It’s an awful Halloween surprise.
Earlier this week, the Bush/Cheney Administration launched another attack on wolves in Greater Yellowstone and the Northern Rockies -- re-packaging a proposal that could lead to the killing of as many as 1,000 of America’s most important and iconic animals.
Take action now. Tell the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that our wolves deserve a lasting future in Greater Yellowstone and the Northern Rockies.
Following several bloody months of wolf killing in Wyoming, Idaho and Montana, a federal court ruled earlier this year against an earlier version of the Administration’s proposal to remove Endangered Species Act protections for the region’s wolves. In response, the Bush/Cheney Administration actually withdrew that proposal just a few weeks ago.
But with the clock winding down on the Bush/Administration, federal officials are launching a last-ditch attempt to re-package and ram through a plan that could lead to the slaughter of as many as two-thirds of the Greater Yellowstone and Northern Rockies wolf population.
Don’t let them get away with it. Urge federal officials to come up with a responsible management plan that ensures a lasting future for these majestic animals.
Time and time again, Defenders of Wildlife has been at the forefront of efforts to save wolves in Greater Yellowstone and the Northern Rockies, fighting -- and winning -- in court, on the ground and in Congress to ensure responsible, balanced management of our wolves.
In the last two years, caring people like you have sent tens of thousands of messages, made thousands of calls, and donated to help us fight the Bush/Cheney Administration and their allies in court, educate the public and support wolf-saving efforts in the field.
Help us safeguard wolves. Take action now.
Unfortunately, we don’t have much time to stop this audacious 11th-hour sneak attack on our wolves. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is only accepting public comments until November 28th, so please take action now.
For the Wild Ones,
Rodger Schlickeisen, President Signature
Rodger Schlickeisen
President
Defenders of Wildlife
Rodger Schlickeisen, President (c)Daniel J. Cox/www.naturalexpos
P.S. Over the next month, we need to generate thousands of public comments on this outrageous plan. We need to mobilize conservation activists to show up at public meetings and speak out. And we have to prepare for what could be another long, difficult legal fight ahead.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Some old news, again, from the Casper Star
GREEN RIVER -- The Green River Basin in western Wyoming is one of the few areas left in Wyoming that has water to develop and land needed to build dams and reservoirs.
Water officials believe more storage is needed, particularly for irrigators in the basin and for towns and communities including Pinedale, Big Piney and Boulder that are growing due to the natural gas boom.
The state has been searching for decades, however, for just the right spot to build a dam across the Upper Green River.
One site often mentioned sits between the Warren and Kendall bridges in Sublette County north of Pinedale, about 60 miles south of Jackson, according to Wyoming Water Development Commission officials.
The WWDC presented a report to the Legislature's Select Water Committee in September that looked at the pros and cons of building what is known as the Kendall dam.
The commission will decide whether to hold a public hearing on that report when the WWDC meets during a workshop in Casper on Wednesday. The meeting begins at 1:30 p.m. at the Wyoming Game and Fish Department regional office.
WWDC Director Mike Purcell stressed on Monday that no decision on the construction of any dam has been made. He said the decision on whether to hold the public hearing will be made at the commission's discretion.
Purcell said there have been two reservoir sites identified upstream of Warren Bridge where the river crosses U.S. Highway 191 and below the Green River Lakes. He said the state evaluated the sites during initial studies back in the 1970s.
"We have some commissioners who are interested in those sites," Purcell said.
"So the purpose of our workshop discussion is to find out how much interest there is among the commission and if there is (sufficient interest), then we should schedule some public hearings in the area to see what other people think," he said. "We are looking throughout the basin to see if we can develop a portfolio of reservoir projects that we are comfortable with and think that could be constructed."
Past reports have shown that damming the river could provide irrigation water for about 71,000 acres and provide much-needed water during times of drought.
But the most recent WWDC report said it would take lots of time, money and a hard-to-get federal construction permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to complete the Kendall dam and reservoir project. "It explains the hurdles that would have to be overcome to pursue the project," Purcell said.
Cost projections have run as high as $250 million to $400 million for the project. "Let's just say (these projects) are expensive," Purcell said.
One site of several
In 2005, commission members and members of the Legislature's Select Water Committee toured the Upper Green River Basin as part of the hunt for possible dam sites. The state has identified three lower basin sites -- Sand Hill, McNish Wash and Church reservoir -- that have the most potential for a dam and reservoir.
