Cuts include Wildlife Services- Obama’s budget would deeply cut farm subsidies. By P.J. Huffstutter, Los Angeles Times I kind of thought Obama might not figure this out, but his budget proposal seems to take a whack at this nasty agency as well as the heretofore unstoppable subsidy payments to rich and corporate farmers. If you…
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation throws in with cattle and sheep associations- Story. Hunting groups clash. By Rob Chaney. Missoulian It appears there is a difference in strategy how to get at wolves, according to the Missoulian. However, I think it is more likely the the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (actually David Allen, CEO) has actually…
From the USFWS Press Release 2/10/11: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today the availability of a draft Environmental Assessment (EA) of Idaho Department of Fish and Game’s request to manage gray wolves in the Lolo Elk Management Zone in north central Idaho in response to impacts of wolf predation on elk. The Draft Environmental Analysis…
This is a very important case Judge Molloy has issued a order asking the defendants and plaintiffs why the 10(j) lawsuit “should not be dismissed as moot due to the absence of a population meeting the statutory requirements for 10(j) status.” If the lawsuit is dismissed wolves in all of the Northern Rockies could lose their…
Latest is 4,635 elk, count is down 24 percent from 6,070 last winter- Wolf population was over 100, 5 years ago; now down to 37-* Update. Leader of the Yellowstone wolf team, Dr. Doug Smith talks about the elk situation on Montana Public Radio News. Note that it is not the first story in the…
And people wonder why wolf advocates are wary of state management of wolves….. Idaho sheriff denies SSS raffle aims for wolves. Washington Examiner
Western Democrats want to gut the Endangered Species Act Jon Tester, the Democratic Senator for Montana, is facing a tough re-election battle in 2012 which may hinge on the wolf issue. He is desperate to find a solution which allows the State of Montana to manage wolves and wants to get something passed in the…
George Wuerthner nails it again, questioning the chief assumption that informs livestock-wolf conflict management. Do ranchers have a right to predator free landscape? – George Wuethner, NewWest One of the unquestioned and unspoken assumptions heard across the West is that ranchers have a right to a predator free environment. Even environmental groups like Defenders of…
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University. He was a Western Watersheds Project Board Member off and on for many years, and was also its President for several years. For a long time he produced Ralph Maughan’s Wolf Report. He was a founder of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. He and Jackie Johnson Maughan wrote three editions of “Hiking Idaho.” He also wrote “Beyond the Tetons” and “Backpacking Wyoming’s Teton and Washakie Wilderness.” He created and is the administrator of The Wildlife News.