February 2007
-
The Forest Service and other land management agencies are charging more and more access fees. They say the money is put to work for underfunded recreation programs, but it is now apparent that they actually using the money for other purposes including closing recreational facilities. Bill Schneider exposes them in New West. Now We Know…
-
Good news for public access in Western Montana. Gov. Schweitzer pushes for parkland. By The Associated Press in the Billings Gazette.
-
Wyo-fed wolf talks fail. By Whitney Royster. Casper Star Tribune. Story in the Jackson Hole News and Guide. Wolf Decision ‘Political’ The US Fish and Wildlife Service has refused to let Wyoming kill wolves just because the governor says the wolves are “hurting big game herds.” Governor Dave Freudenthal (Dem.) has given many contradictory explanations…
-
Global Warming Report: Less Winter in the West? By Dan Whipple. New West. Whipple doesn’t talk about the effect this will have on wildlife. I think it may allow for more winter range for wildlife, with some notable expections such as Yellowstone Park where it will result in wet snow and ice that leaves elk…
-
The Rocky Mountain Front continues to be a success story, now with more plains grizzly bear habitat protected. The last Congress greatly reduced the likihood of oil and gas development dangers. See the AP story. The Front still faces problems — off road vehicles and potential sub-divisions. The Nature Conservancy always plays a cautious game,…
-
Mike-S sent me a number of photos of killed elk, also a deer buck, and a bighorn ram. There were several other photos of the same event, taken from different angles and some others too small I thought to tell much at all. I didn’t put these up. I created a special web page for…
-
The benefit’s of Pombo’s loss keep coming in . . . Wild Sky Wilderness area back in Congress’ sights. Protection may pass by summer. By Charles Pope. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. This is a very important bill because it includes lowland forests. Most designated Wilderness in Washington State is “rocks and ice,” meaning high elevation or otherwise…
-
In this Writers on the Range piece, Rocky Barker, well known author and reporter at the Idaho Statesman opines that despite Governor Otter’s strong anti-wolf statement and all the anti-wolf talk among officials, not all that much will happen to the Idaho wolves. Delisting wolves won’t change much in the West. I should add that…