Cliff Spencer to Leave White Sands and Go to Another U.N.World Heritage Site

But did he produce a General Management Plan for White Sands National Monument during his tenure? He did produce a map where First Amendment activities are allowed at White Sands National Monument. Good job, Cliff.

Intermountain Region News Release
Cliff Spencer to Head Petrified Forest National Park
DENVER – Clifford (Cliff) Spencer, a 23-year NPS veteran, has been selected the new superintendent of Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona, according to
Intermountain Regional Director Michael Snyder.

Spencer will assume his new responsibilities February 3, 2008. He succeeds Brad Traver, who served in an interim capacity following the transfer of Superintendent
Lee Baiza.

Currently serving as superintendent of White Sands National Monument, Spencer led the rehabilitation of historic adobe buildings, replacement of a handicapped
accessible boardwalk, and the successful reopening of the Monument following extensive flooding in 2006.

“I feel fortunate to be going to Petrified Forest, and look forward to working with park staff, local agencies, park neighbors and others in maintaining the infrastructure and increasing visitation to a great place.” Spencer said.

Prior to his assignment at White Sands, Spencer served in various ranger assignments at Point Reyes National Seashore in California, Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreational Area in California, Lake Mead National Recreational Area in Nevada, and Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona.

A native of Los Angeles, California, Spencer holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Recreation Administration from California State University, Northridge and an Associate of Arts degree in Psychology from Pierce College in Los Angeles.
Spencer is married to Beth, his wife of 15 years. They have a 12-year old daughter.

As Superintendent at Petrified Forest National Park, Spencer will manage 108,693 acres, an annual operating budget of more than $2.8 million, and a staff of approximately 55. Petrified Forest National Park in northeastern Arizona features one of the world's largest and most colorful concentrations of petrified wood. Also included at Petrified Forest National Park are the multi-hued badlands of the
Painted Desert, historic structures, archeological sites, and displays of 225 million year old fossils.

Getting in Bed with Feds Never the Way to Go

In the following post about the actions Lincoln County elected representatives you will see that some are in favor of working with U.S.F.W.SERVice by becoming cooperating partners. In my opinion this could only be characterized as bass-ackwards.

For starters, USFWS are public SERVants. They work for us, the taxpaying citizens.

Our elected officials need to direct the U.S.F.W.SERVice, National Park SERVice, U.S.Forest SERVice, any "SERVice" agency how, when and where to SERVE their constituents. The SERVice agencies should know why and who they SERVE.

SERVICE - work done by one person or group that benefits another.

Lincoln County - Wolves in Ruidoso News

County intensifies opposition to gray wolf reintroduction
Dianne Stallings dstallings@ruidosonews.com
Article Launched: 01/03/2008 09:15:42 PM MST


Opposition to expansion of the Mexican gray wolf reintroduction project blew up into request to pressure state legislators to withdraw New Mexico from the federal Endangered Species Act.

Lincoln County commissioners at their meeting last month approved an amendment to an existing ordinance against the release of wild animals within county borders, by specifying the Mexican gray wolf.

They also directed County Attorney Alan Morel to draft a resolution asking the governor to opt the state out of the ESA only in reference to predatory animals.

The draft will be reviewed at a special meeting today.

The original ordinance against the release or importation of predatory animals in the county was passed in 1994, and the amendment will not affect the county's standing prior to the wolf release program's initiation, Morel said.

Commissioner Eileen Lovelace asked the attorney to bring them a copy of what Catron County enacted to protect citizens from prosecution, if they shoot a wolf in self-defense or to defend livestock, stock dogs and pets.

Commissioner Jackie Powell, who attended a meeting in Alamogordo with former commission chairman Rick Simpson, said a map of where new reintroduction of the Mexican gray wolf may occur extends from Interstate-40 to I-10, and covers all of Lincoln County. She and Lovelace said they wanted an ordinance strong enough to protect livestock and children. Lovelace said while she is concerned about animals, humanity comes first.

They also want officials with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to know that the county cannot take the economic hit commissioners contended the wolf reintroduction would create.

Powell said in Catron, wolves have become bold and habituated to humans. In fewer than 18 months, they were photographed more than 2,000 times.

