Dateline 1922: The Arctic Ocean Is Warming. Seals Finding Water Too Hot

This is quite interesting:

The Arctic ocean is warming up, icebergs are growing scarcer and in some places the seals are finding the water too hot, according to a report to the Commerce Department yesterday from Consul Ifft, at Bergen, Norway.
Reports from fishermen, seal hunters and explorers, he declared, all point to a radical change in climate conditions and hitherto unheard-of temperatures in the Arctic zone. Exploration expeditions report that scarcely any ice has been met with as far north as 81 degrees 29 minutes. Soundings to a depth of 3,100 meters showed the gulf stream still very warm.
Great masses of ice have been replaced by moraines of earth and stones, the report continued, while at many points well known glaciers have entirely disappeared. Very few seals and no white fish are found in the eastern Arctic, while vast shoals of herring and smelts, which have never before ventured so far north, are being encountered in the old seal fishing grounds.

This is only part of the whole story. Watts up With That has the entire story. Much worth reading.

Tom Remington

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Tree Ring Climate Data Out – Shellfish Climate Date In

Oxygen isotopes in clamshells may provide the most detailed record yet of global climate change, according to a team of scientists who studied a haul of ancient Icelandic molluscs.

Most measures of palaeoclimate provide data on only average annual temperatures, says William Patterson, an isotope chemist at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Canada, and lead author of the study1. But molluscs grow continually, and the levels of different oxygen isotopes in their shells vary with the temperature of the water in which they live. The colder the water, the higher the proportion of the heavy oxygen isotope, oxygen-18. <<<Read the rest>>>

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Panel Roundtable: Canadian Gray Wolf Introduction into Yellowstone

*Editor’s Note:* Following is no doubt the most candid discussion you will find anywhere in North America today about predators and their diseases. The discussion surrounds the introduction of the gray wolf to the Greater Yellowstone area and the impact this has had on not only the ecosystem but economically, socially and in the lives of private ranchers and citizens. This discussion not only covers the politics behind the introduction and the ongoing politics but also covers the diseases carried and transmitted by the wolf and the lack of comprehensive research to fully study the environmental, social and economic impacts to this region of the country. This discussion no doubt covers this topic to depths most Americans have never had the opportunity to experience and it is done by some of this continent’s most renowned scientists and researchers. This is a bit lengthy but is very much worth the time it takes to read it thoroughly.

Republished by permission:

Economic and physical dangers to Rural Americans and other unintended consequences

By: Kelly Wood

All American Patriot | March 2010

There are significant economic, health and safety ramifications of the Gray Wolf Introduction Program in Yellowstone Park that have manifested themselves in the Western States along the Rocky Mountain Front. A distinguished panel joins The All American Patriot to discuss these critical issues. The guests assembled for this roundtable are:

Jim Beers, B.S., Wildlife Resources, Utah State University; M.S. Public Admin, University of Northern Colorado. Served as US Navy Officer in the western Pacific, based in Aleutian Island of Adak, Alaska. He retired after 32 years in the US Fish and Wildlife Service in North Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York City, and Washington DC as: a Wetlands Biologist, US Game Management Agent, Congressional Fellow, Chief of National Wildlife Refuge Operations, and Wildlife Biologist. Beers travelled extensively in Europe, Africa, and Canada. He has testified multiple times before Congress regarding the theft of $45 to 60 Million dollars by the US Fish and Wildlife Service from State hunting and fishing funds and against Federal authority over invasive species.

Robert T Fanning Jr. Notre Dame, B.A. majoring in biology and sociology, 1973. ; M.B.A 1977; Chairman & Founder, “Friends of the Northern Yellowstone Elk Herd, Inc”; Retired Sole Shareholder, Director and Officer, M.H. Detrick Co. Major supplier of engineered heat enclosures for steel and other industries since 1914; Fixed Income Specialist, Member Chicago Board of Trade, Member 1981-1994 , Chicago, IL; Registered Representative in 1974 of the New York Stock ExchangeNYSE /Commodity Futures Trading Commission CFTC . Proud father of two highly accomplished adult sons and daughter.

