The Adirondack Park in New York State--larger than Yellowstone--and like Yellowstone, a boon to all animals including man

While many folks in rural locales initially are suspicious and downright opposed to State and Federal purchasing of land to create Parks, Open Space and Wilderness.....................the end result of created Parkland is almost always a positive for local economies and re-wilding endeavors.

 

The Adirondack Park in New York State was originally created to preserve and enhance the drinking water that flowed South to New York City. The 6 million acre Park(half of which is forever wild designation and half which is privately held) has one of the most robust local rural economies in New York State. Household income has risen dramatically over the past 40 years of continued State acquisition of many of the previously privately owned timberlands and there has actually been an inflow of permanent residents to the region while simultaneously the State as a whole has lost population.

 

Rarely, if ever, does anyone alive today view an existing Park or Wilderness Preserve as a bad thing.................even the most die-hard conservative person finds refreshment and aesthetic rejuvenation when visiting our Nations Parklands................one of the defining achievements of our great Country and something that the other Countries of the world have sought to mimic in their endeavor to enhance biodiversity and create oasis' for their human population.

 

click here to read the Adirondack Council article on the Upstate Economy of New York State

Life Net ------another fine organization working toward re-wilding the Americas

Life Net is an organization founded by Dr. Tony Povilitis(Arizona Jaguar recovery) and Dr. Dusti Becker(Maui Forest bird recovery) that is lazor focused on achieving nature protection at every social level. From Andean deer recovery in Chile to Grizzly Bear restoration in Colorado to bird conservation in Ecuador………………Life Net concentrates on educational outreach, wildlife population research and conservation policy change. Their goal and objective is to reduce the loss of wild nature on our Planet Earth and to drive the Public and Government to the need for optimizing biological diversity across every habitat across the Americas. As you know, Tony has been working tirelessly on critical habitat designation for the Jaguar in the USA which fits square on with Life Net’s efforts and endeavors……….reach out to

Tony and Dusti at:  www.lifenetnature.org

Lifenature.org Projects

Hawaiian Endangered Species

Life Net is bringing scientific and advocacy expertise to bear on key issues affecting Hawaii's imperiled wildlife. With your support, we look ahead to broadening our efforts in 2009!Hawaii has the tragic distinction of being the "endangered species capitol" of the United States, home to about 30% of the nation's imperiled species. Hawaiian honeycreeper birds, sea turtles, monk seal, and a great number of endemic plants, insects, and other invertebrates are among the many species at risk of extinction. Conservation of much of what remains of Hawaii's unique native fauna and flora depends on protecting its coral reefs and on restoring its native forests. Life Net's work in Hawaii began with a sense of urgency in mid-2008, given growing threats to Maui Island's beleaguered coral reefs. Today we are working on a proposal to Maui County authorities for a "Maui Coral Reef Task Force" that will address the plight of the Island's reefs and lay out a scientifically based course of action to save them. We are also active with Maui's DIRE Coalition of private organizations that is urging the Environmental Protection Agnecy and local government to end coastal pollution from wastewater injection wells that damage coral reefs. Check out our testimony to county, state, and federal officials aimed at expanding the scope of protection for these incredible ecosystems:

Legacy letter to Maui Council, 2008

Testimony on Maui General Plan, 2009

Reef Fish and Marine Reserve letter, 2009

Jaguar Habitat Campaign

Precious few jaguars remain in the American Southwest. Our great cat can only make a comeback if people protect the core habitats and travel corridors it needs. Life Net's Dr. Tony Povilitis was instrumental in having the jaguar placed on the U.S. endangered species list over a decade ago, thus resulting in immediate federal protection from hunting. Since that time, protecting the jaguar's habitat has become a tremendous challenge given the rapid pace of land development in the region, and the reluctance of government wildlife agencies to address habitat loss. We address threats to jaguar habitat and opportunities to protect and restore it. We advocate and help others advocate for jaguar conservation with county officials, border authorities, land managers and agencies, local communities, elected officials, the media, and others. Protecting habitat for the wide-ranging jaguar is a sure investment for protecting nature overall!

Expeditions

Although Ecuador represents only 1.6 percent of the landmass of South America, it harbors more than half the continent's bird species in some of the world's most threatened ecosystems. While studying remnant patches of rare cloud forest habitat in Ecuador's coastal Colonche Hills, Dr. Dusti Becker discovered a host of rare bird species, including 20 hummingbird species and 12 species of conservation concern. Becker helped establish the Loma Alta Ecological Reserve in support of the local indigenous community, and hopes to help the community launch an ecotourism enterprise to make up for the lost farmland. Becker continues this important work leading volunteers here and in the equally rich Tangara Reserve in the Andes.

Our research contributes directly to the preservation of biodiversity, particularly endemic and declining birds in the Mindo region of Ecuador. Volunteers join a meaningful scientific expedition and are in for a cultural and biological adventure. Bird enthusiasts can look forward to seeing as many as 250 species, including 25 species of hummingbirds. This is also a great opportunity to learn or practice Spanish, and a great chance to learn more about the tropical world, make new friends, and learn more about conservation biology.

Huemul Conservation

Throughout the 1990s, Life Net carried out field research and conservation work in Chile on behalf of the huemul (Andean deer), that nation’s endangered national symbol. Today, we continue to help Chilean conservationists, most recently with a letter by Dr. Tony Povilitis,* a well-known huemul biologist, to environmental authorities advising against a harmful hydroelectric development in prime huemul habitat. You can read follow up story in Chile’s newspaper La Discusion.*

How can you support our work?

1. Make a tax-deductible donation to our organization.

You can specify projects or support the whole organization:

o Southwest Carnivore Conservation: Jaguar and Mexican Wolf Recovery

o Cochise Conservation Center

o Cloud Forest Preservation in Ecuador

2. Volunteer on a conservation research project.

o Cock of the Rock Behavior at Las Tangaras

o Hummingbird Ecology and Avian Habitat Use at Las Tangaras

o Christmas Count Loma Alta

o Annual Bird Surveys at Loma Alta

3. Be an eco-visitor at Las Tangaras or at Loma Alta.

o Las Tangaras: (June - December)

 Cabin rental

 Las Tangaras & Mindo Area Birding Package

o Loma Alta: (September - February) (May)

 Visit Loma Alta

 Cloud Forest Mule Trek at Loma Alta

 Birding Trek - Tumbesian and Choco Endemics and Specialties

 Spanish language home stays (year-round)

4. Do your own research at Loma Alta or Las Tangaras

Visit www.lifenetnature.org

Journal of Wildlife Management paper documents potential coyote predation of moose calves

MANY THANKS TO MY BLOG FOLLOWER, REDHOLE 8 WHO WAS KIND ENOUGH TO EMAIL ME WITH THE FOLLOWING PERSPECTIVE ON COYOTE PREDATION OF MOOSE IN NEW BRUNSWICK, CANADA....................I WILL POST THE THESIS THAT REDHOLE REFERS TO OVER THE WEEKEND.....................AND WILL ALSO SEEK OUT THE JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE ARTICLE HE CITES BELOW.................

