Wildlife Policy News is intended to foster the exchange of information about policy issues among Society leaders. The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect official policy of The Wildlife Society unless so stated. Please share this publication with your colleagues. Contents may be reprinted with credit to Wildlife Policy News. We welcome comments and suggestions for future issues at
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
The USDA’s Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is one of the most successful federally funded conservation efforts to date. Started in 1985, CRP protects marginal and fragile private lands by offering farmers a small per-acre payment to keep those lands in perennial grasses, trees, or restored wetlands rather than planting row crops. Farmers typically enter into 10 to 15 year CRP contracts, and in FY 2007, some 450,000 farmers had more than 36 million acres in CRP contracts. Some of the most notable benefits of CRP include reduced soil erosion, reduced fertilizer runoff, improved wildlife habitat, and restoration of millions of acres of wetlands.
In spite of the numerous benefits of CRP, it is now facing a number of threats. With the combination of an increasing demand for corn in ethanol production, rising costs of livestock feed, and widespread flooding in the Midwest, CRP contracts are suddenly much less attractive. Entry into a CRP contract is voluntary; however those wishing to opt out of the program before their contract ends must reimburse the federal government for the money they were paid to protect their land. Many farmers are now voicing their desire to pull out of their CRP contracts early without penalty; Secretary Schafer has already issued an order which allows livestock grazing on CRP land in areas of the 16 states affected by the recent flooding.
Meanwhile, the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) and a number of its local affiliates filed a lawsuit in the Western District of Washington challenging the USDA’s opening of 24 million acres of CRP land to haying and grazing. The judge ruled in favor of NWF, and reduced the number of acres open to increased haying grazing from 24 million to less than 2 million. Also, Secretary Schafer said on 29 July that the USDA decided against opening up CRP land because of favorable crop reports and the indications that millions of acres will come out of the program over the next year even without the early out.
Sources: E&E Publishing, LLC (Greenwire, E&E News PM), Washington Post, National Wildlife Federation, Environmental Defense Fund, National Public Radio, The Seattle Times
Wolves in the Northern Rockies Federally Protected Once Again
On 18 July 2008 U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy granted a preliminary injunction that will once again give the gray wolves of Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming protection under the Endangered Species Act. In late March the wolves were officially delisted in the Northern Rockies after their population expanded from the 66 individuals originally reintroduced to the roughly 2,000 now believed to inhabit the region.
The injunction is not yet permanent but does mean that there won’t be a hunting season for wolves this fall as originally planned by Montana, Idaho and Wyoming.
Judge Molloy made his decision primarily because it was shown that separate wolf populations in Idaho, Northwest Montana and the Greater Yellowstone area were not genetically mixing with each other, something the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) said was necessary for delisting. Also, the judge was concerned about the management plan presented by the State of Wyoming, which allowed for much of the state to be open for unregulated wolf hunting year-round.
Ed Bangs, the USFWS biologist who led the wolf restoration program, disagreed with the ruling. “We felt the science was rock solid and the delisting was warranted,” he said. Government attorneys were looking into the matter to determine whether or not to appeal.
Sources: Idaho Statesman, Casper Star-Tribune, National Geographic
Proposed Alaska Ballot Measure Would Stop Pebble Mine
The mining and fishing industries are two of the biggest contributors to Alaska’s economy, and when Alaskans head to the polls on August 26 they may have to choose which of these industries is more important. At the heart of this matter is Alaska’s Ballot Measure #4, an initiative which directs the Alaska Department of Natural Resources to take the health of salmon stocks into account when it looks at issues of water and land, a condition that is not currently required under state law. The measure would prohibit the discharge of toxic pollutants that would affect the salmon stock or drinking water. If passed, the initiative would not apply to existing mines and would only affect new mines larger than 640 acres. Still, those in the mining industry oppose the measure, saying it will prevent the creation of future mines, force current mines to shut down, and trigger the loss of jobs for many Alaskans.
