Ecosystem Approach to Preservation

It is important that critical habitats be reserved for endangered species. This new ecosystem approach might speed the process.

Feds Propose Putting 48 Hawaiian Species on Endangered List at Once

HONOLULU — The federal government took a new, ecosystem-based approach to the endangered species list on Tuesday, proposing an all-at-once addition of 48 species, including plants, two birds and a fly, that live only on the Hawaiian island of Kauai.

The action by the Interior Department would designate about 43 square miles as critical habitat for all the species rather than considering each species' habitat separately, which has been the practice for three decades. Officials said considering...(complete article here).

Report on the Panhandle Wind and Wildlife Conference

The Panhandle Wind & Wildlife Conference was held this past weekend in Amarillo, Texas. The article linked below was written about that conference.

Learning a bit about wind, wildlife

It is important that we use a "whole landscape" approach to new energy development. We have an opportunity to do a better job of considering the implications of development and the potential impact on the environment in a manner that was unheard of when oil and gas development began.

Related links:

http://kvii.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=172380

http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=16593

http://www.newschannel10.com/global/story.asp?s=8813945

Oh, Give Me A Home....

Photo: Angela Schneider / AP

Bison fans aim to seed West with new herds

Scientists screen animals for disease, but cattle ranchers still worried


CORWIN SPRINGS, Mont. - More than a century after Buffalo Bill and others hunted America's wild bison to near-extinction, researchers at a compound near Yellowstone National Park have launched an ambitious restoration effort.

Inside the Corwin Springs compound, government veterinarians...(complete article here).

I see buffalo frequently. I see them in pastures and in feedlots. There are a few areas in the country with sufficient tracts of contiguous land to accomodate buffalo in a state similar to their original, unfettered nature, but very few. Many of those tracts are currently leased to ranchers for grazing cattle.

I expect that we will see escalating conflict between ranchers and those idealists who would like to drive by and see wild herds roaming the prairie. The trouble is, if they drive by in their car on a road to look at them then they are already interfering with the wild state of the animal. We can't go back folks. The days of aboriginal Americans roaming the prairies on horses to hunt the buffalo are long gone. There are places where you can experience those hunts however. For a fee. You can even sleep in a teepee.

To restore them to nature you would need to restore complete ecosystems. They need predators. Yes, wolves have been restored in a few places. Do you want them roaming your back yard? It would take much larger populations of wolves to control buffalo than what people would tolerate.

I'm not that fond of buffalo burger myself. Beef is juicier.

Wildfire Fighting: Symptoms vs Causes

There are some underlying issues here that need to be addressed. 1) The suppression of fire over the last forever is part of the problem. Fire keeps the brush and trash clear. It is part of the natural order in the ecosystems in question. 2) People need to quit building in high fire risk areas or take steps to decrease their risk. It's like building in a flood plain. One of these days you will wake up with water in your house.

Don't treat the symptoms Mr. Secretary, deal with the root causes.


Secretary Kempthorne Strengthens Interior's Wildland Firefighting Efforts for California, the West

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne today issued two orders that will strengthen Interior’s wildland firefighting resources to help address severe conditions in California and bolster efforts across the West during this year’s wildfire season. The actions could make several hundred additional employees available to assist in wildland fire suppression and support activities.

“With the National Preparedness Level at its highest level, the...(complete article here).