Dr. Valerius Geist, Ph.D. Biology. Professor Emeritus of Environmental Science, University of Calgary. Served as a professor and department head responsible for environment science in the Faculty of Environmental Design where he specialized on wildlife biology and wildlife conservation policy. Publisher of 17 books and over 300 publications, he is a Professor Emeritus of Environmental Science and State Professional Biologist. Geist has retired to a remote section of Vancouver Island where he has chronicled the near elimination of ungulates through intense predation by a growing, and brazen to human activity, wolf population.

Will Graves, B.A. Russian, Syracuse University; Masters Russian, American University. Retired in 1987 after a 35 year career in the Federal Government, beginning with the US Dept of Agriculture working as Chief of Livestock Inspecting, Vaccinating Brigade in Oaxaco, Mexico. whose mission it was to help stamp out Foot and Mouth disease. After volunteering for the US Air Force, Graves, while stationed in Berlin, Graves began comprehensive research on Russian Wolves – their characteristics, habits and behavior. With frequent travel to Russia, this research eventually culminated in his book, “Wolves in Russia”, published in May 2007.

Bill Hoppe: Fifth generation Montanan. Rancher and owner, together with his wife, of North Yellowstone Outfitters of Paradise Valley, MT. His great grandfather was the first recorded Caucasian child born in the Montana territory in1864, at Nevada City. He is a fourth generation outfitter whose Great Grandfather, Grandfather, and Father have outfitted in the state. For nearly 58 years, he has hunted, observed and lived with wildlife in and around Yellowstone and matches his expertise and credibility on the truthful aspects of Wolf activity, with that of any Multi-million dollar Government program funded, employee.

and

Dr. Delane Kritsky: Professor Emeritus, College of Health Professions, Idaho State University. B.S., Biology, Mathematics and Education, 1965, Minot State College, Minot, ND; M.S., Zoology, 1967, Sacramento State College, Sacramento, Ca; Ph.D., Zoology, 1970, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL. Associate Dean and Professor (35 years) within Department of Health and Nutrition. Extensively published in over 150 publications, Dr. Kritsky’s primary expertise is in Parasitology. Past leadership includes Presidency, Rocky Mountain Conference of Parasitologists, Active professional and honorary affiliations with American Society of Parasitologists, Helminthological Society of Washington, and American Association for Zoological Nomenclature.

All American Patriot (AAP): Drs. Geist and Kritsky, Messrs. Fanning, Hoppe, Graves, and Beers, welcome to the AAP roundtable. Gentlemen, we’ve assembled to talk about the re-introduction of the wolf into Yellowstone, but first, there are many who take issue with the term “re-introduction” [Editors note: see the thorough treatment of this issue in the accompanying articles authored by Lynn Sutte .] Why is that?

FANNING: It’s simple. There is no “re-introduction” because the wolf introduced into Yellowstone Park is not native to this geography and had never naturally been here to begin with. The Gray wolf is ironically enough, a human introduced invasive species. You see, the original wolf inhabiting the geography of the Park was a much smaller animal, the Rocky Mountain wolf or Canis lupus irremotus. The Canadian Gray Timber wolf, Canis lupus occidentalis, is also known as the Alaskan Tundra Wolf. It was introduced at significant cost to the U.S. taxpayer and is a super size predator with a rapacious appetite and lust for wanton killing – killing far in excess the number of ungulates (hoofed animals: deer, antelope, elk) claimed by authorities. There are hundreds of cases of man monkeying around with the balance of nature and screwing things up. One of the best examples is the introduction of the Mongoose into the Hawaiian Islands as a means for dealing with a huge and troublesome rat population. Those conscientious biologists however neglected to realize that the rat is a nocturnal animal while the Mongoose preys during the day. Their paths simply never cross, so today Hawaii not only still has its rats, but it has 100s of thousands of Mongooses creating mayhem with rare ground nesting birds and other native species. This is just one example of the law of unintended consequences in dealing with wildlife. The unintended consequence to the Rocky Mountain States of the non native Gray wolf is much, much more serious and not simply the consequence of a couple thousand extra wolves roving the countryside, but rather a much greater problem caused by the level of depredation of native species – Elk and deer, than originally claimed. It’s all about wolf “densities” and who gets to control those densities. Federal and state biologists have failed colossally in their claims every step of the way and the impact is economically huge. Read more

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Will Graves’ Comments To Environmental Quality Council On Hydatid Disease

The following is a copy of Will Graves’ remarks to the Montana Legislatures’ Environmental Quality Council about wolf worms or echinococcus granulosus and other related diseases. For those interested, earlier I post similar comments made by Gary Marbut of Montana Shooting Sports Association.

