Gray Wolves Once Again Endangered

The federal government has put the northern Rockies gray wolf back on the endangered species list.  This follows the recent delisting of the gray wolves over speculations that their populations had grown large enough to mandate some kind of control efforts.  (control efforts=hunting)

Wyoming recently held the first legal hunt of gray wolves and many other states would be following on their heels.  Once a few other states decided to run state-sponsored wolf hunts, a federal judge issued a temporary injunction protecting the wolves from any more destruction.

The wolf hunts sparked a large outcry from the conservation groups.  They cited that just because numbers were on the rise, that this did not mean the wolves were out of the danger zone.  As soon as states mentioned hunting the wolves, conservation groups were quick to sue.

Now it seems they’ve caught a major break: Wolves will now stay on the Endangered Species list for the foreseeable future, according to a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service coordinator Ed Bangs. They plan to withdraw their rule that declared wolves officially recovered in the Northern Rockies. Wolves will enjoy full protection under the Endangered Species Act until the USFWS can draw new plans that better provide for wolf protection after de-listing.

This is coming from the Backpacker Magazine blog, The Daily Dirt, in relation to an Associated Press article that was released today.  This article goes on to explain that not enough information was known of the dangers of holding these types of hunts, and now the government will rely more upon studies that will be conducted by the Fish and Game Commission in the future.

I think that what was originally thought of as a good idea, has now been reconsidered.  Whichever side you are on, that of the hunter, or that of the hunted, you can expect that the gray wolf will still be protected for the foreseable future.

It is probably better for all of us that we know exactly what is going on before we jump the gun (figure of speech) of hunting a species that everyone was so adament about bringing back from extinction.  Now, at least, more studies can be done before deciding the best route to take in the future.

Federal Judge Rules Against More Snowmobiles In Yellowstone

A federal judge has struch down an effort by the Bush administration to allow more snowmobile access to Yellowstone National Park.  Judge Emmett Sullivan struck down the idea after disclosing that the National Park Service Organic Act protected the park from such usage in an effort to ‘conserve park resources and values’.

This has ben a long-running debate among many in the outdoor world.  Those FOR added snowmobile usage say that everyone has a right to enjoy our National Park System–by golly, they pay taxes, too.  Those against it suggest the noise and destruction of such behavior will undoubtably hurt the Parks and hamper conservation efforts to protect these areas from destruction.

Well—the judge has spoken.

To read more on this issue, check out this article on Thinking Outside.

The World In 50 Hikes

A columnist for the U.K.’s Telegraph has recently put up a list of his 50 best hikes in the world.  It is quite an extraordinary list of some of the world’s most scenic and beautiful trails.  Christopher Somerville’s list offers up a variety of terrains for the beginner, as well as the more experienced.

I do have to add that there is a heavy emphasis on European trails, and only one mention in the United States (The Grand Canyon), but none-the-less, it is an interesting read and should offer some inspiration and guidance for those looking to experience the world in a more personal level.  Go check out the article.

Florida Closes Parks Ahead Of Hurricane Ike

The Florida Department of Environmental protection has anounced the closings of 11 state parks around the Florida Keys area.  These closings take effect immediately.  The parks will reopen at a later date, once the danger of Hurricane Ike has passed and settled.

For a complete list of the closings, please click here>>>

The White House Conference On North American Wildlife Policy Taking Place Oct. 1-3, 2008

Washington, DC: The date and location for potentially the most important meeting for the future of
wildlife conservation and hunting has been set. The White House Conference on North American Wildlife
Policy will be held October 1 ­ 3 in Reno, Nevada. Mandated by the Facilitation of Hunting Heritage
and Wildlife Conservation executive order signed by President Bush in August 2007, the goal of the
conference is to establish a 10-year plan to improve wildlife conservation and boost hunting opportunity
on public lands. Participants at the conference will include a wide range of stakeholders including
grassroots hunter conservationists, representatives from national and local conservation organizations,
local sportsmen’s clubs, a bipartisan group of members of Congress, Governors, as well as state and
federal officials.

“This conference elevates the challenges facing hunters to the highest level in Washington - the President
of the United States,” noted Jeff Crane, President of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation and a
member of the Sporting Conservation Council, the federal advisory committee that guides administrative
policy on issues important to the hunting and conservation community. “It has been 100 years since a
President convened a group of dedicated conservationists who set in motion a wildlife plan that has
become the most successful in the world. With this conference, today’s political, conservation and
outdoor industry leaders and everyday sportsmen and women have that same opportunity to strengthen
and update the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation for the 21st century.”

The conference will set the stage for a wildlife conservation and hunting heritage plan that will perpetuate
outdoor traditions for future generations of sportsmen no matter who is in the White House or controlling
Congress. Members of the American Wildlife Conservation Partners ­ an affiliation of organizations that
work together on issues facing hunting and conservation ­ sent a letter to President Bush in August
outlining their vision for the conference:

“Our collective vision is that the Conference outcomes will serve as guiding
principles for current and future generations of sportsmen and sportswomen. This
past year, “white papers” were developed that detail the predominant challenges for
wildlife in the next century. Technical and policy sessions with resource professionals
nationwide have been completed. We are pleased to report that the upcoming
Conference Action Plan was created in a strong bipartisan manner with a diverse
coalition from the conservation and sporting community, ensuring a jointly owned
product that will provide strategic policy guidance for future Administrations.”

