From NSSF:
BILL WOULD PROVIDE ALTERNATIVE SOURCE OF FUNDING TO PA. GAME COMMISSION . . . The problem of funding wildlife management agencies beyond moneys from license sales and Pittman-Robertson revenue is confronted virtually nationwide, and a bill in Pennsylvania's legislature addresses the situation, to some extent, in the Keystone State. An amendment to House Bill 1489, initiated by Rep. Camille "Bud" George and supported by Rep. David Levdansky, would give the Game Commission two percent of the state privilege tax on every producer who severs natural gas. The bill was reported out of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee and has been referred to the House Rules Committee for further consideration.
Note: In VT we are looking for something like this that is reliable, sustainable, broad based and adequate to allow the Vt Fish and Wildlife Dept to do it's job and claim all the federal aid money available - which they are not doing now. The Vt Wildlife Partnership is working do get legislation passed.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Hot enough for ya?
From the Vermont News Guy blog commenting on a just released major report about "how the world is getting warmer, will continue to do so, and in the process leave our descendents a hotter, wetter, and very different part of the country."
...Since 1970, the report said, the annual average temperature in the Northeast has increased by 2°F, with winter temperatures rising twice this much.” For those seeking a silver lining in the cloud, there is one: longer growing seasons.
But also more “heavy downpours,” dirtier air leading to “increasing problems for human health,” and “severe flooding.”
Oh, and less snow. Perhaps a lot less snow.
Over the next several decades, those winter temperatures could rise at least another 2.5 degrees, perhaps as much as 4 degrees.
“The projected reduction in snow cover will adversely affect winter recreation and the industries that rely upon it,” the report says. “The length of the winter snow season would be cut in half across northern New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine…Winter snow and ice sports, which contribute $7.6 billion annually to the region’s economy, will be particularly affected by warming.”
In the woods, the report noted, the spruce and fur forests so important to northern New England are “declining already,” and are likely to continue doing so, replaced by maple and beach trees under the “lower possibility” of climate change, by oak and hickory under the “higher possibility.”
In addition, “large portions of the Northeast are likely to become unsuitable for growing popular varieties of apples, blueberries, and cranberries under a higher emissions scenario.” As for maple trees and their prized sap, conditions suitable for maple forests “are expected to shift dramatically northward…eventually leaving only a small portion of the Northeast with a major maple sugar business.”
Read the full commentary here
Saturday, June 27, 2009
The Duck Stamp Marks Its 75th Anniversary
From the TRCP:
The Duck Stamp Marks Its 75th Anniversary
The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and Ducks Unlimited urges supporters and conservationists to purchase the 75th Federal Duck Stamp today, the 'First Day of Sale.' In conjunction with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Bass Pro Shops, the 'First Day of Sale' will be celebrated by wetland and associated habitat conservationists in more than 20 Bass Pro locations across the country.
 |
| Designed by South Dakota artist Joshua Spies, the 2009-2010 Federal Duck Stamp features a long-tailed duck and decoy. USFWS image |
"The Federal Duck Stamp has been a cornerstone for waterfowl habitat conservation, funding National Wildlife Refuges and Waterfowl Production Areas throughout the country for 75 years," said Dr. Alan Wentz, senior group manager of conservation, communications and marketing for DU and a member of the TRCP board of directors. "This is a big day for us at DU because we understand the stamp's significance not only to conservation, but also to our waterfowl hunting heritage."
Used as a license for migratory waterfowl hunting and a conservation tool, 98 cents of every dollar generated by the Federal Duck Stamp goes directly into the National Wildlife Refuge system. Since its inception in 1934, the stamp has generated more than $700 million and conserved more than 5.2 million acres in the National Wildlife Refuge system.
The Junior Federal Duck Stamp also goes on sale tomorrow and the proceeds go towards environmental education and awards for the winners. The Junior Duck Stamp is $5 and is collected by conservationists and stamp collectors as well.
Recognizing the stamp's importance for waterfowl habitat and populations, DU heightened its role in promoting the Federal Duck Stamp and the contest. DU and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service signed a memorandum of understanding on Dec. 2, 2008, agreeing to facilitate future Federal Duck Stamp contests, promotion and support as one solid team.
"The stamp is truly an example of how waterfowl hunters and all sportsmen have been, and will continue to be, the key to conservation efforts," Wentz explained. "The 'First day of Sale' for the 75th-anniversary Federal Duck Stamp is a huge day, especially for waterfowl hunters, and looking at what this program has accomplished - it's definitely something to celebrate."
Learn more about the Federal Duck Stamp and how you can buy yours.
U.S. House Passes Record Wetlands Conservation Funding
The United States House of Representatives is making a record investment into wetlands conservation by approving more than $52 million for the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA). | For More...
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Medieval hunting and fair chase
Here's a link to a nice article about Gaston de Phoebus and Livre de Chasse titled "Art in Pursuit."
The Livre de Chasse, or "Book of the Chase," was a medieval hunting manual authored by Gaston Phoebus in the 1300s.
