Have you run across any interesting news? Feb. 4 – 11

If so, post the URL, name of the story and the newspaper, magazine, etc. it comes from and a few of your thoughts-

This idea came from Ron Kearns. Others thought it might be a good idea. It  may be a way to avoid the pitfalls of an open forum. Let’s try it.

Note that this post is no longer a “sticky post.” That means it will drift downward as new posts appear, gradually dropping to the “old posts” category.  What I’d like to do is put up a new “interesting news from readers post” every week.  If there are any comments about this please make them. webmaster

– – – – –

Some thoughts.

You can also write an essay.

Don’t post the actual text of an article (probably copyright violation)

Read the comments above yours. Some might have already posted the story

79 thoughts on “Have you run across any interesting news? Feb. 4 – 11

  1. Okay – tell me if this is the way you want it done.

    Billings Gazette today (2/4/10). “Researchers suggesting a new use for wolves. Predators could control deer, elk where hunting isn’t permitted.” billingsgazette.com.

  2. I have read on another photgraphers web page that members of the Druid pack in Yellowstone are dying from the mange infestation and that a collared member of the pack was recently found dead under a building at the Buffalo Ranch. Someone who knows how to get accurate park info should check it out.

  3. Virginia, that is an interesting article. I am not so sure I am fond of the idea of controlling wolves like they said though. It’s bad enough bison are that way. I would think that the areas around Rocky Mountain National Park could sustain some wolves, even though the likelihood of livestock conflict is high.

  4. This past week Yellowstone NP has opened up for comments on winter use in the park. Recently there was a decrease in oversnow travel limits for the next two winters while this issue is addressed, once again. A big concern for the general public is that only those who can ~$150/person/day can go in to enjoy the park during winter, unless you are near the north entrance and can only go to Lamar Valley area between Mammoth Hot Springs and Cooke City. The rest of the park is only open to oversnow travel at the price noted above.

    Ther is a masive decline in business activity for the gate communities and the only businesses that have any business to speak of are the (less than a dozen) permitees who facilitate oversnow travel.

    Many, including some park officials, have been pushing for the park to just plow the road during the winter. Such a plan includes plowing from the west gate to Madison jct; Madison jct. to Old Faithful and to Mammoth HS. this would allow the general public to enter the park year round and with the regular fees that apply during the summer months. It also allows the general public to get to Old faithful and the northern sector in a couple hours rather than a five hour drive, one way, from the west gate – the major entrance to the park.

    It’s every citizen’s park, please take a few minutes to voice your thoughts on the manner and cost of your ability to visit this wonderful place.

    Here is the info on the YNP winter use public comment stuff from the
    YNP web site AND Doug Edgerton’s (a West Yellowstone business owner and advocate for plowing) oped in the West Yellowstone News
    this week.

    Main issue page:
    http://www.nps.gov/yell/parkmgmt/participate.htm

    Four page newsletter:PDF

    Comment materials:
    http://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?parkID=111&projectId=29281&documentID=31782

    http://parkplanning.nps.gov/commentForm.cfm?parkID=111&projectID=29281&documentId=31782

    ___________________________

    Edgerton’s OpEd:

    http://westyellowstonenews.com/articles/2010/01/29/opinions/opinion1.txt

  5. Jon,

    This tapeworm story hasn’t got any traction in the news media. The Bozeman Chronicle article is another example of this.

    The worms will only convince those who are already true believers about those horrible hounds from Hell brought in from Canada.

  6. Mexican Wolf Live Webcam AGF Commission Meeting

    Quick Action Required at 14:00 (2 PM) today Friday, February 05, 2010

    Arizona Game and Fish Dept. live webcast. Note: Mr. Johnson was part of the Macho B jaguar debacle in an administrative position as the ESA Coordinator for the AGFD. The following is from the AGF Commission meeting agenda.

    http://www.azgfd.gov/inside_azgfd/CommissionCam.shtml

    19A. Presenter: Terry B. Johnson, Endangered Species Coordinator. Commission Briefing on the Department’s Involvement in Mexican Wolf Reintroduction in Arizona and New Mexico and Related Mexican Wolf Recovery and Conservation Issues.

    “Thus, on February 5, 2010, the Department will again brief the Commission on its progress toward current objectives for participation in Mexican wolf conservation, including reintroduction in the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area of Arizona and New Mexico, on the adjacent Fort Apache Indian Reservation, and parallel but independent efforts by Mexico

    The briefing will also identify and address significant Department and public concerns regarding Mexican wolf conservation, including rangewide reintroduction and recovery. The Commission may vote to reaffirm existing policy guidance and/or to provide new or additional policy guidance to the Department on any or all aspects of Mexican wolf conservation, including reintroduction and rangewide recovery.”