But the agency is also considering several other sites higher up -- such as the Kendall and Warren bridges sites -- in the basin in the foothills of the western slope of the Wind River Mountains.
"We are basically in the process of evaluating the feasibility of some smaller reservoirs on the tributaries of the Green River. This particular project would be on the main stem of the Green River, however," he said. "We're in the process of developing a plan that's acceptable to the commission and the public ... and this would be one component of that."
Wyoming has rights to water in the Green River, but has not exercised them.
The state generates about 18 million acre feet of surface water each year. An acre foot is the amount of water needed to cover one acre of land one foot deep, or about 325,851 gallons.
Under various interstate river compacts and court decrees, Wyoming is entitled to consume about 4 million of those acre feet. Right now, the state uses about 2.8 million, leaving some 1.2 million acre feet of water available in areas such as the Upper Green River Basin.
Southwest Wyoming bureau reporter Jeff Gearino can be reached at 307-875-5359 or at gearino@tribcsp.com.
Water officials believe more storage is needed, particularly for irrigators in the basin and for towns and communities including Pinedale, Big Piney and Boulder that are growing due to the natural gas boom.
The state has been searching for decades, however, for just the right spot to build a dam across the Upper Green River.
One site often mentioned sits between the Warren and Kendall bridges in Sublette County north of Pinedale, about 60 miles south of Jackson, according to Wyoming Water Development Commission officials.
The WWDC presented a report to the Legislature's Select Water Committee in September that looked at the pros and cons of building what is known as the Kendall dam.
The commission will decide whether to hold a public hearing on that report when the WWDC meets during a workshop in Casper on Wednesday. The meeting begins at 1:30 p.m. at the Wyoming Game and Fish Department regional office.
WWDC Director Mike Purcell stressed on Monday that no decision on the construction of any dam has been made. He said the decision on whether to hold the public hearing will be made at the commission's discretion.
Purcell said there have been two reservoir sites identified upstream of Warren Bridge where the river crosses U.S. Highway 191 and below the Green River Lakes. He said the state evaluated the sites during initial studies back in the 1970s.
"We have some commissioners who are interested in those sites," Purcell said.
"So the purpose of our workshop discussion is to find out how much interest there is among the commission and if there is (sufficient interest), then we should schedule some public hearings in the area to see what other people think," he said. "We are looking throughout the basin to see if we can develop a portfolio of reservoir projects that we are comfortable with and think that could be constructed."
Past reports have shown that damming the river could provide irrigation water for about 71,000 acres and provide much-needed water during times of drought.
But the most recent WWDC report said it would take lots of time, money and a hard-to-get federal construction permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to complete the Kendall dam and reservoir project. "It explains the hurdles that would have to be overcome to pursue the project," Purcell said.
Cost projections have run as high as $250 million to $400 million for the project. "Let's just say (these projects) are expensive," Purcell said.
One site of several
In 2005, commission members and members of the Legislature's Select Water Committee toured the Upper Green River Basin as part of the hunt for possible dam sites. The state has identified three lower basin sites -- Sand Hill, McNish Wash and Church reservoir -- that have the most potential for a dam and reservoir.
But the agency is also considering several other sites higher up -- such as the Kendall and Warren bridges sites -- in the basin in the foothills of the western slope of the Wind River Mountains.
"We are basically in the process of evaluating the feasibility of some smaller reservoirs on the tributaries of the Green River. This particular project would be on the main stem of the Green River, however," he said. "We're in the process of developing a plan that's acceptable to the commission and the public ... and this would be one component of that."
Wyoming has rights to water in the Green River, but has not exercised them.
The state generates about 18 million acre feet of surface water each year. An acre foot is the amount of water needed to cover one acre of land one foot deep, or about 325,851 gallons.
Under various interstate river compacts and court decrees, Wyoming is entitled to consume about 4 million of those acre feet. Right now, the state uses about 2.8 million, leaving some 1.2 million acre feet of water available in areas such as the Upper Green River Basin.
Southwest Wyoming bureau reporter Jeff Gearino can be reached at 307-875-5359 or at gearino@tribcsp.com.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Green River... Older News Post, But Good Info
From Jackson Hole News:
Board mulls hearing on Upper Green dam
Water commission not convinced reservoir idea would fly, but may consider public views
Noah Brenner
December 26, 2007
The Wyoming Water Development Commission will meet Jan. 8 in Casper
to consider whether to hold a public hearing on a plan to build a dam
across the Upper Green River.
