|
Putting
the "Public" Back in "Public
Trust"
"An
activist is someone
who cannot help but
fight for something.
That person is not usually
motivated by a need
for power, or money,
or fame, but in fact
driven slightly mad
by some injustice, some
cruelty, some unfairness
- so much so that he
or she is compelled
by some internal moral
engine to act to make
it better." -
Eve Ensler
Recently there have been
a number of curious people
who have inquired about
my last name, its origin
and meaning, some even
apologizing for asking,
but curious nonetheless.
So I thought I would share
a Christmas story - tis
the season and all.
I was 5, and we were stationed
in Orlando, FL at the
time. Months before I
had suspected that the
tooth fairy was not real
(realize this was in the
late 60's when parents
were still trying to hang
on to the Leave it to
Beaver era), so when the
next tooth was getting
loose, I promptly tied
a string around a door
handle and pulled it out,
notified my parents and
of course put the tooth
under my pillow to await
the "tooth fairy" and
her silver dollar. Only
I set some traps in the
room to confirm my suspicions
that it was actually my
parents. I caught the
tooth fairy all right,
when he tripped over my
trip wire (it was my jump
rope) and the jingle bells
went off. Dad was none
too happy with my path
of toy caltrops I had
laid out across the floor
as well, in case he missed
the rope.
Now it is Christmas,
already guessing what
my gifts were, to the
point that my parents
were wrapping gifts in
odd containers or putting
something inside to make
deceptive noises like
beads or pebbles,
I notice the labels on
the packages from Santa
had the same handwriting
as the packages from my
parents (and Santa was
doing the misleading wrapping
as well). I was no longer
buying their explanations
of how Santa got into
our house when we didnt
have a chimney and other
such inconsistencies.
As they say, the devil
is in the details. Indignantly,
hands on my hips, I confronted
them with yet another
deception they were perpetuating
on me. My Daddy put his
hand to his forehead,
exhaled deeply, told me
I was a handful and could
clearly see I was going
to be a problem child.
Both parents admitted
there was no Santa. I
knew it!
These incidents clearly
showed that I could not
blindly trust people,
no matter how well intentioned
they were. But getting
personal deceptions cleared
up was not good enough,
I proceeded to share this
liberating truth with
all my friends, some of
which were not quite so
pleased, neither were
their parents who called
or came over to complain
to my parents that I had
destroyed their child's
fantasy.
That is the oldest memory
I have of my lifelong
hunt for truth, so to
speak. As a result, my
more passive Daddy developed
a long litany of names
and phrases for his problem
child - boat rocker, rabble
rouser, zealot, troublemaker,
rabid, radical, pain in
the ass child, etc.
Fast forward to my late
30's when I was dealing
with ancient languages
and archaeological texts.
I came across an inscription
with an unusual name -
QannaYahu, which means
the Zeal of Yahu (more
anciently written Iahu).
It made me smile, reminding
me of all my Daddy's nicknames
and my decades of passionate
research. So at the time
of my divorce, changing
back to my maiden name,
I decided to get rid of
my girly middle name I
never cared for and adopted
QannaYahu as my middle
name in honor of my ever
exasperated father (I
am a daddy's girl, but
not the little princess
kind). Though a Celtic/Germanic
mutt, I later took the
ancient Semitic name for
my last name, it seemed
very apropos. I didnt
realize at the time that
it would cause so much
consternation and many
would have difficulty
with the pronunciation,
as well as the non Indo-European
spelling of a "u" following
the "q".
This, in a nutshell, is
symbolic of what drives
me to do what I do, only
now it is focused on wildlife
and habitat conservation.
This newsletter, which
began with my personal
emails in 2013, sharing
my concerns with a couple
handfuls of conservation
guys, is exactly the same,
but more evolved, just
like my warning my wee
friends in Florida that
our parents have been
deceiving us and Santa
does not exist. My adopted
last name of QannaYahu
is a daily reminder that
I am "compelled
by some internal moral
engine to act to make
it better". My Daddy would
probably snort and say
that I am simply embracing
and encouraging my general
pain in the assness! Truth
be told, I cannot help
but fight for conservation,
ask a multitude of questions,
this is simply who I am,
how my brain is wired.
There you have it.