A main target of the ballot measure is Pebble Mine. Pebble Mine, a proposed copper, gold, and molybdenum mine, would be located on state-owned land in the Bristol Bay area of southwestern Alaska and could be the largest mine in North America. The site straddles the Bristol Bay salmon spawning grounds, part of the largest salmon run in the world. Additionally, the mine would construct the largest dam in the world to hold back two tailings “ponds” that will eventually hold as much water as the Hoover and Three Gorges dams. It is imperative that these dams are incredibly sturdy in order to hold back the estimated 10 billion gallons of contaminated runoff each year, yet critics wonder how any kind of structural integrity of the dam can be maintained when the proposed site is located on the Lake Clark fault line, an extension of the seismically active Castle Mountain fault line. High concentrations of copper, the main mineral to be mined at Pebble, can be toxic to aquatic life and mining has already contaminated the headwaters of more than 40% of the watersheds in the western United States.
Ballot Measure #4 has already been challenged in court, with proponents asking a superior court judge to declare the initiative unconstitutional; Superior Court Judge Douglas Blankenship ruled that the initiative was indeed constitutional and the mining industry appealed to the Alaska Supreme Court, which upheld the original ruling.
Sources: E&E Publishing, LLC (Land Letter), Anchorage Daily News, Homer Tribune, International Business Times, Alaskans for Clean Water, Daily Kos, New York Times
Worries over Brucellosis Transmission Plague Mountain West
Less than two years after Wyoming was officially declared “brucellosis-free” two cows in the state have contracted the bacterial infection, officials said in early June. Montana is also slated to loose its coveted “brucellosis-free” designation, after the discovery of another infected cow- the second in just over a year.
Brucellosis, a disease that ultimately causes both wildlife and livestock to abort their unborn fetuses, has been a consistent problem throughout the mountain west and has led to widespread concern over wildlife to livestock transmission. Concern has been rising as more cattlemen fear that a statewide brucellosis branding will cause the demand for their beef to fall, even though transmission from livestock to humans is quite rare.
This concern ultimately boiled over into heated argument after a record number of bison were killed this winter in an attempt to keep them from leaving Yellowstone. The practice of shielding livestock from bison through lethal measures has been an ongoing point of contention between ranchers and some conservationist; with ranchers claiming that bison put their herds at risk of brucellosis contraction and conservationists arguing that there has never been a recorded instance of bison-livestock transmission. Conservation groups have also pointed out the fact that the latest case of Wyoming brucellosis occurred in an area where bison are not allowed to go.
Shortly after the news regarding the massive bison slaughter was made public Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer (D) announced a plan to create corridors connecting Yellowstone and nearby public lands that bison can migrate through and graze upon. The Governor also criticized the current strategy of culling wildlife as a failure, as evidenced by the persistence of the disease in livestock populations.
There is also great concern over the possible transmission of the disease from elk to livestock. An estimated 95,000 elk inhabit the Yellowstone area and many feel that their large population size is having an effect on the continued contraction of brucellosis in livestock. On top of their large overall population size many conservationists have criticized the multiple elk feeding grounds located around Wyoming for their role in harboring and ultimately accelerating the transmission of brucellosis.
Conservation groups have pushed the State of Wyoming to close the feeding grounds to help stop the spread of brucellosis and prevent the spread of other diseases like chronic wasting disease (now found just 70 miles from the National Elk Refuge feeding grounds in Jackson WY.) However, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) recently approved Wyoming’s request to continue their practice of feeding elk on designated land for another 20 years. USFS did, however, decline Wyoming’s request to continue feeding at one site, Alkali Creek, and rejected the request to expand the Fish Creek and Patrol Cabin sites.
The public has been invited to appeal the decision within a designated comment period of 45 days. The comment period will end in late August 2008.
