Putting
the "Public" Back In "Public Trust"
"Despite
their efforts,
these two didn't get away with stealing wildlife from the people
of Montana"
-Chad Murphy
A failed experiment in privatizing
"It is no secret that some state legislators in the West want
to boot federal land management agencies from their states.
They argue that agencies like the Bureau of Land Management
and Forest Service cost too much and are too detached from local
values, and that states could make money by running our vast
open spaces like a privately owned business.
The Cato Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based libertarian think
tank, is of that opinion and has developed models to replace
federal agencies with private interests. What many people don't
know is that Congress implemented one of the Cato Institute's
ideas in 2000, on the 89,000-acre Valles Caldera National Preserve
in New Mexico. For some critics of the federal government, this
was the experiment in land management that would signal the
end of the BLM and Forest Service in the West.
The Cato experiment in New Mexico, however, failed,..."
What is nature worth? Studies detail
monetary value of Montana's forests and rivers
"Among the Headwaters report’s findings is that population growth
follows the ability to access public lands. Montana counties
with high proportions of federal lands have grown in population
while many of those with low proportions dropped.
Across the West, counties without big cities saw an income link
to protected federal lands, according to the report. In 2010,
per capita income was $436 higher per 10,000 acres of protected
federal land within a county, the report said.
What the report shows is that waters, public lands and protected
federal lands play an important role in today’s economy, Mehl
said. Companies are able to use Montana’s outdoor amenities
as selling points to perspective businesses and workers, and
retirees with higher investment incomes are also choosing places
with rivers and mountains to live, he added."
All the Kings elk...
Beware: Senate Bill 245 saves
bull elk for outfitters by Harold Johns
"At a time when FWP is desperately in need of increased funding
for the department thus needing sportsmen’s support, it is unbelievable
that Director Hagener and the FWP Commission would design and
support a bill that is a slap in the face of sportsmen.
If sportsmen stand by and let this bill pass, it will become
another step toward taking wildlife away from the public. If
enough such steps are allowed, hunters will eventually have
to “poach from the King’s table.” Call Sen. Kary, call Jeff
Hagener, call your senator, leave messages for the House Fish
& Game committee, leave messages for Gov. Bullock. Also
use email for all."
5 Montana forests move to manage
habitat for delisted grizzlies by Rob Chaney
"Grizzly bears have boundary issues... To deal with that growing
population and territory, as well as the potential that grizzlies
could soon be removed from the federal endangered species list,
those five national forests are considering a single habitat
management plan that would keep all the U.S. Forest Service
folks on the same page, bear-wise..."
The 60-day written comment period ends May 5.
Amendment
to incorporate relevant direction from the Northern Continental
Divide Ecosystem Grizzly Bear Conservation Strategy into the
forest plans for the Helena, Kootenai, Lewis and Clark, and
Lolo National Forests
Glacier
Country
New Montana lab
uses DNA to expose hidden wildlife by Rob
Chaney
"They haven’t resurrected Mr. Spock in the National Genomics Center
for Wildlife and Fish Conservation, but they’re hard at work on
his tricorder.
Where the 'Star Trek' science officer would wave his little
satchel and detect the presence of life on alien planets, the
technicians in the U.S. Forest Service’s new lab building can
spot the presence (or absence) of specific fish in a whole river
drainage from a cup of water. They can trace the family tree of
a sage grouse from a tail feather. Don’t get them started on what
they can tell when a grizzly bear poops in the woods, if they
get hold of the poop...
The new building in Missoula houses about 20 researchers and technicians.
It also has space for visiting scientists to share their problems
and expertise as new genomic techniques develop.
The Forest Service owns the lab and has an interwoven relationship
with the UM professors and students just across the lawn. It performs
research for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other federal
agencies, along with 19 state agencies, numerous Indian tribes,
timber companies and nongovernmental organizations."
Mysterious algae
still investigated in Northwest Montana
"One didymo outbreak theory is due to a nutrient imbalance in
the water. So for the first time in Montana, researchers are artificially
adding nutrients to a river. 'And so we think that by manipulating
the nutrients in the water we think we kind of can understand
why this species is going to this phase more commonly,' Coyle
said.
These studies will conclude next year and researchers hope to
learn more about didymo impacts and possibly find a way to control
them. Researchers hope to have more information by late next year."
Southwest Montana
Montana couple
sentenced for multiple wildlife violations
"A tip from a concerned landowner sparked an investigation into
the couple's hunting and trapping activities in the fall of 2013.
Most of the violations occurred on the large ranch in the southern
Madison Valley which the couple managed for the landowner...
'We couldn't have done this without the cooperation of an understanding
landowner, the hard work of the Madison County Sheriff's Office
and our wardens on the ground. Despite their efforts, these
two didn't get away with stealing wildlife from the people of
Montana,' said Murphy."
This is why we needed the special
interest HB 281 killed, it would have made it impossible for our
game wardens to enforce our game laws.
Yellowstone Country
A big shout out for the Park County Commissioners for
upholding Montana law. A private landowner had placed archways,
No Trespassing signs and fencing on the northern and southern
ends of county road easement of Old Yellowstone Trail South, where
Forest Service land surrounds 3/4's of the private property and
the county road goes through the middle of the private parcel.
The county attorney has issued the legally required letter for
removal of the encroachments within 5 days of receipt.