On
a layout note,
I had two guys last
week, mention they
did not know that
the underlined news
titles were hypertext
links that took you
to the full articles.
So I decided to add
a 
button that links
to the full article.
Hopefully this will
help readers navigate
for more information.
Don Thomas/DU
Update
While I am finishing
some DU access research,
here is the
PLWA
Montana Supreme
Court case video
link
with Kennedy's attorney
attacking our Stream
Access law as being
unconstitutional.
Also, I was sent
a forward of Montana
Sportsmen Alliance's
letter to DU on
this issue. I asked
for permission to
share.
Gentlemen,
I'm
a retired Montana
FWP wildlife
biologist who
spent the better
part of my career
engaged in migratory
game bird management
and habitat
conservation
at the state,
flyway and national
level. I have
worked closely
with Ducks Unlimited
staff on a variety
of initiatives,
including some
of the very
first private
lands projects
to be delivered
in the country.
I have worked
on a local DU
committee, spoken
at statewide
DU events and
ironically,
am wearing a
DU fleece zip-T
as I write this
letter.
I'm
an avid hunter
and angler and
an ardent conservationist
who strongly endorses
the public trust
doctrine as it
applies to our
valuable fish
and wildlife resources.
This doctrine
is foundational
to the North American
Model of Wildlife
Conservation that
DU has both contributed
to and benefited
from. Furthermore,
I recognize and
applaud the contributions
by private landowners
to these conservation
efforts and the
rights associated
with their private
property.
With
that said, I find
your recent action
to terminate the
contract of E.
Donnall Thomas
Jr. incredibly
disappointing
on several levels.
I will not delve
into the specifics
of this conflict
other than to
say that Montana
sportsmen and
women hold dear
the culture of
our hunting and
fishing heritage
and the constitutional
and statutory
elements like
the Stream Access
Law that sustain
the waters of
Montana and access
to those waters
as a public trust
resource. These
same men and women
serve as the backbone
of local DU Chapters,
the heart and
soul of the organization.
As
I consider terminating
my long-term association
with DU, I would
like to pose several
questions to you
from an organization
standpoint. How
do you explain
the dichotomy
of your actions
- on one hand
strongly endorsing
the North American
Model of Wildlife
Conservation (November/December
2015 issue of
Ducks Unlimited)
and on the other,
tacitly supporting
an individual
seeking not only
to undermine public
access to a public
resource but in
fact, to privatize
it? By your actions
it appears that
DU places far
greater value
on the contributions
of a wealthy donor
and trustee than
it does to the
average angler/hunter
from Montana who
largely agrees
with the premise
of the article.
What picture does
that paint of
a conservation
organization built
on the passion
of its members?
Will future actions/management
decisions reflect
a strong, publically
engaged conservation
ethic or one built
around big money
and exclusivity?
Jeff
Herbert
Montana Sportsmen
Alliance
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Republicans
must return to their conservation
roots
"Republican President Teddy
Roosevelt was so inspired
by the beauty of our nation
that he preserved more than
230 million acres of public
lands, much of which would
become part of our National
Forest and National Parks
systems. While I received
a lot of support for reauthorizing
LWCF from Democrats, only
a few from my own party
are fighting alongside me
for the future of the program.
It's time for Republicans
to return to our conservationist
roots."
Montana
makes record payments
for livestock killed
by wolves
"The Montana Livestock
Loss Board has made record
payments this year for
depredations caused by
wolves and grizzly bears...
Board Executive Director
George Edwards said the
payments this year are
larger because the price
of stock in 2009 was half
of what it is now. There
have been significantly
fewer livestock deaths."
For more information on
preventative methods on
EMWH,
How
do you keep a wolf away
from your sheep? The
right dog
"The study began
with Turkish kangals
on a pilot basis in
Montana including at
the Rockport and New
Miami Hutterite colonies.
It's since been expanded
to Washington, Wyoming,
Idaho and Oregon. The
project was expanded
to get a better sample
size, Young said. And
two additional breeds,
transmontanos from Portugal
and Bulgarian karkachans,
have been added to the
study, with 41 kangals,
transmontanos and Karakachans
now in place with 19
sheep producers with
21 sheep bands in the
five states. All of
the breeds have shown
effectiveness against
wolves and bears in
their home countries,
Kinka said
."
|
2,352,699
and counting: Glacier
Park sets visitation
record again
"Glacier National Park
went 31 years between
visitation records the
last time it broke the
mark for the number of
people who enter the park
in a calendar year. This
time it took less than
11 months.