  7. The time zones for the webcast note above (14:00/2PM):

    13:00 PST
    14:00 AZ/MST
    15:00 CST
    16:00 EST

  8. Larry Zuckerman
    Way back in 1960, I worked for the Atomic Energy Commission at the Idaho Nuclear Engineering Laboratory east of Arco, Idaho. My college summer job was to collect water from the various wells on the site and submit them for analysis. Tritium levels were found that summer to be high from the waste injection wells at the chemical processing plant on the site and that a plume of radioactive Tritium had spread in the ground water as far as the central facilities area. Does anyone have any recent info on Idaho’s Tritium Plume? Do the jack rabbits out there still glow in the dark?

  9. Proposed oil well near Dubois, Wy in the Shoshone National Forest- Prime Grizzly bear habitat and Elk Migration corridor. Categorical Exclusion issued not an Environmental Assessment- GYC sent mailing to members recently.

  10. Larry,
    I haven’t seen any jack rabbits glowing lately. I have seen some four-headed deer though. 🙂

  11. Most recent news on DeChristopher’s case. One would think that since Ken Salazar has canceled these parcels from the leasing program, the charges would be dropped. Just goes to show what a strangle-hold the extractive industries have on the government and judicial system. And now they can fund campaigns without limit… yikes.

    ——————-

    Published on Saturday, February 6, 2010 by The Salt Lake Tribune (Utah)
    US Attorney Seeks to Block Another DeChristopher Defense

    by Patty Henetz

    http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_14344003

  12. the real face of the livestock industry, the same now as then. the mind set as detailed in this quote.
    ” “The elk is a grand animal, and we all admire him, but he is destined to go the way of his big brother, the buffalo. His place is in parks and museums, preserving the memory of Oregon undeveloped,’’ Dobbin was quoted in “The Zumwalt.’’ “

  13. Not that I approve of the Prosecution of this young man over the leases, I do understand the process, what he did was illegal at the time he did it, it would be like getting a speeding ticket one day and the next day they raise the speed limit, your still going to be in violation and have to pay your fine..

  14. Perhaps, with the “shifting sands” concerning what arguments he is allowed to make, he will end up with a mistrial. The judge seems to have already convicted him before the trail begins and it appears that the narrowing of allowed argument in defense is a clear indication of such. I think that he’s being made an example to fend off other civil disobedience activists. This only serves the interests of the land robbers who destroy public lands with impunity because they have always gotten away with it in the past. It’s a big business against the public thing, in my personal view.

  15. Jeff E or anyone, is it true that Idaho has many more cougars and bears than wolves? That is what I read on some website. Just curious if there is any truth to this. Also, if this is indeed true, why aren’t cougars or bears being killed in the hundreds when there is a hunting season on them?

  16. Jon,

    If you read the WS report from an earlier post you will see that WS and most likely IF&G are using a study that suggests individual wolves are 170 times more likely to kill cattle than individual black bears and about 21 times more likely to kill cattle than individual mountain lions. Thus the higher priority on controlling wolf numbers.

  17. Cutthroat,

    Okay, But What About Cattle?

    Interestingly enough, the same basic numbers hold true. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in 2006, wolves killed 54 cattle in the state of Wyoming, while in 2007, wolves killed 55 cattle statewide. Let’s compare those numbers to other losses. In 2005 (the year for which we have the most recent detailed data), not including cattle that were slaughtered at market, 42,000 cows and calves died from all causes in Wyoming.

    These losses were reportedly due to:

    digestive problems: 7,700
    respiratory disease: 8,700
    birthing problems: 7,800
    miscellaneous health problems: 1,600
    lameness and injuries: N/A
    predators (all combined): 4,000
    harsh weather: 7,000
    poisoning: 1,500
    theft: 600
    Cattle deaths due to all predators represented less than 10 percent of overall estimated losses. These depredation deaths included:

    coyotes: 2,300 calves
    mountain lions: 500 calves
    dogs: 100 calves
    wolves: 54 calves/cattle
    Again, the numbers for all three states were quite similar, with wolves being responsible for less than one percent of cattle losses in each. What’s more, most livestock owners who experience verified depredation losses to wolves both seek and receive compensation for those losses.