The idea of damming the Green River between Warren Bridge, where it
crosses Highway 191, and Green River lakes on the edge of the Bridger
Wilderness has been studied over the last 50 years.
The dam would be in Sublette County about 60 miles south of Jackson.
In September, the commission released a study that found a mainstem
dam on the Upper Green River would be prohibitively expensive, would
hurt instream flow and wetlands and would likely never receive a
federal construction permit.
That report was presented to the Wyoming Legislature's Select Water
Committee at a workshop meeting in August, and now the Water
Development Commission will decide whether to present the study to
the public at a formal meeting.
Wyoming Water Development Commission Director Mike Purcell said the
possibility of a public meeting does not mean the state is
considering moving ahead with a dam project.
"It is very premature to assume one darn thing is going to happen,"
Purcell said.
With the conclusions drawn in the state report, the idea would seem
to be dead, but Purcell said Dan Budd, a water development
commissioner who represents Sublette County, continues to push the
idea.
"I suggested that before we invest one more dime we ought to see what
the public thinks about it," Purcell said.
In theory, it only takes one "fatal flaw" to kill a reclamation
project. The two reservoir sites considered in the report have
numerous fatal flaws, according to analysis by water development
commission staff.
Condensed to 18 pages, the report details the costs and benefits of
two sites, the Upper and Lower Kendall Reservoir sites between
Kendall Bridge and Warren Bridge on the Green. Both dams would
require miles of canals and tunnels to bring the water to ranchers.
"It is doubtful, however, that the number of benefits or
beneficiaries would be sufficient to justify the expense for
constructing the project," the report states.
Besides the imbalance in the cost-benefit analysis, the report notes
that the state holds an instream flow permit on almost 10 miles of
the river to protect the fishery, most of which would be inundated by
the dam.
Since the middle of last century, the state of Wyoming has been
studying the feasibility of constructing a dam to impound the Green
River somewhere between Warren Bridge and Kendall Bridge or even
higher upstream at Green River Lakes. Repeatedly analysts and
consultants have told the state that the project is not permit-able
because there are no justifiable water shortages in the immediate
area and it could be environmentally damaging.
The area is prized for its recreation, wildlife and scenery, and is
popular with Teton County residents and anglers who find the river
less crowded than some public lands in Jackson Hole.
Wyoming has rights to water in the Green River but has not exercised
those rights fully. Some officials are wary of allowing the water to
flow out of state unused, even though the Colorado River Compact
protects Wyoming's ownership.
The reach of the river in question is eligible for protection under
the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, and the Pinedale Field Office of the
federal Bureau of Land Management and Bridger-Teton National Forest
have managed it for wild and scenic values. But the Pinedale Resource
Management Plan, which governs land use throughout the Pinedale Field
Office, is being revised.
The Upper Green River Joint Powers Board, with the help of the water
development commission continues to look at dam sites along the
Wyoming Range front that are "off-channel," meaning they would not
impound streams that flow year-round or on smaller tributaries.
The commission meets at 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 8 at the Wyoming Game and
Fish offices in Casper. The building is at 3030 Energy Lane, and the
meeting will be in Suite 100.
Board mulls hearing on Upper Green dam
Water commission not convinced reservoir idea would fly, but may consider public views
Noah Brenner
December 26, 2007
The Wyoming Water Development Commission will meet Jan. 8 in Casper
to consider whether to hold a public hearing on a plan to build a dam
across the Upper Green River.
The idea of damming the Green River between Warren Bridge, where it
crosses Highway 191, and Green River lakes on the edge of the Bridger
Wilderness has been studied over the last 50 years.
The dam would be in Sublette County about 60 miles south of Jackson.
In September, the commission released a study that found a mainstem
dam on the Upper Green River would be prohibitively expensive, would
hurt instream flow and wetlands and would likely never receive a
federal construction permit.
That report was presented to the Wyoming Legislature's Select Water
Committee at a workshop meeting in August, and now the Water
Development Commission will decide whether to present the study to
the public at a formal meeting.
Wyoming Water Development Commission Director Mike Purcell said the
possibility of a public meeting does not mean the state is
considering moving ahead with a dam project.
"It is very premature to assume one darn thing is going to happen,"
Purcell said.
With the conclusions drawn in the state report, the idea would seem
to be dead, but Purcell said Dan Budd, a water development
commissioner who represents Sublette County, continues to push the
idea.