The author in the article does a good job describing the content and significance of Gaston's text, but she also discusses the "sporting" aspects of medieval hunting and the ideas of fair play that governed the activity:
Anyway, apologies for cross-posting, but a nice article.
The Livre de Chasse, or "Book of the Chase," was a medieval hunting manual authored by Gaston Phoebus in the 1300s.
The author in the article does a good job describing the content and significance of Gaston's text, but she also discusses the "sporting" aspects of medieval hunting and the ideas of fair play that governed the activity:
My experience in giving various talks on the history of recreational hunting is that many students of hunting fail to grasp how far back the ideas of fair play and "fair chase" go. These sporting ideals are by no means a modern invention, and evidence of a sense of fair play goes back to the ancient Greeks who hunted avidly for recreation."Boar hunting began on Michaelmas, when the animal was fleshiest. Polar opposite of the stag, the boar was the original bête noir, a menacing symbol of evil and a fierce, dangerous opponent. A pair of boars is depicted copulating, the artist’s way of indicating their base nature. Badgers, on the other hand, were not fair game; besides being inedible, they slept too much and had few defenses. Phoebus’s sporting dismissal of them, portrayed close to their burrows, is analogous to chivalric refusal to kill an unarmed man. Otters, foxes, rabbits, hinds, wild goats, reindeer, bears, wild cats (“their falseness and malice are well known”), and the hated wolf are treated in turn.
"Running with hounds was the favorite and most respected form of the chase.
Phoebus, whose kennel numbered 1,600 dogs, lavishes attention on “the best knowing of any beast God ever made.” In what is almost a canticle to hounds, the author describes them in terms befitting the ideal Christian knight. No attention to their wellbeing was too minor to mention. They appear in almost every miniature, on the chase or in the hands of groomsmen who examine their ears, trim and bathe their paws, tend wounds."
Anyway, apologies for cross-posting, but a nice article.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Major conservation bill up for vote in US congress
The following letter is from the National Wildlife Federation to it's members. It is a call to action in support of the American Clean energy and Security Act. Among many things in the bill is a system of cap and trade for carbon plus money to the states to help wildlife and fish adapt to warming. Dirty coal and the many of the other polluting energy companies are against this system and have pulled out the stops to defeat the bill. The vote is this Friday the 26th. Your congressman needs to hear from you!
June 22, 2009
House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Representative:
On behalf of the millions of members and volunteers that our organizations represent, we
write to urge you to support final passage of the American Clean Energy and Security
Act of 2009 (ACES).
We also urge you to do everything possible to strengthen the bill between now and final
passage, and along its journey to the President’s desk.
ACES will help build America’s clean energy economy and launch the United States’
first national plan of action to address the growing threat of climate change. ACES offers
our country the most important opportunity in generations to jumpstart our economy,
create millions of new, well-paying jobs, and set the stage for America to compete and
prosper in a 21st century economy.
We believe this is one of the most important votes of our time. There are rare moments
in American history when the urgency to act is clear, the stakes are high, the costs of
inaction are untenable, and the need for courageous leadership is paramount. Now is one
of those moments. An opportunity like this may not come again for many years.
ACES will deliver important benefits for consumers, workers, and businesses, while
protecting public health, national security, and the parks, forests, and coastlines that
define America’s natural heritage. Specifically:
• ACES launches the first national plan of action to address climate change. The
legislation includes a steadily declining cap to reduce pollution from major
sources such as power plants and oil refineries, and launches a new, large-scale
program to protect tropical forests. The legislation includes a clear scientific
process for evaluating the plan over time and recommending updates.
2
• ACES creates and funds programs to helps states, communities, public health
officials and wildlife professionals prepare for and respond to those impacts of
climate change that can no longer be avoided.
• ACES includes an energy efficiency plan that includes new standards and
incentives to use smarter energy technologies and save energy where we live and
work. The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy estimates that
ACES will save consumers billions of dollars annually on energy bills.
• ACES creates new incentives for clean energy and provides states with
allowances worth billions of dollars annually to promote energy efficiency and
clean energy in every part of the nation and in all communities, with specific
measures targeted at low-income communities. The Center for American
Progress estimates that, combined with the already-enacted American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act, ACES can help create 1.7 million clean energy jobs.
• ACES includes several important programs to save oil by investing in the next
generation of vehicles, supporting the development of smarter transportation
plans, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from heavy trucks, construction
equipment, trains, and airplanes. In addition, it creates energy efficiency
programs that will reduce oil consumption from homes and businesses.
• ACES delivers cleaner energy with an affordable framework that is fair to
Americans across all income groups. According to the Congressional Budget
Office (CBO), the 20% of households with lowest income in America will see an
average net economic benefit of $40 annually. Overall, CBO estimates that the
net cost to the average household will be under 50 cents per day, and this estimate
doesn’t include the energy bill savings potential from the legislation’s energy
efficiency measures.
• CBO has determined that ACES reduces the national budget deficit, lightening the
financial load on future generations even as we begin to reduce the environmental
debt we will leave behind.
