The Animal Kingdom

Ted Williams has written a very interesting article on ethanol. 

“America’s corn-based ethanol program carries high costs in fish, wildlife and tax dollars.”

Check out Under the Influence of Ethanol on Ted Williams’ Conservation Connection.

“EPHRATA, Wash. - Wildlife officials Tuesday released 20 Columbia Basin pygmy rabbits that were raised in captivity to a sagebrush-covered area of central Washington state where their ancestors roamed before teetering on the edge of extinction.”   Read More from the Register-Guard…

The Oregonian published a story involving a judge’s decision that federal officials had not properly assessed the environmental impacts of approving a genetically modified alfalfa seed for planting this year.  The claims are that the plants will pollinate conventional varieties of alfalfa. 

Judge Rejects Federal OK of Modified Crop  

Note:  More generally, questions persist about “Roundup Ready” crops and whether this gene might spread into native communities of plants, even weeds. 

Perhaps many of you have heard of the WGFDs quick fire-off of the news release below last week.  The argument is that wolves are pushing/disrupting elk off of Wyoming’s large elk feedlots, brought about to entice elk away from cattle in an effort to prevent the spread of Brucellosis from elk to cattle.  We’ve seen Montana use Brucellosis to slaughter and haze buffalo, we’re seeing Wyoming use it to “manage” elk in high-density feed-camps and now we’re seeing it extended to justify inflated antagonism toward wolves.  

The Jackson-Hole News&Guide’s Cory Hatch wrote an article entitled State: Wolves disrupt elk feeding areas on March 7 which includes some biologists’ take on the matter.    

“wolf problems persist at wyoming’s feedgrounds”

Wyoming Game & Fish News

March 5, 2007

CHEYENNE—Wolves have been disrupting the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s feedground operations in northwest
Wyoming again this winter. In the past several weeks, Game and Fish personnel at feedgrounds have become increasingly frustrated with the wolf activity and their lack of ability to deal with the predators.

(more…)

Sometimes there are comments that are just so good, they should be brought to the front as a post.

“BE” decided to calculate how much cattle consumed compared to elk. Remember that these animals compete for forage on the range.

BE wrote:

Interesting facts for hunters who care about elk numbers:

Number of Idaho State AUMs (animal unit months) leased for public lands grazing: 225,000 AUMs annually

BLM + Federal AUMS in Idaho for public lands grazing: 1,800,000 AUMs annually

Total Public Lands AUMs leased for livestock grazing in Idaho (S+F): 2,025,000

Now, the USDA NRCS National Range & Pasture Handbook cites these relative numbers for AUM consumption:

Cow, dry = 0.92
Cow + calf = 1.00
Elk, mature = 0.60
Deer (m) mature = 0.20
Deer, (wt) mature= 0.15

So - an elk needs 6/10 of 1 AUM to survive for a month

crunching the numbers we find that in Idaho alone, the public lands forage being subsidized to cows could annually support:

281,250 elk or
843,750 mule deer or
1,125,000 WT deer or

various combinations depending on where you’re at —

this contrasted against the roughly 13,600,000 AUMs grazed on private land in Idaho (which we could put through the same model, but because these private lands aren’t supposed to be for all of us we’ll omit from elk/deer potential habitat calculations) demonstrates that public lands ranching in Idaho only contributes around 12% of the forage used in Idaho livestock operations (public or private)…

so - public lands ranching robs elk of forage which could sustain above numbers of wildlife - how many do wolves take?… (and keep in mind, wolves kill the weak, diseased, old leaving hunters with bigger stronger game with bigger stronger genes for the next generation of herds)…

elk hunters need to re-evaluate the forces squeezing out our wildlife - and if we authentically care about our kids having the same quality opportunities to spend with their fathers, grandfathers, mothers, etc. on the hunt, we need to be willing to face the facts rather than the red herrings out there.

Conservationists issue Western energy agenda. By Judith Kohler. Associated Press writer.

We know the agenda for the West from the Republicans — fossil fuel development forever, but the Western governors, especially the Democrats have had a lot to say lately about a new kind of energy development, and it could be pretty unfriendly to the land and landscape to the West too unless adjustments are made.