"I suggested that before we invest one more dime we ought to see what
the public thinks about it," Purcell said.
In theory, it only takes one "fatal flaw" to kill a reclamation
project. The two reservoir sites considered in the report have
numerous fatal flaws, according to analysis by water development
commission staff.
Condensed to 18 pages, the report details the costs and benefits of
two sites, the Upper and Lower Kendall Reservoir sites between
Kendall Bridge and Warren Bridge on the Green. Both dams would
require miles of canals and tunnels to bring the water to ranchers.
"It is doubtful, however, that the number of benefits or
beneficiaries would be sufficient to justify the expense for
constructing the project," the report states.
Besides the imbalance in the cost-benefit analysis, the report notes
that the state holds an instream flow permit on almost 10 miles of
the river to protect the fishery, most of which would be inundated by
the dam.
Since the middle of last century, the state of Wyoming has been
studying the feasibility of constructing a dam to impound the Green
River somewhere between Warren Bridge and Kendall Bridge or even
higher upstream at Green River Lakes. Repeatedly analysts and
consultants have told the state that the project is not permit-able
because there are no justifiable water shortages in the immediate
area and it could be environmentally damaging.
The area is prized for its recreation, wildlife and scenery, and is
popular with Teton County residents and anglers who find the river
less crowded than some public lands in Jackson Hole.
Wyoming has rights to water in the Green River but has not exercised
those rights fully. Some officials are wary of allowing the water to
flow out of state unused, even though the Colorado River Compact
protects Wyoming's ownership.
The reach of the river in question is eligible for protection under
the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, and the Pinedale Field Office of the
federal Bureau of Land Management and Bridger-Teton National Forest
have managed it for wild and scenic values. But the Pinedale Resource
Management Plan, which governs land use throughout the Pinedale Field
Office, is being revised.
The Upper Green River Joint Powers Board, with the help of the water
development commission continues to look at dam sites along the
Wyoming Range front that are "off-channel," meaning they would not
impound streams that flow year-round or on smaller tributaries.
The commission meets at 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 8 at the Wyoming Game and
Fish offices in Casper. The building is at 3030 Energy Lane, and the
meeting will be in Suite 100.
So It Begins... All Over Again....
(Media-Newswire.com) - Oct. 24, 2008 -- A major conference early next month, sponsored by the Stroock Forum at the University of Wyoming, will focus on managing water in the Upper Green River in Pinedale.
The 2008 Stroock Forum, "Water Management on the Upper Green River," will be at the Rendezvous Pointe Senior Center, located at 425 E. Magnolia in Pinedale, from 1-5 p.m. Friday Nov. 14, and from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15. The event is free and open to the public.
To register for the conference, visit the Web site at www.uwyo.edu/STROOCKFORUM/ or call the office of the Stroock Professor at ( 307 ) 766-2571.
The conference will feature experts discussing topics ranging from climate change to groundwater quality to thirsty downstream states, and how these topics affect the Upper Green River basin and the people who live there.
The UW conference is sponsored by UW's Stroock Forum on Wyoming Lands and People, founded by Tom Stroock of Casper. He is a former Wyoming legislative leader and former ambassador to Guatemala under President George Herbert Walker Bush.
Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal will give an introductory talk on the enduring significance of watershed management issues in the basin. The public will have an opportunity to discuss management options with each other and with the conference's experts.
Wyoming's state climatologist, state geologist and state engineer will be among the speakers addressing issues such as climate change, energy development, water rights and water values.
Steve Gray, the state climatologist, will discuss climate change and its potential impacts on water management. Ron Surdam, state geologist, will discuss the continued pressures of energy development area residents can expect and then the quantity and quality of groundwater in the area. KJ Reddy, UW School of Energy Resources associate director for academics, will present specific problems of energy development and groundwater.
He will be followed by a discussion of changes in the glaciers feeding the surface water supply of the Green River, featuring Charles Love, Western Wyoming Community College geology professor.
Mike Purcell, Wyoming Water Development Commission ( WWDC ) director, closes the first day session presenting issues that surround new water storage.
Wyoming State Engineer Pat Tyrrell opens the Saturday session talking about Colorado River challenges that affect the Green River Basin. An economist who has studied the values of water as it is now managed on the Upper Green River, Ernie Niemi of ECONorthwest in Oregon, will then discuss his research work and the issues raised by those findings.
Two panels will close the event. One panel will discuss the needs and pressures experienced by a variety of Green River users, and the other on-ground water management initiatives and its potential.