The window of opportunity to act is short. Although ACES is just the beginning of an
effective long-term national strategy on climate change, the science is clear that we must
get started now and have already delayed far too long. By passing ACES, the House will
create vital momentum for action this year by the Senate and the President, as well as for
global action. As we approach the December 2009 deadline for climate treaty
negotiations in Copenhagen, Denmark, we must show the world the U.S. is ready to
commit to action toward solving this global problem.
As ACES is considered on the floor, we urge that you oppose any amendments that
weaken the bill’s clean energy incentives and environmental goals. We urge you to
support amendments that strengthen the bill, particularly those that create more clean
energy jobs with stronger renewable energy and energy efficiency provisions, as well as
amendments that increase investments that help foster a fair and effective global
agreement and help prepare for the impacts of climate change to natural resources and
vulnerable communities that can no longer be avoided.
Most importantly, we urge that you vote “yes” on final passage to get started now on a
national effort to address climate change, and that you reach out to your colleagues to
build a strong coalition of support for a clean energy future.
Our members, partners and allies are mobilizing as never before to capture this historic
opportunity. Now it’s time for Congress to act.
Sincerely,
The Alliance for Climate Protection
American Rivers
Center for American Progress Action
Fund
Clean Water Action
Climate Solutions
Defenders of Wildlife
Environment America
Environmental Defense Fund
Environmental Law & Policy Center
Interfaith Power and Light (IPL)
League of Conservation Voters
National Audubon Society
The National Hispanic Environmental
Council (NHEC)
National Wildlife Federation
Natural Resources Defense Council
Oceana
Oxfam America
Pew Environment Group
Sierra Club
Southern Alliance for Clean Energy
The Wilderness Society
Union of Concerned Scientists
Click HERE TO TAKE Action
June 22, 2009
House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Representative:
On behalf of the millions of members and volunteers that our organizations represent, we
write to urge you to support final passage of the American Clean Energy and Security
Act of 2009 (ACES).
We also urge you to do everything possible to strengthen the bill between now and final
passage, and along its journey to the President’s desk.
ACES will help build America’s clean energy economy and launch the United States’
first national plan of action to address the growing threat of climate change. ACES offers
our country the most important opportunity in generations to jumpstart our economy,
create millions of new, well-paying jobs, and set the stage for America to compete and
prosper in a 21st century economy.
We believe this is one of the most important votes of our time. There are rare moments
in American history when the urgency to act is clear, the stakes are high, the costs of
inaction are untenable, and the need for courageous leadership is paramount. Now is one
of those moments. An opportunity like this may not come again for many years.
ACES will deliver important benefits for consumers, workers, and businesses, while
protecting public health, national security, and the parks, forests, and coastlines that
define America’s natural heritage. Specifically:
• ACES launches the first national plan of action to address climate change. The
legislation includes a steadily declining cap to reduce pollution from major
sources such as power plants and oil refineries, and launches a new, large-scale
program to protect tropical forests. The legislation includes a clear scientific
process for evaluating the plan over time and recommending updates.
2
• ACES creates and funds programs to helps states, communities, public health
officials and wildlife professionals prepare for and respond to those impacts of
climate change that can no longer be avoided.
• ACES includes an energy efficiency plan that includes new standards and
incentives to use smarter energy technologies and save energy where we live and
work. The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy estimates that
ACES will save consumers billions of dollars annually on energy bills.
• ACES creates new incentives for clean energy and provides states with
allowances worth billions of dollars annually to promote energy efficiency and
clean energy in every part of the nation and in all communities, with specific
measures targeted at low-income communities. The Center for American
Progress estimates that, combined with the already-enacted American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act, ACES can help create 1.7 million clean energy jobs.
• ACES includes several important programs to save oil by investing in the next
generation of vehicles, supporting the development of smarter transportation
plans, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from heavy trucks, construction
equipment, trains, and airplanes. In addition, it creates energy efficiency
programs that will reduce oil consumption from homes and businesses.
• ACES delivers cleaner energy with an affordable framework that is fair to
Americans across all income groups. According to the Congressional Budget
Office (CBO), the 20% of households with lowest income in America will see an
average net economic benefit of $40 annually. Overall, CBO estimates that the
net cost to the average household will be under 50 cents per day, and this estimate
doesn’t include the energy bill savings potential from the legislation’s energy
efficiency measures.
• CBO has determined that ACES reduces the national budget deficit, lightening the
financial load on future generations even as we begin to reduce the environmental
debt we will leave behind.
The window of opportunity to act is short. Although ACES is just the beginning of an
effective long-term national strategy on climate change, the science is clear that we must
get started now and have already delayed far too long. By passing ACES, the House will
create vital momentum for action this year by the Senate and the President, as well as for
global action. As we approach the December 2009 deadline for climate treaty
negotiations in Copenhagen, Denmark, we must show the world the U.S. is ready to
commit to action toward solving this global problem.
As ACES is considered on the floor, we urge that you oppose any amendments that
weaken the bill’s clean energy incentives and environmental goals. We urge you to
support amendments that strengthen the bill, particularly those that create more clean
energy jobs with stronger renewable energy and energy efficiency provisions, as well as
amendments that increase investments that help foster a fair and effective global
agreement and help prepare for the impacts of climate change to natural resources and
vulnerable communities that can no longer be avoided.