Environmental Quality Council
Helena, Montana, 59620

Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Council;

This is for the record:

I worked for a short time (1950-1951) in Oaxaca, Mexico for the US Department of Agriculture. I was the Chief of an Inspecting, Vaccinating, Slaughtering Brigade in a horseback sector working to eradicate the Foot and Mouth Disease. In 1951 I volunteered for four year service in the US Air Force where I was taught Russian. In 1955 I started to work for the National Security Agency (NSA) and retired after 35 years service. In 1983 I was awarded the Meritorious Civilian Service Award from NSA.

I have had an active interest in wolves since 1951 during which time I researched the characteristics, habits, and behavior of wolves in Czarist Russia and the former USSR. I recorded the results of my research in 2007 in a book titled, “Wolves in Russia: Anxiety Through the Ages.” The much esteemed Dr. Valerius Geist was the Editor of my book.

From 1993-1995 I worked for the US State Department in the US Embassy in Moscow. While there I spent much of my free time traveling and collecting information about wolves in Russia. I still maintain email contact with some residents there. I have contacts with individuals who live in Yakutsk in the Yakutia Autonomous Republic. This area is well know as a reindeer breeding and herding area. One of my contacts is Yuri Sleptsov, whose wife Maria Rastorgueva works in the Yakutia Scientific Research Institute of Agricultural Science. She knows Isakov Semen Innokentevich, Doctor of
Veterinarian Science who also works at the Institute. I requested and they forwarded to me on the 26 of February “A Notice for the Public about Hydatid Diseases.” A translation of that notice done by Mr Vladimir Deriaben and me, and edited by Dr. Geist is attached.

The inhabitants of Yakutia have had centuries of experience with wolves. Each year wolves kill from about 8,000 to almost 10,000 reindeer. Some details on this are included in my book. Thus, it should not be a surprise that Yakutians also have extensive experience with wolves carrying and spreading parasites and diseases; therefore, I thought the information in this notice would be informative to Americans.

I do not understand how anyone in the US could say that Hydatid Disease does not pose a significant threat to humans. It is difficult to detect this disease in humans, and it may go undetected for an extended period of time, even twenty plus years. Late detection increases the risk of serious consequences or even death.

Hydatid eggs can survive severe cold temperatures, and note that they can be carried in water. Research needs to be carried out in both of these areas.

The parasite Neospora Caninum causes abortion in cattle and is carried by dogs and coyotes. It has not been determined if wolves are the definitive hosts of this parasite. I personally suspect that wolves may also carry and spread N. Caninum. I believe research needs to be done in this area.

Additional information about wolves in Russia spreading diseases written by the biologist N. Nazarova may be found on my website: WolvesInRussia.com

I believe our government agencies need to do much more to assist and aid our ranchers and farmers.
Respectfully,
Will Graves,
Millersville, Maryland

This is a translation of an undated Notice from the Yakutian Scientific Research Institute of Agricultural Science received February 2010. The translation was done Mr. Vladimir Deriaben and Mr. Will Graves, and edited by Dr. Valerius Geist.

A Notice to the Public about Hydatid disease (Echinococcis)

Hydatid disease (caused by the dog and fox tape worms, Echinococcus granulosus and E. multilocularis, respectively. ed) is a very severe parasitic disease, and possesses a very complicated clinical background. It acquires a chronic character and ends with grave consequences or lethal outcome.