Sources: The New York Times, Billings Gazette, Ecology, USDA National Wildlife Research Center, Associated Press, E&E News (Land Letter & Greenwire)
Sporting Conservation Council Report Criticizes Bush Administration’s Policies
With the signing of executive order 13443 in August of 2007, President Bush directed all federal agencies with programs related to public lands and wildlife to, “Facilitate the expansion and enhancement of hunting opportunities and the management of game species and their habitat.” One result of that executive order was the drafting of a report on threats to wildlife habitat and wildlife populations by the Sporting Conservation Council (SCC), a group originally commissioned by former Secretary of the Interior Gail Norton to advise the government on issues related to the hunting and conservation communities.
In April 2008, the SCC released a report intended to help federal agencies in the “development of a comprehensive ten-year Recreational Hunting and Wildlife Conservation Plan called for in the EO.” Some of the major challenges addressed in the report include loss of wetlands due to actions by the Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers, oil and gas drilling on federal wild lands, and politicized science and under funded wildlife management.
With respect to oil and gas drilling, the SCC reports that, “Energy development is a major wildlife concern in significant parts of several western states which contain the largest onshore natural gas reserves in the nation. These areas also contain some of the best game/wildlife (and hunting) habitats in the West and their future as prime habitat, in the face of actual or potential energy development is uncertain.” This expanded development, the report says, is largely a result of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 which encourages the expansion of domestic production of oil and natural gas and as well as new minerals exploration, and it suggests that “The BLM should consider temporary deferral of fluid minerals leasing to preserve options for game/wildlife species, populations and habitat conservation.” The report also expresses concern about the declining interest in hunting and fishing and the effect that will have on funding for conservation.
Sources: Jackson Hole Daily, Casper Star-Tribune, Federal Register, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, SCC White Papers
A prominent colony of endangered black-footed ferrets that contains almost half of the U.S. population has been hit with a fatal plague epizootic. The Conata Basin colony, located near Badlands National Park in South Dakota, contains nearly 300 individuals; however, the plague may have already killed a third of that number. Biologists say that an abnormally wet spring is probably to blame, and warn that the creatures are particularly sensitive to such an outbreak.
Black-footed ferrets primarily feed on prairie dogs and utilize their burrows for shelter, and the USGS reports that nearly 9,000 acres of prairie dog habitat, including some areas occupied by black-footed ferrets have been infected by the flea-carrying disease. To combat the plague biologists have been diligently vaccinating individual ferrets while also applying insecticide around prairie dog burrows in order to kill the plague carrying fleas.
On top of the concerns over the epizootic, conservationists and biologists have also grown increasingly worried over the Forest Service study into whether or not to allow for the killing of prairie dogs within ferret habitat. A Forest Service decision regarding the killing of prairie dogs in areas where ferrets are not currently located is due out soon, while a decision on the fate of prairie dogs in current ferret habitat is being postponed till the plague is managed.
Proposed Bill Aims to Slow Invasive Species Introductions
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) approach to nonnative species may soon change from a primarily reactive one to a more preventative one if recently introduced legislation passes. The bill, titled the Nonnative Wildlife Invasion Prevention Act (H.R. 6311), was introduced by Delegate Madeleine Bordallo (D-Guam), Chairwoman of the House Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, and Oceans, and would ban the intentional introduction of nonnative species prior to a formal scientific assessment. The Lacey Act, the legislation currently in place to deal with nonnative species, only deals with animals that have already caused serious harm in the U.S., at which time they may be deemed “injurious” and further importation is prohibited. Under the proposed legislation, the FWS would create an evaluation process for species within two years, and within 37 months a “white list” of safe species would be composed.
Chairwoman Bordallo’s homeland of Guam is an interesting case study on nonnative species. Shortly after World War II, the nonnative brown tree snake was unintentionally introduced to Guam, presumably on cargo ships coming from New Guinea. In the half century since it first arrived in Guam, the brown tree snake has wreaked incredible havoc on the native wildlife, due in large part to the fact it faces no competition or natural predators. The burgeoning brown tree snake population has had significant ecological impacts and is largely responsible for the extirpation of twelve of Guam’s native bird species and half of its lizards. The disappearance of Guam’s last native mammal, the Marianas fruit bat, is likely to occur in the next year as well.