Most importantly, we urge that you vote “yes” on final passage to get started now on a
national effort to address climate change, and that you reach out to your colleagues to
build a strong coalition of support for a clean energy future.
Our members, partners and allies are mobilizing as never before to capture this historic
opportunity. Now it’s time for Congress to act.
Sincerely,
The Alliance for Climate Protection
American Rivers
Center for American Progress Action
Fund
Clean Water Action
Climate Solutions
Defenders of Wildlife
Environment America
Environmental Defense Fund
Environmental Law & Policy Center
Interfaith Power and Light (IPL)
League of Conservation Voters
National Audubon Society
The National Hispanic Environmental
Council (NHEC)
National Wildlife Federation
Natural Resources Defense Council
Oceana
Oxfam America
Pew Environment Group
Sierra Club
Southern Alliance for Clean Energy
The Wilderness Society
Union of Concerned Scientists
Click HERE TO TAKE Action
Clothing Sale Benefits Hunter Education
This is the organization I worked for after leaving the state back in 2003. They are doing good things for hunting and hunter education in North American and worldwide.
Online Outdoor Clothing Sale Benefits Hunter Education
Online Outdoor Clothing Sale Benefits Hunter Education
The International Hunter Education Association Foundation (IHEAF) is having a special sale of Columbia Sportswear outdoor clothing on the IHEA Web site (www.ihea.com) to help raise funds needed for the national hunter education program. | For More...
Hearing research in humans
When an Ear Witness Decides the Case
Spoken clearly, the sounds “dah” and “bah” are easy to distinguish. Yet if you play a film clip in which the soundtrack says “dah” while the image on the screen shows a mouth saying “bah,” people will swear they heard “bah.”
If you ask people to count the number of times that a light flashes, and you flash the light seven times together with a sequence of eight beeping tones, people will say the light flashed eight times.
When confronted with conflicting pieces of information, the brain decides which sense to trust. In the first scenario, those clearly percussing lips could never be articulating a “d,” and so vision claimed the upper hand. But on matters that demand a temporal analysis, and making sense of similar sounds in a sequence, the brain reflexively counts on hearing.
Click click click. You can listen to a series of clicks at 20 beats per second and know they are separate clicks rather than a single continuous tone. Run a series of images together at 20 frames per second and — welcome to the movies.
“The temporal resolution of our vision,” said Barbara Shinn-Cunningham of Boston University, “is an order of magnitude slower than what our auditory system can cope with.”
It’s easy to take hearing for granted, that sprawling stereophonic Babylonia where the gates never close and there are soapboxes for all. You can shut your eyes against a bright sun or avert your gaze from a grim scene. But when one neighbor’s leaf blower sets off another neighbor’s car alarm, hey, where are my earlids? We’ve been called the visual primate, and the size of our visual cortex dwarfs the neural platform assigned to audition. Most people, when asked, claim they would rather lose their hearing than their sight.
Yet in ways that researchers are just beginning to appreciate, we humans are beholden to our ears. Mechanically, electrically, behaviorally and cosmetically, our paired sounding boards are a genuine earmark of our species. And if the words aural and oral are often confused, they should be, for our ears and our mouths jointly gave us our voice.
Scientists now suspect that the origin of human language owes as much to improvements in the early hominid ear as to more familiar spurs like a changing vocal tract or even a generally expanding brain. In one recent molecular analysis, John Hawks of the University of Wisconsin reported that eight genes involved in shaping the human ear appear to have undergone significant changes over the past 40,000 years, some as recently as the dawn of the Roman Empire. Only with highly refined auditory infrastructure, researchers said, could our ancestors have tuned in to the sort of tiny fluctuations in pressure waves that characterize all human speech, let alone properly conjugated Latin.
Moreover, the avidity with which our auditory sense seeks to organize ambient noise into a meaningful acoustical pattern — a likely consequence of our dependence on language — could help explain our distinctly human musicality.(more)
Monday, June 22, 2009
VT Poachers convicted
For Immediate Release: June 19, 2009
Media Contacts: Chad Barrett, Dennis Reinhardt, 802-241-3700
Two Central Vermont Deer Poaching Cases Result in Convictions
WATERBURY, VT – Five men were recently convicted in two cases involving the poaching of six deer in Waterbury Center and East Montpelier last October as a result of investigations by Vermont State Game Wardens.
A tip from a concerned hunter resulted in an investigation revealing that three doe and two large bucks were shot between 2 and 5 a.m. from a truck with a crossbow and light in Stowe and Waterbury Center.
Jason Trieb, age 27, from Burlington, shot one deer in Stowe and was convicted in Lamoille County District Court of taking deer by illegal means. He paid a $250.00 fine, $500.00 in restitution and lost his Vermont hunting and fishing license privileges for three years.
William Mitchell, age 51, from Starksboro, shot two deer in Stowe. He was convicted in Lamoille County District Court of shooting from a motor vehicle. He paid a $250.00 fine, $1000.00 in restitution and lost his license privileges for one year.