The pathogenic organisms of hydatid disease are small tape worms that inhibit the bowels of dogs, which are considered to be the carriers of the parasite. Humans and some animals (sheep, swines, cows and etc.) are the intermediate host of the Echinocossis. The larval bladder stage of the parasites develops within the person, making it the intermediate carrier of the disease.

The most common type of human contamination is through contact with contaminated dogs whose fur has come in contact with contaminated fecal matter. Hydatid disease may also be transmitted through contaminated vegetables, vegetation, fruit, dirty hands.

Up to 80 – 95 % of the Echinococcus cysts develop in the liver and lungs. These cysts grow slowly: upon initial penetration into the human carriers, their length hardly reaches several millimeters, in 5 months they reach 1 cm diameter, and in 10 years these cysts reach a massive size and contain several liters of liquid.

The main measure to prevent contamination by Echinococcus eggs is strict personal hygiene, avoiding contact with helminth (tape worm ed.) eggs through the mouth from infected animal fur, as well as other objects of the environment polluted by the feces of the infected animals. It is important to implement veterinary measures aimed at utilization of the meat wastes of the diseased sheep (prohibition of feeding dogs and industrially produced fur animals with such waste meat products), timely identification of the diseased dogs and their proper treatment.

It is very difficult to diagnose hydatid disease at the initial stages due to the absence of specific clinical symptoms. The Echinococcus cysts can be detected accidentally in the course of carrying out some research procedures for example X rays, or during surgery. Currently, to aid in diagnosis, research is held in the field of immunology, the most effective being immuno-enzyme analysis.The enzyme-linked immunoassay is used for seroepidemic study of the contamination of the population by hydatid disease in order to determine the intensity of transmitting of contamination in the breeding
ground. Observation of different ages, professional and ethnic groups of the population makes it possible to obtain information on contingents affected by high risk of contamination.

The origin of this disease is the larval stage of helminth (cestode). Its adult tape worm form is parasitizing in the thin section of the bowels of the animals (dogs, wolves, foxes). The larval form – is to be found mostly in the liver, lungs, and rarely in other parts of all agricultural animals and humans. As a result it leads to the formation of the Echinococcus bladders and finally to a severe disease which often ends with lethal outcome.

Hydatid disease is widely spread in the areas where the stray dogs are not taken care of, where the bodies of the dead animals are not taken away and dogs are fed with the inner organs, contaminated with the bladder stage of Echinococcus. The infected dogs which have a constant contact with humans and home mammals quickly disseminate
the pathogens of these diseases among humans and animals.

Humans are infected while contacting the contaminated animals, gathering berries and herbs, or using the water from the sources contaminated by the eggs of the helminths or processing skins.

In the alimentary canal of humans the oncospheres of the eggs of the tape worms are getting rid of their cover, the emerging larvae penetrate into the arterial blood and are spread further by the flow of blood. Most part of the larvae are retained in the liver, part of them is penetrating into the lungs (through the minor circulation of blood). Insignificant number of larvae get into kidneys, bones and brain. One cyst (a solitary affecting) or several cysts (alveolar hydatid disease caused by the fox tape worm E. multilocularis ed.) may develop in the affected organ. The cyst grows in the course of several years moving or squeezing the carrier’s tissues, which later get atrophied and become necrotic.

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Global Warming Will Destroy Us All Because Of Talk Radio

I guess if the “settled science” that had determined that man-made global warming was destroying the planet earth is no longer deemed reliable to support the scam, then let’s blame someone or something else.

True to form, the warming fear mongers side step truth if divert attention away from the problem. Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts now blames talk radio for screwing up the whole scam.

Tom Remington

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What Has Happened And Will Happen To Our Ecosystems Thanks To Wolves

In studies conducted in Canada on the effects of wolves on ungulates and the ecosystem in general, we find that wolves are destructive (no surprise here) and this study gives a look into a sort of crystal ball as to what the lower 48 states have to look forward to as environmentalist clamor to promote the expanse and growth of the gray wolf in order to “balance” our ecosystems.