For the second straight
year, the park has passed
the 2.3 million mark.
With 31 days still left
in 2015, the number
stood at 2,352,699...
Germann said a
draft environmental
impact statement,
which was initially
due to have been already
released, will be
finalized by summer.
Glacier authorities
have already given
the public the opportunity
to weigh in on five
potential management
plans, and are now
tweaking them based
on that input. More
public comment will
be taken after that
preliminary draft
environmental impact
statement is reworked
to reflect the first
round of public involvement.
Potential changes
demonstrate the severity
of the congestion
in Glacier. Possibilities
include requiring
reservations to drive
over Going-to-the-Sun
during July and August,
or limiting traffic
to a certain number
of vehicles at peak
times."
Snowmobile
groups sue for access
to national forest
in Montana
"John Todd, Montana
Wilderness Association
conservation director,
said he's dismayed
by the motorized users'
lawsuit. The recommendations
were made after 13
years of effort and
more than 100 meetings
convened during the
forest planning process.
'We, too, are not
satisfied with the
wilderness recommendations
because they don't
go far enough,' he
said. 'But we hope
the decisions on how
we manage our public
lands are driven by
folks who don't take
such a hard line.
The plan needs to
balance uses.
'There are a lot
more special places
across the Kootenai
that should be protected
for quiet use and
wilderness characteristics.
We wouldn't still
have the longest big-game
hunting season in
the lower 48 states
if motorized travel
was allowed to spread
into protected areas.'
"
|
Wardens
seeking information
on elk poaching at
Three Mile Game Range
Montana Fish, Wildlife
and Parks officials are
hoping the public will
help them track
down people who killed
two elk on a game range
and left one to rot Wednesday.
FWP Warden Capt. Joe Jaquith
said someone killed two
elk on the Three Mile
Game Range northeast of
Stevensville either late
Tuesday night or early
Wednesday morning. The
poachers drove behind
a closed sign to retrieve
one of the elk and left
the other cow elk behind...
Jaquith urged anyone
with information to
call the TIP-MONT
hotline at 800-847-6668.
Anyone providing
information that leads
to an arrest in the
case will be eligible
for a reward. Those
providing information
can remain anonymous.
|
Packed
house in Livingston
worried about elk
hunting in Gardiner
"LIVINGSTON
- It was standing
room only at the
Pioneer Lodge
here  Thursday
night, the room
full of people
with stern faces
and crossed arms,
waiting to hear
about the plans
state wildlife
officials have
for a herd of
elk they say are
in decline at
the southern end
of Paradise Valley.
'What we're seeing
is a decline in
the number of
mature bulls,'
said Montana Fish
Wildlife and Parks
biologist Karen
Loveless
."
Here
is the
YNP's Northern Range
Elk Count Report
of 2014-2015.
I had talked with
them about this
in early February
as a result of a
news article quoting
FWP wildlife biologist
Karen Loveless talking
about an increase
in the Northern
Yellowstone Elk
herd, which had
been in a decline
for the last 10
years.
This situation
with the elk tags
has been a longtime
coming, it is
not a sudden thing,
they had already
planned on it
from the papers
produced in Jan.
2015. Also, on
the Hell's
A-Roarin Outfitter
website, they
state, "We live
and hunt just
North of Yellowstone
National Park.
Many outfitters
come here to fill
their personal
tags! We have
been in business
28 years
... My hunters
have taken close
to 2,000
bull elk..."
2000
bull elk divided
by 28 years
equals 71.4
bull elk a year
from that area!
Could this be
contributing
to the much
lower bull count
in that area?
Pg. 2 of the
FWP report states
Bull ratios ranged
from a low of
12.1 bulls per
100 cows within
Montana, and the
observed ratio
of 15.2 total
bulls per 100
cows is very similar
to results of
15.8 bulls per
100 cows observed
in 2013, and lower
than the 21 -
year average of
29.1 bulls per
100 cows. The
observed ratio
of 6.5 brow -
tined bulls per
100 cows is the
lowest observed
since surveys
began, however
the observed ratio
of 8.7 yearling
bulls per 100
cows is above
recent and longterm
averages (Table
2, Figure 4).