AS SO MANY OF THE COYOTE BIOLOGISTS THAT RESPONDED TO MY QUESTION THIS WEEK ABOUT THE ABILITY OF EASTERN COYOTES(COYWOLVES) TO BE A TRUE TROPHIC PREDATOR OF MOOSE REVEALED......... 

"MOOSE CALVES ARE VULNERABLE TO PREDATION(BEARS/COYOTES...............CURIOUS ABOUT COUGARS????) ONLY UP TO THE AGE OF 6 MONTHS"..........................

On Wed, Apr 28, 2010 at 8:46 PM, red dhole wrote:

Hi Rick,

I enjoy reading your blog and noticed your recent posts on possible eastern coyote predation on moose. I have a thesis from New Brunswick, Canada that addresses this issue. Basically, they found lots of scats with moose and inferred that coyotes may have killed some moose (at least calves) in deep snow or during calving time in spring. The coyote-moose predation paper starts on page 57 in the attached pdf. I got this paper off the Canadian library's website awhile ago, so I imagine it is still publicly available.

Another study (Journal of Wildlife Management 74(1):P 3–11) found high amounts of moose in coyote scats, and they mentioned 7 calves potentially were killed by coyotes. Here is the relevant extract:

Only the 7 calf
carcasses could have been killed by coyotes because moose
calves are vulnerable to coyote predation only up to 6
months of age (Wolfe 1974, Creˆte and Desrosiers 1995).
Hope this helps.

My friend Stan Gehrt(Ohio University;Professor Wildlife Ecology) and colleagues have just published the first book to dive deep into human carnivores interacting with other carnivores in urban environments..............I am going to pick up a copy and I encourage you to do so also. Stan has done extensive research into the habits and life orientation of coyotes living in and around the City of Chicago and I am excited to get a further taste of his insights and evaluations in this new great volume..........URBAN CARNIVORS.............ECOLOGY, CONFLICT AND CONSERVATION

Urban Carnivores
Ecology, Conflict, and Conservation

edited by Stanley D. Gehrt, Seth P. D. Riley, and Brian L. Cypher

With over half of the world's human population now living in cities,
human-carnivore interaction in urban areas is a growing area of concern and
research for wildlife managers, conservationists, urban planners, and the
public at large. This volume brings together leading international carnivore
researchers to explore the unique biological and ecological issues
associated with mammalian carnivores in urban landscapes.

Carnivores in urban areas are fascinating from an ecological standpoint.
They elicit great passions -- positive and negative -- among humans and
present difficult challenges for wildlife conservationists and managers. The
first section of the book discusses the field of urban ecology and the many
potential roles of carnivores in urban ecosystems, details the general
behavior and ecology of this group of mammals, and addresses the human side
of potential conflicts between people and carnivores in cities. The second
section provides species accounts of the most common urban carnivores,
including raccoons, coyotes, foxes, skunks, and mountain lions. A separate
chapter examines the very specialized place of domesticated cats and dogs.
The last section compares how various carnivore species fare in cities,
looks at the utility of existing conservation and conflict management
efforts, and suggests directions for further research and future management
initiatives.

This thorough examination of the conflicts and complications surrounding
urban wildlife is the first to focus specifically on carnivores. It includes
an extensive bibliography and is an essential reference for wildlife
biologists, mammalogists, and urban planners.

Stanley D. Gehrt is an adjunct senior scientist at Max McGraw Wildlife
Foundation and an assistant professor of wildlife ecology at the Ohio State
University.
Seth P. D. Riley is a wildlife ecologist with the U.S. National Park
Service.
Brian L. Cypher is a research ecologist at California State University,
Stanislaus.















--












:

ADDITIONAL INSIGHT ON POTENTIAL FOR EASTERN COYOTE PREDATION ON MOOSE CALVES

Brent Patterson of Trent University and Paul Curtis of Cornell University reinforce below and illuminate further what we have heard from their colleagues and counterparts across the USA........................

Eastern Coyotes(Coywolves)  occasionally are able to make a meal of Moose calves.................However, with the information known at this time, only Black Bears and Eastern Wolves(C.lycaon)--those 50 to 100 pounders --are trophic predators of Moose Calves..............

 ______________________________________________________________________________-----Original Message-----

From: Patterson, Brent (MNR) [mailto:brent.patterson@ontario.ca]
Sent: Thursday, April 29, 2010 11:40 AM

To: Meril, Rick
Subject: RE: Moose foraging in the temp forest of southern new england

Hi Rick,

While it may be possible that eastern coyotes occasional take a young moose calf, I don’t believe it is overly common. We tagged radio-moose calves for several years in an area just west of Algonquin with a dense eastern coyote, and eastern coyote * eastern wolf hybrid, population and documented only occasional predation by these animals. In the Cape Breton Highlands, where moose are very abundant and eastern coyotes the only “large” canid predator, predation on calves has long been suspected, but to my knowledge not documented. In Algonquin, where we think most canids are the closet living relative to what was once the eastern wolf, predation on moose occurs (calves and adults) but predation on calves by eastern wolves is no more prevalent than that by black bears. In fact, in the northeast states, my suspicion is that black bears remain a more substantial predator of moose calves than eastern coyotes.

Cheers,

Brent

Brent Patterson Research Scientist – wolves and deer
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
Wildlife Research and Development Section
Trent University
_____________________________________________________________________________


-----Original Message-----
From: Paul Curtis [mailto:pdc1@cornell.edu]
Sent: Thursday, April 29, 2010 12:01 PM

To: Meril, Rick
Cc: dab93@cornell.edu

Subject: Re: FW: Moose foraging in the temp forest of southern new england

Hello Rick-

I think that eastern coyotes have the potential to kill a young moose calf, as coyotes can kill 120-pound+ adult white-tailed deer (esp. if the deer is compromised in any way). I agree with Ed that such an event would be uncommon given the current low density of moose on the landscape. Heat stress might be a more important factor for future moose populations with earlier and warmer spring temperatures resulting from climate change.

-Paul Curtis

Wolverines in Sweden have adjusted to living in people dominated environments

Everything you hear from USA wolverine biologists about the scarcity and exterpation of Wolverines across it's Northern tier USA range is that this fierce and independent "loner" cannot tolerate any type of human presence, be it skiing, snowmobiling or even hiking by humans. Found it interesting the report below which depicts Wolverines in Sweden thriving amidst human settlement................HOPE FOR USA WOLVERINES IN THE NORTHEAST, MIDWEST AND WESTERN STATES?  SNOWCOVER PROBABLY THE MORE DAMPENING POPULATION SINK CRITERIA AS IT RELATES TO WOLVERING RECOVERY GOING FORWARD!




Tricksters, Depredation, and One Funny Dog (from the WOVERINE BLOG)


The wolverine's reputation as a tricky devil is probably outweighed by that of another, much more common North American carnivore: the coyote, who features in the lore of dozens of Native American tribes as a sly conman, a buffoon, or a serious troublemaker, depending on the occasion.

