2011 May | The Wildlife Society

The Wildlife Policy News

Volume 21, Issue 5 | May 2011

Editor: Laura M. Bies
Reporters: Maeghan Brass and Emily Sadowski

Wildlife Policy News is intended to foster the exchange of information about policy issues among Society leaders. The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect official policy of The Wildlife Society unless so stated. Please share this publication with your colleagues. Contents may be reprinted with credit to Wildlife Policy News. We welcome comments and suggestions for future issues at laura@wildlife.org. Download the entire issue as a PDF

In this Issue:

First Utility-Scale Solar Plant of 2011 Nearing Approval

Set to span 4,176 acres of federal lands in the Sonoran Desert near Joshua Tree National Park in southern California, First Solar Inc.’s Desert Sunlight Solar Farm Project is nearing the end of the permitting process and is likely to be the first utility-scale solar plant to be approved in 2011. By collecting solar radiation from hundreds of photovoltaic solar panels across Riverside County’s Chuckwalla Valley, the plant could generate 550 megawatts of electricity and power approximately 220,000 homes. The project also includes construction of a power substation and approximately 12 miles of transmission lines to connect the plant to the substation and power grid. Desert Sunlight is one of nine priority solar power projects identified by the Interior Department for 2011. While strategic siting and mitigation efforts are intended to reduce impacts to federally threatened desert tortoises, some remain concerned about plans for relocating tortoises and overall effects on the species.

The final environmental impact statement for the project, issued by the Bureau of Land Management, is open for public comment until May 15.

Sources: Bureau of Land Management, E&E Publishing, LLC (Land Letter).

Bats and WNS: Cave Closures, Spread to KY, Economic Losses

The U.S. Forest Service is considering closing all caves in its Northern Region effective 1 May 2011 as a precautionary measure against the spread of white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease that affects hibernating bats and has spread throughout the eastern part of the U.S. The Northern Region includes portions of the Rockies and Great Plains, spanning Washington to the Dakotas, and is home to 16 species of bats. Some cavers oppose the initiative because bats in the area currently lack signs of infection.

White-nose syndrome continues to spread in the U.S., making its first confirmed appearance in Trigg County in western Kentucky on 13 April, where an infected little brown bat was found in a privately owned cave. The disease was not detected at any other sites within a 16-mile radius of the cave. Officials took a precautionary step and euthanized 60 little brown and tri-colored bats that were considered highly suspect for infection.

A new study in the journal Science has estimated that bat deaths caused by white-nose syndrome could mean annual losses of $22.9 billion to agriculture in the U.S. The study found that a colony of 150 brown bats in Indiana consumes 1.3 million agricultural pests a year.

Sources: E&E Publishing, LLC (Land Letter, E&E News PM, Greenwire).

Feral Horses: BLM to Support Eco-Sanctuaries; Roundup Lawsuit Continues

As part of reforms to its Wild Horse and Burro Program, the Bureau of Land Management announced on 25 March 2011 a second funding opportunity for wild horse “ecosanctuaries.” These ecosanctuaries would occur on both private and public lands within Herd Areas in the West and would assist the BLM in feeding and caring for horses that have been removed from rangelands. Applications are being accepted until 24 May 2011.

On another front, the BLM continues to face a lawsuit filed by animal rights groups that challenged the agency’s wild horse and burro roundup program. A California federal judge rejected BLM’s dismissal of the lawsuit which alleges that roundup efforts to remove 1,700 horses and burros along the California-Nevada border violated federal laws meant to protect these animals. BLM argued that the lawsuit is moot and should be dismissed because all of the horses have already been removed from the area. The judge ruled that the case must be considered because, if plaintiffs’ allegations are true, the animals could be returned to the range after being kept in holding facilities in the area until all NEPA requirements are met.

Sources: Bureau of Land Management, E&E Publishing, LLC (Land Letter).

Northwest Grizzly Population Shows Signs of Recovery

On 31 March 2011, information was released by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) indicating that the Northwest Montana grizzly population is growing 3% annually, and is on a path towards Endangered Species Act (ESA) delisting. Last year, the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem grizzly count was 941, up from 913 individuals in 2009. A 3% growth rate is significant, as a 2-4% annual growth is considered relatively high for brown bear populations. The head of the Service’s grizzly bear recovery effort, Chris Servheen, is leading a team that is in the process of writing a proposal to remove the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem grizzlies from threatened status under the ESA. A post-delisting management plan for grizzlies in the region is under way, and should be available for public review by the end of 2011. To follow grizzly recovery efforts, visit the Service’s Grizzly Bear Recovery website.

Sources: E&E Publishing, LLC (Land Letter), Great Falls Tribune.

