legislation
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One can wonder if the rebuttal of logging and prescribed fire by myself and other conservationists as a flawed strategy to protect communities is gaining traction. I cannot often report on favorable bi-partisan legislation regarding wildfire issues. However, a recently introduced bill by Congressional Huffman (D) and Jay Obernolte (R) of California puts the government…
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Livestock grazing in the arid West has a disproportionate impact on ecosystems. but especially on public lands which are to be managed for other values. Photo George Wuerthner Representatives Adam Smith (D-Wash.) and Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) introduced the Voluntary Grazing Permit Retirement Act of 2022. The Act would give federal grazing permit holders the chance…
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Unfortunately, the last story on the killing of a bison bull in Idaho got diverted by an incorrect, unfortunate discussion of the Nature Conservancy who was blameless in the matter. Today, however, the Island Park News reports a second bull bison was shot Idaho by agents in the Island Park area. It was wandering near…
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The much touted vaccine that the woolgrowers have been promoting as a way to make bighorn and domestic sheep compatible is not even close to ready. While bighorn sheep are dying in Montana and Nevada, and while the herds in Hell’s Canyon and the Salmon River Canyon are suffering the long lasting effects of previous…
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Last night Idaho Public Television’s “Dialogue” program had a round table discussion about the bighorn sheep issue and Congressman Mike Simpson’s disease rider that is attached to the Fiscal Year 2012 – House Interior-Environment Appropriations Bill. On the panel, moderated by Marcia Franklin, was Margaret Soulen Hinson, president, American Sheep Industry Association; Neil Thagard, former president,…
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Fiscal Year 2012 – House Interior-Environment Appropriations Bill – Part 3 Another provision of the House Interior-Environment Appropriations Bill would make it impossible for land management agencies to help bighorn sheep by reducing interaction with disease ridden domestic sheep if it might conceivably reduce livestock grazing. Because of the precedent set by the decision made by…
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Delists wolves in Northern Rockies but leaves out Wyoming. The GOP in the House of Representatives is starting to work on their version of a continuing budget resolution that would be needed to fund the government until a formal budget is passed to fund government agencies. Another way to fund the government could come in…
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Over the last 5 days, information about bills to protect the Wyoming Range, Snake River, deal with the Owyhee Country, etc. have been dribbling out. May 7 was a big day for this kind of legislation in the U.S. Senate Committee. A lot of it was minor, but not all. I don’t just mean the…