So it seems fitting that Coyote and Wolverine have teamed up: the Cascades Carnivore Project's sole gulo scat sample, which the project was having analyzed to determine its sex and genetics, turned out to belong not to a wolverine, but to a member of the Canis latrans family. Apparently the coyote was following the wolverine's tracks (I've seen this as well; a coyote walked in the wolverine tracks I found in Death Canyon in February, confusing the heck out of me for a good mile) and left a deposit.

Determining the sex of the Cascades wolverine was a prerequisite of a contest to give a name to the critter, but in light of the continuing mystery, they settled on the androgynous name of Wildy - certainly among the more fitting names for a wolverine, regardless of sex - and are determined to collect another sample sometime soon. I'm eager to find out, so hopefully Wildy will be good enough to enlighten us soon.

In other gulo news, I was talking to a wildlife biologist who recently returned from Sweden, and he mentioned his surprise at the ability of Swedish wolverines to survive in an intensively managed landscape. All of this is anecdotal, and wolverines are not his species of focus, but he mentioned that in Sweden, no tree is more than 500 meters from a road - a design of the government to enable easy forestry activities - and that despite logging and traffic, wolverines negotiate this landscape successfully. Like most of us, he was surprised that an animal so emblematic of wilderness - to the American mind, anyway - was capable of living in such proximity to industry.

Swedish wolverines also run the risk of retaliatory killings by Sami, whose domestic reindeer herds are vulnerable to depredation. In its commitment to maintaining wolverines, the Swedish government came up with a payment-for-ecosystem-services model to help prevent herders from killing wolverines. If a wolverine dens in a herder's territory, the herder is paid $30,000 up front, which seems to work better among the Sami than post-depredation compensation programs for wolf kills have worked among American ranchers (the Sami also receive payment for a wolf den on their land - $70,000 - but even this rate of payment isn't enough to build tolerance for wolves, which scatter reindeer across the landscape - a more grievous difficulty, evidently, than the loss of a few animals to depredation, since it makes herding extremely challenging.) There are apparently some problems with the payment system for wolverine depredations, but the level of payment at least represents a serious commitment to conservation on the part of the Swedes. Fortunately we don't have to deal with the question of livestock depredation by wolverines here in the US, but several of my herder friends in Mongolia mentioned that wolverines do sometimes prey on sheep and goats. One of the objectives of my project in Mongolia this summer is to determine exactly how prevalent depredation is, and how Mongolians respond to wolverine depredations, as opposed to wolf, lynx, or snow leopard depredations.

Govenor Rick Perry of Texas shoots and kills a coyote while jogging with his dog

WITH RESPECT TO THE GOVENOR FEELING HE HAS EVERY RIGHT TO BE OUT JOGGING WITH HIS DOG IN COYOTE HABITAT............. HE HAS EVERY RIGHT BUT WITHOUT HIS DOG. THE COYOTES ARE NOT AFTER RICK PERRY OR HIS JOB................THE COYOTES SEE HIS DOG AS A COMPETITOR INVADING THEIR TERRITORY AND WILL LOOK TO TAKE IT OUT..............WE ALL NEED TO RE-EVALUATE WHAT "BELONGS TO US" AND WHAT BELONGS PERIOD!...................OUR ATTITUDES MUST EVOLVE SO THAT WE DO NOT SEE THE COYOTE DOING SOMETHING WRONG OR EVIL WHEN IN FACT IT IS JUST A MAKING SURE IT'S TERRITORY IS NOT INVADED BY COMPETING CANIDS.


Texas Gov. Rick Perry shoots coyote that threatened his dog

By: JIM VERTUNO
Associated Press
04/28/10 4:33 PM EDT


AUSTIN, TEXAS — Pistol-packing Texas Gov. Rick Perry has a message for wily coyotes out there: Don't mess with my dog.

Perry told The Associated Press on Tuesday he needed just one shot from the laser-sighted pistol he sometimes carries while jogging to take down a coyote that menaced his puppy during a February run near Austin.

Perry said he will carry his .380 Ruger — loaded with hollow-point bullets — when jogging on trails because he is afraid of snakes. He'd also seen coyotes in the undeveloped area.

When one came out of the brush toward his daughter's Labrador retriever, Perry charged.
"Don't attack my dog or you might get shot ... if you're a coyote," he said Tuesday.

Perry, a Republican running for a third full term against Democrat Bill White, is living in a private house in a hilly area southwest of downtown Austin while the Governor's Mansion is being repaired after a 2008 fire. A concealed handgun permit holder, Perry carries the pistol in a belt.

"I knew there were a lot of predators out there(YOU AND YOUR DOG BEING SOME OF THOSE PREDATORS, DEAR GOVERNOR) You'll hear a pack of coyotes. People are losing small cats and dogs all the time out there in that community," Perry said.

"They're very wily creatures."AND SMART...........AND SURVIVORS)

On this particular morning, Perry said, he was jogging without his security detail shortly after sunrise.
"I'm enjoying the run when something catches my eye and it's this coyote. I know he knows I'm there. He never looks at me, he is laser-locked on that dog," Perry said.

"I holler and the coyote stopped. I holler again. By this time I had taken my weapon out and charged it. It is now staring dead at me. Either me or the dog are in imminent danger(THE DOG, NOT YOU!) I did the appropriate thing and sent it to where coyotes go," he said.(NOTHING TO BE PROUD ABOUT, GOVENOR)

Perry said the laser-pointer helped make a quick, clean kill.
"It was not in a lot of pain," he said. "It pretty much went down at that particular juncture."

Texas state law allows people to shoot coyotes that are threatening livestock or domestic animals. The dog was unharmed, Perry said.

Perry's security detail was not required to file a report about the governor discharging a weapon, said Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Tela Mange.

"People shoot coyotes all the time, snakes all the time," Mange said. "We don't write reports."(PERHAPS YOU SHOULD BE INVESTIGATING THESE KILLINGS, MR. MANGE)

The governor left the coyote where it fell."He became mulch," Perry said.

Vermont and New Hampshire Wildlife Biologists commenting on effects of Coyote predation on Moose calves

At least based on what has been investigated in New England and the Great Lakes States, black bears appear to be the chief predator of Moose calves...............with speculation that our Eastern Coyote(Coywolf) opportunistically will "steal" a calf.................but the hyper vigilance of Mother Moose combined with the shorter vulnerability period of Moose calves(compared to deer calves) seems to suggest that coyotes are not a serious predator for our growing Northeast Moose population.................not a good thing if for some reason, Moose somehow overcome the warmer weather and severe tick infestations that usually combine to limit their numbers.


From: Adler, MaryBeth [mailto:MaryBeth.Adler@state.vt.us]

Sent: Wednesday, April 28, 2010 9:30 AM

To: Meril, Rick
Subject: RE: Moose foraging in the temp forest of southern new england


Hi Rick,
This is an interesting discussion and question…thanks for sending it our way.

