PORTNEUF VALLEY AUDUBON SOCIETY
POCATELLO, ID
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PORTNEUF VALLEY AUDUBON SOCIETY POCATELLO, ID |
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NEWS, MEETINGS AND UP COMING TALKS
For PVA's latest newsletter including meetings and field trips (in Adobe PDF format), Click HEREJANUARY 19, PROGRAM "Birding in Costa Rica" by the Sue Weeg & "Birding in Columbia" by Chuck Trost Time: 7:00 p.m. Where: Classroom of the Idaho Museum of Natural History, Building #12. Enter through the double glass doors that face S. 5th Ave. Parking at ISU is free after 4:00 p.m. Sue will share stories and pictures from her trip to Costa Rica in January 2011. The next photo-journey will be presented by our world-wide birder, Chuck Trost, who has much to tell about his recent trip to Columbia. Refreshments will be served. FROM PVAS PRESIDENT, BARB NORTH… Today as I drove across the state with my Mom, we saw many raptors (Red-tailed Hawk, Northern Harrier, American Kestrel, and Bald Eagle.) There was one unidentified falcon flushing a large flock of blackbirds that was a sight to see! I have been thinking of the big differences in weather patterns this year and last, as well as the species that are missing from the list. Where are the Rough-legged Hawks? Audubon reported there was an influx of Snowy Owls across the country this year. Lemming populations were correspondingly high, creating plenty of prey for many owlets to fledge. We are among the lucky recipients of these dispersing owls. What challenges to the birds will occur in the breeding season after this dry winter and this lack of precipitation? I don’t think scores of waterfowl nests will likely wash out because of high water next year. This is a time we need to be out counting and observing populations, and comparing our numbers with others across the nation. Luckily, the Great Backyard Bird Count is approaching. I’ll give you more information and dates at our meeting and in the February newsletter. We’ll get the chance to contribute to the understanding of late winter bird populations, by documenting what we see during the four day period. Data from this count can be used to observe changes in distribution of species. Combined with weather data, scientists can understand more about the effects of climate change on species distribution. This is a worthy cause indeed. This count is a fun way to share your love of birds with friends and family in a free event. No time limit other than the four day period is imposed. Anyone can contribute, whether novice or expert. The overriding rule is that you can only report the highest number of each species that you see at one time. Even in the cold of winter, going out birding is fun and rewarding. On the Pocatello Christmas Bird Count, we learned to appreciate the change in our own surface temperature as the result of the faintest sun, slinking through the clouds. Today, Mom and I also saw a herd of about 20 pronghorn. They were beautifully lit by the sun, as they rested in a sheltered area. Priceless. Also next month, PVAS has been invited to participate in a presentation of a film and panel discussion on Aldo Leopold (author of The Sand County Almanac.) This sounds like a treat! I’ll announce more details at the next meeting and in the February newsletter. Please consider attending this event! I think it will be very interesting. Hope to see you birding
Conservation Issue: Minidoka National Wildlife Refuge Jackie Johnson Maughan, Conservation Co-Chair The following comments are the position of the Portneuf Valley Audubon Society (PVAS) on the 15-year Comprehensive Conservation Plan for the Minidoka National Wildlife Refuge, November 30, 2011. As an interested public whose members use and value the refuge for its birding, fisheries, and wildlife, our position is fairly simple. First, we like the way the area is presently managed and want it to stay the same. Second, we do not want any portions of the waterways or wetlands presently closed to be opened to motorized boat, jet ski or other vehicular traffic. We appreciate the work that the keepers of the refuge have done in maintaining the diversity of flora and fauna that live in this extraordinary and little-known "wilderness on water". Like the words articulated in the 1964 Wilderness Act, we want it to continue to be "an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain." We understand, of course, that the wilderness concept does not apply in all respects to the management of federal wildlife refuges. In the specific case of the Minidoka refuge, the old wooden dam needs to be replaced to protect the refuge and the life forms (including human) that use it. We entirely object to any attempts to fundamentally alter the character of the refuge. Specifically, this means the apparent desire of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game to force it to be opened to motorized water vehicles. We fear that such traffic will harm the present trout and