The Wilderness Sportsman

Tester rider set to gut ESA and hurt wolves, act now

Written by Mike on April 11th, 2011

For those not in the know, Seantor Tester and Rep. Mike Simpson have included a rider in the budget bill that would permanently end all endangered species protectioins for wolves in the Northern Rockies. Most disturbing of all is that this new tactic could open the door for congressional repeal of ALL ESA protections for all species. Not good, and infuriating that a “Democract” would be the one to do it. You can read more about this issue at Howling for Justice:

Link

Capital Switchboard Numbers – give the name of the Senator & you will be transferred to their office. You will then either speak to a staff member, or on the weekend – to voice mail.

When possible ask to speak to each Senator’s environmental aide. This will give you a better chance to get your message across because you will be talking to someone who is familiar with the issue.

CAPITAL SWITCHBOARD

1,866.220.0044
1.877.851.6437
1.800.833.6354
Be polite but express your outrage over the game of chess Congress is playing with wolves’ lives. The delisting language must be stripped out of the final bill
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
Washington DC
522 Hart Senate Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: 202-224-3542
Fax: 202-224-7327
Toll Free for Nevadans:
1-866-SEN-REID (736-7343)
INDIVIDUAL LIST OF SENATORS:
Boxer, Barbara – (D – CA)
(202) 224-3553

http://boxer.senate.gov/en/contact/policycomments.cfm

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Senator Thomas R. Carper (D-Delaware)
1-202-224-2441

http://carper.senate.gov/contact/

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Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ)
(202) 224-3224

http://lautenberg.senate.gov/contact/index1.cfm

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Cardin, Benjamin L. – (D – MD)
(202) 224-4524

http://cardin.senate.gov/contact/

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Senator Bernie Sanders (D-Vermont)
Phone (202) 224-5141

http://sanders.senate.gov/contact/contact.cfm

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Gillibrand, Kirsten E. – (D – NY)
(202) 224-4451
Fax (212) 688-7444

http://gillibrand.senate.gov/contact/

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Senator Tom Udall (D-New Mexico)
(202) 224-6621

http://tomudall.senate.gov/?p=contact

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Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon)
Phone: (202)224-3753

http://merkley.senate.gov/contact/

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Whitehouse, Sheldon – (D-RI)
(202) 224-2921
Fax 202-228-6362

http://whitehouse.senate.gov/contact/

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PRESIDENT OBAMA – The Whitehouse
Comments: 202-456-1111 Switchboard: 202-456-1414 FAX: 202-456-2461
www.whitehouse.gov/contact

Posted in Wildlife | 3 Responses »

Obama admin says “no thanks” to the mist forestfly of Glacier National Park

Written by Mike on April 5th, 2011

Another endangered species gets ignored by the Obama admin. Scary stuff, folks. The mist foresfly, or meltwater Lednian stonefly only lives in glacier-fed steams in Glacier National Park. But like the wolverine, the Obama admin isn’t interested in protecting it.

BTW, the picture you see at the top of this website is Glacier National Park. There are probably a few mist forestflies up in those mountains. Not for long though.

Link

Posted in National Parks, Wildlife | 1 Response »

Great Lakes down 95% in fish biomass since 1990′s

Written by Mike on April 1st, 2011

Yikes.

Link

Posted in Outdoors | No Responses »

42 disease clusters found in 13 states

Written by Mike on March 29th, 2011

Link

Frightening stuff. These locations appear to have significant amounts of incidents comapred to other locations.

Posted in Uncategorized | No Responses »

Park Service plan muddies wilderness protections

Written by Mike on March 10th, 2011

For Immediate Release: Thursday, March 10, 2011

Contact: Kirsten Stade (202) 265-7337

http://www.peer.org/news/news_id.php?row_id=1463

PARK SERVICE PLAN MUDDIES WILDERNESS PROTECTIONS

Confusing, Conflicting Guidance on Climbing Anchors and Other Topics

Washington, DC — The National Park Service is circulating new wilderness guidance that in some cases weakens existing protections, sends mixed messages and appears to violate the Wilderness Act itself, according to comments filed today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). One major departure in the NPS plan would allow fixed rock climbing anchors in designated wilderness, a position not embraced by any other land management agency.