One of the major groups opposing H.R. 6311 is the commercial pet industry, as the bill is likely to significantly increase regulation on the pet trade. However the FWS wants to do whatever it can to reduce future invasive species troubles like the current one involving non-native Burmese pythonsin Southern Florida. The everglades are currently home to an estimated 30,000 Burmese Pythons which are predating heavily on species like the endangered Key Largo Woodrat, and nearly all of Burmese pythons are released pets or the progeny thereof.
Report Indicates that B.C. Wildlife is at “Serious Risk”
Citizens of British Columbia have long enjoyed a perceived bounty of flora and fauna in their province. Yet, on 9 July 2008 the Provincial government and conservation organizations released a report acknowledging the fact that the biodiversity of B.C. is in need of serious attention. More than 50 scientists reviewed the current situation in B.C. and determined that 43 percent of species examined-1,400 in all- are at risk.
Specifically, the researchers pointed to reptiles, amphibians, fish and various plants as the hardest hit in the province. The scientists also noted that particular areas and habitats are in significant peril, such as grasslands in the Okanagan, wetlands in the south and forests on the east coast of Vancouver Island.
The Provincial government accompanied the findings with an official response to the report announcing the creation of the Conservation Framework, a newly developed plan to aid in the recovery of at risk species and ecosystems. Yet, the proposed plan has been criticized by several scientists and conservationists who claim that it is simply more of the same flawed rhetoric. Critics have claimed that these proposed changes are much too broad and offer no new specific policy stances that could viably address the current dilemma.
Sources: Vancouver Sun, British Columbia Ministry of Environment
Border Fence’s Environmental Stewardship Plan Draws Attention
In April of 2008, Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff circumvented 30 environmental and cultural laws, including the environmental impact statement process, in order to expedite the construction of a fence along the U.S.-Mexico border, claiming there was no time for unnecessary delays. Chertoff’s actions left many environmental groups up in arms, yet Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokeswoman Laura Keener pledged that the department was committed to minimizing to the environment and wildlife. The DHS’s pledge is now being scrutinized, with the release of their 658-page Environmental Stewardship Plan (ESP) for the Rio Grande Valley sector of the border fence.
Among other things, the ESP states that the fence will hinder access to land for farmers, damage valuable wildlife habitat, impair views, and may decrease property values nearby. The plan also says that two federally endangered cats, the ocelot and the jaguarundi, will be adversely affected by the fence. Many sections of the proposed fence will incorporate small holes to allow access to drinking water in the Rio Grande for animals, but there will be seven segments of fence in Hidalgo County, TX, which will not contain these wildlife holes, the longest such segment being over 4 miles long. The ESP acknowledges that, “Reduction in habitat connectivity resulting from implementation of the Project will likely impact wildlife movement, access to traditional water sources, and potential for gene flow.”
In addition to jaguarundis and ocelots, the fence construction is also likely to affect birds: “Impacts on migratory birds could be substantial, given the timing of fence construction.” The proposed protocol when a bird nest is located in the construction corridor involves marking bird nests and attempting to remove and relocate them before the clearing and ground disturbing activities begin. A construction crew will then remove all migratory bird habitat from the 150-foot impact corridor to prevent the future return of birds. This will also involve the removal of mature trees, a process the plan says, “Will result in long-term major adverse impacts, because these large mature trees are virtually irreplaceable.” In addition to the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation from the fence construction, the increase in ambient noise is also likely to affect the ability of migratory birds to attract and keep mates.
Despite the significant environmental impacts the border fence construction will carry, DHS’s actions are legal, utilizing power authorized by Congress in the Secure Fence Act of 2006. In addition to Texas, environmental and cultural laws have also been bypassed while constructing portions of the fence in California and Arizona.
Sources: E&E Publishing, LLC (Greenwire), Anchorage Daily News, ESPN Outdoors, MSNBC.com, Department of Homeland Security Environmental Stewardship Plan, Los Angeles Times
Bush Administration, BLM Draft Plan for Oil Shale Development.