Another Pinedale event, scheduled in coordination with the conference, will let residents review and give their opinions on studies the WWDC has done on a variety of water storage possibilities in the Green River Basin.
The WWDC will host an open house at 5 p.m., also at Rendezvous Pointe, Friday, Nov. 14, for the public to learn about studies the commission has funded regarding potential dam and storage sites in the Green River Basin.
The water development studies reviewed at the agency open house will include a look at not only a proposal for a dam on the main stem of the Green River near the Warren Bridge ( which drew considerable public attention last winter ), but also a number of other proposals for smaller storage facilities located along tributaries.
The WWDC will host similar open houses with introductory talks at other locations in the Green River Basin earlier in the week. Meetings are scheduled at Western Wyoming College in Rock Springs at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 12; and at Kemmerer's public library, at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13.
I will write a little bit more about this later on, it was just too important to delay any longer.
The 2008 Stroock Forum, "Water Management on the Upper Green River," will be at the Rendezvous Pointe Senior Center, located at 425 E. Magnolia in Pinedale, from 1-5 p.m. Friday Nov. 14, and from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15. The event is free and open to the public.
To register for the conference, visit the Web site at www.uwyo.edu/STROOCKFORUM/ or call the office of the Stroock Professor at ( 307 ) 766-2571.
The conference will feature experts discussing topics ranging from climate change to groundwater quality to thirsty downstream states, and how these topics affect the Upper Green River basin and the people who live there.
The UW conference is sponsored by UW's Stroock Forum on Wyoming Lands and People, founded by Tom Stroock of Casper. He is a former Wyoming legislative leader and former ambassador to Guatemala under President George Herbert Walker Bush.
Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal will give an introductory talk on the enduring significance of watershed management issues in the basin. The public will have an opportunity to discuss management options with each other and with the conference's experts.
Wyoming's state climatologist, state geologist and state engineer will be among the speakers addressing issues such as climate change, energy development, water rights and water values.
Steve Gray, the state climatologist, will discuss climate change and its potential impacts on water management. Ron Surdam, state geologist, will discuss the continued pressures of energy development area residents can expect and then the quantity and quality of groundwater in the area. KJ Reddy, UW School of Energy Resources associate director for academics, will present specific problems of energy development and groundwater.
He will be followed by a discussion of changes in the glaciers feeding the surface water supply of the Green River, featuring Charles Love, Western Wyoming Community College geology professor.
Mike Purcell, Wyoming Water Development Commission ( WWDC ) director, closes the first day session presenting issues that surround new water storage.
Wyoming State Engineer Pat Tyrrell opens the Saturday session talking about Colorado River challenges that affect the Green River Basin. An economist who has studied the values of water as it is now managed on the Upper Green River, Ernie Niemi of ECONorthwest in Oregon, will then discuss his research work and the issues raised by those findings.
Two panels will close the event. One panel will discuss the needs and pressures experienced by a variety of Green River users, and the other on-ground water management initiatives and its potential.
Another Pinedale event, scheduled in coordination with the conference, will let residents review and give their opinions on studies the WWDC has done on a variety of water storage possibilities in the Green River Basin.
The WWDC will host an open house at 5 p.m., also at Rendezvous Pointe, Friday, Nov. 14, for the public to learn about studies the commission has funded regarding potential dam and storage sites in the Green River Basin.
The water development studies reviewed at the agency open house will include a look at not only a proposal for a dam on the main stem of the Green River near the Warren Bridge ( which drew considerable public attention last winter ), but also a number of other proposals for smaller storage facilities located along tributaries.
The WWDC will host similar open houses with introductory talks at other locations in the Green River Basin earlier in the week. Meetings are scheduled at Western Wyoming College in Rock Springs at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 12; and at Kemmerer's public library, at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13.
I will write a little bit more about this later on, it was just too important to delay any longer.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Concerning Grizzle Bears... from the Casper Star Tribune
By The Associated Press:
JACKSON -- Biologists estimate that 39 grizzly bears have died in northwestern Wyoming this year.
Seventeen bears were shot by hunters and enough male grizzly bears have died to exceed a 15 percent mortality threshold for management review.
Under that provision, if the mortality rate for male grizzly bears exceeds 15 percent for three years in a row, state agencies would review their management policies for grizzly bears.
Such a review could result in putting grizzlies back on the Endangered Species List.
If another female grizzly is killed by a hunter this year, female bear deaths would pass a 9 percent threshold that would trigger a similar review after two consecutive years.