"The
2015 results of
8.7 yearling bulls
per 100 cows indicate
increased yearling
survival as compared
to surveys conducted
during 2008 -
2013 which resulted
in ratios ranging
between 2 - 5
yearling bulls
per 100 cows.
In spite of this
observed increase
in yearling bull
ratios, mature
bull ratios for
the entire herd
declined this
year to an all
time low of 6.5
brow-tined bulls
per 100 cows.
Mature bull ratios
within the Montana
portion have remained
stable at 2.7
- 3.1 brow-tined
bulls per 100
cows for 3 years,
having increased
slightly from
the low of 0.8
brow-tined bull
per 100 cows observed
in 2012.
Harvest of brow-tined
bulls has increased
in recent years
in spite of the
long-term decline
in elk numbers;
the most recent
10-year average
is higher than
the long term
average, and the
2014 harvest of
315 brow-tined
bulls is the highest
harvest since
2006 and the second
highest harvest
since 1994. The
increased bull
harvest corresponding
with reduced overall
elk numbers results
in an increasingly
greater proportion
of the bull population
being harvested
annually (Figures
5 & 6)."
In
the YNP report,
page 2, "Predation
by wolves and
other large carnivores
(i.e. grizzly
bears, black bears,
cougars), past
human harvests
of antler-less
elk during the
Gardiner Late
Hunt, and drought
effects on maternal
condition and
recruitment were
indicated as the
primary factors
contributing to
the decreasing
trend during 1995-2005.
To reduce hunter
mortality on female
elk, Montana Fish,
Wildlife &
Parks reduced
the number of
antler-less permits
for the Gardiner
Late Elk Hunt
from 1,102 in
2005 to 100 per
season during
2006-2010, and
eliminated this
hunt beginning
in 2011. Although
lag effects from
harvests may continue
for some time,
these reductions
should increase
the survival of
prime-aged females
with their high
reproductive value
and recruitment
of calves into
the breeding population
into the future.
Also,
a substantial
decrease from
94 to 42 (~47%
decrease) wolves
occurred on the
portion of the
winter range for
northern Yellowstone
elk inside the
park during 2007-2014
due to intra-specific
strife, food stress,
and disease. This
decrease suggests
the wolf population
may be beginning
to respond numerically
to decreased elk
availability...
The winter distribution
of northern Yellowstone
elk has changed
since 2008, with
more than one-half
of the counted
elk being observed
north of Yellowstone
National Park.
Possible reasons
for a high proportion
of elk migrating
to this lower
elevation winter
range include
milder environmental
conditions (e.g.,
less snow) and
better forage
availability.
Wolf densities
and the cessation
of the late hunt
may also be factors
influencing the
winter distribution
of elk."
Wilderness, Wildlife,
and Ecological
Values of the
Hyalite-Porcupine-Buffalo
Horn Wilderness
Study Area
Lance sent the
following research
page, which includes
their presentation
that was presented
at the Bozeman Public
Library on Sept. 28th.
" This report
is a review of existing
data and literature
that were available
in 2015 pertaining
to the Hyalite Porcupine
Buffalo Horn Wilderness
Study Area which is
located in the Gallatin
National Forest in
the Gallatin Mountains
of southcentral Montana."
The
Pursuit of Peace
& Powder
Despite
pulling application
to explore Emigrant
Gulch, mining company
"not going away"
"PARADISE VALLEY
- The Canadian
Company hoping to look
for gold  and
other minerals in the
Paradise Valley has withdrawn one
of its permit applications.
Lucky Minerals applied
for permits to drill
on public and private
lands in the Emigrant
Gulch area north of Chico
Hot Springs. The
Forest Service received
more than 6,200 letters
comments, almost all raising
concerns about the possibility
of a drilling and mine
in the area. 'We
determined that an environmental
assessment was the
appropriate level of analysis
and we were working with
Lucky minerals to determine
how to move forward with
that and at that junction
they decided to withdraw
their proposal on national
forest system lands and
only continue looking
at exploratory drilling
on private property,'
said Custer-Gallatin National Forest
Service Public Information
Officer Marna Daley."
|
Double
Gobble: The tale of
Montana's two types
of turkeys
"Montana was void
of wild turkeys until
1954, when then-Montana
Department of Fish and
Game released 13 Merriam's
turkeys from Colorado
into the Judith Mountains
of central Montana.