Lucas Ashley, age 28 from Shelburne, shot one deer in Stowe and one deer in Waterbury Center. He was convicted in Washington County District Court of taking deer by illegal means. He paid a fine of $581.00, restitution of $1,000.00 and lost his license privileges for 3 years.
Troy Ripley, age 30, from Waterbury Center, shot a five-point buck with a small caliber rifle early at approximately 2 a.m. in East Montpelier. He was convicted in Washington County District Court of taking deer by illegal means and went to jail for three days instead of paying a fine of $500. He did pay $300. in restitution.
Joseph Lupien, age 27, from Barre, held the spot-light beam on the deer while Ripley shot it. He was convicted in Washington County District Court of taking deer by illegal means. He was assessed a $500.00 fine and restitution of $500.00, but chose instead to do ten days in a Department of Corrections work crew.
-30-
Caption for attached photo:
Photo by Warden Chad Barrett
A tip from a concerned hunter helped bring three men to justice for illegally shooting these five deer in Stowe and Waterbury, VT in October, 2008.
 | poached deer.jpg 217K View Download |
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Victory for Ducks - Clean Water Act provisions on its way to being restored
Press release from the National Wildlife Federation:
Senate Moves to Restore Strong Protections for America’s Waters
“America’s waters are closer to again having the comprehensive Clean Water Act protections that Congress intended”
Washington, DC (June 18, 2009) – The National Wildlife Federation today praised Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and the members of the Environment and Public Works Committee who voted today to restore Clean Water Act protections for all of the nation’s lakes, streams and wetlands. The Committee voted 12 to 7 to advance an amended S. 787, the Clean Water Restoration Act to the full Senate.
“America’s waters are closer to again having the comprehensive Clean Water Act protections that Congress intended,” said Jan Goldman-Carter, Wetlands and Water Resources Counsel, National Wildlife Federation. “This bill restores critical protections for our nation’s increasingly-precious fresh water resources while respecting private property rights and continuing longstanding Clean Water Act exemptions for agriculture and forestry.”
The Clean Water Restoration Act would clarify Congress’ intent to extend Clean Water Act protections to all the nation’s wetlands, streams and other waters. Supreme Court decisions in 2001 (SWANCC v. Army Corps of Engineers) and 2006 (Rapanos v. United States) threatened Clean Water Act protections for thousands of miles of streams and rivers and millions of acres of wetlands. These legal decisions and federal agency guidance to implement them have created confusion and uncertainty nationwide, undermining efforts to enforce the Clean Water Act. This has left millions of acres of waters vulnerable to pollution and destruction, and has creating long delays in obtaining permits for work in wetlands and other waters due to confusion over the scope of the Act’s protections.
Senators Baucus (D-MT), Klobuchar (D-MN) and Boxer clarified through an amendment to the bill that broad, existing Clean Water Act exemptions for agriculture and forestry were to be retained. While other amendments to create new and broader exemptions for agricultural pollution were offered, none were accepted by the committee.
“The bill, as amended today, represents a balanced approach to ensuring the integrity of the nation’s waters into the future,” said Jim Murphy, Wetlands and Water Resources Counsel, National Wildlife Federation.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 59 percent of stream miles in the continental U.S. are intermittent or ephemeral and many of these have been losing Clean Water Act protection since 2006. These streams provide important drinking water, flood control, and aquatic habitat functions. An estimated 20 million acres of wetlands – or 20 percent of all remaining wetlands in the lower 48 states – are already losing Clean Water Act protection, and many more are at risk. EPA estimates that more than 111 million Americans get their drinking water from public supplies fed in whole or in part by intermittent or ephemeral streams vulnerable to pollution under these decisions.
“Today was the first step for this important bill. Now the full Senate and the House of Representatives need to finish the job and ensure the health of our nation’s wetlands, lakes and streams for current and future generations of both wildlife and people,” said Goldman-Carter.
The National Wildlife Federation inspires Americans to protect wildlife for our children’s future.
Immediate Release: June 18, 2009
Contacts:
Aileo Weinmann, communications manager, 202-797-6801, weinmanna@nwf.org
Jan Goldman-Carter, wetlands & water resources counsel, goldmancarterj@nwf.org,
202-797-6894
Jim Murphy, wetlands and water resources counsel, 802-552-4325, jmurphy@nwf.org
Senate Moves to Restore Strong Protections for America’s Waters
“America’s waters are closer to again having the comprehensive Clean Water Act protections that Congress intended”
Washington, DC (June 18, 2009) – The National Wildlife Federation today praised Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and the members of the Environment and Public Works Committee who voted today to restore Clean Water Act protections for all of the nation’s lakes, streams and wetlands. The Committee voted 12 to 7 to advance an amended S. 787, the Clean Water Restoration Act to the full Senate.
“America’s waters are closer to again having the comprehensive Clean Water Act protections that Congress intended,” said Jan Goldman-Carter, Wetlands and Water Resources Counsel, National Wildlife Federation. “This bill restores critical protections for our nation’s increasingly-precious fresh water resources while respecting private property rights and continuing longstanding Clean Water Act exemptions for agriculture and forestry.”