I don’t in any way feel qualified to answer as I have not done enough study to answer rightly. I have forwarded your email to Cedric Alexander, our department Moose Biologist, who will have much more knowledge on the subject than I.

I do get a chance to look at your blog occasionally. Great stuff! I have a soft spot for coyotes as they are fascinating, beautiful creatures and too often get a bad rap. Thanks for all your efforts!

Mary Beth

_________________________________________________________________________


From: Royar, Kim [mailto:Kim.Royar@state.vt.us]
Sent: Wednesday, April 28, 2010 11:12 AM

To: Meril, Rick
Subject: RE: Moose foraging in the temp forest of southern new england

Hi Rick: Mary Beth and I passed on your question on to Cedric Alexander our moose biologist. I hope this helps. Thank you for all of the great articles you send around. I find them very informative. Kim

Kim Royar
Wildlife Biologist
VT Fish & Wildlife Biologist
http://www.vtfishandwildlife.com/
______________________________________________________________________________


From: Alexander, Cedric [mailto:Cedric.Alexander@state.vt.us]
Sent: Wednesday, April 28, 2010 9:52 AM

To: Meril, Rick

Cc: Adler, MaryBeth; Royar, Kim; Rines Kris (kristine.m.rines@wildlife.nh.gov); Pekins Pete (pete.pekins@unh.edu)

Subject: FW: Moose foraging in the temp forest of southern new england

Rick,

I don’t ever remember seeing coyote predation on moose calves documented in the literature. But I have assumed the larger eastern coyote, hunting in family groups, probably is able to take a moose calf opportunistically. How often this might happen is unknown to me, but I do know that Vermont’s moose herd grew very rapidly during the 1980’s and 90’s, even though Vermont was saturated with coyotes. Thus coyotes were certainly not suppressing the moose population in any significant degree.

New Hampshire has investigated calf mortality and perhaps Moose Biologist Kris Rines has some insight to share. Dr. Pete Pekins at UNH has studied food habits and energy requirements of coyotes and may also have some information on the subject.

Thanks to all,

Cedric

Cedric Alexander, Certified Wildlife Biologist
Moose Project Leader
Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department
________________________________________________________________________

Rick,,. FYI from Kristine.


From: Cedric Alexander, Certified Wildlife Biologist
Moose Project Leader
Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department

From: Rines, Kristine [mailto:Kristine.Rines@wildlife.nh.gov]
Sent: Wednesday, April 28, 2010 1:54 PM
To: Alexander, Cedric

Subject: RE: Moose foraging in the temp forest of southern new england

Hey Ced!

I’m pretty sure they take neo-nates, perhaps at a lesser rate then they’re take of fawns due to more maternal umph by the cow. Tony often saw coyotes and bears near calf resting areas. We never knew what caused them to disappear but we did lose about 30% of them in the first 8 weeks.

Kristine M Rines
Wildlife Biologist
NH Fish & Game Dept.

FINAL sign-on Valhalla.doc

Pleas to Canada's Premier, Gordon Campbell to stop Wolf killing as a method for enlarging Caribou herds

---

 DRAFT SIGN-ON LETTER

 

To:  Premier Gordon Campbell

The undersigned organizations are strongly opposed to the killing of large carnivores (wolves, cougars, bears, wolverines) to save the mountain caribou. Wolves and cougars are currently being trapped and shot as part of the Mountain Caribou Recovery Plan. The government has proposed to escalate the elimination of wolves by shooting them from helicopters. We oppose all these practices for the following reasons:

1. Predation did not cause the decline of mountain caribou populations.

Human activities that destroy or intrude into critical habitat are the main causes of the decline of mountain caribou populations.  This includes the logging of old-growth forest, roads, mining development and dams, as well as snowmobiling and heli-skiing, Increased predation is a side-effect of these activities, especially where roads create easy access lanes for predators into formerly pristine caribou range.

2. Killing top carnivores will not save the mountain caribou.

Scientists have advised that the continuation of logging and mining, as well as snowmobiling and heli-skiing, in mountain caribou habitat will be fatal to the species. The Recovery Plan is allowing all of these activities to continue extensively.

The plan is to eliminate large carnivores in the vicinity of the smallest, most threatened herds. These herds are small because they have lost habitat on a massive scale. Even if we could kill all the predators, these herds could still be wiped out by incidents such as automobile accidents, avalanches, stress from snowmobiles and fluctuating winter conditions unfavourable to their survival.

3.  Top predators play critical roles in maintaining healthy ecosystems.

The negative effects of removing top predators cascade down through the whole food chain. It has been known to cause the failure of forests to produce young trees, the loss of riparian vegetation, causing the serious erosion of streambanks, the extirpation of many species of small animals, and the brutal starvation of herds of deer, elk and other ungulates due to overgrazing. Young forests such as those being created by too much clearcutting in mountain caribou habitat need top predators to protect them from overgrazing by prey species.

4.  Predator control practices include the killing of upwards of 80% of wolves over large areas for many years or decades. The undersigned have grave concerns about the long-term survival of wolves due to the cumulative effects of such programs, which are periodically undertaken in BC.

The theory says that wolves always recover quickly after the “program” ends, but similar practices eliminated wolves in the lower United States, requiring the U.S. to import wolves from Canada to correct serious ecological imbalances. Some wolf experts point out that east of the Columbia Mountains in the Rockies proper, and west on the Okanagan Plateau, wolf population recovery has been spotty, incomplete or non-existent, even in the mountain national parks.  Many poorly understood environmental conditions may influence the ability of wolf populations to recover. Underlining this concern is a lack of data to refute the possibility that wolf populations are already fragile in the Columbia Mountains Region.  The province has not provided data on the population density or any demographics that would indicate that wolves or cougars, can withstand added killing. This short-sightedness belies a total lack of an ecosystem-based management perspective that underpins more enlightened wildlife management.

5. Sporadic predator control programs in BC have been driven by politics, not science. Increasingly they incorporate science to legitimize political objectives.

Claims that predator control is needed for one reason or the other have been used to achieve other objectives such as benefitting hunters or scapegoating predators for the damage done by humans. The truth of what really what goes on in the woods during predator control is often withheld from the public or not even monitored by the government. Seemingly benign activities such as wolf-collaring and wolf-sterilization have at times been used as tools to assist the more thorough elimination of wolves, as when collared wolves are tracked to locate home ranges and dens, and then killed; or the sterilization of mating pairs is accompanied by the slaughter of all the other pack members.

6.  Large carnivores are intelligent animals with amazing family relationships. They have an intrinsic value in and of themselves, and a right to life.

7. Lastly, the undersigned declare that the following methods of predator control are cruel and unbefitting to the dignity and principles of the human race.

·         Chasing wolves to exhaustion with helicopters and shooting them from the air, which is now being considered in BC;

·         Leghold traps and snaring, followed by killing, which is currently happening in BC;

·         The use of poison, which occurred in BC in the 1980s and is currently occurring in Alberta.

