Heroes

Why I Think The Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act Is A Good Idea

Online Editors — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 14:35:51 -0400

by Hal Herring

“I truly believe that the Rocky Mountain Front Heritage proposal is one of the most thoroughly thought out plans I have ever seen. It doesn’t offend anyone or any group in any way. It truly leaves one of the world’s grandest remaining landscapes intact for future generations to experience and enjoy.” -Roy Jacobs, hunter from Pendroy.

Have you ever driven south along the Rocky Mountain Front from Babb, Montana, with Chief Mountain towering from the plains, the peaks and snowfields of Glacier Park staggering off to the west? Or drift down the near-empty highway, pulling over to glass for grizzlies in the distant aspen thickets bonsai’ed by fierce wind, cold temperatures, snow and summer’s parching heat? You can stop in Browning for gas and a Coke before travelling across the ether-clear Badger Creek to the Two Medicine River. Then you can head to the willow-enclosed Dupuyer Creek, passing the signs beckoning you westward at every washboard turnoff -- Swift Dam, Blackleaf Canyon, Ear Mountain, Teton River, Sun River. It's a country vast enough for a lifetime of exploring and then some.

The communities are out east, supporting farms large and small. Fairfield, the malting barley capital of the nation, lies here amid oceans of hard, red wheat blowing in the wind. West is another kind of wealth: the truly wild crossroads where the prairies meet the mountains. It is excellent cattle country, with protein-rich native grasses watered from high mountain snowpack. Montana’s biggest elk herd lives there, along with mule deer and pronghorn. And in the strange swamps called fens that dot the landscape, whitetail bucks are growing old and hermit-like in places almost impossible to reach. In a world of whirling, sometimes out-of-control change, a lot of Montanans and people who love this place from all across the nation come to the Front to experience the American West at its most untamed. The common denominator of those who know the place is a simple request: please don’t change it.

Although it has been opposed by some more-polarized environmental groups, the Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act stands the best chance of achieving something close to that goal. The Front is the place where my wife and I are raising our family. It's where we fish and hunt with our children, study the night skies and the day breaking on the white cliffs of the mountains, where we struggle with winter and try to pay the bills and listen to the wind blowing over some of the best country left on earth. It is no accident that the Front is the way it is. People have taken good care of the land here, and the Heritage Act is a continuation of that stewardship.

I am in the backcountry all this week but I wanted to share this announcement with readers. I'll be writing on the details of this cutting-edge conservation strategy -- looking into the hunters, backcountry horsemen and ranchers who created it, and why they felt that it was critical to do so -- in a future blog post. In the meantime, you can read about the bill here.

Vermont's Pete the Moose Dies, Game Park Owner Admits to Cover-up

Online Editors — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 11:06:18 -0400

--Chad Love

Vermonters and moose lovers everywhere are mourning the passing of Pete, the orphaned moose whose plight captured the attention of...people who pay attention to such things. Pete's death was bad enough, but it appears that Pete's been dead for quite some time and the animal everyone thought was Pete was in fact a Pete proxy. Confused? Read on...

From this story on abcnews.com:

The owner of the game park where Pete the Moose lived has taken responsibility for covering up the death of Vermont's favorite animal, the state's fish and wildlife commissioner said Saturday. Pete, whose life in captivity helped prompt the state to pass new wildlife laws and who received a gubernatorial pardon last winter, died in early September at the Big Rack Ridge in Irasburg while being tranquilized during hoof trimming. But state officials insisted he was alive until Friday, even issuing a photo taken Thursday of a moose it identified as Pete. The moose in the picture turned out to be a different animal, prompting Pete's Facebook fans to start accusing the state of a cover-up. But Commissioner Patrick Berry said park owner Doug Nelson has since admitted that he delayed telling state officials about Pete's death.

Pete, who was adopted as a calf after dogs attacked his mother and a sibling, rose to fame in 2009, when state officials said they didn't want native wild animals mixing with the elk at the game preserve, out of fear that chronic wasting disease could spread to the native animals. Animals other than elk on the preserve were ordered hunted and killed, but after a public outcry, lawmakers crafted a compromise. In it, the animals at the Big Rack Ridge preserve were designated a "special purpose herd," oversight of which was transferred from Fish and Wildlife to the state Agency of Agriculture. That meant that preserve owner Doug Nelson owned the animals. But lawmakers reversed themselves earlier this year, saying wild animals in the state can't be privately owned and are legally a public trust, owned by all Vermonters. Under that legislation, the native deer were ordered removed within three years, but Pete was allowed to stay.

Goodbye and Godspeed to that big muskeg in the sky, Pete. We hardly knew ye...

Conservation Roundup: Duck Campaign, Biofuel News, Saving SF Bay

Online Editors — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 13:51:54 -0400

by Bob Marshall

Duck Campaign Gains Momentum

Ducks Unlimited's "Double Up for Ducks" campaign urges sportsmen to buy two $15 federal ducks stamps this year instead of just one. This is an effort to offset expected cuts to federal wetlands protection programs. Not surprisingly, the campaign just gained a prominent supporter: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the agency which administers many of the nation's major wetlands conservation programs.