Northern Spotted Owl Modeling Tool Released

On 22 April 2011, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) updated “Appendix C” of its recovery plan for the federally threatened northern spotted owl. This 75 page appendix includes details of a new computerized modeling tool that was developed to asses spotted owl habitat quality and population dynamics, as well as predict the effectiveness of conservation measures. The Spotted Owl Modeling Team, established by the Service under the Endangered Species Act, is responsible for creating Appendix C and the modeling process.

The modeling tool will utilize information gathered from 4,000 spotted owl sites and geographic data that identify spotted owl nesting and roosting sites throughout Washington, Oregon, and California. The tool will combine and project this information onto a landscape to display quality habitat and roosting and nesting areas. Land managers can use the modeling tool to evaluate specific recovery actions, determine where habitat conservation plans would be beneficial, and to depict how owl populations will be affected by climate change. The tool will also be helpful when evaluating revisions to land use management plans.
John and Karen Hollingsworth (USFWS)

The new appendix is open for public comment until 23 May 2011. To view the appendix and learn how to submit comments, visit the Oregon FWS website.

Sources: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Fourth Attempt to Delist Gray Wolves in Western Great Lakes

On 14 April 2011, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announced a proposal to remove gray wolves from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife in the Western Great Lakes area, which is expected to be published in the federal register in the next few weeks. Wolf numbers total more than 4,000 individuals over the three core recovery states (Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin). Each state has developed a management plan for the wolves under a post-delisting scenario. Politicians in the Midwest support this decision, including Governor Scott Walker who emphasized the critical role of state management in a letter to Interior Secretary Salazar.

Delisting of the wolves would provide states and landowners more options in dealing with problems related to wolves, such as authorizing landowner and state agencies to remove or euthanize wolves that kill livestock. Wisconsin alone has had a 50% increase in depredation this year and a total of $200,000 paid in compensation for livestock kills. It is expected that the Service will make its decision on the proposal by the end of 2011, but for now the wolves will remain classified as endangered in Michigan and Wisconsin and threatened in Minnesota.

More information on the proposal and how to submit comments can be found by viewing the Service’s press release.

Sources: E&E Publishing, LLC (E&E Daily), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

First Predator Proof Fence Completed at Ka‛ena Point, HI

Construction of the first predator-proof fence in the Hawaiian Islands was completed on 15 April 2011 by the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) in partnership with wildlife groups and agencies, such as the Hawai‛i Chapter of The Wildlife Society and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The fence spans 700 yards and encloses over 59 acres to provide a safe habitat for native animal and plant life at the Ka‛ena Point Natural Area Reserve on the tip of O‛ahu. The fence serves to maintain and restore the environmental integrity of the area and protect species, such as ground nesting native sea birds, the endangered monk seal, and 11 known endangered plant species, from non-native predators like mongooses, rats, cats, and dogs. Since construction of the fence began, intensive baiting and trapping has ensured that predators are fully removed from within the enclosed area, and methods are in place to detect re-entry so that personnel can employ rapid removal. The DLNR is working with the Ka‛ena Point Advisory Group on an integrated management plan and education programs to ensure continued protection and restoration of the native environment on the Island.

Sources: Department of Land and Natural Resources, Hawaii Reporter.

TWS Update: VT House Passes Bill to Return Wildlife Ownership to the Public

Recently, TWS contacted all Vermont State Legislators, urging their support of H.91, the Vermont Wildlife Public Trust Act, which would return regulatory authority over "captive hunt" facilities to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. The provisions address language in the state’s FY 2011 appropriations bill (H.789) that currently allows for the possession of publicly-owned wildlife by a private citizen. The bill passed the House in an amended form on 23 March and is currently moving through the Senate.

News Updates

Budget for FY 2011 Resolved: On 8 April 2011, a spending deal was struck that resolved the FY11 budget and averted a shutdown of the federal government. The agreement cuts $38.5 billion in spending over the remaining half of FY11. Programs that fund fish and wildlife conservation will face cuts under the final budget. The agreement also included language that removed Endangered Species Act protections for the gray wolf in Western states. The House and Senate approved the agreement on 14 April and President Obama signed the bill on 15 April.

Federal Judge Rejects Wolf Delisting Agreement: A proposed settlement agreement between 10 environmental groups and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to remove Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections for wolves in Idaho and Montana was rejected by a federal judge who found that it violated federal law and ruled that listed species must be protected under the ESA. On the same day as the ruling, Montana Senator Jon Tester and Representative Mike Simpson attached a rider to the federal budget bill that would remove federal protection for the wolves in both states. The budget bill has since passed with the rider intact.

Sources: E&E Publishing, LLC (E&E Daily, Land Letter).