In view of these factors, we urge the BC government to cease killing large carnivores immediately and undertake scientific studies of the ecology of these animals.  We recommend the following steps to protect mountain caribou without doing further ecosystem damage:

1.      Stop clearcutting and road building in all mountain caribou habitat; the continuation of these practices only increases habitat for moose and wolves.

2.      Stop snowmobiling and heli-skiing in historical mountain caribou wintering areas. The current snowmobile closures are too few and too small, and they are not being enforced.

3.      Habitat restoration in clearcut areas is crucial, including the decommissioning of old roads.

4.      Reduce the speed limit on the Salmo-Creston Highway, where a number of animals in a critically imperiled herd have been killed by passing vehicles.

 

Sincerely,

Alberta Wilderness Association

Animal Alliance Environmental Voters Party of Canada

Animal Alliance of Canada

Canadian Wolf Coalition

Northern Lights Wildlife Wolf Centre

Pacific Wild

Purcell Alliance for Wilderness

Save-the-Cedar League

Valhalla Wilderness Society

Wilderness Committee

 

 

FW: Wolverine Night is TOMORROW!

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Northern Rockies Conservation Cooperative [mailto:nrcc@nrccooperative.org]
Sent: Wednesday, April 28, 2010 12:05 PM
To: Meril, Rick
Subject: Wolverine Night is TOMORROW!

 

Having trouble reading this email? View it on the web.

Just a friendly reminder... Wolverine Night is TOMORROW!!

Thursday, April 29, 2010
7 PM
National Museum of Wildlife Art, Jackson, WY
FREE

Featuring:

• a preview of the PBS Nature film Wolverine: Chasing the Phantom, with producer Gianna Savoie
• highlights of the new book The Wolverine Way with National Geographic writer Doug Chadwick
• a discussion of relationships between wolverine habitat use and climate change by Jeff Copeland of the U.S. Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station
• an overview of wolverine science and conservation by NRCC executive director and field director of the Absaroka-Beartooth Wolverine Project, Jason Wilmot

**Wine & Cheese Reception Following the Presentation**

Reception co-sponsored by: The Wolverine Foundation, American Wildlands, Defenders of Wildlife, Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation, The Murie Center, & Winter Wildlands Alliance.

About the Presenters

Doug Chadwick is a writer based in Whitefish, Montana. He focuses on conservation and wildlife issues for National Geographic, and has authored several books on natural history, including A Beast the Color of Winter: The Mountain Goat Observed and Growing Up Grizzly: the True Story of Baylee and her Cubs. The Wolverine Way will be released in spring of 2010.

Gianna Savoie is an award-winning documentary filmmaker with over a decade of experience in science & natural history filmmaking. Her work has been featured on PBS, Discovery, Animal Planet, and National Geographic. For more information on Gianna's recent work, check out her website.

Jeff Copeland is one of the world’s foremost authorities on wolverines. He is a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station in Missoula, Montana. Jeff conducted seminal research on wolverines in Central Idaho in the mid 90’s and since then has been a principal and advisor for numerous wolverine research projects in North America, including Glacier National Park, Yellowstone National Park, northern Canada, the Northern Cascades, and north-central Idaho. His most recent publication, The bioclimatic envelope of the wolverine (Gulo gulo): do climatic constraints limit its geographic distribution? is an examination of the relationship between wolverine distribution and spring snowpack.

Jason Wilmot spent over 10 years living in the Glacier National Park area, where he worked in various capacities for the National Park Service. He helped develop and initiate the Glacier Wolverine Ecology Project, a partnership between the U.S. Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service, and currently serves as the field director for the Absaroka-Beartooth Wolverine Project and executive director of NRCC. For more information on NRCC's current wolverine work, check out NRCC's February 2010 e-news or our website.

 

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© 2010 Northern Rockies Conservation Cooperative
P.O. Box 2705
Jackson, WY 83001
307.733.6856
nrcc@nrccooperative.org

 

Jeff Main of the Westechester County, New York's Ward Pound Ridge Reservation weighs in on coyotes and moose

Pound Ridge Reservation is an open space haven 60 minutes from downtown Manhattan...............Senior Curator, Jeff Main providing perspective on Eastern Coyote's deer eating(and potential Moose eating) habits.....................Indeed, there have been two Moose sightings on the New York/Connecticut line over the past 5 years!


-----Original Message-----


From: Main, Jeff [mailto:jmm0@westchestergov.com]
Sent: Tuesday, April 27, 2010 1:23 PM

To: Meril, Rick

Subject: RE: Moose foraging in the temp forest of southern new england

Rick

Thanks for the e-mail. It definitely is food for thought. We do have the larger Eastern Coyote, Canis latrans, well established here in Westchester County which is just to the north of New York City (yes, they have them there as well). What we don’t really have is a population of Moose, so your direct question about coyote predation on this species is moot. At best we might get an occasional wandering animal which, to my knowledge, has only been two in the past five years, one of which was across the state line in Connecticut, and as I recall, suffering quite a bit from heat exhaustion.

We do “see” coyotes taking white-tail deer fawns, which is a good thing since the deer population down here is “out of control”. They may also take an adult animal, but we think that sickness or starvation might be complicit in turning one into a prey item. There has also been some (anecdotal) evidence of “pack behavior” in taking adult deer (in deep snow), but that is not well substantiated. It has yet to be determined whether the Eastern Coyote is at all effective in managing the white-tailed deer population.

That said, if coyotes are being successful taking adult deer, I do not see it being a difficult permutation for an adult coyote to take an inexperienced Moose calf, but this after all, is nothing but conjecture on my part.

I hope this bit of information has been helpful.


Jeff main, Sr. Curator
Ward Pound Ridge Reservation
Westchester parks (Conservation Division)

Become a Follower of Coyotes-Wolves-Cougars blog on Twitter

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Additional Professional opinions and persepctives on whether the expanding Moose herd in the Northeast will be held in check by Eastern Coyotes

I want to thank all of the talented Biologists and Researchers who have responded to my question on potential for Eastern Coyotes to effectively prey on the growing Moose population of New England and New York..............................Let me once again thank Ed Faison and his talented Harvard Forest colleagues for publishing a strong article on the impact of Moose on New Englands forests and for stimulating me to ask the follow up questions that all of you have been kind enought to weigh in on.

From: Edward K. Faison [mailto:efaison@highstead.net]

Sent: Monday, April 26, 2010 6:44 AM

To: Meril, Rick
Cc: drfoster@fas.harvard.edu

Subject: Re: Moose foraging in the temp forest of southern new england

Rick,

Thanks for your note, and I've enjoyed reading your emails and the literature you've sent around over the past year.

Interesting question about coyotes. I have found very little in the literature that mentions coyote predation on moose calves in the northeast or elsewhere; as you probably know, the smaller western coyote does take elk calves, so it seems plausible that the larger eastern coyote could take a moose calf. My sense is that such an event would be uncommon and therefore compensatory rather than additive.