With growing concern over the cost of energy and demand for more domestic development, the Bush administration released plans in late July to begin a commercial oil shale program in the western states of Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah. Secretary of Interior Kempthorne claimed that there are 800 billion barrels of oil that can be recovered in that three state region, enough to meet the current U.S. demand for 110 years. However, exploration cannot begin unless Congress lifts a moratorium on oil shale development.
Oil shale is an abundant sedimentary rock which contains organic matter that can be converted to fuel after a tedious process. Once thought to be too expensive to extract and convert, oil shale has now found many supporters who see the high oil prices as justification for extraction. Yet, even if the moratorium is lifted it is widely believed that leasing and eventual processing would take somewhere between 15 to 25 years to produce a drop of oil.
Oil shale development is also of great concern to conservationists who are focused on the serious dangers associated with its production. The Natural Resources Defense Council and The Wilderness Society claim that fuels extracted from Oil shale produce more than five times the amount of greenhouse gases than standard oil and gasoline and that the production oil shale will require as much water as almost 1.5 million people typically use in a year.
Sources: Denver Post, E&E Publishing (Land Letter)
Situated in the Outer Banks of coastal North Carolina, Cape Hatteras National Seashore was the first area in the U.S. to be given such a designation. Popular with both bird watchers and surf-fishers, the 30,000 acres and nearly 64 miles of shoreline at Cape Hatteras are a popular destination for locals and tourists alike. This popularity, however, is leading to some significant negative effects on the coastal ecosystem, as a result of Off-road vehicle (ORV) use on the Seashore’s beaches.
In 1972, President Nixon issued an executive order requiring federal agencies managing public lands to define areas designated for ORV use and to have a detailed management plan in effect to mitigate the effects of ORV use. However, for more than 30 years Cape Hatteras has had no ORV management plan in effect. In fact, until recently one did not need a permit or any special equipment to drive anywhere along the beaches of Cape Hatteras. Parking along the water’s edge is a tradition for the surf-fishers on Cape Hatteras, however the effects of unregulated beach traffic have been significant for local wildlife populations. In 1999, there were 103 breeding pairs of gull-billed terns, yet in 2007 there was not a single breeding pair at Cape Hatteras. In that same time period, the number of breeding pairs of black skimmers decreased from 306 to two.
The declining bird numbers, along with other negative environmental effects resulting from unregulated ORV use, eventually led to an October 2007 lawsuit filed by the Southern Environmental Law Center on behalf of Defenders of Wildlife and the National Audubon Society. A compromise was eventually met, and the district court judge approved a consent decree offered by the environmental groups, OHV users, and federal parks officials. The compromise gives the NPS until December 31, 2010, to come up with a long-term ORV management plan, and, in the meantime, buffer zones designated around nesting areas are off limits. However, new legislation proposed by North Carolina Republicans Sen. Elizabeth Dole, Sen. Richard Burr, and Rep. Walter Jones (S.3113/H.R. 6233) would circumvent the court settlement and would put in place the plan that was in place when the initial lawsuit regarding unregulated ORV use was filed against the NPS.
Sources: E& E Publishing, LLC (E&E Daily), Defenders of Wildlife, Fayetville Observer, The Virginian Pilot, The News & Observer
House Subcommittee Markup Held on Interior Budget: On June 11, the House Interior Subcommittee approved a bill which would increase funding for the Department of the Interior by six percent over the FY 2008 budget. The bill would increase funding from 2008 by 577 million dollars and would result in a one billion dollar budget for the Bureau of Land Management, 1.1 billion for the U.S. Geological Survey and 1.4 billion for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, including 469 million for the National Wildlife Refuge System. Although the budget for each individual agency is only slightly, if at all higher than that of 2008 it is significantly greater than the budget President Bush proposed in February, which saw drastic cuts in Department of the Interior funding across the board. The bill has not yet been approved by the full committee.