Wolves don't recognize where federal land ends and private property begins, she said. Thirty wolves have nearly devastated the calf crop in that area, she said. Structures were built to protect children while they wait for school buses, she said.

Morel said Catron County's ordinance is "fairly extensive," and goes much further than Lincoln County's version. Multiple federal laws protecting the reintroduced wolves are involved and the issue is complex, he said.

Simpson, who also serves on the county Public Land Use and Rural Affairs Advisory Committee, said he was disappointed that the Alamogordo meeting was not a public hearing where questions were fielded.

But he managed to find a USFWS official at a table later. He asked what effect ordinances against the reintroduction of the wolf passed by Otero County and Lincoln County would have on federal consideration.

Simpson said he was told the federal program on federal land doesn't have to abide by local laws.

"I said I guess we'll find out in a court of law and he said they already did in Catron County," Simpson said. "I said the ordinance was not in place in time there.

"That's the reason we're here now, to get ours as strict as possible and to put as much teeth in the ordinance and to be as specific as possible."

He pointed to section of a state hunting proclamation warning against harassing or shooting wolves.

Killing a protected wolf could result in a one year jail term and a $50,000 fine, he said.

A person is supposed to report within seven days if he harassed a wolf that was threatening, Simpson said, continuing to cite the other specific rules.

One of the most irritating to him was a prohibition against killing a wolf that is attacking a pet.

Simpson said if his horses, pack animals, hunting or stock dogs were threatened, he wouldn't wait until they were being bitten, maimed or killed to react.

"I will become a felon, because I will take care of that problem the best I can," he said. "I am a good shot."

Oscura resident Jerry Carroll said years ago before the reintroduction program began migrating wolves from Mexico occasionally were spotted or killed in his area. He said the code was, "Shoot, shovel and shut up."

Simpson said he was told that White Sands Missile Range was determined not to be large enough or to have enough big game to reintroduce the wolf.

"The mountain lions took care of that," he said.

"They want to reintroduce in the western part of the state and let (wolves) bleed into this area," he said. "I don't think our ordinance covers bleeding over from another jurisdiction, even if it does reintroduction."

He contended New Mexico legislators adopted the ESA, when it was new and people were naive about the consequences. "They're telling me all I can do is cry, when we have a constitution that says we can protect ourselves.

"It may have started out as a good idea, but implementation gets overdone with a case of tunnel vision and we end up asking ourselves who is worth more, the citizens of New Mexico or the wolves?"

Carroll, who raises goats on the western side of the county, said the people who say the state needs the wolves don't want them in their backyard. Another resident said Lincoln County has too many population centers and too much ranching to be a good site for reintroduction.

County Extension Agent Pete Gnatkowski said ranchers in Catron County have been destroyed by the loss of livestock.

Although there is a rule that if a pack is credited with three livestock kills, they must be captured and removed, or killed, that can be tough to accomplish, he said.

He suggested the commission become a cooperating agency to ensure it has standing and can give input, even if the federal agency is not required to seriously consider that input.

Powell said commissioners already sent a letter asking for that designation.

Another resident said he feared USFWS officials may try to introduce wolves into the White Mountain Wilderness of the Lincoln National Forest.

"That would be bad for big game hunters and livestock people," he said.

He warned that while 57 wolves have been released, hundreds survive in captivity that could be released in the future.