Yellowstone Bison Management Plan
Scoping Process
Yellowstone
Bison Plan EIS Public Scoping Newsletter (it takes a few seconds
to open)
It would be good to bookmark this page as
it has the links for the process, including meetings that will
be available in Bozeman, Gardiner, and West Yellowstone.
Dark Ages mentality holds bison
hostage by Todd Wilkinson
"Some of the new options are informed by the best available science
and represent a sharp departure from present so-called management.
A few weeks ago a group of 14 conservation groups sent a letter
to Montana Gov. Steve Bullock encouraging him to end the state’s
enforced ignorance. It remains to be seen whether Bullock, a Democrat,
will retain or swear off his current membership in the Flat Earth
Society.
Three Montana state senators, all Republican ranchers, advanced
several anti-bison bills in 2015, none of which has any scientific
underpinning. Sens. John Brenden, of Scobey, Taylor Brown, of
Huntley, and Eric Moore, of Miles City, were contacted by yours
truly to explain their hostility to bison roaming in the state,
given that their hard-line positions can’t be supported by any
alleged threat of disease. Each was evasive when pressed to answer
logical questions. Why is that?"
Yellowstone
Bison: Conserving an American Icon in modern society by P.J.
White, Rick L. Wallen and David E. Hallac
New publication available for free PDF download right now
Central Montana
March 17, 7:00PM,
Jim Jensen of the Montana Environmental Information Center in
Helena will discuss the potential environmental effects of the
proposed Black Butte Copper Mine in the Little Belt Mountains
near White Sulphur Springs. The public is invited to attend this
discussion. Bring your friends and neighbors.
Region 4 FWP office, 4600 Giant Springs Road, Great Falls, MT
59405
Missouri River Country
More Fort Peck Campsites In
The Works
"A petition may have made a difference as the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers looks to add an additional 20 campsites to the Fort
Peck area. The petition with over 1,000 signatures was supported
by Two Rivers Economic Growth, Glasgow Chamber of Commerce and
Agriculture, Missouri River Country Tourism Board and the Tourism
Business Improvement District."
Public lands/waters and access to them,
are a major economic driver in Montana.
Southeast Montana
Mule deer populations rebounding
in Eastern Montana by Brett French
"Mule deer populations in Eastern Montana are showing strong signs
of recovery based on post-hunting-season surveys this winter.
'The basic indication is that things are looking pretty good,'
said John Ensign, wildlife manager for Fish, Wildlife and Parks
at the Miles City Region 7 office. 'We’re kind of ready to pop
the cork.'
The only thing keeping Ensign from celebrating is that Eastern
Montana has been known to get some pretty severe spring snowstorms.
In the past, three-day blizzards with rain followed by snow and
freezing temperatures have caused substantial deer mortality."
Thankfully,
Lloyd Dorsey, now with the Wyoming Wildlife Advocates, is still
on top of the Chronic Wasting Disease situation around the elk
feedgrounds in Wyoming. He has produced a current map, showing
the cases of documented CWD and how perilous it is for the wildlife
populations that are unnaturally congregated for political feeding
at 23 feedgrounds in WY.
Chronic Wasting Disease Wyoming
Map
The Quiet Plan To Sell Off America’s
National Forests
"A proposal to seize and sell off America’s
national forests and other public lands could make its way into
the House GOP’s budget resolution when it is announced this week.
In a recent memo to the House Budget Committee, Rep. Rob Bishop
(R-UT), chair of the House Natural Resources Committee, proposed
that America’s public lands be transferred to state control. He
then requested $50 million of taxpayer money to be spent to enable
transfers to 'start immediately.' The memo states that public
lands 'create a burden for the surrounding states and communities,'
and 'the solution is to convey land without strings to state,
local, and tribal governments.' "
Interior’s
energy path forward: Drill less, go clean
"Right now, for every one renewable energy project permit that
Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) approves, it grants
469 applications to drill oil and gas on federal lands. That must
change, and change radically...
If we are to bequeath to our children a livable planet and sustainable
economy, we must stop letting Big Oil, Gas, and Coal dictate energy
policy and control our politics. We must act now, before it’s
too late. This has to be done across the board, agency by agency,
policy by policy, following the best available science. The Interior
Department should be at the forefront of this effort by launching
a cleaner, safer, long-term plan to move beyond fossil fuel development."
Shooting
a Mountain Lion - Until his illegal hunting business was shut
down by authorities, you could have paid Christopher Loncarich
$7,000 to bag a mountain lion.
"What Loncarich and his associates did in Colorado and Utah wasn’t
just cruel to animals, and dishonest to their customers; it was
illegal. Loncarich and a co-conspirator, Nicholaus Rodgers, have
been convicted in federal court of conspiracy to violate the Lacey
Act, which prohibits people from transporting or selling wildlife
that has been illegally caught.
'Rodgers used collapsible traps or snares to capture cougars in
the field, then released them to be found and shot by Loncarich’s
unwitting clients, many of whom were unlicensed,' wrote Tribune
reporter Mark Freeman. 'Some of the cougars were shot in a leg
before they were released from cages so they would not wander
away from the clients in the area, according to court documents.
Other animals were held in place by snares that were undetected
by the poaching clients who shot them from a distance, the agreement
states.' "
"Keep up the good work I feel confident you have our back concerning
access, wildlife etc. Thank you for your hard work !" - Rick Blaskovich
I would like to thank the following
contributors for supporting EMWH. Your gift is very much appreciated.
Raymond Gross, 3 shy
contributors - thank you.
Thank you,
Kathryn QannaYahu
406-579-7748
www.emwh.org
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