The Clean Water Restoration Act would clarify Congress’ intent to extend Clean Water Act protections to all the nation’s wetlands, streams and other waters. Supreme Court decisions in 2001 (SWANCC v. Army Corps of Engineers) and 2006 (Rapanos v. United States) threatened Clean Water Act protections for thousands of miles of streams and rivers and millions of acres of wetlands. These legal decisions and federal agency guidance to implement them have created confusion and uncertainty nationwide, undermining efforts to enforce the Clean Water Act. This has left millions of acres of waters vulnerable to pollution and destruction, and has creating long delays in obtaining permits for work in wetlands and other waters due to confusion over the scope of the Act’s protections.
Senators Baucus (D-MT), Klobuchar (D-MN) and Boxer clarified through an amendment to the bill that broad, existing Clean Water Act exemptions for agriculture and forestry were to be retained. While other amendments to create new and broader exemptions for agricultural pollution were offered, none were accepted by the committee.
“The bill, as amended today, represents a balanced approach to ensuring the integrity of the nation’s waters into the future,” said Jim Murphy, Wetlands and Water Resources Counsel, National Wildlife Federation.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 59 percent of stream miles in the continental U.S. are intermittent or ephemeral and many of these have been losing Clean Water Act protection since 2006. These streams provide important drinking water, flood control, and aquatic habitat functions. An estimated 20 million acres of wetlands – or 20 percent of all remaining wetlands in the lower 48 states – are already losing Clean Water Act protection, and many more are at risk. EPA estimates that more than 111 million Americans get their drinking water from public supplies fed in whole or in part by intermittent or ephemeral streams vulnerable to pollution under these decisions.
“Today was the first step for this important bill. Now the full Senate and the House of Representatives need to finish the job and ensure the health of our nation’s wetlands, lakes and streams for current and future generations of both wildlife and people,” said Goldman-Carter.
The National Wildlife Federation inspires Americans to protect wildlife for our children’s future.
Immediate Release: June 18, 2009
Contacts:
Aileo Weinmann, communications manager, 202-797-6801, weinmanna@nwf.org
Jan Goldman-Carter, wetlands & water resources counsel, goldmancarterj@nwf.org,
202-797-6894
Jim Murphy, wetlands and water resources counsel, 802-552-4325, jmurphy@nwf.org
Hunter Recruitment website
-
Hunter Recruitment and Retention Boosted by New Website
Created: Wednesday, 15 April 2009 11:28
The Wildlife Management Institute (WMI) announced the launch of a new Website dedicated to sustaining and enhancing North America’s hunting heritage. The Website, www.huntingheritage.org, will serve as a clearinghouse for information, programs and con...
Open Fields funding for hunter access
Correction - Open Fields Program Has $50 Million Budget Request The May Outdoor News Bulletin incorrectly reported that the Obama Administration had stripped funding for the Open Fields private lands access program. In fact, the Administration has requested $50 million for Open Fields in its 2010 Budget request. The program it chose not to fund in the request was an additional $3 per-acre incentive for landowners enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program who allow the public to access their property for hunting, fishing or other wildlife-related recreation. This program was announced last October during the White House Conference on North American Wildlife Policy and was proposed to enroll up to 7 million acres in the 21 states with existing public access programs. It was intended to be additive to Open Fields and other state public access programs, but this Administration determined that the Open Fields program was the effective private lands access program to pursue.
Note: Open Fields is designed to open access for hunting on private lands. I've hunted these walk in lands in Kansas, Colorado, South Dakota and in Montana (called Block Management there) Everyone benefits - hunters, landownders and the resources.
Published in the Wildlife Management Institute web site
Note: Open Fields is designed to open access for hunting on private lands. I've hunted these walk in lands in Kansas, Colorado, South Dakota and in Montana (called Block Management there) Everyone benefits - hunters, landownders and the resources.
Published in the Wildlife Management Institute web site
Whitewater paddling and the art of life
From Pause for Beauty an e newsletter from Heron Dance an excellent VT artist:
There is usually more than one water path through a rapids, but usually one is deeper than others and requires fewer turns. Streams of water move through a rapids at different speeds. Rocks, the bend of the river, the different depths across the breadth of a river, all affect the speeds of the water paths. If part of the canoe is in one water path, and part in another, the current will exert conflicting pressures on the canoe’s hull. In harmony with the river’s flow, the paddler uses the differing currents as part of turning strokes. Out of harmony, the river turns the paddler. That’s rarely good. more
There is usually more than one water path through a rapids, but usually one is deeper than others and requires fewer turns. Streams of water move through a rapids at different speeds. Rocks, the bend of the river, the different depths across the breadth of a river, all affect the speeds of the water paths. If part of the canoe is in one water path, and part in another, the current will exert conflicting pressures on the canoe’s hull. In harmony with the river’s flow, the paddler uses the differing currents as part of turning strokes. Out of harmony, the river turns the paddler. That’s rarely good. more
Monday, June 15, 2009
WI Apprentice Hunting Bill moving ahead - Where is Vermont's?