The study is very worth reading and here’s a grocery list of some of what is discovered:

1. Wolves destroy 90% of the elk populations.
2. Elk slaughter by wolves increased in proportion to the severity of the winters.
3. 60% of the elk stopped migrating.
4. Wolves destroyed 56% of moose populations and nearly eliminated calf recruitment
5. Wolves decimated woodland caribou, bringing that species to ultimate extirpation.
6. Wolves stole 57% of prey kills by grizzlies
7. Any attempt to manage ungulate numbers anywhere near pre wolf times is a “fantasy”.
8. Increasing quality habitat for elk had no effect on increasing numbers with wolves present.
9. To begin replenishing ungulate populations, wolf numbers need to be reduced every year by at least 70%. The reduction has to be ongoing………forever.
10. Wolf hunts utilized to control wolf populations are ineffective.

Conclusion: If states choose to replenish wolves, there will be no hunting left. Wolves will destroy the ungulate populations and we’ll have more singing birds flitting about the vegetation normally eaten by ungulate species.

Tom Remington

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Unbelievable!! “Climate Change Human Link ‘Stronger’”

Talk about people heading in the wrong direction. If you can believe this, the UK Met Office has determined from reviewing 110 journals on climate change (and I’m sure they are all accurate, peer-reviewed scientific journals) that the earth is warming faster than ever before and it’s all man’s fault.

Tom Remington

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Sen. Jim Demint: White House Land Grab

“A secret administration memo has surfaced revealing plans for the federal government to seize more than 10 million acres from Montana to New Mexico, halting job- creating activities like ranching, forestry, mining and energy development. Worse, this land grab would dry up tax revenue that’s essential for funding schools, firehouses and community centers.

“The 21-page document, marked “Internal Draft-NOT FOR RELEASE,” names 14 different lands Mr. Obama could completely close for development by unilaterally designating them as “monuments” under the 1906 Antiquities Act.” <<<Read the Rest>>>

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Heavy Snows In Southern Utah Spells Trouble For Cattle, Losses To Ranchers

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

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Chile’s Earthquake Shortened The Day

No wonder I woke up tired. It seems that scientists think the magnitude of Chile’s earthquake was such that is shifted the axis and shortened the day.

Tom Remington

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Phil Jones: Not “Pervert[ing] The Peer Review Process”

With the release of information contained in allegedly hacked emails from the Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia last November, the main question still unanswered by most is whether any of the information formulated in years of study on the climate is valid. Emails seem to clearly indicate there was a conspiracy to withhold data that had been requested through the Freedom of Information Act. Evidence weighs heavy that data was left out, hidden, and/or manipulated to achieve desired results, along with other damning evidence that should make any reasonable thinking person question the results.

Even though Phil Jones, the professor at the center of the controversy, admits that he refused to release data requested through FOIA, he claims he wasn’t required to by law because the information being requested was already available through other public resources. But the real puzzling admission from Jones is what he said about sharing his research.

He admitted withholding data about global temperatures but said the information was publicly available from American websites.

And he claimed it was not ’standard practice’ to release data and computer models so other scientists could check and challenge research.

‘I don’t think there is anything in those emails that really supports any view that I, or the CRU, have been trying to pervert the peer review process in any way,’ he said.

What makes the scientific community tick and maintain credibility is sharing of information and the peer review process. If it is “standard practice” to withhold data, then is peer review worth the price of a grain of salt? It would seem not, thus relegating much of scientific research invalid.

One scientific research center, the Institute of Physics, says:

Unless the disclosed emails are proved to be forgeries or adaptations, worrying implications arise for the integrity of scientific research and for the credibility of the scientific method.

‘The principle that scientists should be willing to expose their results to independent testing and replication by others, which requires the open exchange of data, procedures and materials, is vital.’

Whether one is a believer or a doubter of man-made global warming, this admission by Jones and what the emails have exposed should be extremely troublesome. A domino effect seems to be happening as well with admissions of errors and shoddy work coming from other individuals and organizations closely related to the CRU. We now must wait until the investigation runs its course in order to assess the entire damage done.

From this point forward, with what we have now learned, it is a ridiculous notion to think much stock would be placed on the so-called, “Settled Science” of climate change.