WOLF RELEASE IN COUNTY LIKE REMOVING POLICE IN ALAMOGORDO

A few weeks ago the mother of a young man slain in a gang shooting did a segment on Mike Haymes morning talk show. Joann Reynolds sounded the alarm of the increasing threat of gang activity in Alamogordo. She challenged the Alamogordo Department of Public Safety to form a gang task force. In essence, she whipped up a few hours of hysteria among callers who felt the gangs were ‘out of control’ in Alamogordo.
I find it interesting that the Citizens of Alamogordo want the gangs eradicated and look to the police to accomplish that. The people who live in the city feel the lives of their children are at stake. Private property is being vandalized by graffiti. Callers’ spoke of more drug activity and guns on the streets; all attributed to gang activity in Alamogordo.
The media driven hysteria reminded me of a real life drama being played out in another county in New Mexico. I’m not referring to the gang problem in Albuquerque or Las Cruces. The real life drama I’m thinking about is the wolf release disaster in Catron county. Citizens in Catron county fear for the lives of their children, their family pets, livestock and damage to private property. The lives of those living in Catron county within the wolf release area have been dramatically changed by the Fish and Wildlife Service, the agency responsible for wolf reintroduction. The concerns of the Citizens of Alamogordo about gangs sound very similar to the daily real life drama Citizens of Catron county are experiencing with wolf release.
For those of you, living within the city limits of Alamogordo, think about it this way: Wolf reintroduction into rural areas is like removing the police from the City of Alamogordo. If you think gangs are a menace and a threat to the city and someone should ‘do something about gangs’; then think about rural New Mexicans living with wolves released in their communities.

MORE BACKGROUND ON NGOs AND THEIR POWER OF MONEY

Judy Keeler, Bootheel Heritage Association, New Mexico
Our area is under siege by various environmental groups and federal agencies. When The Nature Conservancy (TNC) failed to sell the Gray Ranch to the US Fish and Wildlife Service for a Wildlife Refuge in 1991, they sold it to another nonprofit organization called the Animas Foundation (a Missouri private operating foundation, 1997 Assets: $37,907,924; Income $4,666,644) in 1993, while retaining for themselves a conservation easement on the property. John Cook, Vice President of Natural Resources for TNC, is on the board of directors for the Animas Foundation. In 1994 Mr. Cook also helped organize a group called the Malpai Borderlands Group (1998 assets: $860,295; Income $355,940), of which he is currently co-director. TNC’s general council, Michael Dennis, is also the Malpai Group’s general council. The Group’s application for tax exempt status, drafted by Dennis, states they intend
to develop and implement a “comprehensive land management strategy” for nearly one million acres in Southwest New Mexico and Southeast Arizona. They intend to manage this area “in cooperation” with federal and state agencies.
http://www.undueinfluence.com/Power%20to%20Hurt.pdf

Copy and paste the above link to a search engine to read this alarming paper on how the NGOs buy and sell influence for policies like wolf reintroduction.

Injured horse in Arizona confirmed as having been attacked by wolves

Silver City Daily Press Article January 8, 2008




Injured horse in Arizona confirmed as having been attacked by wolves


A horse in Nutrioso, Ariz., was al­legedly attacked by wolves Sunday.
Jess Carey, Catron County wolf investigator, gave the first report, saying that seven chunks had been bitten out of a horse belonging to Cindy Sessions.
Sessions said she called Wildlife Services to report the attack and a representative investigated. She said he told her that the size of the bite marks indicated that they were caused by a wolf or wolves.
Chris Carrillo, district super­visor of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services and Animal and Plant Services, con­firmed that “based on the evidence at the scene, the attack was consistent with a wolf attack.'
Session said that during the winter she and her family throw feed out to the horses in a 37-acre pasture adja­cent to the house.
She said they went out about 7:30 or 8 Sunday morning, and four of their five horses came up to the fence. When the fifth one, Captain, didn’t move, they went to check on him.
“His right front leg from the low shoulder down, and both rear legs from the knee down were covered in blood, and, although he was standing up, he was unresponsive,' Sessions said. “We got aspirin and shot him with it, then he stood there shaking.' She said the reason the wolves didn’t kill him was because he “nev­er went down.' She was told that if the horse had fallen to the ground, the wolves “would have eaten him and killed him that way.'
Captain was put in a neighbor’s barn, where they doctored his wounds for about four hours using water and salve.
“We have a foot of snow on the ground and can’t get the horse trailer out to take him to the vet, but we’ve been talking to her and she told us to give him antibiotics, which we had on hand,' Sessions said. “Because he was shaking so bad, we heated towels in the microwave to warm him up. About 7 p.m. he stopped shaking.'
She said she knew wolves were in the area, because their dog, a St. Bernard, howls at the wolves when they’re around.
“During the summer, they howl back and forth,' Sessions said. “We didn’t hear them, but our dog has been howling the past three nights, so we knew they were there. When she’s howling, we put her in a pen, because once she tried to go up to them, and we don’t want her to get attacked.'
She reported that during the sum­mer, they had “tons' of sightings, but didn’t know to report them. Now, she is encouraging neighbors to report any sightings, so the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service knows the wolves are in the area.
“This summer twice when we were riding, we were cornered by wolves, so we hightailed it out of there,' Sessions said. “Among the neighbors, we have documented at least 30 sightings. If you see or hear wolves, report them.'
As of Monday afternoon, Sessions said the horse was “not doing great, but at least he’s still alive.'
One of the gouges was on the horse’s face — an 8-inch slice from just past the lips toward the ear.
“It’s like a filet of skin that can be lifted up,' Sessions said.
—MARY ALICE MURPHY