    These numbers tell a different story. Anyone can chime in if they want. I think there are some out there that would have you believe that wolves are responsible for the majority of livestock/cattle losses.

  18. Larry Zuckerman,
    I drive past Sinclair, Wy a lot. UUUUgly! I wonder about the difference in effect of a lot of the enegry sources.
    Sadly, most energy is exported, at a greater expense finacially, and environmentally, than having local sources.
    I doubt Wyoming needs that much energy. I bet, over the course of 10 years or so, placing solar panels on the roof tops of publicly owned buildings would be a far more affordable alternative.
    But, who would invest in that? The electricity would have to stay fairly local, so nobody would ‘profit’ greatly by exporting it.
    The costs of creating solar panels is probably far cheaper. It could also be done in American owned companies.
    Right now, wind is a good alternative which is not being wisely located. But it has created some jobs in a time of deperation.
    Perhaps, some wiser folks than I, should get together and figure out the costs and profitabilities, of states developing plants for manufacturing roof top panels. Then they should figure out taxability, and how many repair/maintenance and installation jobs could be created.
    Factor in the number of jobs that would be lost at current power facilities.
    Do this all by region, and present the plan to some of the right commitees or investors?
    Maybe we end public land grazing, and as a way to re-employ those ranchers who are adversely effected, we could lease some of their smaller properties to put wind turbines on? After all, those lands are private and already compromised habitat due to grazing?
    So many possibilities, so few who can make them viable….sigh.

  19. Jon,
    I believe i read somewhere that there are around 25,000 bears and around 3,000 cougars in the state of Idaho. I may be wrong but I believe that’s what it was. http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/hunt/misc/species.cfm#biggame Here is the area to see previous years harvests of game animals. Click on the animal you want and the historical harvest data to see the numbers. Looks like between 1500-2500 bears and 400-800 per year From 1996-2008.

  20. That info I posted is a few years old, but it is telling a completely different story than what we are hearing now. Yes, wolves do kill livestock, but I don’t believe as much as some would like for us to believe. You always seem to be hearing about wolves killing livestock and never about the other predators who kill livestock.

  21. Jon,

    The same reasons exist as I stated as to why Bison are not allowed to graze on public land, early last century, the ranchers felt they won the battle and now with the ever changing attitude they are once again loosing ground, the numbers don’t matter the transmission of disease don’t matter, it pure and simple we won! Why do we have to do this again, the trend of course is change for the better, but as I have stated, old ingrained ideals die very hard..

  22. True save bears, but it seems that wolves are blamed for every single cattle animal that is killed. Based on the info that I have seen, wolves kill less cattle than other predatory animals. Why are people singling out the wolves as if they are the one responsible for killing every single cattle animal? I know wolf hatred has something to do with it obviously, but I don’t really get why so many waste their time hating an animal just trying to survive. What disturbed me was as soon as wolves were delisted, Idaho said it would be ok to kill a few hundred wolves. Is this the norm when a species is delisted? Also, as another commenter said, there are more bears and mt. lions in Idaho. Why aren’t hundreds of them being killed each hunting season? Something doesn’t seem right here.

  23. Jon,

    Just a question, if you don’t mind? What part of the country do you live in, because, yes, when it comes to the animals that have been wiped out of drastically reduced, it is the norm. They are of the opinion, we got rid of them once, why do we have to again..

  24. While this isn’t exactly new, I haven’t seen any discussion of it on this blog.

    http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-2807

    Some US House members have introduced a bill entitled “America’s Wildlife Heritage Act.” It is current sitting in the House Natural Resources Committee. It looks like a federal directive to shift to ecosystem management. While I think it has a lot of great ideas, I think it would stress the federal agencies even more than they currently are and be a constant source of argument between state and federal agencies and industry.

    Anyone have any thoughts on the bill?

  25. Devin, what’s an ecosystem? No, I’m not joking. In order to engage in “ecosystem management,” you need to define the target state for the ecosystem you’re going to manage. Do you target sustaining it in its current state? Most ecosystems in the lower 48 are in a degraded state as compared to their natural potential. Do you manage it to bring it back to some historic state? We can’t even reintroduce Mexican wolves and keep the redneck trash from poaching them; restoring the great plains to a buffalo commons is going to be a tough one. Do we say we’re going to engage in “ecosystem management” and then spend the next couple of decades paralyzed in an argument over how to factor in global warming, which the rightwing will now start believing in, but only to thwart ecosystem management? I believe ecosystem management is the correct approach in theory; but, I have my doubts about it in practice. Conservation requires the use of teeth nowadays and I’m not sure ecosystem management can be defined well enough to provide many good bite holds.