Tom Remington

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Al Gore: The Man Should Be Institutionalized

Digging out from under the snow, Al Gore (Algore) surfaced long enough to write an Op-Ed for the New York Times exclaiming that just because a couple of silly mistakes where made, it isn’t going to make global warming go away. And, one of those “mistakes” he claims, was the Climate Research Unit’s poor handling of providing FOIA documents as required by law.

I, for one, genuinely wish that the climate crisis were an illusion. But unfortunately, the reality of the danger we are courting has not been changed by the discovery of at least two mistakes in the thousands of pages of careful scientific work over the last 22 years by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In fact, the crisis is still growing because we are continuing to dump 90 million tons of global-warming pollution every 24 hours into the atmosphere — as if it were an open sewer.

What this really translates out into is, I’m not just going to sit here and watch my 22 years of lies, cheating and stealing ruin my opportunities to become a very wealthy man.

This guy needs to be locked up somewhere permanently.

Tom Remington

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MDIFW, Forest Landowners Endorse Deer Wintering Area Management Guidelines

AUGUSTA, Maine — The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW), along with Maine’s two leading associations representing forest landowners, have recently endorsed a set of Deer Wintering Area (DWA) Management Guidelines aimed at assisting forest landowners to enhance the quality of deer wintering area on their properties.

To survive the winter season, deer seek habitats with a combination of cover and food that minimizes net energy loss. As snow accumulates and temperature drops, deer spend more time in older conifer-dominated forest stands associated with watercourses and valleys, often returning to winter in the same locations year after year. These traditionally used areas are called deer wintering areas. Deer management in Maine involves a complex interaction of factors in addition to DWA management, such as winter severity, predation, and hunting regulations.

The guidelines were developed as a priority recommendation of the Northern and Eastern Maine Deer Task Force, which was convened in 2007 by Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Commissioner Roland “Danny” Martin in response to the public’s concerns about declining deer populations.

“Working together with landowners to develop these guidelines was a critical step in understanding landowner objectives, the winter habitat needs for deer and how the two can be compatible,” according to John Pratte, MDIFW Wildlife Management Section Supervisor. “Having these guidelines as common ground will facilitate the exchange of information between landowners and the Department. I am energized by the level of support from landowners and in the swiftness that some have demonstrated in adopting these.”

The Maine Forest Products Council (MFPC), which represents a majority of the large commercial timberland owners in Maine, and the Small Woodland Owners Association of Maine (SWOAM), which represents a significant number of smaller woodlot owners, worked with the MDIFW to develop the guidelines through a series of field trips and meetings. The guidelines represent sound biological practices which are aimed to enhance the quality of deer wintering habitat in Maine. Although the guidelines are not intended to be mandatory for any landowner, MDIFW, MFPC, and SWOAM are all encouraging the adoption of these guidelines into landowner management plans wherever possible.

The guidelines focus on numerous considerations regarding the management of deer wintering areas: winter shelter; travel corridors; winter browse; spring and autumn food; and harvest timing.

“The process that landowners and the Department went through to develop these guidelines was healthy and collaborative, and created a much-needed open forum for discussing these issues,” said James Cote, Maine Forest Products Council Director of Communications. “Forest landowners in Maine have a strong record of wildlife stewardship, and we believe these guidelines appropriately balance the objectives of private landowners, as well as MDIFW.”

As a result of this process, the Maine Sustainable Forestry Initiative Implementation Committee, of which the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is a member, also has decided to take a lead role in the process, and will be working with the Department to disseminate information to forest practitioners such as loggers and landowners, and develop collaborative training opportunities in the months to come.

The guidelines can be found on all three of the organizations websites:

Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife: www.mefishwildlife.com

Maine Forest Products Council: www.maineforest.org

Small Woodland Owners Association of Maine: www.swoam.org

Sustainable Forestry Initiative: www.sfimaine.org

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Washington Conservation Projects to Receive RMEF Grants

Washington Conservation Projects to Receive RMEF Grants

MISSOULA, Mont. – Wildlife conservation projects in 17 Washington counties have been selected to receive grants from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation in 2010.