small-mouthed bass fisheries, the game and nongame animals, and the unique desert water fowl habitat. To quote from the refuge’s online Wildlife and Habitat link, "The variety of habitats at Minidoka supports a diversity of birds not found in most areas of Idaho. Over 230 species have been seen on the refuge. Because of the colonies and concentrations of waterfowl, the refuge has been designated an Important Bird Area of Global Importance by the American Bird Conservancy." The American White Pelican nests at the Minidoka refuge. http://www.fws.gov/refuges/profiles/index.cfm?id=14614 In addition, if power boats and similar uses are allowed on these protected waters, many users of these vehicles will demand imagined and alleged rights to travel where ever they please with no regard whatsoever to anything but their own pleasure–Lake Lowell at Dear Flat National Wildlife Refuge near Boise is a case in point. For all of these reasons we want the present management to stay as is and do not want any use of motorized vehicles (both land and water) introduced or expanded. Best regards, and thank you for the thoughtful treatment of your CCP write-up. Jackie Johnson Maughan, Conservation Co-Chair OPPOSITION TO ONEIDA NARROWS CANYON HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT Introduction by PVAS President Barb North In the early 1990s PVAS opposed building a dam that would flood the Oneida Narrows to provide power and irrigation for just a few. This stretch of the Bear River is a beautiful and valuable part of the ecosystem. It again deserves our assistance! Keep the Bear River flowing freely through the Oneida Narrows! Please send a letter (copy to PVAS) to:Idaho Department of Water Resources Eastern Regional Office 900 North Skyline Drive, Suite A Idaho Falls, ID 83402-1718 Phone: (208) 525-7161 Saving the Oneida Narrows Written by Brett Sommermeyer Just north of Preston, the Bear River flows clear and cold through eight miles of rugged and picturesque canyon lands. The Oneida Narrows is the last un-dammed stretch of the Bear River, and one of the only places in southeast Idaho where people can enjoy a free-flowing river. Thousands of people visit the Narrows every year to enjoy fishing, tubing, and white water kayaking. The cool, shady riparian forest is a great place to camp, picnic, or just relax on a hot summer day. Beyond the river, the canyon offers unparalleled opportunities for hiking, bird watching, and hunting. The Oneida Narrows is also critical as a regionally unique ecosystem. Bald eagles nest in the canyon and depend on the free-flowing river for fishing. Bonneville cutthroat trout migrate into this productive stretch to feed and over-winter before returning to smaller tributaries to spawn. The rare riparian forest of box elder and big-tooth maple is a haven for migratory birds and other wildlife in an otherwise arid landscape. Unfortunately, this unique area could soon be engulfed by yet another reservoir. Twin Lakes Canal Company intends to build a dam in the Oneida Narrows, flooding the entire length of the canyon and destroying its recreational and ecological values. The dam would also flood the road through the Narrows, all but eliminating public access. In 2003, the Greater Yellowstone Coalition (GYC) entered into an agreement with PacifiCorp and a number of other parties to restore and enhance the Narrows. This agreement produced in-depth studies of Bonneville cutthroat trout and led to the protection of more than 1,000 acres of riparian habitat. Constructing a dam and flooding the Oneida Narrows would jeopardize this co-operative agreement and reverse progress made to date. The Twin Lakes Canal Company is currently in the process of applying for a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) license to construct a dam and reservoir. FERC can only license a dam if the benefits outweigh the recreational, environmental, cultural and historic resources that would be lost. In other words, any new dam should be in the public interest, not just the interest of the company building it. GYC is working to convince FERC not to license the dam and to protect the progress that has been made in the Bear River watershed. While the FERC licensing process will likely continue for some time, the most immediate concern is Twin Lakes’ application to the Idaho Department of Water Resources (IDWR) for a permit to build a dam. The IDWR permit is a critical prerequisite to Twin Lakes’ success in obtaining a license from FERC. GYC is actively opposing the issuance of the permit. They are joined by several other parties, including Trout Unlimited, Idaho Rivers United, the Oneida Narrows Organization, and Franklin County Fish and Game. A formal hearing is now scheduled for the week of March 5, 2012. One issue Twin Lakes must prove is that the project will be in the local public interest. To prove it is not, we urge you to join in this fight to preserve the last free-flowing stretch of the Bear River for the enjoyment of all Idahoans. You