PORTNEUF VALLEY AUDUBON SOCIETY

POCATELLO, ID

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For PVA's latest newsletter including meetings and field trips, Click HERE

MAY MEETING

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

 Dave and Chuck go the Washington

  Because of the Portneuf Valley Audubon Society's (PVAS) involvement at Camas NWR, Dave Mead (our current President) and Chuck Trost (the founder of this chapter and Field Trip Chair) were invited to join over 450 Friends of the Refuge volunteers to lobby our representatives for an increase in the refuge budgets for next year.  Refuge budgets have been slashed by over 30% in the last several years and they can't afford to replace biologists, maintenance personnel, and invasive weed control.  The meeting was held from February 21-25 and was sponsored by the non-profit National Wildlife Refuge Association.  Twenty-two environmental groups also were sponsors, under the acronym of C.A.R.E. (Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Enhancement).  National Audubon was one of them, but the National Rifle Association was also a sponsor.  This really got our representatives' attention.
 In addition to attending two NWRA meetings with the staff of Congressional Committees, Dave and Chuck also met twice with Senator Mike Crapo.  They also met with Representative Mike Simpson's Chief of Staff, Lindsay Slater, and had the opportunity to speak with Representative Walt Minnick, our only Idaho Democrat at the CARE/FWS Hill Reception.  At every opportunity they impressed the representatives of the dire needs of our refuges, and how much PVAS has contributed to Camas NWR.  They calculated that over the past four years PVAS has contributed $6380 in cash and over 400 volunteer hours to help rehabilitate the dieing riparian vegetation at the refuge.  This doesn't count the numerous hours of banding birds over four seasons at Camas.  Dave and Chuck felt that they had good interactions with our congressmen and their representatives, they believe they were highly effective in their efforts.  Let's hope it results in an increase in funding next year.

BOOK REVIEWS:

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.

Bird Tours

If anyone is interested in guided bird tours to foreign destinations, John Shipley (a former student of Chuck Trost), will give PVAS $500 if anyone signs up and mentions Portneuf Valley Audubon Society. His tours are limited to 8 non-smokers - see his web site at:

www.kingfisherbirdtours.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.

Idaho's wolves are scheduled for delisting, and our newly elected governor, "Butchy The Ass Otter", went on record in early January stating he wanted to be issued one of the first permits to kill one. The price set by the Idaho Fish and Game Commission for a permit was set at $9.75, which certainly signals to the outside world about how much Idaho cares about wolves. Of course our legislature will try to have it both ways, and get ready to hear the complaints next year about how expensive the wolf plan is to administer.

If you ever want to see a wild wolf in Idaho, you better do it with in the next year, as the Idaho plan has made room for only 100 wolves (there are currently about 650 wolves in the state). Idaho's wolf plan was not open to public comment. The livestock industry dominated the group who wrote it up, figured out the minimum that might get by with USFWS and did it.

Below is the legislative group that drafted the Idaho Wolf  Plan (completely unrepresentative of the Idaho population) all are cattle and sheep men, with the exception of Jim Peek who is a college professor:

 Jack Lavin, co-chair
Stan Boyd, co-chair
Ted Hoffman
Jim Peek
Bob Loucks
Cameron Wheeler
Laird Noh

The acutal plan can be read at:

http://species.idaho.gov/pdf/wolf_cons_plan.pdf

There is always going to be intense debate concerning wolves and their main prey base, elk and for those seeking additional information, I would urge you to visit Ralph Maughan's site listed above and also the Idaho Wolves Myths & Facts web site ( http://www.idahowolves.org/).

Ed Bangs who has been the Wolf Recovery Coordinator for the USFWS since it began, had this to say, “There are a few areas where elk are impacted, but so far it’s been in the not-a-big-impact realm in most places.” Part of the perception, he said, is that elk may be harder to hunt. “Research shows that when they are stalked by wolves, elk behave more like wild animals than livestock. They are more alert and spook easier and so hunting is more difficult.”

RECYCLING FOR PVA ACCOUNT AT WESTERN RECYCLING

 Our current account at Western Recycling is a use or lose situation.  If
we have enough people bringing in recycleables to donate to the Audubon
account, we will be able to receive a montly check from them.  If we
don't have enough interest, they will be forced to close it.  So!  Bring
in all your recycling to Western and tell them to credit the Audubon
account.  We will have a 2 month trial period to see what interest the
account will generate. The building is located on 7057 S. 5th Ave.  They
accept milk jugs, aluminum, tin, plastic, paper, magazines, cardboard
and phone books.  Thanks!

 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:

"....About 95 percent of Alaska's North Slope has already been opened for oil leases. Can't we save the rest? What kind of people are we if we don't? There are leased fields on the North Slope that haven't even been drilled yet. But now the oil companies are trying to get into the refuge, because if they can get in there, they can get in anywhere".

Also note that from the Bush Administrations own documents, the best estimate is that if the drilling takes place, in 20 years when it comes on line, it will reduce the price of gas 1 cent at the pump.

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/

 Birdathon

We hold a Birdathon each June as our chief moneymaking effort. This past year we almost netted $2,000.