  26. Interesting, Devin.

    I haven’t been able to read the whole thing but will do so in the morning. I found the following article on Friday 2/5/10. In the New West Outdoors website:. this also comes on the heels of the announcement, earlier this week, that a former MTFW&P commissioner has been appointed to be the western states’ advisor to Salazar on public lands and wildlife issues. (And I find the title of this article indicative of the intent, maybe.)

    _________________________________
    TAKING AIM AT CONSERVATION
    Advisory Group Gives Sportsmen Voice on Conservation
    The new council brings sportsmen’s groups into the conservation fold.

    By David Frey, 2-04-10

    Federal officials unveiled a new advisory council on wildlife conservation and hunting issues on Thursday.

    Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer joined Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack for the announcement at the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial in Washington.

    The new Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council is intended to give sportsmen’s groups a forum to advise federal agencies on policies related to wildlife and habitat conservation. It’s also meant to encourage partnership among the hunting industry, sportsmen’s conservation groups, wildlife conservation groups and government.

    The council replaces the Sporting Conservation Council by adding the hunting industry and more hunting organizations.

    “The early efforts of America’s hunters and anglers to preserve our nation’s wildlife heritage fueled the modern conservation movement and left us the natural bounty we are now entrusted with protecting,” Salazar said. “In the spirit of Theodore Roosevelt, we are enlisting the help of hunters and anglers to help us confront the conservation challenges of our time so that our children and grandchildren can have the same opportunities to experience wildlife and the great outdoors that have been passed along, generation to generation.”

    Five federal agencies – the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, Natural Resource Conservation Service, and Farm Service Agency – will appoint organizational members to the council.

    “Hunters are some of our nation’s most influential conservationists, and through their license and equipment purchases, they are foremost funders of state fish and wildlife agencies’ programs to restore and safeguard wildlife and their habitats,” said Ron Regan, Acting Director of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, who will serve as an ex-officio member, representing state wildlife agencies.

    http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/advisory_group_gives_sportsmen_voice_on_conservation/C41/L41/

  27. Mikarooni,
    Thanks for you input. I agree with you completely. I think the definitions and provisions of this bill are much too vague and subjective but in my opinion it is a push into the right direction for management. Do I think it will pass? Nope.

  28. That was 1500-2500 bears and 400-800 cougars per year on my previous post.
    Jon, Did you not look at the numbers i posted. Far more bears and lions are killed by hunters and ws than wolves.

  29. Devin and mikarooni,

    It’s true, the word “ecosystem management” just isn’t politically sexy.

    A trouble with conservationists is that they have a tendency to use scientific terms. That just doesn’t appeal to much of the public. It never has and I think much of the public is going the other way toward superstition, wishful thinking, simple emotive symbolism. Yes I know that last phrase comes from social science.

  30. This is a historical news item that I came across this evening. It concerns mange and what may be the origins of the “novel plan” to introduce the parasite to wolves.

    “If Mr. Campbell’s experiment proves successful it will be worth thousands of dollars to the sheep interests of Texas and other States and Territories annually.”

    The article is at the bottom of the second column and is titled “Inoculating Wolves”:

    http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn94052989/1893-05-21/ed-1/seq-17.pdf

  31. I have some major problems with this part:

    They acknowledge that it’s a tricky endeavor: the hungry predators breed prolifically, roam hundreds of square miles and have a taste for cows and sheep.

    But the researchers have got a solution for that, too: Neuter the wolves, fence them in, fit them with shock collars and – just in case – add a tracking device so they can be hunted and killed if they get too far afield.

    It promotes manipulation in unacceptable levels, kind of like “social engineering”. You either put them there and accept nature as nature is or just go about having your zoo as usual. We have really lost our way in the natural world when this sort of thing becomes a “good idea”.

  32. Salle,
    ya I do not think it will fly as detailed. My biggest caution is that it is a news media source. Probably the worst place to rely on the complete story being told.

  33. I don’t think wolves reduce deer and elk populations in any reliable way. I don’t think they have reduced them in Idaho except maybe in a few pockets. Even there we have no proof.

    Therefore, using wolves to reduce excessive ungulate populations seems like a very crude tool, and as Salle writes above “It promotes manipulation in unacceptable levels. . .”

  34. Erin Barca,

    Thanks for posting this old newspaper story. It gives first hand evidence that mange was crude biological warfare against wolves, the results of which plague us today.