can lend your voice to the effort by signing a petition, writing letters of protest to the IDWR, getting the word out to your friends and family, and voicing your concerns at the March 2012 hearing. For more information, contact: Brett Sommermeyer sommermeyerb@gmail.com ConBio Consulting, LLP 1099 SW 62nd Street (406) 595-8839 Lincoln City, OR 97367 Star Coulbrooke of the Oneida Narrows Organization. mailto:<star.onoriv@gmail.com> CONGRATULATIONS - GRANT FOR KIDS TO SAVE AT-RISK BEAVERS! Mike Settell and PVAS won a $5,000 Innovation Grant for Kids to Save At-Risk BeaversThe Portneuf Valley Audubon Society in conjunction with Mike Settell, a researcher in hydrology and riparian restoration, has received a $5,000 planning grant from national Audubon's TogetherGreen Program.Rather than kill nuisance beavers, landowners can work with Settell and his helpers to transport beavers to streams which need them. The young people will be selected from 4-H groups associated with the Fort Hall Indian Reservation, and the towns of Pocatello and Aberdeen. In the grant application, Settell writes, "Beaver are one of nature's most visible civil engineers. With remarkable skill and strength, they fell trees, create dams, and flood areas, often transforming landscapes entirely." He goes on to say "Unfortunately, beavers aren't always recognized for their gifts to society (perhaps real civil engineers can empathize!)." The goal of this project is to reduce beaver mortality by educating the public about the importance of the species. PVAS will partner with several organizations and state agencies to reintroduce beaver to rivers and streams. This joint effort will engage underserved and rural youth from 4-H groups to capture, release, and monitor beavers. The students will also document conditions of rivers and streams where beaver are present, versus those where no beaver live. A professional video team will record this process in order to share the results throughout the community and encourage more people to allow beavers to settle on their land. Conservation Column Jackie Maughan, Conservation Co-Chair As part of a study to rewrite the management plan for our forest lands south and west of Pocatello, the Forest Service wants our comments on what we saw this summer while we were out birding, hiking, biking, and so forth. Included are such popular areas as Mink Creek, Lead Draw, Elk Meadows, Kinney Creek, Scout Mountain and Justice Park. The 2011 cattle grazing season on the Westside Ranger District of the Caribou-Targhee National Forest is over. Cows should have been off the forest by, at the latest, September 15. Since this has been an unusually wet, green season, you likely did not see some of the usual problems such as grass eaten to bare ground and streams trampled to E-coli catch basins. On the right side of the picture is a fenced exclosure which protects this pond in Elk Meadows and its native grasses and coneflower. The area on the left is supposed to have 4 to 6 inches of grass (stubble height) remaining at the end of the grazing season. This photo, shot one week after take-out, shows grass eaten down to bare dirt. In spite of this being one of the wettest years on record, the only vegetation left are the coneflowers which cows will not eat. At any rate, it is really, really important to report your observations, good and bad. District Ranger Jeff Hammes has gone out of his way to work with PVAS. Just tell him what you saw–cow pies on the trail on the East Fork of Mink Creek, cows and calves standing to their withers in the beaver ponds next to the Crystal Summit road, whatever. The point is, DO IT. Our input profoundly affects whether or not we can get cows permanently taken out of Pocatello’s most popular recreation area. "All of this part of the forest is heavily used for recreation by the local community, and cattle presence during the summer and early fall months has a negative impact on these activities," comments Dr. Charles Trost, founder and field trip chair of the Portneuf Valley Audubon Society (PVAS). Every ten years the U.S. Forest Service must redo the management plans for the grazing allotments on its land. "The NEPA [National Environmental Policy Act] analysis supporting grazing on these cattle allotments is outdated and the reauthorization decisions were signed prior to the completion of the 2003 Revised Forest Plan" writes Westside District Ranger Jeffery Hammes in the 2011 Lower Portneuf Environmental Assessment Analysis Scoping document . One of the most significant issues relating to the Pocatello allotment is the unlawful use of the West Fork of Mink Creek. Most of it has been closed for many years to cattle grazing, but recreational users complain of cattle trespassing into the closed area. The main fork of Mink Creek, where the highway runs, is also closed to grazing from the forest boundary upstream to just past its confluence with the West Fork. The problem here, according to Dr. Ralph Maughan, vice president of the Western