The thresholds were last surpassed in 2000. The grizzly death counts aren't exact numbers.
When someone other than a wildlife manager reports a grizzly bear death, researchers count it as three toward the thresholds because roughly two-thirds of citizen-caused grizzly deaths go unreported, said study team leader and U.S. Geological Survey researcher Chuck Schwartz.
"We know that there are bears that die in the ecosystem that we don't hear about," he said.
Schwartz said the numbers were being released while large numbers of hunters head for the woods for the general hunting season, two to four weeks before grizzlies begin hibernation.
"We wanted to get the word out before a large number of hunters hit the field so we don't end up with a bunch more dead bears on the ground," he said. "We want to emphasize to the public that you have to be careful out there. We don't want to reconsider delisting the bear."
Researchers estimate that the Greater Yellowstone's grizzly population is higher than last year: 596 bears, up from 571. Schwartz and his team made the estimate based on 84 new cubs observed with 44 females.
Researchers estimate that the population continues to grow about 4 percent annually.
Louisa Willcox, a wildlife advocate for the Natural Resources Defense Council, said she was shocked about this year's bear deaths so far.
"It's very, very disturbing and should give us all pause," she said.
JACKSON -- Biologists estimate that 39 grizzly bears have died in northwestern Wyoming this year.
Seventeen bears were shot by hunters and enough male grizzly bears have died to exceed a 15 percent mortality threshold for management review.
Under that provision, if the mortality rate for male grizzly bears exceeds 15 percent for three years in a row, state agencies would review their management policies for grizzly bears.
Such a review could result in putting grizzlies back on the Endangered Species List.
If another female grizzly is killed by a hunter this year, female bear deaths would pass a 9 percent threshold that would trigger a similar review after two consecutive years.
The thresholds were last surpassed in 2000. The grizzly death counts aren't exact numbers.
When someone other than a wildlife manager reports a grizzly bear death, researchers count it as three toward the thresholds because roughly two-thirds of citizen-caused grizzly deaths go unreported, said study team leader and U.S. Geological Survey researcher Chuck Schwartz.
"We know that there are bears that die in the ecosystem that we don't hear about," he said.
Schwartz said the numbers were being released while large numbers of hunters head for the woods for the general hunting season, two to four weeks before grizzlies begin hibernation.
"We wanted to get the word out before a large number of hunters hit the field so we don't end up with a bunch more dead bears on the ground," he said. "We want to emphasize to the public that you have to be careful out there. We don't want to reconsider delisting the bear."
Researchers estimate that the Greater Yellowstone's grizzly population is higher than last year: 596 bears, up from 571. Schwartz and his team made the estimate based on 84 new cubs observed with 44 females.
Researchers estimate that the population continues to grow about 4 percent annually.
Louisa Willcox, a wildlife advocate for the Natural Resources Defense Council, said she was shocked about this year's bear deaths so far.
"It's very, very disturbing and should give us all pause," she said.
Fresh From the Casper Star Tribune.. This topic will continue to come up.
CHEYENNE -- In a move that sparked sharp criticism from environmental groups, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Friday announced that it once again is proposing a plan that could end federal protections for gray wolves in Montana and Idaho while leaving them in place in Wyoming.
The federal agency's push comes after U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy of Montana last week signed an order reinstating federal protections for the wolves in all three states. Ruling in a lawsuit brought by a coalition of environmental groups, the judge this summer barred the Fish and Wildlife Service from turning wolf management over to the states.
Molloy ruled that Wyoming's management plan in particular wouldn't give wolves adequate protection. Wyoming has proposed that wolves be classified as predators that could be shot on sight in much of the state.
Friday's announcement by the Fish and Wildlife Service says the agency will take public comments until Nov. 28 on the same proposed wolf delisting rule the agency released early last year. The agency says there are now more than 1,400 wolves in the three states.
Bruce Salzburg, Wyoming attorney general, said Friday the FWS's proposed 2007 rule would allow removing federal protections for wolves only in Montana and Idaho. The rule would also allow lifting federal protections for wolves in Wyoming, but only if the federal agency ruled that Wyoming's management plan was adequate.
The FWS found Wyoming's management plan acceptable before the environmental groups mounted their legal challenge. But the agency won't comment now on whether it still believes Wyoming's plan is acceptable now that Molloy has ruled it is not.
Salzburg said he sees little doubt the federal agency is ready to leave Wyoming behind.
