New Blog -Montana's Bully Pulpit

This is a new blog started by the Hellgate Hunters and Anglers in Helena, MT.  Orion founder Jim Posewitz and his wife, retired MT biologist Gayle Joslin are members and contributors to the blog.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

The Assault on Elk: Part 1

That photo is of a backcountry bull elk. It was taken by a friend of mine in a Roadless Area. Somewhere, deep in the timber, this buster is swelled up and running around trying to get as much tail as possible. He's what hunters dream about for 41 weeks out of the year.That Bull Elk is there because, long ago, Montanans made a pact to conserve and preserve the necessary habitats to ensure bulls like the one shown in the photograph, and roughly 130,000 of his kin, would always have a place to live. 

More:

Bill to Release Wilderness Study Areas Creates Controversy

From The Wildlife Management Institute:

On July 26, the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Natural Resources’ Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands held a hearing on a bill intended to release some U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and USDA Forest Service wilderness study areas and roadless areas from protection.  H.R. 1581—the “Wilderness and Roadless Area Release Act of 2011”—is creating controversy within the conservation community, reports the Wildlife Management Institute. Introduced by Representatives. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) in the House and Senator John Barasso (R-WY) in the Senate (S. 1087), the Wilderness and Roadless Area Release Act could affect 6 million acres of BLM wilderness study areas and as much as 36 million acres of inventoried roadless areas in the National Forest System.  The bill’s language indicates, if signed into law, the act would address BLM wilderness lands not designated as wilderness or identified by BLM as unsuitable for further study for wilderness designation.  The Forest Service would be required to release inventoried roadless areas that have not been designated as wilderness and were not recommended for designation as wilderness as a result of the second roadless area review and evaluation program or subsequent revisions of resource management plans. More

Federal Court Of Appeals Ruling Deals Blow To Wildlife Conservation

From the USSF:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                      

Contact:     Greg R. Lawson (614) 888-4868 x 214 December 21, 2010                                                          Sharon Hayden (614) 888-4868 x 226

Federal Court Of Appeals Ruling Deals Blow To Wildlife Conservation (Columbus, OH) -The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has overturned a lower court ruling which protected active wildlife conservation efforts on National Wildlife Refuge lands. In 2007, environmental groups filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) after the FWS had restored wildlife watering devices within the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge in Arizona on lands designated as “wilderness areas.”  The watering devices are critical to the survival of bighorn sheep and other desert species. The groups’ lawsuit claimed that the Wilderness Act prohibited the FWS from constructing the watering devices because the Act required that wilderness areas be left totally unaffected by human activities.  The Service, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation (USSAF), and a host of other conservation groups argued that the wilderness designation within the Refuge did not prohibit the FWS from engaging in active wildlife conservation efforts.  Overall, the USSAF argued that the Refuge was required to be managed to conserve wildlife pursuant to the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act, even on lands designated as wilderness areas. In 2008, Judge Mary H. Murguia of the U.S. District Court for Arizona sided with the FWS and USSAF and found that the Wilderness Act did not prohibit active wildlife management in the Kofa areas. By a 2 to 1 vote, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned that decision.  The Court found that the FWS could not construct or maintain watering devices unless it found that devices were “necessary” for bighorn sheep conservation.  It also found that the FWS could not show that the devices were “necessary” for sheep conservation until the FWS showed first that banning hunting, banning sheep translocations, controlling mountain lions, and restricting other forms of human visitation would not sufficiently conserve the sheep. “This is truly a misguided and unfortunate ruling by the Ninth Circuit,” said Bud Pidgeon,  USSAF president and CEO.  “Precedent from this lawsuit could severely handicap the FWS’s wildlife conservation efforts in the future.” In light of the recent decision, the USSAF will be examining all remaining options to minimize the effects of the Ninth Circuit’s ruling. Joining the USSAF in the lawsuit were several other conservation groups including: Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Society, Arizona Deer Association, Arizona Antelope Foundation, Wild Sheep Foundaton, Yuma Valley Rod & Gun Club, Safari Club International and the National Rifle Association. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.