Watersheds Project, is excessive grazing in its tributaries such as Kinney Creek and farther upstream in the South Fork of Mink Creek and the slopes along the highway beneath Crystal Summit. Maughan also says the grazing season is too long. The grazing period on the Pocatello Grazing allotment is from June 1 until Oct. 10. Maughan says this takes up the entire period plants are growing except the month of May. "With a large population base so close by, and the ever-increasing number of outdoor enthusiasts roaming the nearby hills, there is no place for cattle grazing this close to town and the permits should not be renewed," writes Scott MacButch, PVAS webmaster, in his comments on the scoping document. To make comments on the 2011 Lower Portneuf Environmental Assessment Analysis Scoping document, email comments-intermtn-caribou-targhee-westside@fs.fed.us or writing to the Westside Ranger District, 4350 Cliffs, Pocatello, 83204
MESSAGE FROM PVAS PRESIDENT The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge—The Importance of Place The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) becomes fifty years old on December 6, 2010. It is a national treasure. One hundred and eighty species of birds migrate from each of the six continents to breed at the Arctic refuge. All fifty states receive some of these species, which hatched on the refuge in the current year, during migration. Courtship, nesting, molting, and staging occur during this time of constant light and abundant food. This is an amazing feat during such a short season! Audubon Alaska has a fall migration birding challenge for the nation. This birding challenge is to support protection of the ANWR and against development of this majestic place. This contest is running now. You will need to form teams of up to 6 people. Record your birds observed, by sight or sound, on the official checklist found at the website below. Enjoy your time discovering as many species as possible. Results will need to be submitted before midnight on Dec. 1 (Alaska time). On Dec. 6, the anniversary of ANWR, winners will be announced and prizes awarded to each member of the three winning teams. 1 st Prize: Copies of Arctic Wings: Birds of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, edited by Stephen C. Brown and Jimmy Carter2 nd Prize: Bird Songs of Alaska 2-CD set, along with birding maps for Anchorage, Kodiak, and Fairbanks3 rd Prize: Arctic National Wildlife Refuge T-shirtDetails of this challenge along with a bird list and entry form can be found at: www.AudubonAlaska.org or call Beth Peluso at 907-276-7034. Other animals like polar bear and caribou utilize the refuge, while the ocean teems with life also. The Coastal Plain is the most vital area of this refuge. Fifty years is not the permanent protection from development that this vital area needs. This summer we have learned the disaster that can occur at the pop of a cap. We should urge our leaders to permanently protect this amazing, unique treasure! We reap the benefits of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in our own backyards, wherever we live.Jane Goodall writes: "Only if we understand can we care. Only if we care will we help. Only if we help shall all be saved." – Jane Goodall, Founder, The Jane Goodall Institute, and United Nations Messenger of Peace We have an obligation. --- Barb North, PVAS President
The Art of Dying Well: Planned Giving The Sagebrush Steppe Regional Land Trust by Jackie Johnson Maughan I am 65 years old. I have no children. My townhouse in the city is paid for and I have several thousand dollars in stocks. I am 80 years old. I have three children and seven grandchildren and they are provided for. I am comfortably well off and in addition to my home in Mink Creek I own several acres of land there which my husband and I bought when we were young. I am young, I am middle-aged, I am growing old, I am old, I am dying. I want to leave a legacy that will protect this Southeast Idaho that I love, but how? I am not Ted Turner or Lady Bird Johnson. The Nature Conservancy doesn't really want my money because there isn't enough of it. What can I do? The market value of open land such as that out in the country near, say, the Bear River or the Oxford Slough or the Blackfoot River Reservoir is between $1000 to $5000 per acre. A conservation easement for that same property costs roughly half as much. So, for example, for every $100,000 worth of my property in the city I can buy about 100 acres of conservation easement. This means that a willing landowner upstream of a marshland could be paid to not subdivide their 100 acres. That way the water flowing into the marshland would not dry up. That way there would not be 200 vacation ranchettes each using 4,000 gallons of water per month in the summer, the land would stay open and wet and able to support the flora and fauna that depend on it. What if the land is particularly unique or critical and I want to buy it outright? Well then, for that $100,000 I could