The new RMEF funding, totaling $186,270, will affect Asotin, Chelan, Columbia, Ferry, Garfield, Jefferson, King, Kittitas, Lincoln, Pacific, Pierce, Pend Oreille, Skamania, Spokane, Stevens, Whitman and Yakima counties.

“These grants are possible because of the successful banquets and fundraisers staged over the past year by our Washington volunteers most of whom are elk hunters as well as devoted conservationists,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “Since 1984, our annual grants have helped complete 433 different projects in Washington with a combined value of more than $101 million.”

RMEF grants will help fund the following projects, listed by county:

Asotin County – ?Reduce decadent grasses and improve elk forage by prescribed burning 932 acres in the Dry Fork area of Umatilla National Forest; use herbicide to treat noxious weeds on 995 acres and re-seed native grasses on 200 acres in the Lower Grande Ronde River corridor; treat noxious weeds scattered throughout 60,640-acre Blue Mountains Wildlife Area Complex (also affects Garfield and Columbia counties); treat noxious weeds on 300 acres in the Grande Ronde River breaks to improve native forage and encourage elk to use public lands rather than private-land hayfields to the north; treat 250 acres of invasive weeds as part of an early detection rapid response program; treat 425 acres of weeds in the Snake River canyonlands; treat 200 acres of noxious weeds in the Meyer Ridge area.

Ferry County – Prescribed burn 550 acres of elk winter range to reduce hazardous fuels and improve grasses, forbs and shrubs in Colville National Forest.

Kittitas County – Provide funding for Green Dot Access Management Program projects managed by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (also affects Chelan, King, Jefferson, Pierce and Yakima counties).

Pacific County – Improve forage for elk, dusky Canada geese and other wildlife by treating noxious weeds, cultivating, applying lime, fertilizing, seeding and mowing on 200 acres at Chinook Wildlife Area.

Pend Oreille County – Enhance meadow habitat for elk by thinning 96 acres of encroaching forest and installing fencing to protect aspen stands in the Pend Oreille Valley area of Colville National Forest; prescribed burn 200 acres to improve forage in the Upper Middle Fork of Calispell Creek area of Colville National Forest; rejuvenate browse species by prescribed burning 90 acres in the Lost Creek area of Colville National Forest.

Skamania County – Thin encroaching conifers on 617 acres to promote forage for elk and other wildlife in the Wind River area of Gifford Pinchot National Forest.

Spokane County – Capture and radio-collar 20 elk for a research project to study elk movement patterns and habitat use in response to a new hunt program at Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge (also affects Whitman and Lincoln counties).

Stevens County – Prescribed burn 200 acres to reduce conifers and improve grassland habitat for elk in Colville National Forest.

Projects are selected for RMEF grants by a committee of volunteers and staff along with representatives from partnering organizations. Partners for 2010 projects in Washington include Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Forest Service, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, other agencies, tribes, corporations and landowners.

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EPA’s Jackson: “The Science Regarding Climate Change Is Settled”

Like a 50s guy who refuses to give up penny loafers, white socks and his “ducktail” hairdo, Lisa Jackson, administrator of President Obama’s Environmental Protection Agency, clings to the belief still that man is responsible for climate change. She told CNS News that just because there hasn’t been any warming in 15 years doesn’t mean there isn’t any warming. Sha na na na na na na, Sha na na na na na na! Bebop-a-lula she’s my baby!

During a recent interview, here is a brief list of some of her comments:

1. “we need to move aggressively”
2. “I believe all the new information we have doesn’t lead to any different conclusion than what we reached in the Endangerment Finding. And that is that climate is changing and that mankind is responsible in part for that change”
3. “We need to move clean energy legislation,” Jackson said. “We need to move to addressing carbon and putting a price on carbon emissions.”
4. “The science regarding climate change is settled, and human activity is responsible for global warming,”
5. “What this program needs is money.”
6. “My saddle shoes and poodle dress are in my closet back in Na Jursey!” (I made that one up)

Let’s go to the hop. Let’s go to the hop, oh, baby. Let’s go to the hop.

Tom Remington

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