The transplant was followed
by 1955 releases of
18 Merriam's from Wyoming
into the Long Pines
and 26 birds in 1956
and 1957 into the Ashland
area of southeastern
Montana, according to
Montana Fish, Wildlife
and Parks.
It was also during
that time period that
turkeys of the Eastern
subspecies were illegally
released in the Flathead
Valley, said FWP game
management Bureau Chief
John Vore. Eastern turkeys
are native to the hardwood
forests of the eastern
U.S. -- habitats much
different than those
of the Rocky Mountain
West, he said."
|
Montana
Conservation Corps
crew helps with Hi-Line
fencing work
"To complete several
large 2015 field season
projects in the Little
Rocky Mountains, the
Bureau of Land Management
Malta Field Office hired
a six-person Montana
Conservation Corps crew.
The MCC crew pried
about 1½ miles
of barbed wire from
the landscape west of
Landusky. 'The fence
was not authorized or
built to BLM standards,'
said Kathy Tribby, a
BLM wildlife biologist.
'Much of the wire had
been cut or broken over
the years and posed
a safety hazard to wildlife
and the public. This
portion of the Little
Rockies is important
winter habitat for elk
and mule deer. "
|
The
Montana Conservation
Ethic - Jim
Posewitz
"Flash
forward fifty
years: the Yellowstone
River is still
 intact,
and Colstrip has
but four of those
coal fired plants.
We can thank the
conservation ethic
held by the people
that had the foresight
to know that our
natural landscapes
are worth preserving.
Once again, Montana
is poised to lead the
nation as The Clean
Power Plan is debated
and designed. We are
a state known for our
tenacity and ability
to come together to
solve problems. It is
now more important than
ever to support Governor
Bullock's plan to make
the Clean Power Plan
work for Montana by
coming up with a solution
that is both respectful
of the communities impacted
and welcoming to new
wind and solar technologies.
The Clean Power Plan
is the perfect opportunity
to embrace, expand and
apply the traditional
Montana conservation
ethic - this time, not
only to preserve Montana's
landscape, but also
to address the health
of an entire planet."
|
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West & US |
The
elephant in the water-quality
room
"It's also noteworthy
that Dayton announced
the summit before the
state's largest agricultural
groups - the Farm Bureau
and the Farmers Union
- where he boldly spoke
the truth: "Modern farming
practices, especially
the use of nitrogen
fertilizer," contribute
to farm-country lakes
being mostly lost.
There's more than
farming to blame, of
course, like those who
overdose lawn fertilizers
or root out shoreland
vegetation or fail to
correct a faulty septic
system. There also are
local governments that
bulldoze and pave and
otherwise destroy natural
vegetation in near-lake
watersheds."
Wyoming
loves their unnaturally
congregated elk disease
breeding grounds
"The Jackson Ranger District
of the Bridger-Teton National
Forest announces that
Forest Supervisor Tricia
O'Connor signed a Record
of Decision approving
the authorization of continued
use of Alkali
Creek Elk Feedground
by the Wyoming Game and
Fish Commission (the Commission)."
Initiative
Announced to Reclassify
Federal Lands in Wyoming
"County officials
from across Wyoming
are launching a push
to get Congress to
re-evaluate the state's
federal wilderness
study areas and possibly
swap some of them
for state lands, which
could lead to more
development."
Ranchers
denied the drought while
collecting drought subsidies
"By denying the severity
of the drought - and
by claiming that 'rogue'
federal bureaucrats
threatened them with
economic ruin - the
ranchers won the day.
But even as the conflict
played out, some of
these same ranchers
were collecting drought
subsidies from the federal
government.
On one hand, they
denied the drought.
On the other hand, they
embraced it."
|
I
would like to thank the
following contributors
for supporting EMWH. Your
gift is very much appreciated.
J L Ashmore, Tony
Schoonen, Harold
Johns, Jim
Griffin
If you would
like to further this work
and research,
please
click to contribute to
EMWH.
Thank you,
Kathryn QannaYahu
406-579-7748
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Enhancing
Montana's
Wildlife
&
Habitat
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