Heroes of Conservation - Presented by Toyota

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Discussion Topic: Easements, beneficial or lip service?

posted by FieldAndStreamHOC - 8:45 AM

Conservation easements have been around since 1974, and have been widely popular with states, businesses, and large land owners. While their benefit to wildlife is fairly obvious (you cannot develop the land and local fish and wildlife agencies usually monitor the health of the habitat and wildlife populations), I can't help but wonder whenever I read about an easement if it's a company really trying to give back to hunting and fishing or if they're looking for a tax write-off and a way to prevent anyone from encroaching on their property.

Case in point, in an area near Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian Power (AP) has just agreed to place nearly 5,000 acres in an easement. The tract of land will protect the Smith Mountain Wildlife Area and still be open to hunting and fishing. It also happens to be adjacent to AP's hydroelectric dam. This is part of Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's larger plan to have 400,000 acres of conservation easements in his state by 2010 (a little over 1 percent of the total land mass of Virginia).

So, do you think those involved in easements are in it for the wildlife, the money, or a little of both?

Labels: Discussion Topics

Friday, March 21, 2008

Discussion Topic: A Very Unhappy Anniversary

posted by FieldAndStreamHOC - 9:35 AM

Conservation groups in the Great Lakes region are "celebrating" a very big anniversary: zebra mussels were discovered 20 years ago in Lake St. Claire. Zebra mussels have become the poster invasive species, drowning out native mussels and clinging to pretty much anything that stays underwater for more than 20 minutes.

While zebra mussels get the press, there are more invasive species choking out our native wildlife and destroying ecosystems. What do you think the most dangerous invasive species is?

Labels: Discussion Topics

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Discussion Topic: What research project needs money?

posted by FieldAndStreamHOC - 9:40 AM

The Ontario Federation of Hunters and Anglers (O.F.H.A.) recently awarded $6,000 to three Canadian postgraduate students to help fund their research projects on various conservation topics. Those topics are ones that we've all been hearing and talking about: invasive species, wetlands, and threats to freshwater stressors.

For those non-Canucks, O.F.H.A. is one of the largest conservation organizations in Canada and is "the voice of hunters and anglers" in our neighbor to the north.

What issue do you think needs a research grant the most?

Labels: Discussion Topics

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Discussion Topic: Who gives a dam?

posted by FieldAndStreamHOC - 9:30 AM

The fine balance between releasing enough water from hydroelectric dams to meet the needs of fish and providing enough electricity has been a battle between conservation groups and electric companies across the nation for years.

On Tuesday, the Department of Interior held a 60-hour release from the Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River to increase the flow of in the Grand Canyon to help the endangered humpback chub. The well publicized event has been drawing some fire from local groups, saying that this is one of the few instances the DOI has actually thought of fish over power.

“This experiment, this celebration, is a charade,” said Nikolai Lash, senior program director of the Grand Canyon Trust, a private environmental group. “It was a glamorous event staged for the media that shows the Bureau of Reclamation is doing something for the environment, when in fact there’s a lot more to do.”

Click here for the full story

So, should sportsmen be caring about dam releases? If so, what can be done to make sure the Department of Interior has fish populations best interests in mind.

Labels: Discussion Topics

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Discussion Topic: How can the federal government save salmon?

posted by FieldAndStreamHOC - 9:02 AM

A federal district court ordered yesterday that additional water be spilled over the dams along the Columbia and Snake river systems this spring and summer to provide more natural river conditions for spawning salmon. This comes after the federal government's previous plan was thrown out by the courts because it did not meet the requirements to protect and restore salmon populations, according to the Endangered Species Act.

"The court's order is good news for fish and fishing communities in the Columbia River basin, but we are still a long way from solving this problem," said Todd True of Earthjustice, lead attorney for the fishing and conservation interests. "The federal agencies still must deliver a final plan that makes the major changes in dams and dam operations that our region needs. The draft plan they released last October is not a good start. We will see over the next 60 days whether they can change directions and meet the challenge."

The federal agencies have been given until May 5, 2008 to deliver a new final Biological Opinion (BiOp) that will guide salmon recovery efforts in the seven-state Columbia and Snake River basin for the next decade. (click here for the full story)

So, what should that guide to salmon recovery include?

Labels: Discussion Topics

Monday, February 25, 2008

Discussion Topic: What's the most successful conservation organization?

posted by FieldAndStreamHOC - 11:44 AM

Conservation organizations are nothing new, and it seems that every year an up-and-coming group of sportsmen and women form a group to tackle a different problem. In 2009, Trout Unlimited will celebrate it's 50th anniversary, while wast year saw the 80th anniversary of Ducks Unlimited and 25th anniversary of Pheasants Forever. PF celebrated their anniversary last month, and stories about some of the first chapters (such as this one) have been published in local papers across the nation.

So, which conservation organization do you feel has been the most successful?

Labels: Discussion Topics

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Discussion Topic: Hunting & Fishing Clubs Take on Global Warming

posted by FieldAndStreamHOC - 8:58 AM

More than 670 hunting and fishing clubs from all 50 states have sent a letter to Congress and took out a full-page ad in USA Today to urge Congress to take action on global warming.

Sportsmen are calling for comprehensive climate change legislation that cuts global warming by 2 percent per year through a cap-and-trade system and includes dedicated funding for fish and wildlife conservation and restoration.