"I expect they will look to the judge's decision and determine that Wyoming's regulatory mechanisms are inadequate, and go forward with an attempt to delist in the other two states," Salzburg said.
Salzburg said Wyoming ultimately intends to address Molloy's concerns by modifying the state's wolf management plan and regulations. However, the Wyoming Legislature doesn't convene until January, so there's no way the state could adopt new regulations that the federal agency might find acceptable and have them considered in the federal government's current delisting proposal.
Jamie Rappaport Clark is executive vice president of Defenders of Wildlife, one of the groups that sued over the wolf delisting. She's also a former director of the Fish and Wildlife Service under President Clinton. She said Friday her group is concerned about the agency's current approach.
"It's a hasty action that undermines the serious work and cooperation among all the stakeholders that's necessary before proposing any new rule," Clark said. "They just took the rule back. They're in essence rushing to ram this flawed rule through the current administration. And it's not giving the Fish and Wildlife Service time to address the serious concerns expressed earlier this year by the federal court in Missoula."
Salzburg, asked if it appears to him that the Fish and Wildlife Service is trying to resolve the issue before the end of the Bush administration, responded that he had no idea what's on the minds of agency officials.
Ed Bangs, wolf recovery coordinator for the Fish and Wildlife Service in Montana, said Friday that there are people in his agency who would like to see the wolf delisting process wrapped up by the end of the Bush administration. He said it's possible the agency will make a decision before then, but denied that desire is driving the agency to act quickly on the delisting process.
"This timing is set by the litigation and all that kind of stuff," Bangs said. "A lot of people are going to try to use this as a political deal."
Bangs said his agency hasn't decided whether Wyoming's management plan is inadequate, or if the state should be left behind in this round of the wolf delisting process.
"We're not putting any time line on it," he said. "The only thing I'm putting on it is we're going to take whatever time we need to do a good job and just use the best science."
Jenny Harbine is an attorney for Earthjustice, the law firm that represented the environmental coalition in challenging the delisting process.
"This is disappointing to say the least," Harbine said Friday. "We are very close to achieving a sustainable wolf population in the Northern Rockies. And we hope that the potential for a recovery success is not short-circuited by a premature delisting proposal."
Harbine said she has concerns about the legality and biological sufficiency of any plan that calls for delisting wolves in Montana and Idaho while leaving them under federal protection in Wyoming.
"The service has to treat this population as what it is, which is a single population of wolves," Harbine said. "Each recovery area is dependent on the others to maintain biological health. The legal reason is simply that the service is not permitted to treat portions of a population in isolation for the purpose of delisting. It cannot take a piecemeal approach to delisting."
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Drill, drill, DRILL!!!
Clark, Wyoming. Not too many people know of it, but could it have the potential to become the next Pinedale. If Windsor Energy Corporation has it's way, yes. From Missoula, Montana, Windsor is wanting to drill a new gas well near Clark, inside the National Forest boundary, on Line Creek. Line Creek, ok, that rings a bell. Yes, Line Creek, where, not too many years ago, another gas well leaked untold amounts of waste into the soil, causing damage that can only be speculated upon. October 14ththis story broke out, and thankfully, Greater Yellowstone Coalition (GYC) and Powder River Basin Resource Council (PRBRC) jumped upon it. These two groups are willing to prepare comments on behalf of the community, but in a great act of limiting the voice of dissent, the commissioners decided that consultants will gather public input. Horse hockey! By using consultants, they will get the comments of the developers. With zombie-like fervor, they will chant, "Drill, Drill, DRILL!!!" The Clarks Fork District of the Shoshone Forest wants public comment. Do it! This is the only way to get our voices heard! Those who do nothing, have no right to bitch later on. Write the district, the head office, Senators, Congressmen, and the GYC and PRBRC. Let them know what is on our minds. Drilling is a battle cry. It is the new ship, buccaneers, the developers. Loot! Cash! Development. This firm is from Missoula. Most high level jobs will go to Montanans. Look at the jobs locals will get, or any other benefits. Most riggers are from Back East. Few locals will get a piece of their pie. Let's look at the aesthetic value as well, one that the developers have a hard time with. There is no monetary figure for it. I really enjoy the fact that I can drive into Clark, and be alone. Throw on hiking boots, take off, and I am alone. That is worth preserving in a day when more and more of us work tedious jobs, and value down time in wild places. Development will ruin that. I already know the argument. There will be only one well! Yes, but because of a thing called presidence with one well, it will be easier for more to come in. You are anti-progress! This is not progress, this is the exact opposite. We value Wyoming, and especially Cody, for aesthetic reasons. Looking north to the Beartooths from Cody, I can see blue sky. Keep it that way. Imagine what 200 trucks, rigs, and all the associated traffic would do. Now, ask yourself, could I live with myself if I did nothing? I know my answer. Do you know yours?