buy about 20 acres of old growth aspen/conifer woodland and help support Great Gray Owl or Pileated Woodpecker populations. And the list goes on. Up until recently, however, this scenario wasn't really possible. But now land trusts handling smaller donations and smaller pieces of property have come into existence. One such organization is the Sagebrush Steppe Regional Land Trust (SSRLT). Its mission is to "protect and enhance natural and working lands in Southeastern Idaho now and for future generations". Through this organization I can use my townhouse or property in Mink Creek or $5000 of Harley Davidson stock to buy acreage or easements to protect the open space that is still open. Regional land trusts like the SSRLT make it easier for small donors to give. (See www.landtrustalliance.org.) Think of them like a mutual fund: small donors pool their money and are able to do what you and I cannot do alone. Here are some numbers from the SSRLT’s web page on what’s been done since its formation in 2004: --- completed 13 conservation projects that protected 1,515 acres. These include • conservation easement purchases totaling 263 acres • conservation easement donations totaling 1,082 acres • land purchases totaling 159 acres –among its projects are • Flying Elk Conservation Easement (Rapid Creek, Portneuf River watershed) • Harris Conservation Easement (Bear River watershed) • Robert Lehman Cedar Creek Preserve (Blackfoot River watershed) So as I move from young to middle-aged, to growing old, to old, to dying, I can find some comfort in the inevitable. I can use all or part of what’s taken a lifetime to accumulate to help protect land and water for those long-legged wading birds, those birds of prey, those perching birds, those ducklike birds, those aerialists. This way I can die well knowing I have helped other creatures live. The Sagebrush Steppe Regional Land Trust can be contacted at Box 1404, Pocatello ID 83204; (208) 241-4662; http://www.sagebrushlandtrust.org; Its executive director is Joselin Matkins joselin.matkins@sagebrushlandtrust.org. Plight of the Albatrosses: Choking on Plastic Waste Very sobering images of albatrosses that have ingested plastic garbage floating in the ocean near Midway Is. Another reminder to make an effort to recycle all your plastic, try to remember to bring re-usable grocery bags to the store, or simply avoid when you can. http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/center/articles/2009/cnn-11-03-2009.html Birds of the Inland Northwest and Northern Rockies by Harry Nehls, Mike Denny and Dave Trochlell. 2008. R. W. Morse Company, Olympia, WA. 422 pp. $18.95. A Book Review by Chuck Trost, Ph.D., Emeritus Professor of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University, Pocatello, Idaho and Currator Emeritus of Ornithology, Idaho Museum of Natural History, Pocatello, Idaho 83209. This is a remarkable little book – it measures only 4.5 X 6 inches, yet contains clear pictures and accurate species accounts for all the common, and many not so common birds of the inland Pacific Northwest. It is small enough to actually fit into your hip pocket. As the map inside the front cover illustrates, it covers Oregon and Washington east of the Cascades, all of Idaho, and western Montana. To make it user-friendly there is a color-coding system for a quick guide to related species, plus a short index and an index/checklist with boxes to mark your first sightings. An introduction section mentions that this book is for beginning birders in the region, as well for the more experienced birder who wants accurate information and good pictures of birds. Unlike many photographic guides, both age and sexual/seasonal differences in plumage are well illustrated. There is also clear advice for attracting birds to your yard, as well as habitats and birding locations in the Northern Rockies. It is obvious that the authors have detailed knowledge of the birds and their locations in this region. Each species account has a section entitled: Description, Similar Species, Voice, Where to Find, Behavior, Did you Know? plus a space to record the date and location where first seen. This would be a great present to a boy or girl-scout working on their birding merit badge, or a wonderful Christmas present for anyone in the region who is starting to show an interest in birds. It is highly recommended.
Book Review by Chuck Trost
Birdwatcher: The life of Roger Tory Peterson by Elizabeth Rosenthal. 2008. The Lyons Press, 296pp, 12 color and 13, black-and-white photographs. Hard cover, $24.95.
In many ways Roger Tory Peterson can be considered the father of modern
birding. Prior to his 1934 Guide to Eastern Birds, most bird ID was conducted
over the barrel of a gun. Since then we have a plethora of fine bird books,
including several editions of most of RTP's, but he kick-started our popular
fascination with birds, and as a result, a great conservation movement. Roger
died on July 28, 1996 and 2008 would have been his 100th Birthday.