Families Afield Campaign Picks Up Steam
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WISCONSIN APPRENTICE BILL CLEARS SENATE . . . The Families Afield initiative is gaining ground in 2009. On the heels of a new law enacted in Nevada, Wisconsin is moving forward with an apprentice bill that would allow 10-year-old novice hunters the ability to get in the field with an experienced mentor. The bill, SB 167, cleared the Senate last week by a 27-6 vote and will now head to the Wisconsin Assembly. The Families Afield campaign was established by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance and National Wild Turkey Federation. Since its inception in 2004, 28 states have passed Families Afield-style legislation aimed at making it easier for people to get into the field and try hunting. "It's very encouraging to see so many states embracing the Families Afield concept," said Melissa Schilling, NSSF manager of recruitment and retention. "What's even more encouraging is seeing so many new hunters of all ages taking advantage of these new and welcoming opportunities to give hunting a try." Read more about the Wisconsin bill at ussportsmen.org.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Hunter Education benefit action
Some good stuff at action to benefit Hunter Education. I was the EVP for the IHEA and know how hard they work to make hunting safe in North America and internationally. Gunbroker.com came on as a sponsor when I was there and donates it's services at no charge. I suspect that all items up for action where donated so 100% of the money raised will go to the IHEA.
IHEA Foundation and GunBroker.com Announce Online Auction
IHEA Foundation and GunBroker.com Announce Online Auction
The International Hunter Education Association Foundation (IHEAF) and GunBroker.com announce a month-long, online auction of guns, hunting/fishing trips and other outdoor merchandise to benefit hunter education programs nationwide. | For More...
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Results of the Mass trapping ban...
From the NYTimes
They forget to mention that beaver evolved with humans and need to be harvested (trapped) to keep them from eating themselves out of house and home. In Mass many towns banned trapping, until they went under water, then a state wide ballad initiative banned most forms of trapping, and then they wonder why they are going under water again? Lots of city folks down there are very slow learners....
They forget to mention that beaver evolved with humans and need to be harvested (trapped) to keep them from eating themselves out of house and home. In Mass many towns banned trapping, until they went under water, then a state wide ballad initiative banned most forms of trapping, and then they wonder why they are going under water again? Lots of city folks down there are very slow learners....
Return of the Once-Rare Beaver? Not in My Yard.
By CORNELIA DEAN
Around the nation, decades of conservation efforts and changing land use have brought many species, like beavers, so far back from the brink that they are viewed as nuisances.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Vermont Antlerless Deer Hunt Applications Available
Vermont's antlerless deer hunting lottery applications for the muzzleloader season are now available on the Fish & Wildlife Department's website, at Fish & Wildlife district offices, and at license agents statewide. | For More...
Monday, June 8, 2009
Ethical Hunting Comes (finally) to TV!
Randy Newberg is a board member of Orion-The Hunter's Institute. He is a hunter who walks the talk. Please fowrward this website and news of the TV Show, On Your Own Adventures, to all your hunting and wildlife loving friends.
Eric
Dear Hunting Friends:
As many of you know, I have been working on a TV show for most of the last year, On Your Own Adventures. We have been building a website to be a compliment to the show. It is now live, even though we are working out a few bugs.
The site is www.onyourownadventures.com. We have some samples of the show loaded on the “video” page of the website, and will soon have previews of every episodes loaded on the “TV” page of the site. The site will tell you all about our show.
I hope you will sign up and register to participate in our forum, Hunt Talk, where many experienced hunters spend time swapping information, posting pictures, and telling their stories.
And, I hope you will share our site and our show with your hunting friends.
The show, On Your Own Adventures, starts airing on the Outdoor Channel in July. We will air on Friday at 11:30AM and 10:00PM and on Sunday at 3:00PM, all times being Mountain time. I hope you will tune in and watch On Your Own Adventures every week.
Thanks to all of you who helped and supported this cause in some way.
Happy Hunting!
Randy
Randy Newberg, CPA
On Your Own Adventures, LLC
6341 Johnson Road
Bozeman, MT 59718
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Why Hunter Associations are Important!
Louisiana Wildlife Federation again shows why it's so important
Posted by Bob Marshall, The Times-Picayune June 07, 2009 5:39AM
OK, what do you think of this idea?
Let's have the legislature set hunting and fishing regulations. That way, instead of heeding the information supplied by the staff of professional biologists we pay to study these resources and having a non-partisan, randomly selected citizen's commission make decisions based on that knowledge, we can let politicians tell us what's best for fish, wildlife and sportsmen!
Fishing is good - free fishing in VT next Sat 6/13
Two nice rainbows taken in northern Vermont on dry flies. I needed my nephew's help with the net. The bigger one went 6 lbs and 23 1/2 inches.We also had some luck with catch and release bass fishing, getting a bunch up to 3 lbs. Fishing is great - grab a kid and get on the water!
Vermont Days, June 13th and 14th ,
Offer Low Cost Fun and Learning Experiences
WATERBURY, VT – Vermont Days on June 13 and 14, offer a low cost opportunity for fun and great learning experiences with Vermont’s excellent fishing, state parks, and historic resources.