'Climate change is a major threat to the future of our wildlife, and we're running out of time to do something about it,' said retired state Fish and Game wildlife biologist Eric Orff, now of the National Wildlife Federation. 'We've spent a century fighting to protect wildlife, wild places and our natural heritage. We will not sit by and do nothing while climate change threatens to wipe it all out.'

Click here for the whole story

Can sportsmen actually make a difference against Global Warming? Should they?

Labels: Discussion Topics

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Discussion Topic: Are sage grouse an endangered species?

posted by FieldAndStreamHOC - 9:32 AM

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife service is asking a federal judge to withdraw papers that were submitted to add the sage grouse to the endangered species list. Adding sage grouse to the endangered species list could mean tighter restrictions on oil, housing, and agricultural development across the Rocky Mountain West.

The battle between the USFWS and the Western Watersheds Project on the protection of sage grouse has been going on since 2005, when the Western Watersheds Project sued the USFWS when the grouse did not make the endangered species list.

In December, U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill issued a decision highly critical of the agency's decision, saying the service failed to use the "best science" available when deciding not to give the declining species protection under the federal Endangered Species Act.

As part of the remedy phase of the lawsuit, the agency and the Western Watersheds Project worked out an agreement, called a stipulation of remand, that set a timetable for various actions, with a final decision to be made by the agency in May 2009.

Now the agency wants out of that agreement. Click here for the whole story.

So, should the sage grouse be on the endangered species list? And, is this another case of the oil industry trumping wildlife?

Labels: Discussion Topics

Thursday, February 7, 2008

Discussion Topic: What's the most important conservation issue?

posted by FieldAndStreamHOC - 10:10 AM

This past Sunday, Field & Stream and Toyota hosted a roundtable discussion at the SHOT Show. Moderated by F&S Conservation Editor, Bob Marshall, the panel was made up of Jeff Crane, president of the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation; George Cooper, president and C.E.O. of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership; Howard Vincent, president and C.E.O. of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever; and Lyle Laverty, Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish, Wildlife, and Parks.

Of the many important issues facing sportsman, the ones singled out by the panel were: public access, wetlands, energy development, the Farm Bill, bio-fuel, youth participation, and climate change.

What do you think is the most important issue facing hunters and anglers this year, especially with the upcoming election?

Labels: Discussion Topics

Friday, January 25, 2008

Discussion Topic: Open season on wolves

posted by FieldAndStreamHOC - 9:52 AM

As soon as gray wolves were delisted about a year ago, the debate about whether or not states should start hunting them started. Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Fish & Wildlife decided to give states and tribes more flexibility in managing the wolf herds. Including hunting them.

The Safari Club has come out strongly against the hunting of wolves, saying that if we start hunting them now, they will just become endangered again.

“If we call open season on wolves now, we could soon find ourselves back at the starting line. It’s a tremendous waste of taxpayer dollars,” said Sierra Club representative Melanie Stein. “Deer and elk populations are thriving in this region. There’s absolutely no reason to begin slaughtering wolves, other than to please a handful of special interests. This is another example of politics trumping science in the Bush administration. Federal and state agencies are tripping over each other, and our wildlife are suffering as a result.”

Click Here

Do think that it's time to start hunting wolves, or is this a political ploy as the Sierra Club suggests?

Labels: Discussion Topics

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Discussion Topic: Should your fishing trips be carbon neutral?

posted by FieldAndStreamHOC - 9:17 AM

If the phrase, "leave only footprints" was popularized today, it would be "leave only carbon-neutral footprints." And while the green groups have been pushing people to neutralize their carbon emissions by buying carbon offsets to help battle global warming, the movement hasn't really taken hold in the outdoor conservation community. Until now.

Last weekend, the Florida Wildlife Federation hosted the world's first carbon-neutral fishing tournament in Miami.

"Sportsmen know climate change threatens the fish we love and the habitats they live in. Offsetting our emissions is just one way to show we're not going to pass the buck to the next generation of anglers," said Captain Dan Kipnis, tournament organizer and director-at-large for the Florida Wildlife Federation.

The tournament is offsetting an estimated 200 tons of carbon dioxide emissions through AgCert, which will use the funds for an East Coast methane capture project. Methane gas from dairy farms will be converted into electricity, balancing out the tournament's greenhouse gas impact on the environment.

http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jan2008/2008-01-16-091.asp

Do you think that you should offsetting that trip out on your bass boat by buying captured cow farts?

Labels: Discussion Topics

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Discussion Topic: Hunting Polar Bears

posted by FieldAndStreamHOC - 1:23 PM

It seems impossible to escape the Global Warming debate no matter who you are and where you live. And now, Canadian Inuits are getting in the fight. The past few weeks, the United States government and environmental groups have been debating over the issue of protecting polar bears because of their dwindling habitat. Worried that they would lose the money of American hunters coming to Canada to pursue polar bears, the Inuits denounced the environmentalists for pushing hard to get the polar bear protected.

Mary Simon, president of the Inuit Tapiriit of Canada group, said green organizations were using polar bears as an excuse to attack the administration of U.S. President George Bush over its position on climate change.

"As Inuit we fundamentally disagree with such tactics ... the polar bear is a very important subsistence, economic, cultural, conservation, management, and rights concern for Inuit in Canada," she said in a statement.

http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSN1439628820080114

Do you think that you should able to hunt a supposedly threatened animal?

Labels: Discussion Topics