Rosenthal interviewed over 110 people for this review of RTP's long life. The book is organized topically, each with a chronological base. His early life in Jamestown, NY (now home of the RTP Institute) is well covered, including the importance of his teacher, Miss Hornbeck and her Junior Audubon Club. Peterson went on to write for these Audubon newsletters, as well as work in many other positions with Audubon. It is interesting to read of his tumultuous relationships with several of Audubon's somewhat autocratic presidents, including Peter Berle, who tried to discard our great egret logo in favor of a blue flag. Early on Peterson became friends with Rosalie Edge, who challenged Audubon's positions on several topics, and subsequently purchased the land at Hawk Mountain, PA, which stopped the meaningless slaughter of raptors. It is just fun to read about and remember all we owe to this talented and dedicated man. If you are still looking for a Christmas present for that hard-to-satisfy birder, look no further. You can order it on-line (ISBN 978-0-292-71680-3), or can read more about it at http://www.petersonbird.com. . Birder's Brew Coffee & Reusable Grocery Bags - PVAS is now selling shade grown, locally roasted coffee for $10/lb. We also will have nylon grocery bags, that fold up to fit in your hand so you can buy several and leave them handy in your car. These fund raising products will be available at our meetings, or contact Barbara North, President (barbsmail05@hotmail.com) for more information. Rebuilding Of Failed Teton Dam Questioned – by Scott MacButch Thirty-two years ago this June, the Teton Dam failed. The Bureau of Reclamation built and designed the structure. The 270-foot-deep reservoir took almost eight months to fill and in less than six hours it drained, killing at least 11 people, and causing more than a billion dollars in flood damages. The filling and the subsequent rapid draining of the reservoir triggered more than 200 landslides in the river canyon that was inundated by the former reservoir. Debris material from these landslides covered river terraces and buried the river channel in several locations severely impacting the physical aspects of the canyon as well as the biology of 17 miles of incredibly scenic river canyon. An independent council of investigation testified back then that the location for the dam was “inadequate”, with the proximate cause of the dam failure being water seeping through the porous lava bedrock on which it was built and along the fissured canyon walls. Many feel that these same threats exist today. Reconstruction of the dam is and has been primarily proposed for years for chiefly one reason –irrigation for farmers, not power generation. It has been primarily advanced by a small, very influential group of farmers, intent on turning a vast amount of dry farm area into highly productive irrigated soil. Early this spring the Idaho Legislature set aside $400,000 to study resurrecting the dam on the Teton River in Fremont County. It is estimated that the current price tag to construct a concrete structure as opposed to the original earthen dam would be around $435 million. This canyon which runs approximately east-west features dense coniferous forests on its south side. The north side features awesome exposed volcanic rhyolite cliffs and towers. There are approximately 16 rapids on the middle Teton with one being rated a Class IV. There is only low to moderate pressure for fishing for Cutthroat Trout due to the remote nature of the canyon and generally fishing is rated as excellent. The reconstruction of this dam is not in the best public interest with both science and experience arguing against its reconstruction. It is not worth the sacrifice of an incredible 17 mile wilderness stretch of crystal clear flowing water that will benefit only a few. We need to take serious steps toward water conservation - how many times do you see water sprinklers running in the middle of a hot summers day? We can’t “build our way out” of increasing water demands. Female Wilson Warbler Flies From Alaska To Camas N.W.R. In 21 Days- By Nancy Maxwell During the Land Bird Migration Study conducted by Dr. Jay Carlisle and the team from the Idaho Bird Observatory in the autumn of 2006, an immature female Wilson Warbler was mist netted and measured. The bird already had a band and Jay submitted the information to the Bird Banding Laboratory. The bird was initially captured on 8-27-06, and again in two days showing a weight gain of .05 grams, over 7% of the body mass. Information Jay received in October of '07 stated the bird was originally banded on 8-06-06 in Kantishna, Alaska. The minimum straight line distance the bird traveled is just over 2000 miles in 21 days! The weight gain at Camas NWR, not unusual for WIWAs and other species at the site, indicates how important that rest and nutrition stop on the journey south is for birds that can winter all the way from the south of the US to central and South America. The value of the research once again so well documented. Question: Trappers use "bob cat snares" to kill bob cats - is there really a market for this in the first place? The Long Answer: Average pelt price for a Montana bobcat in 2005: $345 Estimated number of pelts to make a full-length bobcat jacket: 20 Sale price of a full-length bobcat coat with shawl collar from Henig Furs: $8999.00 The Short Answer: Greed (statistics from High Country News, 2/5/07) BUSINESSES STRIVING TO CO-EXIST WITH PREDATORS- by Scott MacButch I thought it worth while to high light a few businesses and their products that have gone to some lengths to be exceptional stewards of the land they graze and to use non-lethal means to protect their flocks from predators. Thirteen Mile Lamb & Wool Co – Belgrade, MT (406) 388-4945 http://www.lambandwool.com/index.htm Becky Wood and her husband Dave Tyler use guard dogs to protect their flock of sheep and lamb and herd of cows from