Yes, that is the question about southern New England moose. How are they coping in temperatures that far exceed their documented heat stress thresholds. My guess is that the relative shortage of predators (and lack of hunting) in SNE may be playing a role. Moose can bed down and cool off without threat in this landscape, and therefore may be able to thermoregulate more effectively here than in regions where they have to be more vigilant.

Re: the effects of wolves on moose in the Great Lakes, I would defer to folks like Rolf Peterson and others who are more qualified to answer such questions.

Yes, Quabbin's deer population has been drastically reduced from 11-23/sq. km in the late 1980s to 2-7/sq. km today because of a controlled hunt that began in the early '90s. Hunting was prohibited in the Quabbin for about 50 years prior to that.

Best,

Ed
________________________________________________________________________

-----Original Message-----


From: George Wuerthner

Sent: Tuesday, April 27, 2010 9:36 AM

To: Meril, Rick

Subject: Re: FW: Moose foraging in the temp forest of southern new england



I would not think that coyotes would be a huge impact on moose. Moose calves are quite a bit larger than even elk calves, and I would suspect that their period of vulnerability would be quite short. That is not to suggest that they could not take moose, especially if they had formed pack hunting techniques which is more effective with larger prey. But my guess is that they have so many more deer that they could attack that they would choose deer over moose. That is the situation in many other regions where both elk and deer exist--the wolves choose deer because they are easier to bring down. I suspect eastern coyotes would make the same choices about prey size and availability
_______________________________________________________________________


-----Original Message-----


From: William Krohn 

Sent: Tuesday, April 27, 2010 9:56 AM

To: Meril, Rick

Subject: Re:  FW: Moose foraging in the temp forest of southern new england


Rick,

I suspect the main limiting factor for moose in southern New England is summer temperatures. Take a look at the new research coming out of Minnesota (i.e., a Wildlife Mono. as well as recent papers in the JWM). Higher summer temperatures increase parasite loads and reduce body conditions. A lowered body conditions, although not directly studied to date in this specific context, would be expected in increase predation mortality (i.e., easier to capture prey).
__________________________________________________________________________
-----Original Message-----


From: Karl Miller

Sent: Tuesday, April 27, 2010 7:49 AM

To: Meril, Rick

Subject: Re: FW: Moose foraging in the temp forest of southern new england

Rick

I don't doubt that they are capable of preying on moose calves, particularly neonates. The question, however, is to what degree and to what impact.... Obviously that will require some study. I think we still have a LOT to learn about the impacts of coyotes on the rest of the wildlife community throughout eastern North America. In addition, it appears to us that the behavior of this animal in the east (or at least the Southeast) is quite different from its western counterparts. Clearly a fertile area for research!


Karl V. Miller
Professor, Wildlife Ecology and Management
Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources
The University of Georgia
_________________________________________________________________________
-----Original Message-----

From: Jennifer Leonard

Sent: Tuesday, April 27, 2010 7:02 AM

To: Meril, Rick

Subject: Re: FW: Moose foraging in the temp forest of southern new england


Dear Rick,

I have seen some studies on the diet of NE coyotes, but have not seen anything about them hunting moose calves (doesn't sound like an easy meal).

Thank you for setting up the blog, I hope it is reaching a lot of people.

Jen.
___________________________________________________________________________

-----Original Message-----


From: Jon Way [mailto:jw9802@yahoo.com]
Sent: Monday, April 26, 2010 6:42 PM

To: Meril, Rick

Subject: Re: Moose foraging in the temp forest of southern new england

Hi Rick,

I mostly agree with Ed's account. Smaller western coyotes do prey on elk calves and I suspect eastern coyotes/coywolves prey on moose altho it hasn't been documented yet. I bet it does happen though. Certainly coywolves can prey on deer but I don't suspect they will ever have a big effect on moose altho it is debated how much of an effect lycaon would have on moose but I bet it would be more than coywolves...

Yes, I still check out your site a couple times a week! great work,

thanks, Jon


No problem Rick. In summary, I see the eastern coyote/coywolf as being like the western coyote but with more dietery flexibility which is kind of amazing given the legendary propensity of western coyotes to eat anything. Many of the dietery studies have been done in more Northern areas that don't have a diversity of prey. More needs to be done in places like my study area - suburban and varied prey supply.

Please visit my WEBPAGE (http://www.easterncoyoteresearch.com) where you can purchase my book Suburban Howls (http://www.easterncoyoteresearch.com/Store.html) and help create a wildlife watching refuge in the town of Barnstable (http://www.easterncoyoteresearch.com/supportECR.html)
____________________________________________________________________________

-----Original Message-----


From: Heather Hudenko [cornell.edu]
Sent: Monday, April 26, 2010 8:03 PM

To: Heidi Kretser

Cc: Meril, Rick; Heidi Kretser

Subject: Re: Moose foraging in the temp forest of southern new england

Hi Rick,

I also am unfamiliar with specific documentation of coyote predation on moose calves. However, I know a number of coyote diet analyses are currently underway by researchers in the NE. In NY, Jacqui Frair at SUNY ESF is conducting a study of coyote foraging ecology - she may have some more specific information for you re: moose.

cheers

Heather
_________________________________________________________________________

-----Original Message-----


From: Heidi Kretser (wcs.org]
Sent: Monday, April 26, 2010 7:12 PM

To: Meril, Rick; hah29@cornell.edu; hek1@cornell.edu

Subject: RE: Moose foraging in the temp forest of southern new england

Dear Rick,

Thanks for your message. I’m not aware of any reports of coyotes preying on moose calves in NY or New England. I’m also not likely the best person to ask. I would defer to State Wildlife Agency staff.

Heidi
____________________________________________________________________________

-----Original Message-----

From: Roland Kays
Sent: Monday, April 26, 2010 2:13 PM

To: Meril, Rick

Subject: Re: FW: Moose foraging in the temp forest of southern new england


Rick

I don't think I've seen moose ever reported in eastern coyote diet, although I'm not sure there have been that many studies in good moose country.??

I think you have to be pretty big/pack hunting to tease a baby away from a moose momma and I wouldn't bet that eastern coyotes are up to that.

I've rss'ed your blog so keep an eye on it.

roland
________________________________________________________________________________

From: Rolf Peterson

Sent: Monday, April 26, 2010 1:59 PM

To: Meril, Rick

Subject: Re: Moose foraging in the temp forest of southern new england

Rick - no evidence that coyotes prey on moose calves in Michigan or Minnesota. Whenever moose calves have been radiocollared (and it now numbers in the high hundreds), black bears emerge as the most important predator of moose calves in summer. We did this first on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska in 1977, and it has been repeated in many places. If there is significant predator-caused mortality, bears would be my first bet.


Rolf

Edward Faison's MOOSE FORAGING IN THE TEMPERATE FORESTS OF SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND

CLICK HERE TO READ ENTIRE ARTICLE AND ONCE YOU HAVE, READ POST DIRECTLY BELOW THIS ONE FOR ED FAISON, ROLF PETERSON AND ROLAND KAYS CORRESSPONDENCE WITH YOUR HUMBLE BLOGGER ON QUESTIONS AS TO WHY THE MOOSE IS BEING SUCCESSFUL RECOLONIZING NEW ENGLAND AND NEW YORK AND YET STRUGGLING TO HOLD ON IN THE GREAT LAKES REGION

Why are Moose successfully recolonizing a warming New England when they are losing population in the colder Great Lakes States?