The cuts are expected to be serious, and this is one conservation program where the money doesn't disappear through the federal budget rabbit hole. Duck stamp sales has been the most efficient program for preserving waterfowl wetlands. It funds the Small Wetlands Acquisition Program (SWAP), which is responsible for purchasing titles or easements on three million acres in the potholes country -- prime waterfowl production acres hand-picked by waterfowl managers to form the backbone of the duck factory.

Nation's Top Science Group Skeptic of Biofuel's Potential

Sportsmen gained another weapon in their fight against biofuel programs and their damaging effects on wildlife and the environment. A report from the National Academies of Science says the nation's drive to expand biofuels is unlikely to achieve its goals -- which include cleaning up the environment and reducing our dependency on foreign oil.

A report by the Academies' National Research Council looks into the mandates in the 2005 Energy Policy Act and the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act. Originally welcomed as a way to decrease carbon emissions, these programs resulted in an explosion of crops, especially corn, which has impacted land conservation programs and sent food prices soaring.

Turning Back Time in San Francisco Bay

A levee built years ago to create commercial salt ponds in San Francisco Bay was deliberatly breached to help restore the integrity of the ailing ecosystem. This is part of the wider South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project, the largest tidal wetland restoration effort on the West Coast -- 3,000 acres have already been restored.

Conservation Roundup: Oil Spills, Playa Protection, Fighting Carp Invasion

Online Editors — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 13:03:06 -0400

by Bob Marshall

Worrying New Signs of BP's Oil in Gulf

When the Deepwater Horizon blew April 2010, oil spill experts said it was a disaster that will keep on giving for years to come, and the evidence of that truth is piling up.

A study released in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Science last week revealed that petroleum toxins from Deepwater Horizon have altered the cellular functions of the Gulf killifish, or cocahoe. This wetlands minnow is a prime a food source for valuable sports species such as redfish, speckled trout, flounder and drum. The impacts observed are predictive of disruption in reproduction and larvae survival, the authors reported. The complete study can be found here.

One day later, the U.S. Coast Guard acknowledged that oil sheens spotted near the site of the Deepwater Horizon blow-out may be coming from the well that was supposedly capped a year ago.

Anglers and environmental groups have been reporting sheens in the area for months, but authorities downplayed their relevance until samples analyzed by oil experts at Louisiana State University confirmed they were coming from the Macondo well.

Mapping the Playas

Playas are shallow, clay-bottomed depressions in the Great Plains that serve as seasonal wetlands to waterfowl and numerous other birds and wildlife. They play a major role in recharging the Oglala Aquifer, a main source of fresh water for humans and critters in the nation's mid-section. Playas are one of the most threatened wildlife habitats on the continent. The Playa Lakes Joint Venture, a partnership of public and private conservation organizations working to protects playas has found one of its most challenging missions: helping sportsmen and residents of the region to know where their playas are.

Help is now available with the PLJV play lakes county maps for six states.

States Demand Action on Asian Carp

Midwestern sportsmen fighting to spreading invasion of Asian carp are getting some powerful political help: The Attorneys General of 17 states have demanded federal help to choke off the spread of the invasive species that has proven deadly to native fish and fishermen.

Conservation Roundup: Thrifty Hunting and Fishing and Why Conservation = Jobs

Online Editors — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 15:34:11 -0400

by Bob Marshall

Until there is a breakthrough in renewable/green technologies, energy development remains a threat to hunting and angling. In addition to demanding responsible development on public lands that gives fish, wildlife and recreation the priority it deserves, sportsmen can do one more thing to help out: Lower their energy demands.

The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership provided this five-step program for hunters and anglers to use:
1)   Camp, Don’t Commute – Instead of driving back and forth to your hunting/fishing spot, try spending the night in the great outdoors. You’ll save fuel, and have a great experience.

2)   Hunt or Fish with a Friend – Two can get the same thrills for the fuel price of one.
3)   Use Refillable Water Bottles – Those throw-away bottles create huge disposal problems and require energy to produce. You can use the same bottle to save money and the environment.
4)   Scout from Home – Time and money get wasted getting to your access points, and beyond. Use internet maps to study your areas first, cutting your preparation time and fuel bill.
5)   Take the 5% Reduction Pledge – If the average American reduced their driving by just 5 percent annually, they could save $130 (at $3.50 a gallon), reducing their carbon emissions – and having more money to spend on the outdoors.

People who tell sportsmen the nation needs to cut conservation spending and environmental regulations often use this excuse: They cost jobs!

Now you can tell them: WRONG!

These programs and regulations annually help to produce jobs and pour billions into the treasury to help eliminate the deficit. According to the Outdoor Industry Association, the habitat necessary for outdoors sports supports businesses that provide 6.4 million jobs, with almost $300 billion in annual retail sales and services contributing $88 billion in annual federal and state taxes.

You can get the complete breakdown here.

Heroes of Conservation Ep. 6: Heroes in Action

Sarah Smith — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 14:57:35 -0400

Join Hero of Conservation Ron Kuipers and Editor-at-large Eddie Nickens as they assess the blight resistance of American chestnut trees in a Maryland experimental orchard. American chestnuts that are bred to survive the blight may once again become an important wildlife food source in eastern forests.