  35. The term “ecosystem management” has been around for over two decades. One problem with the term is that (as Salle pointed out) there is no one definition as to what it means. A second is that agencies will argue they are already “doing” ecosystem management. Thus, unless “ecosystem management” is accompanied by federal legislation with new provisions for how, exactly, agencies should make decisions (I’m thinking of the multiple use mandate), it will likely have no discernible effects.

    Here are a few interesting readings on the topic:

    Grumbine, R.E. (1994) What is Ecosystem Management. Conservation Biology, 8(1), 27-38.

    Grumbine, R.E. (1997) Reflections on “What is Ecosystem Management?” Conservation Biology, 11(1), 41-47.

    Gilmore, D.W. (1997) Ecosystem management- A needs driven, resource-use philosophy. The Forestry Chronicle, 73(5), 560-63.

  36. Ralph Maughan,

    This page seems to be a very good fit for your blog. Please feel free to remove my name as the one who suggested this topic thread. I appreciate the kudos; just consider my suggestion as a minor contribution to your fine site. Additionally, all of the comments from others were essential for my idea.

    The title you chose, ‘Have you run across any interesting news?’ is very descriptive and alerts readers to post current topics.

    Thanks.

  37. Ralph M.

    I think that the idea of posting a weekly thread might be the best idea; otherwise, one “sticky thread” would grow unwieldily lengthy. In addition, the constant appearance of a ‘sticky’ above the ever-changing, dynamic threads that you and your web assistants choose to feature might take precedence and ‘overshadow’ your chosen posts, which are most often very current and apropos.

    To assist with archiving and for helping readers find previous weeks’ postings, you might want to entitle the threads, e.g.—starting with today’s date and encompassing the full upcoming week:

    New Linked Articles Posted by Readers: 02/07-14/10

    …and then update the successive weeks’ dates.

    Ron K.

  38. Reintroduction planned as early as this month
    Mexico to place 5 wolves near AZ

    Tim Steller Arizona Daily Star | Posted: Sunday, February 7, 2010 12:00 am | Comments
    _________________________

    {Quote:

    The government of Mexico is planning to reintroduce five endangered Mexican gray wolves in northeastern Sonora – within a wolf’s walking distance of Arizona.

    The reintroduction, scheduled to occur as early as this month, has forced U.S. state and federal agencies to scramble. Their problem is to figure out what to do if a wolf wanders north into the United States.

    End Quote}
    ________________________

    http://azstarnet.com/news/science/environment/article_1e747ca2-ba88-5476-8991-be4783761f09.html

  39. Reintroduction planned as early as this month
    Mexico to place 5 wolves near AZ

    Tim Steller Arizona Daily Star | Posted: Sunday, February 7, 2010 12:00 am | Comments
    _________________________

    {Quote:

    The government of Mexico is planning to reintroduce five endangered Mexican gray wolves in northeastern Sonora – within a wolf’s walking distance of Arizona.

    The reintroduction, scheduled to occur as early as this month, has forced U.S. state and federal agencies to scramble. Their problem is to figure out what to do if a wolf wanders north into the United States.

    End Quote}
    ________________________

    http://azstarnet.com/news/science/environment/article_1e747ca2-ba88-5476-8991-be4783761f09.html

  40. Dave,

    I put up the High Country News story about Colorado wolves. Even more interesting is that the pack is only about 30 miles from Utah, and not heavily populated northern Utah.

  41. Peter Bray
    You are right, interesting and depressing regarding the proposed wind power in the Steens. The rancher is leasing 10,000 acres for 20 years and quite possibly will make about $300,000/year from the 50 +/- turbines that are to be installed. A lot more lucrative than running 500 head of cattle.

    This is one of my favorite places in Oregon. The views from the top is spectcular in all directions.

  42. TWB,

    Could this be the article to which you refer, dated 2/10. It is a commentary on the WY Wolf Plan currently in litigation in federal court in Cheyenne, with the USFWS defending its position to reject it. The article appears in an on-line newspaper called the “Little Chicago Review,” which is out of Kemmerer, WY (southern part of the state west of Laramie). There is a reference to a statement allegedly attributed to Norm Bishop. There are also quotes from the WY Farm Bureau, livestock owners, outfitters etc. who appear to be a bit hot under the collar, and reflective of the political climate toward wolves there.

    http://www.littlechicagoreview.com/pages/full_story/full_story?content_instance_id=5960911

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