June 13 is Vermont’s Free Fishing Day -- the one day in the year when residents and nonresidents may go fishing without a fishing license. It's a great opportunity to take the family fishing and create memories to last a lifetime.
All Vermont State Park day areas, state-owned historic sites, and the Vermont Historical Society Museum in Montpelier will be open at no charge on the 13th and 14th.
The “Grand Isle Fishing Festival” will be held between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. on the 13th at the Ed Weed Fish Culture Station in Grand Isle. Designed especially for youngsters, this event offers basic fishing instruction and the chance for kids to catch big trout in a pond next to the hatchery.
Vermont’s 284 lakes and over 7,000 miles of clear streams offer the greatest variety of high quality fresh water fishing in the Northeast.
To find out more about Vermont's great fishing opportunities and to plan your fishing trip, contact the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, 103 South Main Street, Waterbury, VT 05671-0501 (Tel. 802-241-3700) and ask for a copy of their “Guide to Hunting, Fishing & Trapping.” You can also email them at fwinformation@state.vt.us or discover more from their website (www.vtfishandwildlife.com).
Vermont Days is a free statewide event celebrating Vermont’s natural resources, history, and talent brought to you by the Departments of Forests, Parks & Recreation, Fish & Wildlife, Tourism & Marketing, the Division of Historic Preservation, and many supportive state employees and volunteers.
Learn more and check for details at www.vermontdays.vermont.gov.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Missing link between land carnavor and seals discovered
Researchers from the US and Canada have found a fossil skeleton of a newly discovered carnivorous animal, Puijila darwini. It appears that Puijila is a link in the evolution of the group that today includes seals, sea lions and walrus. Click here to see more about the discovery.
Darwin predicted that discovery of these "missing links" would be very rare because they lived such a short time and the conditions to preserve them is extremely rare. The scientists beleave that Puijila evolved during a period of climate change in the artic and could shed some light on what we might expect under the current change.
Darwin predicted that discovery of these "missing links" would be very rare because they lived such a short time and the conditions to preserve them is extremely rare. The scientists beleave that Puijila evolved during a period of climate change in the artic and could shed some light on what we might expect under the current change.
YouTube - Paleo-Breakthrough (Seal Evolution) from an Arctic Fossil | ||||||
  | 4 min 7 sec - Apr 15, 2009 - fossils Arctic evolution paleontology palaeontology Haughton Crater missing link natural history Miocene Epoch Natalia Rybczynski Puijila darwini ... www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hT8DtfriYU - | |||||
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Youth Skeet shooting events at the Lamoille Valley F&G Club
Some great events for youth at the Lamoille Co Fish and Game Club in Morrisville, VT. They are also forming a 4-H shooting club.
May 31st 2009
Youth Skeet Camp Sign up
Youths that are under the age of 18 sign up for
a 5 to 10 weekly skeet training from 2pm to 4pm
on Sundays. For details contact Brent at 888-7024.
Lamoille Valley Fish & Game Club
Youth Day
September 13th, 2009
$5.00 fee pays for earplugs, safety
glasses use, ammunition, etc.
Times
10am- 8,9, &10yr/olds-
11:30am- 11,12, & 13yr/olds
1pm- 14 yrs/old and up
Garfield Road, 1 mile on the right off Rt15, Morrisville, VT
Lamoille Valley Fish & Game Club is proud to hold our annual
Youth Day program. Youth’s get to learn more about
shooting while having a chance to practice and experience
more about sportsman safety. This is a non-competition
FUN ONLY EVENT. For more information or to volunteer
please call Brent at 888-7024.
Shotguns, Long Guns, Archery, Muzzle Loaders all provided
Sponsored by the NRA Foundation
Hunter Safety completion not required
Refreshments will be available
May 31st 2009
Youth Skeet Camp Sign up
Youths that are under the age of 18 sign up for
a 5 to 10 weekly skeet training from 2pm to 4pm
on Sundays. For details contact Brent at 888-7024.
Lamoille Valley Fish & Game ClubYouth Day
September 13th, 2009
$5.00 fee pays for earplugs, safety
glasses use, ammunition, etc.
Times
10am- 8,9, &10yr/olds-
11:30am- 11,12, & 13yr/olds
1pm- 14 yrs/old and up
Garfield Road, 1 mile on the right off Rt15, Morrisville, VT
Lamoille Valley Fish & Game Club is proud to hold our annual
Youth Day program. Youth’s get to learn more about
shooting while having a chance to practice and experience
more about sportsman safety. This is a non-competition
FUN ONLY EVENT. For more information or to volunteer
please call Brent at 888-7024.
Shotguns, Long Guns, Archery, Muzzle Loaders all provided
Sponsored by the NRA Foundation
Hunter Safety completion not required
Refreshments will be available
Kids take your parents fishing - no license required!
From the Outdoor Wire : Sounds like a great idea, seems like we should try this in VT -
If your parents didn't get a fishing license yet this year, you can still take them fishing for free during the first two Saturdays of June, advise Arizona Game and Fish Department officials. The two consecutive Saturdays are in observance of National Fishing and Boating Week. And AGFD officials are offering some tips on how to take your parents fishing. | For More...
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