idaho Mountain Express Staff Writer
– – – –
Past stories on this.
Dec. 16. Scott Phillip’s LTE. No helicopters in wilderness. Idaho Mountain Express.
October, 2, 2009. Idaho again wants to land choppers in wilderness. By John Miller. AP
Sept. 18, 2009. Idaho Department of Fish & Game Moves to Collar Wolves in the Frank-Church Wilderness. By Brian Ertz
August 2006. Captive Wilderness. Discover Magazine.
 | william huard on Coyotes nail dog during Colora… |
 | Ryan on Coyotes nail dog during Colora… |
| william huard on Coyotes nail dog during Colora… |
 | WM on Megaloads video: Giant rig opp… |
| Ryan on Coyotes nail dog during Colora… |
 | jdubya on Megaloads video: Giant rig opp… |
 | JEFF E on Have you come across any inter… |
 | JB on Republican’s Climate Solution:… |
| william huard on Have you come across any inter… |
 | Peter Kiermeir on Have you come across any inter… |
Buffalo Field Campaign Blog Demarcated Landscapes
The Wildlife News 