State Wildlife Agencies and Transportation Agencies Working Together to Prevent Wildlife from Becoming Endangered

State Wildlife Action Plans: State Wildlife Agencies and Transportation Agencies Working Together to Prevent Wildlife from Becoming Endangered

David Chadwick, Senior Program Association, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Washington, DC, Phone: 202-624-7890.
As a requirement of the federal Wildlife Conservation and Restoration Program and State Wildlife Grants program, each state fish and wildlife agency has developed a wildlife action plan, known technically as a "comprehensive wildlife conservation strategy." The wildlife action plans identify the actions that are needed to prevent wildlife from becoming endangered in each state, including habitat conservation, management, restoration, and research and monitoring. Every state has completed an action plan, presenting an historic opportunity to improve the conservation of at-risk wildlife across the nation.

Since the wildlife action plans draw together the best scientific data, input from a broad array of experts and stakeholders, and recommendations from prior planning efforts, they present the most comprehensive assessment of what needs to be done in each state to conserve declining and imperiled wildlife. The wildlife action plans complement existing fish and wildlife management activities focused on recreationally harvested game and sportfish species. Because the action plans are focused on preventing wildlife from becoming endangered, they can be a powerful platform for a range of collaborative, preventive conservation planning and restoration activities.
http://www.icoet.net/ICOET_2007/abstracts/07abstract6.asp#6

National Public Radio Addresses Wolves Again

Listen to the January 7, 2008, All Things Considered. As an added bonus click on the July 26, 2006, story also by Ted Robbins.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17910768

What's Not To Love About Jim Beers, He Calls Us Heros

Wolves & The Law
A recent article from the Alamagordo, New Mexico newspaper reports:

"A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recovery program for the
Mexican gray wolf has been in progress since 1998 when the first wolves were
released in the Blue Range Recovery Area, a location that included Arizona
and New Mexico.

The issue, however, did not really hit home in Otero County until discussion
of plans to hold a public hearing was announced by the Otero County
Commission on Sept. 12. The hearing was to consider an ordinance to ban wolf
reintroductions."

This commentary gets really pithy. I dare you to read:
http://jimbeers.blogster.com/wolves_law.html

WOLF ACCUSED OF KILLING COW GOES ON TRIAL TODAY

Alamogordo (ORF) A Mexican Gray Wolf accused of killing cow near Cloudcroft, goes on trial today. In opening statements, the prosecution charges ‘Brucie’ the wolf stalked and attacked a cow belonging to a local rancher. The cow died as a result of the attack.
Evidence gathered at the scene by authorities confirmed the cow’s death was caused by a wolf attack. Investigators found Brucie the wolf asleep under a tree a short distance away. DNA gathered from the wolf’s teeth and scat confirmed he had eaten part of the cow. Brucie the wolf pled not guilty, saying the cow’s death was an accident. Brucie said, in responding to intense grilling by the prosecution that he was running through the forest when the cow dashed out in front of him, causing a collision. “There was cow everywhere”, Brucie contends. “I couldn’t stop in time. I was running along and all of a sudden there was this cow right in front of me. I tried to swerve to avoid hitting it, but it was too late. I was knocked unconscious. When I came to I had cow all over me. I tried CPR. The cow died as a result of the collision. I count my lucky blessings I survived that collision”. The trial will continue throughout the week in Alamogordo.