coyotes and mountain lions. So far they have not lost any livestock to predators. Their web page has this to say about their operation: “At Thirteen Mile Farm we raise sheep without using chemical fertilizers and herbicides on our fields, and the sheep grow on grass, clover and alfalfa with no antibiotics or hormone supplements. Our lamb is certified organic by the Montana State Department of Agriculture. The livestock are fenced out of the creeks to protect both local wildlife habitat and the quality of the sheep’s' drinking water. Our principal protection against native predators are our guard dogs and llamas and our own vigilance; because we have chosen not to use lethal control methods against coyotes, bears, wolves, mountain lions, our ranch is certified as "predator friendly". It is a choice which, like many of our land management decisions, acknowledges risk in the interest of learning how to coexist with native species while caring for the land” Last winter I called them and mentioned that most wool hats make my head itch, Becky advised that the Paw Print hat I wanted was available in light gray which was actually very soft and usually didn’t itch people. I ordered one, and true to her word the hat didn’t itch and became my favorite ski hat. The wool comes from their own sheep, they wash it spin it – do everything at the farm. They also have some great wool blankets and sweaters. Lava Lake Land & Livestock – Near Carey, ID 208.788.9778 http://www.lavalakelamb.com/index.php You can order direct from their website and they ship frozen, organic lamb by 3 day UPS. They ship only on Tuesday, with delivery on the following Thursday. Below is a description and mission statement of the ranch. “Our Company, Lava Lake Land & Livestock, was formed in 1999 with the purchase of Lava Lake, an historic ranch on the Oregon Trail. Because the Ranch is bordered on two sides by Craters of the Moon National Monument and on a third by a region that constitutes one of the largest road less areas in the Lower 48 States, we saw an opportunity to create a large, connected landscape, one that would provide both efficiencies in running a large livestock operation and the opportunity to have a significant impact on conservation. Subsequent strategic purchases brought our holdings - which include private land and public grazing leases -- to 750,000 acres. “Our vision is of a working landscape that is rich with healthy wildlife populations and functioning ecosystems, preserving the wild nature of the land while using it carefully. In 2001 we permanently protected 7,500 acres of private ground at the Ranch by putting it under a conservation easement held by The Nature Conservancy. The easement ensures that these lands will never be subdivided and will be managed in such a way that habitat for wildlife is maintained and improved.” IDAHO WOLF NEWS- by Scott MacButch As reported in Ralph Maughan's web site at: http://wolves.wordpress.com/ , a very old Idaho wolf was found dead this past January, hit by a vehicle 15 miles north of Salmon, Idaho. It is interesting to note that all of the wolves reintroduced to Yellowstone Park in 1995 and 1996 are now long dead, but at least some of their comrades in Idaho lived to a very ripe age. Either because of incredible luck, the right combination of genes or the excellent habitat in central Idaho, B7M lived to at least 13 3/4 years old and he might have been 14 3/4 years old, which would possibly make him the oldest wild wolf on record, according to Ed Bangs who is the Wolf Recovery Coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This wolf was born in Alberta and released on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in January of 1995, and weighed 60 pounds. He joined with another reintroduced wolf, B11F (named "Blackfire" by Idaho school children) and formed a bond that lasted over 10 years and established the Big Hole Pack which inhabits the state border country between Idaho and Montana, south of Lolo Pass. These wolves were involved in a minor bit of livestock trouble early on and were briefly taken from the wild and penned in Yellowstone Park and subsequently moved to an enclosure along the Selway River at Running Creek Ranch and were sometimes called the "Running Creek Pair". The last time they were sighted was in the summer of 2005, with both still leading the pack they created. There is a possibility that Blackfire still lives on, filling the night sky with her howls. RECYCLING FOR PVA ACCOUNT AT WESTERN RECYCLING Our
current account at Western Recycling is a use or lose situation. If ARCTIC NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGEE George Schaller, who was a young
biologist in 1956, when he assisted Olaus & Mardy Murie, and helped get the ball
rolling in establishing the Arctic National Wildlife Refugee, had this to say in
Octobers NGS about Sen Stevens & the Bush Administrations actions to drill on
the refuge's coastal plain: See www.arcticrefugeaction.org for the most current developments
There is also a great DVD out called "Being Caribou" that is available at: http://www.oilonice.org/ (just click on store and follow the links) Environmentalist Leanne Allison and wildlife biologist Karsten Heuer follow a herd of 120,000 caribou on foot, across 1,500 kilometers of rugged Arctic tundra. The husband-and-wife team wants to raise awareness of threats to the caribou's survival - It is a great DVD - have a house party and get others over to watch it. BOOK REVIEW - ARCTIC NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGEE- By Scott MacButch “Seasons of Life and Land”, by Subhanker Banerjee (published by The Mountaineers), is a classic. The man is incredibly dedicated, in March of '02 he spent 29 days camped on the Canning River delta, to get two images of a polar bear and her cub leaving their den in a snow drift. He endured temperatures as low as -40F with winds gusting to 60 mph. He spent over 2 years on the refuge, photographing