Ed Faison, Glen Motzkin, David Foster and John McDonald and their colleagues at Harvard University's Harvard Forest in Petersham, Massachusetts consistantly research and reveal insights about the history of Land Use and species composition of  the Northeast. From 1600's farmers field to to how wolves and cougars ruled the land..........................the scientists and researchers at the Western Massachusetts natural laboratory called Harvard Forest help us understand where our ancestors fit into the land in the 16th, 17th and 18th Century.................and how that use of the land has impacted the forests and meadows we currently inhabit in the present day.

In the most recent peer-reviewed Northeastern Naturalist magazine, Faison and colleagues examine in depth Moose foraging in the Temperate Forests of Southern New England. They reveal how Hemlock and Red Maple are the browse of choice for our most recent Eastern herbivore returnee--(Alces alces L. Moose) and what impact that browing pressure might mean for those species as well for Oak and White pine recruitment into our Eastern woodlands.

Also explored thoroughly and what I concentrate on below with my corresspondence with Ed, Rolf Peterson(wolf and coyote biologist in the Great Lakes region) and Roland Kays(coyote biologist NY State Museum) is why the Moose in Minnessota, Michigan and Wisconsin are in drastic decline when Moose in our Northeastern region are multiplying and returning to historical haunts that they have not occupied since the 19th Century?

Enjoy the read and commentary on the Post above this one by clicking link....................fascinating and revealing!

From: Edward K. Faison

Sent: Monday, April 26, 2010 6:44 AM
To: Meril, Rick
Cc: David foster

Subject: Re: Moose foraging in the temp forest of southern new england

Rick,

Thanks for your note, and I've enjoyed reading your emails and the literature you've sent around over the past year.

Interesting question about coyotes. I have found very little in the literature that mentions coyote predation on moose calves in the northeast or elsewhere; as you probably know, the smaller western coyote does take elk calves, so it seems plausible that the larger eastern coyote could take a moose calf. My sense is that such an event would be uncommon and therefore compensatory rather than additive.

Yes, that is the question about southern New England moose. How are they coping in temperatures that far exceed their documented heat stress thresholds. My guess is that the relative shortage of predators (and lack of hunting) in SNE may be playing a role. Moose can bed down and cool off without threat in this landscape, and therefore may be able to thermoregulate more effectively here than in regions where they have to be more vigilant.

Re: the effects of wolves on moose in the Great Lakes, I would defer to folks like Rolf Peterson and others who are more qualified to answer such questions.

Yes, Quabbin's deer population has been drastically reduced from 11-23/sq. km in the late 1980s to 2-7/sq. km today because of a controlled hunt that began in the early '90s. Hunting was prohibited in the Quabbin for about 50 years prior to that.

Best,

Ed

Edward K. Faison
Forest Ecologist
Harvard Forest
___________________________________________________________________
On Sat, Apr 24, 2010 at 5:27 PM, Meril, Rick wrote:

Ed and David

As always, enjoy the clean, crisp writing style and information-filled articles coming out of your Harvard Forest team.

Just read your just published Moose impact research in Northeastern Naturalist and had a couple of questions:

-in addition to black bears preying on moose calves in Spring and early Summer, what might u expect the impact of our Northeastern coyote(coywolf) to be from an additive rather than compensatory basis?

- as u state,in the Great Lake States, moose are shedding population due to a synergy of heat stress and winter tics(and worm induced brain disease transmitted by whitetails)..........with southern ne england recording average temps higher than that of Minn, Wisc. and Michigan............with deer desities that I imagine to be similar and with deer ticks in the East at an all time high,,,,,,,,,,,how have moose been able to thrive as far south as ny and Connecticut?

While true that that the Great Lakes supports a spectrum of both Gray(C.lupus) and Eastern Wolves(C lycaon) as well as coyotes and black bears...........are the modest population of wolves a dampening factor and the causal agent of moose decline???

Almost amazing that the more densely populated southern new england and mid atlantic NY can find moose recovering and expanding despite warming conditions(especially evening temps), high densities of whitetails(although sounds like Quabbin and Ware River are at lower levels than a decade ago due to sharpshooter efforts(????) And a now "larger coyote(40-50 pounder) predator synergizing with bears.

Any further thought on the above two stated questions is appreciated.

Many thanks for your time and appreciate you perusing my blogsite.

David........a special hello to u!!


Rick
___________________________________________________________________

From: Rolf Peterson


Sent: Monday, April 26, 2010 1:59 PM

To: Meril, Rick

Subject: Re: Moose foraging in the temp forest of southern new england



Rick - no evidence that coyotes prey on moose calves in Michigan or Minnesota. Whenever moose calves have been radiocollared (and it now numbers in the high hundreds), black bears emerge as the most important predator of moose calves in summer. We did this first on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska in 1977, and it has been repeated in many places. If there is significant predator-caused mortality, bears would be my first bet.

Rolf
____________________________________________________________________________



-----Original Message-----


From: Roland Kays

Sent: Monday, April 26, 2010 2:13 PM

To: Meril, Rick

Subject: Re: FW: Moose foraging in the temp forest of southern new england



Rick

I don't think I've seen moose ever reported in eastern coyote diet, although I'm not sure there have been that many studies in good moose country.??

I think you have to be pretty big/pack hunting to tease a baby away from a moose momma and I wouldn't bet that eastern coyotes are up to that.



I've rss'ed your blog so keep an eye on it.


Roland
New York State Museum

Dr. Tony Povilitis and colleagues successful Earth Day Bike-A-Thon for the Jaguar

Jaguar Habitat Conservation

For the jaguar and the wild spirit shared by all living things



JAGUAR BIKE-A-THON ARRIVES AT ARIZONA STATE CAPITOL ON EARTH DAY 2010

8-day cycling event ends after 350 mile trip from Nogales, Arizona

Riders present 363 citizen endorsements of jaguar recovery to federal wildlife agency

20 cyclists in all, 4 pedal the whole event


Citizen Statement of Support for Jaguar Recovery presented to Mr. Steve Spangle of the US Fish & Wildlife Service by Dr. Tony Povilitis and cyclists, with State Representatives Daniel Patterson and Nancy Young Wright

Acknowledgements
Hugs to all the JBAT riders:

Heather Batts, Dusti Becker, Ian Fritz, Diane Flannery, Gary Flannery, Andrea Gaines, Eric Holle, Mike Ingrahm, Anna Knapp, Joyce Kolbrer, Craig Miller, Julie Miller, Anna Mirocha, Lee Mortimer, Pacific Sommers, Turtle Southern, Daniel Patterson, Tony Povilitis, J.D. Trebec.