Oversight? Underreported Stories of 2007

On the credible theory that is it not what you hear but what you don't hear, the short list of ignored news that effects each and every one of us:

1. Developments moving U.S. and continent closer to a North American Union: President Bush ridiculed any talk of a continental merger as conspiracy theory, and recent articles published in The Nation and Newsweek magazines have attempted to characterize "NAFTA Superhighways" the same way, but numerous developments and admissions by officials this past year indicate otherwise.

Last month, for example, Canada announced a plan to complete a continental highway grid designed to accommodate an anticipated tsunami of containers from China and the Far East.

Meanwhile, state lawmakers in Oklahoma and Texas continued to battle plans for a "NAFTA Superhighway and North American Union" as threats to the sovereignty of the U.S.

2. Bush's refusal to pardon imprisoned Border Patrol Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, who were prosecuted by the president's friend, U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton: Last month, a bi-partisan resolution was introduced into the House of Representatives calling on President Bush to commute the former agents' sentences immediately, allowing them to be home with their families by Christmas.

But Ramos and Compean continue to serve 11- and 12-year federal prison sentences for shooting an admitted drug smuggler as he fled across the border after smuggling into the U.S. a load of 750 pounds of marijuana in a van.

3. Research refuting man-made global warming: Former Vice President Al Gore won a Nobel prize in 2007 for his global warming campaigning to add to the Oscar for the documentary "An Inconvenient Truth. But numerous reports were issued throughout the year challenging the mainstream media's oft-repeated contention that the debate is settled over whether or not humans are causing global warming.

A new U.S. Senate report documented hundreds of prominent scientists – experts in dozens of fields of study worldwide – who say global warming and cooling is a cycle of nature and cannot legitimately be connected to man's activities.

An analysis of peer-reviewed literature by the Hudson Institute found more than 500 scientists have published evidence refuting the current man-made global warming scare.

4. Lack of action on border fence mandated by Congress: The Secure Fence Act of 2006 required the construction of a double-layered barrier covering 854 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border, but Democrats led efforts to squelch the plan.

Also, in the Senate, as WND reported , an amendment submitted by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, and co-sponsored by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, for the Department of Homeland Security 2008 budget was aimed at gutting the already-approved Secure Fence Act.

The Hutchison amendment would allow the secretary of homeland security to use discretion in deciding whether a fence was the most appropriate means to achieve and maintain operational control along the border with Mexico.

7. Illegal aliens who rape, murder, kill driving drunk, commit voter fraud, welfare fraud and burden the system: WND has reported on the growing list of illegal immigrants who have not only ignored U.S. immigration laws, but state laws against drinking and driving as well, killing innocents on the highways in the process.

Meanwhile, a new study has finally fixed an approximate taxpayer cost for the millions of illegal aliens residing in the U.S. The Heritage Foundation's Robert Rector found a household headed by an individual without a high school education, about two-thirds of illegal aliens, costs U.S. taxpayers more than $32,000 in federal, state and local benefits. That same family contributes an average of $9,000 a year in taxes, resulting in a net tax burden of $22,449 each year.

9. Progress of Law of the Sea Treaty: The Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on a 17-4 vote, moved forward the Law of the Sea Treaty, or LOST, despite a wide spectrum of critics charging it would grant the United Nations control of 70 percent of the planet under its oceans and undermine U.S. sovereignty.

But the Heritage Foundation warns the treaty would have unintended consequences for U.S. interests – including a threat to sovereignty.

The conservative think tank says "bureaucracies established by multilateral treaties often lack the transparency and accountability necessary to ensure that they are untainted by corruption, mismanagement or inappropriate claims of authority. The LOST bureaucracy is called the International Seabed Authority Secretariat, which has a strong incentive to enhance its own authority at the expense of state sovereignty."

Full article at: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=59550

R L Posey Regarding Wolves

Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested

No. 7007 0220 0003 7610 0193

Mr. Brian Millsap, State Administrator
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
New Mexico Ecological Services Office
2105 Osuna, N.E.
Albuquerque NM 87113

Dear Mr. Millsap:

Re: U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service Wolf Program

I strongly oppose the Fish and Wildlife Service’s Wolf program, the release of any additional wolves into the rural areas of the United States and especially New Mexico including Otero County.

Wolves are one of the most viscous predators in the world.