in both winter and summer. Forward is by Jimmy Carter, chapters by Peter Matthiessen, Fran Mauer, William H Meadows, Debbie S Miller, George Schaller and David Allen Sibley. Mountaineers rushed it into publication in hopes of generating public support for its preservation. It’s available at Amason.com. Unlike last year, the Senate has lost several Democrats who voted against the energy bill to allow drilling in the Arctic Nat. Wildlife Refugee. It will almost take a miracle this coming year to stop the legislation, but a filibuster can still work, and miracles are known to happen . If you ever felt like writing your senator or local newspaper please don’t wait. A WOLVERINE’S SURPRISING WALKABOUT - By Scott MacButch As reported in several regional newspapers, one of the longest recorded treks by a wolverine recently took place in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. It seems this “traveling man” even made a brief stop over to a ridge top over looking Pocatello. The wolverine was wearing a global positioning system collar and wandered nearly 550 miles in seven weeks! In fact, in one 19-day stretch, the wolverine traveled south from Grand Teton National Park to a ridge top east of Pocatello and back to the Teton Range, a distance of 256 miles. A few days later his short legs carried him north to Mount Wasburn in Yellowstone National Park and back to the Teton Range, a distance of approximately 140 miles in seven days. This would average out to be roughly 20 miles a day for 7 days straight (mind you this is over very rough terrain). The elusive animal traveled through parts of three states, two national parks and crossed eight mountain ranges and two major rivers. The jaunt was tracked by biologists with the Wildlife Conservation Society and described in the latest issue of Northwest Science. “This guy kinda blew the doors open as far as what was known about long-distance travel”, stated Brent Brock, one of the paper’s authors. The study was led by biologists Bob and Kristine Inman of Bozeman. The young male was originally trapped in the Teton Range in January 2001. He was tracked briefly with radio signals before he disappeared for a year. In March of 2002, he was recaptured in the Tetons and fitted with a GPS collar, which tracks the animal’s location and saves the information on a computer chip inside the collar. The information is retrieved when the collar falls off. The scientists were able only to get a vague idea about the wolverine’s travels with radio signals, but it wasn’t until they retrieved the GPS data that they knew exactly where he went and when. Scientists estimate that M304’s home range, at least during his “walkabout” may have been around 23000 square miles. Most of his time was spent in forested areas above 7,000, but occasionally wandered lower into open areas and crossed a few roads and two major rivers. “While these data come from only one individual, they suggest that wolverine populations may function over a huge geographic scale,” Bob Inman stated. The wolverine (Gulo gulo) a relative of the mink and weasel, is the largest terrestrial member of the family Mustelidae. The average weight for a wolverine is 28 lbs. and the largest weight recorded for a wild wolverine was 45 lbs. Young are born in dens, typically in February. Unfortunately, this wolverine was legally killed by a trapper in January of 2004, in the Centennial Range, along the Idaho/Montana border. Montana is the only state (with the exception of Alaska) that has a season for the trapping of wolverines, and just this past August the Montana, Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission finally voted to set quotas on wolverine trapping. The decision marks the first time the state has set quotas on wolverine trapping. Last year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service denied a petition to list the wolverine as threatened, saying there was too little information about the animal’s distribution, habitat requirements and threats. Here is a selection of excerpts from Idaho Department of Fish and Game Researcher Jeff Copeland's 1996 Masters Thesis on wolverines in the Sawtooth Mountains of central Idaho. Up until this latest research effort, Jeff's study was the fifth of only five field studies of wolverine in all of North America (the only other field study done in the continental U.S. was by Maurice Hornocker and Howard Hash in Montana in 1981): "Protection of natal denning habitat from human disturbance is critical for the persistence of the wolverine in Idaho. The clear association between wolverine presence and refugia may be strongly linked to a lack of available natal denning habitat outside protected areas... Technological advances in over-snow vehicles and increased interest in winter recreation has likely displaced wolverines from potential denning habitat and will continue to threaten what may be a limited resource." (p.129) "Subalpine cirque areas important for natal denning may be made unavailable by winter recreational activities. Conversely, high road densities, timber sales, or housing developments on the fringes of subalpine habitats may reduce potential for winter foraging and kit rearing and increase the probability of human-caused wolverine mortality." (p.130). “When viewed in conjunction with potential displacement and disturbance of denning females by winter recreational activities of humans, denning habitat may be a limited and critical component of wolverine habitat." (p.93) There is a great anecdote of a mother wolverine who discovered the researchers' snowshoe tracks near her den, followed them to within 20 m of the researchers, immediately returned to her den and took off in the opposite direction with a kit in her mouth, and returned 30 minutes later to repeat this with her second kit. (pp.96). For additional information about wolverines, see: http://www.wolverinefoundation.org http://www.predatorconservation.org/ |