A big “thank you” to our hosts for overnight stays and/or presentation arrangements:
Renee Barbaree, Paul Hirt, Gary La Croix, Jennifer Parks, Natalie Robb, Tim Storer, Paul Wolterbeek.

Gratitude for special assistance to:

Ross Andrews, Sergio Avila, Center for Biological Diversity, Andrea Gaines, Diana Hadley, Annette Heath, Anna Knapp, Erin Maupin, Bonnie and David Miller, Rep. Daniel Patterson, Northern Jaguar Project, Sky Island Alliance, Sonoita Fire House, Tucson Earth Day Festival, Larry Vereen, Susan Wettington, Jan Zinkel

Appreciation for attending the Earth Day Rally to:

Rep. Pat Flemming, Rep. Daniel Patterson, Steve Spangle, Rep. Nancy Young Wright

Special thanks to: Turtle
Event organized by: Dr. Tony Povilitis

As Posted earlier this week, the Native Fish Society focuses on the preservation and restoration of native fisheries across the Pacific Northwest. Russell Bassett is the River Steward Coordinator for this Group and he and his colleagues are hard at work on such projects as salmon recovery plans, limiting timber harvests on river adjacent floodplains and upland forests, creating Federal protected habitat designations for bull trout and getting Wilderness acreage in the John Day Basin.

Restore the Salmon,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,bring on the black bear and Griz as trophic top down predators of the fish.................................restore the watersheds of the Northwest to conditions that enable all of us animals to thrive ........................

Russell can be reached at 503 829 6211.........................We urge all of our Coyotes-wolves-cougars.blogspot.com readers in the Northwestern States to get involved in this great effort.

Native Fish Society River Steward Program


Dedicated volunteers, incredible achievements



The concept of river stewards is not new. The earliest stewards, or riverkeepers, served their communities as far back as the Middle Ages. They patrolled village streams and rivers to protect them for the benefit of all inhabitants. The first fulltime U.S. riverkeeper was a former commercial fisherman turned activist who was hired in 1983 by the Hudson River Fisherman’s Association to help identify polluters who were breaking environmental laws on the Hudson. During the past 25 years, riverkeeper programs have emerged in large urban rivers like the Willamette as well as classic fisherman’s rivers like the Russian River of California.

Today, the growing population creates challenges that were inconceivable for the early river stewards. Development, water rights, land use, farming, roads, hydro projects, recreation, commercial and sport fishing, hatcheries, logging, and climate change create greater impacts on our river systems.

Thankfully, there are dedicated individuals who have taken on this daunting task on many Pacific Northwest rivers – the Deschutes, the North Umpqua, the Rogue, the John Day, the Klamath, the Skagit, and the Molalla, to name a few. Native Fish Society River Stewards are mentored through a program that includes scientific and geologic education, retreats, policy issues, and tools to encourage involvement of local citizens. With more than 50 years of dedicated wild fish advocacy and study, the NFS staff provides for the growth and effectiveness of the Stewards.

The NFS River Steward Program began six years ago with the original purpose of compliance monitoring, making sure the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife fish management program is consistent with the Native Fish Conservation Policy. The program has grown considerably since its conception, and while NFCP compliance remains a strong focus, NFS River Stewards go beyond compliance to conserve, protect and restore native fish populations in their watersheds through a variety of ways, including identifying threats to recovery and developing solutions, creating coalitions to stop threats to native fish, habitat restoration, nutrient enhancement, fish monitoring, public education and community outreach.

There are currently more than 50,000 square miles of Oregon and Washington watersheds covered by 31 NFS River Stewards.

In its first five years, the River Steward Program has seen many incredible accomplishments for native, wild fish and their habitats in the Pacific Northwest. In 2009, these accomplishments include:



• Stopped threats to the Metolius River from destination resorts.

• Installed hatchery-fish exclusion weirs on the three most important wild steelhead spawning tributaries of the Deschutes River.

• Completed work on the first draft of Oregon’s next conservation plan through participation in the South Coast Fall Chinook Native Fish Conservation Plan Advisory Committee.

• Moved the Molalla River much closer to receiving Wild and Scenic designation, protections we expect to earn in 2010. The U.S. House voted to approve designation in November.

• Created recovery actions for Molalla River spring Chinook salmon and winter steelhead in cooperation with the National Marine Fisheries Service, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and a private fisheries consultant that are being incorporated in the Upper Willamette Recovery Plan, including a reintroduction of wild spring Chinook to the Molalla River.

• Successfully defended catch and release of N. Umpqua wild winter steelhead.

• Conducted watershed restoration and salmonid recovery educational presentations to more than 500 people on Central Oregon Coast watersheds.

• Conducted spawning surveys of Salmonberry River winter steelhead and coho, and Molalla River winter steelhead. Conducted temperature monitoring on the Molalla and Salmonberry rivers.

• Documented devastation caused by land use practices to the Salmonberry River.

The above accomplishments are proof that the Native Fish Society is on the forefront of effectiveness. We have no intention of slowing down, either! Examples of the projects and campaigns NFS River Stewards are working on into 2010 include:



• Helping federal and state agencies develop and implement scientifically-sound recovery plans. Current plans Stewards are working on include the Lower Columbia Spring and Fall Chinook, Steelhead and Coho plans, Mid-Columbia Steelhead, Upper Willamette Spring Chinook and Winter Steelhead, Columbia River Chum Salmon, Coastal Fall and Spring Chinook, and Oregon Coast Winter Steelhead

• Developing a detailed threats assessment of the Upper Deschutes Basin

• Stopping increased timber harvest in Oregon state forests.

•regulations for keeping catch and release on N. Umpqua wild winter steelhead.

• Creating a citizen-based conservation plan for N. Umpqua wild winter steelhead

• Reintroducing wild spring Chinook to the Molalla River and constructing fish habitat on the N. Fork Molalla.

• Developing alternatives to a dam on Bridge Creek of the middle-fork John Day.

• Working within the City of Medford’s Comprehensive Plan to ensure fish-bearing Bear Creek tributaries are treated as such when the city approves development permits.

• Reducing or stopping trout stockings on the McKenzie River.

• Getting federal critical bull trout habitat designation for the Upper Deschutes

• Bringing more lands into public ownership in the Alsea, Yachats, and Molalla river basins.

• Creating more wilderness in the John Day Basin.

• Removing the use of bait on the John Day and McKenzie River.



For more information on Native Fish Society River Steward Program successes and current projects and campaigns, please visit the NFS website at www.nativefishsociety.org. You can also join us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Native-Fish-Society/202725605549. If you would like to get involved, we are always looking for volunteers to help with spawning surveys, temperature monitoring and advocacy. We also need dedicated and passionate River Stewards who are willing to take the hard stands to restore native fish populations in the Pacific Northwest. For more information, please contact River Steward Coordinator Russell Bassett at 503-829-6211.

Golden Eagle live video cam.............click on link below to see Eagle live

http://eagle.mmmeee.net/?page_id=2 check this out! click live eagle cam on the top right and give it a minute.

My good friend Phil Keller found this link.......................thanks Phil!!!!!!