Big Wild Bi-Weekly 3/19/10

Photo by Chuck Pezeshki

Dear Wildland Friends,

It's mid March and the weather on the Palouse has been pleasantly mild to say the least. I'm sure everyone is getting their gardens and spring projects going a little bit earlier this year. Cabin fever is certainly wearing off.

Over the past 2 weeks I have come across some articles in the newspaper concerning our public wildlands. I would like to share them with you.

The Cottonwood Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management recently finalized it's land management plan for 130,000 acres in our six-county area. The plan guides management efforts for BLM land in Adams, Idaho, Lewis, Nez Perce, Clearwater, and Latah counties. Management directives for river recreation, mining, logging, noxious weed treatment and motorized travel are included in the plan. However, one thing missing from the final version of the plan is how to keep domestic sheep away from wild bighorns. No the issue was not overlooked. Rather, the initial report approved domestic sheep grazing "on or close to bighorn sheep habitat", causing some groups, including FOC, to file protests. The BLM has since withdrawn that portion of the plan and is now in the process of preparing a supplemental environmental impact statement. We would like to commend other groups for protesting and remind BLM Cottonwood Field Office Manager William Runnoe that many wildlife biologists have concluded bighorn sheep contract a fatal form of pneumonia after coming into contact with domestic sheep. Hopefully the study will result in more habitat being set aside for the wild bighorn--without the domestics.

The Nez Perce National Forest announced last week that they will be relocating the camping area near the Moose Creek Airstrip in the Selway Bitterroot Wilderness. The reason for the relocation is, "due to the risk diseased trees pose to campers when they blow or fall over". Apparently the trees are suffering from root rot. Forest Service officials are encouraging people to camp in an area known as the Triangle, which is at the west end of the two airstrips. What's disturbing is that Wilderness managers for the Nez Perce National Forest are going to continue to provide outhouses, portable picnic tables and fire rings at the new campground, along with a bulletin board and registration box. Instead of rewilding the picnic area, as the Wilderness Act of 1964 mandates, the Forest Service continues to deplete the wilderness character of the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness.

In other news, the 2009 Interagency Annual Wolf Report was released this week. Compiled by state and federal governments, as well as Indian tribes, the report indicated that overall wolf populations rose slightly last year (with a slight decrease in Idaho), despite increased agency control, hunting seasons in Montana and Idaho, and the usual challenges faced by species in the wild. It was estimated that hunters killed 72 wolves in MT, with wildlife agents killing an additional 145. In ID hunters supposedly killed 134 wolves, with federal agents killing 93 wolves. And in WY there was a reported 32 wolves killed by agents. I would like to parallel these statistics with some observations shared in a feature article in the March issue of National Geographic.

Studies from Yellowstone National Park are indicating that wolves are having a cascading effect on the ecosystem, resulting in habitat restoration and in increase in forest production and biodiversity. With elk populations cut in half and herds on the move, aspen, cottonwood, and willow trees are once again being given the opportunity to mature in riparian areas, therefore stabilizing stream banks, restoring natural stream flows, and improving fish and bird habitat. Scientists are also seeing beaver return to these areas, with new dams creating ponds and marshes, leading to a rich aquatic insect population which feeds fish, amphibians, birds and small mammals. With a return of wolves to the ecosystem, scientists are also pointing out that unlike the cougar, which bury or cover their kill, wolves provide scavenging opportunities for bears, coyotes, bald and golden eagles, ravens and magpies. Hence it is easy to see why wolves are having a cascading effect on the ecosystem.

The point I would like to conclude with is why were 476 wolves killed in 2009 if they naturally restore ecosystem services? We are spending hundreds of millions of dollars on ecosystem restoration projects all over our public lands system, yet the federal government is taking away one of the greatest tools we have.

On a final note, it has been called to our attention that Heyburn State Park is requesting comments with concern to their plan to further develop the park grounds. Despite adequate facilities, it appears park officials are getting ready to move forward with plans to "improve' the park. The deadline for comments is mid-April. Go to: http://<http://parksandrecreation.idaho.gov/datacenter/heyburnstateparkm... to learn more.

For the Wild,

Brett