Today ends the comment period on the plan which is in the form of a Director’s Order (a DO provides guidance to Park Service managers). This proposed DO on Wilderness Stewardship would be layered on top of, but supersede, existing agency guidance. Among problems highlighted by PEER is that the DO –

· Authorizes fixed climbing anchors to be embedded in rock in designated wilderness, a step which appears to violate the Wilderness Act precept that wilderness lands be left “untrammeled” by humans. Moreover, NPS cannot adopt such a major policy change by a DO; any change of such magnitude requires formal rulemaking, including public comment and administrative review;

· More than triples road corridors for unpaved roads (from the current 30 to 100 feet) , thus reducing wilderness protections while creating thorny implementation issues; and

· Puts out conflicting, confusing guidance on topics such as cultural resources in wilderness, application of Indian treaty rights, and recommended wilderness.

“Many of these provisions are written as if the Park Service did not even realize it was opening a new can of worms with each step,” stated PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch, noting the irony that the stated purpose of the DO is to provide “consistency and continuity”. “As an example, this proposal recommends public involvement in the wilderness eligibility process, yet the Park Service just stripped wilderness eligibility from 40,000 acres in Big Cypress National Preserve without a scrap of public involvement.”

Permanent rock climbing anchors will also draw controversy because the DO does not lay out a clear process or standard for their approval. The draft DO uses inexact terms like “occasional placement” and “norm” that invite dispute. Moreover, it is not clear how climbers can get permission in advance or, with a ban on “power drills”, how anchors could be embedded into a rock face.

The nearly 50 million acres of designated park wilderness comprise more than half of all the lands within our park system and more than 40% of all federal lands within the National Wilderness Preservation System. Yet, NPS has a love-hate relationship with wilderness. For example, the agency for decades has failed to forward wilderness proposals for several major parks to the Interior Secretary or President for recommendation to Congress, conduct wilderness eligibility assessments for many parks, as mandated by NPS policies since 2001, prepare wilderness management plans, or take other steps necessary to properly administer and protect wilderness resources.

“The National Park Service has a staggering backlog of work which, if completed, would increase the wilderness footprint within the park system by more than half – yet this agenda receives no attention,” added Ruch. “This muddled Director’s Order reflects misplaced priorities and an institutional cluelessness. We urge the agency to retract this plan and concentrate on meaningful steps to meet its wilderness mandate.”

Posted in National Parks | 3 Responses »

Action alert on H.R. 1

Written by Mike on March 1st, 2011

This could be the week – the week when the Senate approves the most anti-environment, anti-wildlife legislation in the last fifteen years.

It’s a bill that would deny life-saving protections for wolves, polar bears, walruses and scores of other species. It’s a bill that would slash conservation funding, mean dirtier air and water and effectively shutter national wildlife refuges for lack of funding.

Let’s stop this before it’s too late.

We don’t have much time. Please call your senators using the information below:

Richard ‘Dick’ J. Durbin – (202) 224-2152
Mark Steven Kirk – (202) 224-2854

If contact information for your senators does not appear above, please call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to your senators.

… and deliver this simple message:

“My name is XXX and I’m calling today from XXX to urge my senators to reject H.R. 1, the House-passed continuing resolution. This bill contains many awful elements, but I especially object to that bill’s provisions to…

Eliminate Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves in the Northern Rockies and Greater Yellowstone;
Prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating emissions that cause climate change that now threaten polar bears and walruses;
Slash funding for national wildlife refuges and the essential Land and Water Conservation Fund, which protect wildlife habitat across the country; and
Complicate enforcement of the Clean Water Act that protects our drinking water and essential waters for aquatic wildlife.

Posted in Wildlife | 1 Response »