BLM: Public information forum; Planned burn on Spruce Mountain
Bureau of Land Management to hold public information forum to develop a tool to identify Southern Nevada district restoration opportunities, BLM – As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s America the Beautiful campaign to conserve, connect and restore 30 percent of public land by 2030, the BLM Southern Nevada District Office is hosting an information forum to gather input from public land users to prioritize areas for restoration projects. “This information forum is a critical early step to gather public input so BLM can develop a GIS tool to identify restoration opportunities that have the greatest benefit to threatened and endangered species and migratory birds,” said Angie Bulletts, Southern Nevada District Manager. “Funding has been secured and input will be used to direct which projects will receive funding.”
BLM plans burning on Spruce Mountain, Elko Daily – Weather conditions permitting, the Bureau of Land Management Elko District is planning a 51-acre prescribed fire on public land on the west portion of Spruce Mountain. This project is designed to reduce hand-piled debris from thinning operations, remove hazardous fuels and improve wildlife habitat. Burning operations are scheduled for multiple days between 2/24 and 3/31. “The burn is planned in an area where brush and trees have been thinned to reduce accumulations of fuels and remove hazards which leads to less intense fires in the treated area and provides firefighters a higher probability of containing future wildfires,” said Elko District Fuels Manager Tyson Gripp.
USDA: Black vulture permits
USDA announces 2022 black vulture permit process, Ohio Farm Bureau – While black vultures can be extremely detrimental to livestock producers, these birds remain important to conservation and agriculture resources by cleaning up animal carcasses from the ecosystem. As migratory birds, black vultures are federally protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, state laws and regulations, which means they can’t be killed or destroyed without a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services Migratory Bird Depredation permit. As a way to streamline the permitting process, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources has obtained a statewide depredation permit for black vultures from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. ODNR will work with USDA Wildlife Services to issue sub-permits to livestock producers who are experiencing issues with black vultures. These sub-permits cover commercial livestock, including cattle, horses, sheep, goats and swine and are free to livestock producers.
Sage Grouse: Request for extending public comment period
Lawmakers seek more comment on grouse, The Chronicle (subs req’d) – U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-4th District, and others have urged Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to extend the public comment period for the ongoing greater sage grouse scoping process. The lawmakers want to increase participation from states, local governments, tribes and stakeholders.
Colorado: Using controlled burns to decrease wildfire risk
Prescribed burns could help prevent the next Marshall fire. They’re not easy to pull off in grasslands, CPR News – Many Boulder County land managers agree there’s a need for more controlled burns across both grasslands and forestlands along the Front Range. But setting those fires isn’t easy in such a heavily populated area. Boulder County communities have plans for controlled burns on thousands of acres to reduce wildfire risk, clear overgrown vegetation around irrigation ditches and promote overall ecosystem health, John Potter, the resource and stewardship manager for the City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks Department, said. The challenge is finding ways to follow through. Over the last five years, Potter said his office has only been able to burn about eight acres per year across the city’s vast 46,000-acre open space system.
Wyoming: Bill seeks continued wild horse management
Wyoming legislators want to encourage the BLM to keep up on wild horse management, Wyoming Public Radio – The Wyoming House of Representatives is considering a pair of bills that deal with the management of wild horses on state lands. The main bill is House Bill 5 which would ask the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to reimburse the state for the cost of grazing on state lands and the Wind River Reservation. The committee is also supporting House Bill 24 which could give the state power to manage horses and burros. The goal is to force the Bureau of Land Management to keep wild horse populations under control.
Bison: Hunting perimeters of Yellowstone causing concern
Flying Bullets and Bison Culling, Western Ag Reporter – Bison hunting isn’t allowed in Yellowstone National Park, but in a tiny gulch just outside of the park perimeter, where the two herds that call Yellowstone home merge, bison hunting is legal. Neighbors Against Bison Slaughter, who filed the lawsuit against the National Park Service and other federal government agencies, stated “we believe in hunting for subsistence and for meat. But the hunting here has stepped over the line to threaten the safety and peace of the neighborhood. The hunting creates a public safety hazard, risks the lives of the neighbors and their property, and upsets our way of life.”
Infrastructure: Spending infrastructure money
States to feds: Don’t tell us how to spend infrastructure money, The Salem News – State and local leaders from both parties are at odds with the Biden administration over how billions of dollars in new infrastructure money should be spent. Republican governors are upset over a federal memo seeking to limit dollars for highway expansions. Western states and some progressive cities don’t like the feds’ plan for how to deploy electric vehicle chargers. Some construction groups fear that labor guidelines included in certain programs could hurt red states without a strong union presence. And more conflicts are likely to surface as federal agencies continue to roll out details for the bill’s programs.
Wolves: Wolf shot in Eastern Oregon
Another wolf was discovered unlawfully shot in eastern Oregon; a $22,500 reward has been offered for information, List 23 – Officials said on February 23 that investigators are looking for the person who unlawfully shot and killed a wolf in eastern Oregon, and that conservation organizations have paid a reward of over $20,000. On February 15, Oregon State police arrived at a remote location east of La Grande in Union County, Oregon. One black female wolf was discovered with a tracking collar and was known as OR 109. The wolf was found dead that morning, according to authorities.
Montana: Designating public land as wilderness
Bill will protect waterways, public land and wildlife, Whitefish Pilot – Outdoor recreation comprises $7.1 billion of Montana’s economy and generates $286 million in tax revenue. Additionally, the outdoor recreation economy provides 71,000 jobs to Montanans. By expanding the Bob Marshall, these numbers will only continue to grow. The Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act (BCSA) seeks to designate an additional 80,000 acres of public land as wilderness. Doing so will result in sustainable timber management and forest restoration, protect the headwaters of the Blackfoot and Clearwater Rivers, and increase opportunities for outdoor recreation and tourism, including some areas for motorized recreation.
California: Court protecting Western Joshua tree
California Court Maintains Protections for Western Joshua Tree, JD Supra – On February 16, 2022, a California state court upheld protections afforded the western Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia) under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA). The ruling came in connection with a lawsuit filed by the California Construction and Industrial Materials Association and others (Plaintiffs), alleging that the California Fish and Game Commission (Commission) failed to abide by its own rules in finding a petition to list the western Joshua tree indicated listing the tree may be warranted. A Commission finding that listing a species under CESA may be warranted results in “candidate” status for that species and affords the same level of protection as if the species were formally listed as threatened or endangered under state law.