It is time conservationists spoke out beyond simply opposing various projects.

Related. Gov Fruedenthal calls for tighter wildlife protection. By Whitey Royster. Casper Star-Tribune environmental reporter.

As gas development in the Green River Basin of  Wyoming has expanded beyond all projects, even Governor Freudenthal is seeking some restraint and modifications

I thought folks would be interested in this because of the focus on the Southwest. I know a lot of people are celbrating the recent victory keeping oil and gas out of the famed Valles Caldera in northern New Mexico, but what they don’t know it that the public is excluded and this exclusionary semi-public land is supported by taxpayers who see little benefit from it.

Frontline Newsletter Vol. 171 March 7, 2007 Wildlands for Wildlife, Not Cows No Mas Lobos Muertos Read.. “V” is for Victory Read.. Down in the Valle Read.. Saving Spotted Owls Read.. No Mas Lobos Muertos The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service—the agency charged with protecting endangered species—has increasingly turned from recovering Mexican gray wolves to systematically exterminating them from their only remaining population. The agency, which has been able to locate just 49 wolves on the ground, has killed six individuals since the beginning of last year. As this death toll continues to mount, the Mexican wolf recovery program has become a recipe for extinction. Because wolves are often removed due to conflicts with cattle, protecting the wolf is a priority for Forest Guardians’ Grazing Reform Program. Read on to find out how we are taking important steps to ensure this species’ success. Learn more about the ecological impacts of grazing.. “V” is for Victory In the struggle for Mexican wolf survival, every victory counts. In response to a recent appeal by Forest Guardians and others, the Hermosa Allotment will remain a wolf-friendly spot on the Gila National Forest. The Hermosa has been cow-free for over 13 years, making it prime wolf habitat and even a wolf release site. The Forest Service’s proposal to reintroduce cattle to the allotment would have drastically reduced the meaningful space available to wolves in their own recovery zone. Our appeal sent the Forest Service back to the drawing board by forcing them to examine the impacts from livestock grazing to all sensitive species on the Hermosa, including the Mexican wolf. Learn more about our use of litigation to rein in destructive grazing practices.. Down in the Valle The Valles Caldera Trust turned down Forest Guardians’ $25,000 offer to open the Preserve to people and wildlife instead of cows in 2007. By choosing low income grazing over high yield ecotourism, the Trust seems bent on losing money ’til the cows come home. Though the Preserve is supposed to be managed for aesthetics, wildlife, and recreation, the Trust won’t prioritize these values over grazing- even to turn a profit. Undeterred by the Trust’s rejection, Forest Guardians is dedicated to protecting the Valles Caldera. We will continue to put our money where our mouth is, and look forward to the day when people take precedence over cattle on the Preserve. Learn more about our efforts to protect the Valles Caldera.. Saving Spotted Owls After doing battle with the Forest Service over Mexican spotted owls for almost a decade, Forest Guardians is back in court with the feds to protect this species on the brink. The agency is mismanaging livestock grazing on the Sacramento Allotment in southern New Mexico, and harming owls in the process. The allotment encompasses more than 110,000 acres, and provides vital, protected habitat for the owls. Forest Guardians seeks to force the agency to re-consult with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service on how grazing is impacting both the owls and their critical habitat, and we’ve asked the federal district court to remove all livestock from the allotment until that consultation has been completed. Learn more about our protection of Mexican Spotted Owls.. For more information, email Melissa Hailey Forest Guardians www.fguardians.org 505-988-9126 312 Montezuma Avenue, Suite A, Santa Fe, NM 87501 Forest Guardians preserves and restores native wildlands and wildlife in the American Southwest.   For more info email Melissa Hailey Forest Guardians

“KT” has commented extensively on this blog about how Las Vegas is grabbing water from underground for hundreds of miles in all directions so that these environmentally misfit fountains, lakes, and square miles of commerce in the hot desert can continue to grow and grow.

Now Ted Williams has written about it in his blog. Sin City’s Water Grab. By Ted Williams. Ted Williams’ Conservation Connection.

The price the rest of Nevada pays for the Las Vegas water grab will be high, and given the designs of Las Vegas, the underground waters of Utah and Idaho may not be safe either.