Posted: 02 Sep 2011
Idaho wolf hunt commences (slowly)
– Eager Idaho hunters are once again taking aim at wolves across the
state this week, with the fall backcountry hunt officially starting on
Tuesday. But the season appears to be off to a slow start, despite all
the hype in the region for the past several months. This story in the LA Times says tag sales were just a fraction of what they were for the previous
wolf hunt in 2009, and not much news has surfaced yet about how many
wolves have been killed. According to Idaho Fish and Game’s website,
only one wolf have been harvested so far though there is a reporting
delay of up to 72 hours. Hopefully, this means all the anti-wolf
rhetoric was mostly hot air and not a serious attempt to immediately and
drastically reduce the state’s wolf population. Only time will tell, so
keep your fingers crossed.
Wolfing in Wallowa Valley – While wolves are now
being hunted in Idaho, the animals are drawing new crowds of
eco-tourists over in Oregon’s Wallowa County. In this special to the Oregonian,
Beckie Elgin shares her insights into the magic of wolf-watching during
a recent trip to northeast Oregon where her family stayed at Barking
Mad Farm Bed and Breakfast and took a guided wolf tour with local
wildlife advocate Wally Sykes. Though Elgin, her son and two daughters
did not see a wolf in the end, they enjoyed their “wolfing trip”
nonetheless:
Can wolves help save lynx? – What do gray wolves have to do with Canada lynx? A lot, it turns out. A new study from Oregon State University
researchers published in Wildlife Society Bulletin on Monday explains
that the recovery of one endangered species (wolves) is paving the way
for the recovery of the other (lynx). The return of wolves to the 
landscape
has helped reduce the number of coyotes, which, in turn, has taken
pressure off of snowshoe hares, the primary prey of lynx. As
demonstrated many times before, this “trophic cascade” runs up and down
the food chain as apex predators like wolves fulfill their natural role
of keeping prey species in check. In the wolf’s absence, coyotes, deer,
elk and many other species flourished to the detriment of other species.
Now that wolves are back, they’re helping to reduce the coyote
population which leaves more food (i.e., snowshoe hares) for the
imperiled Canada lynx. Read more from the Register-Guard
and on Oregon Public Broadcasting’s Ecotrope blog
.
Tester, Rehberg both want credit for wolf delisting –
In case it wasn’t clear enough before, Sen. Jon Tester and Rep. Denny
Rehberg both tried to score political points with potential supporters
this week by taking credit for the delisting of gray wolves.
The unprecedented move this spring that resulted in the first-ever
legislative delisting of an individual species was seen as a reckless
abuse of Congressional authority and an affront to sound science across
most of the country. But out West, both men are trying to paint the
political deal as a major victory for their constituents (America’s
great conservation legacy and successful wildlife laws be damned!).
Montanans are in for an interesting battle next year as Tester and
Rehberg vie for the same spot in the Senate.
During our visit, the closest we come to spotting a wolf is seeing Kumo, Sykes’ gentle giant of a dog.
But we aren’t disappointed. We enjoy time together, without TV, cellphones or computers, and new stories are born, such as our tortuous hike to Hells Canyon and back, skirting a rattlesnake on the trail, and reaching the Snake River, where son Dylan casts in, hoping to catch salmon for dinner.
We see gorgeous wildflowers, elk, soaring prairie falcons, osprey, a dancing prairie chicken, even a perturbed-looking badger. At night, we keep warm around our campfire at Buckhorn Overlook, hear howls that silence us in anticipation, then make us laugh when the howls escalate into the familiar yelping of coyotes.
After the long hike searching for wolves beneath the hot sun on the Salt Creek Summit, bordering the Eagle Cap Wilderness, we return to town and say goodbye to Sykes and Kumo.
I see a new family tradition developing, one that lends itself to the type of outdoor adventure my adult kids crave. We will travel together to this far corner of Oregon until the wolves decide we are ready to see them.
Can wolves help save lynx? – What do gray wolves have to do with Canada lynx? A lot, it turns out. A new study from Oregon State University
Congress Launches Broad Assault on Endangered Species
Posted: 02 Sep 2011
Click to Download Report (PDF)
- rolling back vital safeguards for California’s precarious Bay Delta ecosystem,
- making it easier for polluters to poison waterways with toxic pesticides, and
- blocking protections for species on the brink of extinction such as the Mexican gray wolf.
The
new report also compiles campaign contributions from the oil and gas
industry and major agribusinesses for key members of Congress who have
been leading the anti-wildlife crusade. A group of just nine legislators
has collectively received more than $5.9 million throughout their
careers from Big Oil and Big Ag, calling into question the motivation of
their alleged “pro-business” agenda.While some of the proposed anti-wildlife legislative measures were briefly debated earlier in the year, many could be tucked into larger, must-pass spending bills similar to the controversial “wolf rider” included in the most recent continuing budget resolution. Without strong, persistent opposition from Congress, pending provisions will be negotiated behind closed doors and may never face public scrutiny until it’s too late. The report implores concerned citizens to remain vigilant and demonstrate their continued support for protecting America’s imperiled wildlife, even before the attacks are formalized.
The following is a statement from Jamie Rappaport Clark, executive vice president of Defenders of Wildlife:
“America’s wildlife is seemingly under attack from every direction. Never before have I seen this unprecedented level of disregard for our country’s most imperiled plants and animals. We made a commitment as a nation nearly 40 years ago to preserve our incredible wildlife heritage for our kids and grandkids, but now Congress is getting ready to go back on its word.
“This report should serve as a wake-up call for all Americans. It’s a reminder that we must fight to protect the entire web of life that supports us all and defend it from those who seek to benefit from its destruction. We cannot allow Congress to trade away essential safeguards that not only ensure the survival of at-risk species, but that also provide clean air, clean water and abundant natural resources for all Americans long into the future. Politicians shouldn’t be meddling with our most successful and forward-thinking wildlife conservation law. It’s time to tell them: hands off the ESA!”
Background:
In July, Defenders and its conservation allies led a successful effort to oppose the so-called “extinction rider”
Read more at www.defenders.org/nrwolves
Download the full report
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