For more information about this project, contact Marty Sharp of the Forest Circus, at (307) 527-6921
For more information about this project, contact Marty Sharp of the Forest Circus, at (307) 527-6921
Of Wolves and Men
The public meeting in Cody last week seemed a good idea for coming together and putting ideas forth towards solutions. The points brought to attention were mostly those of Judge Molloy, and why he ruled against Wyoming. DNA exchange seems to be one of the big catch phrases in recent days, and seems to be the most focused point in Molloy's ruling. Rightly so. Wyoming is making an island of Yellowstone National Speedway. Unchecked, rampant growth and development to the south, and east, with Idaho and Montana to west and north, have limited routes of travel. A biotic island cannot survive, much humans could not survive on a deserted island with, say, one hundred of us all fighting for resources. The main point, to me, is the number of breeding pairs. Fifteen is the magic number for the good old state of Wyoming. They count on eight pairs in the park, seven outside. Well, what happens when the pack in Sunlight runs into the park for eight months, then comes out for ten days and is destroyed? One pack down in the park. We must stop thinking of the park as an island. THere is a reason the term Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem was devised. What we do outside of the park has tremendous impact on what happens inside the park. It is not an island, ecologically perfect, inside it's borders. No, it depends on it's surrounding area. That is a good segue into the next issue, dual status. By some imaginary line, we will do licensed hunts, by this other imaginary line, shoot at will. Remind anyone of the DMZ in Vietnam? Long and short, predator status is an abomination. We should, following that theory, put predator status upon ourselves, the most destructive and efficient predators on this continent, homo sapien. Ranchers have a right to defend their private livestock on their private property. If grazing on government land, well, hell, that is a risk taken. Leave the national lands to the non domesticated ungulates and carnivores, take your four wheelers and native grass destroyers back to the home range. Long and short, the solution is simple. No one is happy with how things are going. Time to stop these ignorant fights. Time for the ranchers and environmentalists, the deep ecologist and the biologist, the greeny and the conservative, the naturalist and the preservationist to sit down in the same room, lock the door, and not come out until an amicable solution is found. Wolves need management, but the correct type of management, one based on the survival of this beautiful species, not on fear and hate and myth and legend.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
"Progress"
Well, folks, I think we can all agree. Many changes are ahappenin' in our fair part of the state. The great pull of Yellowstone to the Industrial Tourist is too much to bear. Everyone who has to deal with the tourists on a daily basis complains and whines about how traffic is backed up on Main Street, or how some ASS (Associated [by our area] Simply By Speed) is busy telling people wrong advice, usually in a loud voice full of exuberance and great self worth. Telling people how to get to Newton Lake, Shell Creek, the back side of Heart Mountain, but not how to appreciate these areas. People who, incidentally, are the ones with their carry-alls, bringing their speed boats, their stereo systems, never taking the time to slow down to appreciate things. Growth! Industry! Advancement! But, when do we say, "Whoa, this isn't the town I grew up in!" When do we realize that growth for the sake of growth has a name, one we are all familiar with. Cancer. Tumor. Malignant Melanoma. The time has come when our growth, our blind growth, has destroyed our very reason for living here. Ask a local why they enjoy this area. Most will agree wide, open spaces, less crowding, with secondary and tertiary responses being wildlife, and a deep family history. Four generations of my family were raised and born within 100 miles of Yellowstone National Speedway, and I think at least two of them are rolling in their graves over what it has become. Development! Do we not realize that in the process of rampant, unregulated, and uncontrolled development, we are losing our grasp as to what this area used to be for so many people? The North Fork Highway, no longer the "Most Scenic 50 miles in America" but the site of the Elk's Last Stand, the closing of a wildlife corridor, and the end of the way of an era in Wyoming and Cody. What do we value more, friends? Our wildlife, our land, our reasons for living here? Or the few dollars and jobs brought in by developing wide open hay meadows, diverting world class trout streams, and losing more and more access to our public lands. Where do YOU draw the line??
Seldom Seen
Seldom Seen
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