There are eight primary areas that will frame the core issues for the October conference: the perpetuation
and strengthening of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation; management of wildlife and
habitat at the state, tribal and federal levels; ensuring dependable funding for wildlife conservation;
perpetuating hunter traditions through education, recruitment, and retention; maintaining access to public and private lands; coordinating oil and gas development and wildlife conservation; and the impacts of climate change on wildlife.

“We have worked very hard to be inclusive in our policy discussions in an effort to ensure that our
recommendations are viable, realistic, bipartisan and will truly make a difference to wildlife and hunting,”
commented Dave Nomsen, Vice President of Government Affairs with Pheasants Forever and Chairman
of the American Wildlife Conservation Partners. “We look forward to sharing our vision with the
participants at the White House Conference and trust that the final action plan will meet the needs of
wildlife and all those who are working in the field to protect important wildlife habitat and recruit new
hunters.”

The white papers are in final editing stages and should be released by the end of the month. Information
about the White House Conference on North American Wildlife Policy including links to the complete
AWCP letter to the President, the original Executive Order and the draft white papers can be found at:
www.wildlifepartners.org
.
###
The American Wildlife Conservation Partners (AWCP) is a network of more than forty organizations that
work together to conserve wildlife and wildlife habitat as well as to preserve the traditions of hunting and
trapping. The partnership is a loose affiliation with partner organizations retaining their autonomy and
respecting each other’s differences

Illinois To Close 11 State Parks

The state of Illinois will be closing 11 state park properties, 25 historical landmarks, and laying off 39 DNR employees after state budgets dropped $14 million of DNR funding in the state.

Read more

Kansas Reintroduces The Black-Footed Ferret With new Management Plan

Prior to late 2007, a black-footed ferret had not been documented in Kansas since 1957. Last December, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), in cooperation with local landowners and The Nature Conservancy, released 24 captive-reared ferrets on three private ranches in Logan County.

Several organizations – USFWS, U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal Health and Inspection Service (APHIS), The Nature Conservancy, and Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks — are joining forces to apply intensive management of prairie dogs at ferret reintroduction sites. Black-footed ferrets depend on prairie dog burrows for cover, and prey primarily on prairie dogs. The species historically occupied the western two-thirds of Kansas in association with black-tailed prairie dogs.

The goal of the partners’ management plan is to maintain robust prairie dog populations at the ferret reintroduction sites, while limiting expansion of prairie dogs onto adjacent private lands. The partnering organizations are funding operations of an APHIS employee to manage prairie dogs to meet that goal. Management efforts will continue for five years, after which the reintroduction experiment may be terminated or continued indefinitely depending upon success and cooperating landowner desires.

“These partner organizations are committed to managing prairie dogs in an ecologically and economically responsible manner that considers the well-being of other species that depend on prairie dog habitats,” said USFWS Field Supervisor Mike LeValley. “Management methods will be those best supported by existing research as ecologically sound and effective. The partner organizations would prefer using non-lethal prairie dog management methods, if effective ones can be identified, and we’re all sensitive to the concerns some landowners have about the impact of prairie dogs on livestock forage.”

The rarest of North American mammals, and an endangered species, only 18 black-footed ferrets existed in 1986, down from a population that once covered the entire Great Plains. Aggressive conservation, captive rearing, and reintroduction efforts have restored ferret numbers to well over 600 today.

To improve the status of the species from endangered to threatened, the national goal is to establish 10 free-ranging populations of ferrets, spread over the widest possible area within their former range. Wildlife managers hope that 1,500 breeding adult ferrets will be established in the wild by the year 2010.

Ferrets live and rear their young in prairie dog burrows. They have one litter each year, with an average of about three kits per litter. In the wild, kits do not come above ground until they are two to three months old. Mothers and young remain together until early fall. By October, the kits are able to take care of themselves. Recent field studies reveal that the Logan County ferrets have reproduced at the reintroduction sites and are faring well.

While the black-tailed prairie dog is a species of concern in some circles, it is not protected under the Endangered Species Act.

Watercraft Get New Emissions Regulations

WASHINGTON - Gasoline-powered lawnmowers that are a big cause of summertime air pollution will have to be dramatically cleaner under rules issued Thursday by the Environmental Protection Agency.

The long-awaited regulation requires a 35 percent reduction in emissions from new lawn and garden equipment beginning in 2011. Big emission reductions are also required for speedboats and other recreational watercraft, beginning in 2010.

Read More From MSNBC>>>

Sierra Club Drills Palin/McCain Politics, NRA Fires On Obama: Who Do The Outdoor Enthusiasts and Sportsmen Trust To Lead??

John McCain or Barack Obama.  Biden or Palin?  Which of our Presidential candidates represents the best possibility for a clear-cut future to our Outdoor heritage?  Which candidate will fight for our outdoor rights, fight global warming, get our nation away from foreign oil, and represent the “new” direction that each party is spewing towards a different government?

Read more