Next week, Nickens will join a Kansas couple who have spent 23 years volunteering to educate local youths through their Outdoor Adventure Camp.

Heroes of Conservation Ep. 5: The Forest Rehabilitator

Sarah Smith — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 15:22:46 -0400

Heroes of Conservation finalist Ron Kuipers manages 15 experimental chestnut orchards in Maryland, working with The American Chestnut Foundation and the Izaak Walton League of America to develop a blight-resistant American breed of chestnut tree.

On Friday, you’ll be able to watch as Kuipers and Editor-at-large Eddie Nickens assess the health of the American chestnuts in an orchard that’s been exposed to the blight, and find out that one of them has to be cut down.

Heroes of Conservation Ep 4: Heroes in Action

Sarah Smith — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 14:29:52 -0400

Heroes of Conservation finalist Clair Harris and Editor-at-large Eddie Nickens clear debris from a reclaimed water storage tank and test sections of the 12-mile pipeline which brings thousands of gallons of water to Arizona’s big game in drought conditions.

Hope to see you here Wednesday, when we’ll post a video of our next Heroes of Conservation honoree: Ron Kuipers of Kensington, Maryland.

Kansas Bird Hunting Areas to Be Used for Emergency Grazing, Hay Cutting

Online Editors — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 14:11:27 -0400

by Chad Love

While the ongoing drought in many parts of the country has been getting a lot of coverage lately, the one aspect that is of key concern to bird hunters is the drought's effect on Conservation Reserve Program lands. In short, it's not good. In many areas of the country CRP tracts provide crucial - and sometimes the only - nesting and brood cover for upland gamebirds.

Unfortunately, in a drought like the one we're currently enduring, those same CRP fields are often the only areas where farmers and ranchers have any grass left for livestock. So the USDA can issue emergency rules allowing landowners to graze or hay CRP fields. And that's exactly what's happening now in one of the nation's premier bird-hunting states.

From this story in the Topeka Capital-Journal:
Federal officials added Kansas counties to the roster allowed to engage in emergency grazing and haying in response to the drought, the state's U.S. senators said Thursday. Sens. Pat Roberts and Jerry Moran, both Republicans, said half of the state's counties were now included in U.S. Department of Agriculture declarations allowing conservation reserve program acreage to be opened to hay cutting or grazing by livestock. "I am grateful USDA has taken additional steps to expand relief to those producers suffering from this severe drought and higher feed costs," Roberts said. CRP emergency grazing was approved for 16 counties. They are Butler, Chase, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Cowley, Elk, Greeley, Greenwood, Labette, Lyon, Montgomery, Morris, Neosho, Sedgwick, Sumner and Wilson counties. The six counties now open to cutting of CRP land for hay are Elk, Ellsworth, Greenwood, Scott, Sumner and Wilson. Farmers and ranchers who choose to participate in the feeding programs must contact a county office of the USDA's Farm Services Agency.

It's a tough position to be in, for birds and landowners. Here's hoping things look a little better (and wetter) by this fall. How's the CRP situation in your area?

Study: Hunting, Fishing in Rockies Proven to be Recession Proof

Online Editors — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 09:32:24 -0400

by Chad Love

In the current political climate it's fashionable (on both sides of the aisle) to cut programs and legislation that "doesn't pay its way." Not surprisingly, conservation and environmental programs and legislation are currently under attack because we "can't afford it any more." But what if, as many of us have been arguing for years, not only can good conservation and environmental programs pay their way, they also pump money into the economy even in the depths of a recession?

That's the gist of a recent economic study from the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks department that revealed hunting and fishing activity along the front range of the Rocky Mountains is a remarkably recession-proof activity and an important regional economic engine. And that's a very good reason, argues one sportsmans's group, to encourage further environmental legislation to protect the area.

From this story in the Great Falls Tribune:
The Coalition to Protect the Rocky Mountain Front said that based on economic indicators from recent Fish, Wildlife & Parks studies of hunting's impact, the Front needs further legislative protection. Five Montana sportsmen said in a teleconference call Tuesday that the hunting industry is a rare economic bright spot in the current recession, and called the Front a poster child of this sustainable economic engine. "The remarkable thing we are seeing here is stability," said Randy Newberg, an accountant and host of the hunting television series "On Your Own Adventures." "The numbers along the Front show public land hunting has not been as susceptible to the broader economic challenges facing other industries during the recent recession," he said.

The coalition cited five years of hunting data collected by FWP regarding hunting on the Front. The numbers say that during 2006, sportsmen hunting along the Front spent $9.8 million; which grew to $10.4 million in 2008 ˜ in the middle of the recession; and fell slightly in 2010, to $10.1 million. "Hunting is annually renewable," said Stoney Burke of Choteau. "It is not boom and bust. It is a huge economic stimulus for these little communities along the Front."

Makes sense to me, and I'd be willing to bet the same economic argument could be made about any number of conservation programs that are in very real danger of being eliminated under the guise of deficit reduction. Your thoughts?