I receive electronic messages on a continual basis about numerous problems that rural residents, especially in the western states, are having with wolves.

There are numerous examples of attacks by wolves on a wide variety of wildlife species, domesticated livestock, pets and humans, Attachment 1.

Residents in the Gila area of New Mexico, where there are a number of wolves, routinely carry firearms when they leave their residences including feeding their livestock near their homes because of the presence of wolves.

The Gila parents have begun to build wolf proof shelters where their children can safely stay while waiting for the school bus or for their parents when they return from school.

There are numerous reports about wolves attacking livestock. In addition, there are a number of reports where ranchers find their livestock have been killed, but there are very few remains to identify the animal as the wolves have eaten almost everything including the hide and bones.

I realize that some of the Animal Rights Activist Organizations brag about reimbursing ranchers for any livestock that have been killed by wolves.

However, experience has proven that it is extremely difficult to scientifically prove a wolf kill in order to obtain any but a minimal reimbursement.

On December 14, 2007 I received an electronic message about a Grizzly Bear on the Montana/Wyoming border that was being chased by wolves, was hit by a log truck and killed, Attachment 2.

The classified Mexican Gray Wolves that have been released in the Gila are endangered only because the Fish & Wildlife Service was able to successfully provide information for the classification.

I have received a number of opinions that the information provided by the Fish & Wildlife Service to have the Mexican Gray Wolf listed as endangered was faulty.

At an El Lobo Forum that was held at New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, several years ago, a number of “Wolf Experts” stated that all wolves are genetically the same. The wolves are called different names according to where they are located, i.e. Mexican Gray Wolf, Timber Wolf, Alaskan Wolf, etc.

When the discussions first started about re-introducing wolves in New Mexico, a contingent of individuals who were promoting the wolves, attended a New Mexico State Game Commission meeting.

During the discussions, Game Commissioner Mr. George Ortega, stated, “You folks have to realize that this country isn’t like it was even 50 years ago much less how it was when native wolves were in this area.”

When I was riding the school bus from my residence in Mayhill to Cloudcroft NM in the early 1940s, a distance of 18 miles, there were only 17 residences near the highway with school children being picked up at only 12 of those locations.

How many houses are there now between Mayhill and Cloudcroft?

Without doing some extensive research the number is unknown, but many more than 17.

However, there are now 20 sub-divisions between Mayhill and Cloudcroft and the number of houses in each sub- division is unknown. However, one can count more than 17 houses, in several of the sub-divisions, from the highway and that doesn’t include the houses that can’t been seen from the highway.

In addition, there are numerous individual dwellings that aren’t in sub-divisions.

Proponents of the wolf re-introduction program state that wolves are needed to balance the ecosystems.

However, the last known wild wolf in Otero County was killed by government trapper Mr. Ellis Wright many years ago. The exact date is unknown.

Mr. Wright died in 1977 at 83 years of age and the wolf was killed at least 25 years prior to this death and probably much longer.

Therefore, Otero County has been without wolves for at least 50 years and there is no proof that the ecosystem has been degraded.

In fact the livestock industry in Otero County has flourished and is one of the main contributors to the economic health of the county.

In a December 20, 2007 press release, New Mexico U. S. Congressman Stevan Pearce stated in part and I quote:

“I am disappointed more of my colleagues could not see the wisdom in eliminating an unsuccessful, ineffective program that has not only failed to produce results, but also threatens the lives and livelihoods of New Mexicans.

We have people in the second district that can’t check their mail without taking a pistol to the mailbox for fear of being attacked.

Since its inception, the Mexican gray wolf reentry program has spent more than $14 million on the release of just 59 wolves – at a cost of over $237,000. per wolf.

In the meantime we shouldn’t be wasting more and more resources on a failed program that puts people’s lives and livelihoods in danger.

Pearce believes the time has come to concede that wolves cannot successfully be reintroduced into New Mexico and is disappointed Congress has not yet reached that view.” Attachment 3.

I am in total agreement with Congressman Pearce.

Sincerely,

R L Posey

Wolves and Ted Turner by Request

The following are excerpts from the Turner Endangered Species Fund website, an NGO, 501(c)3. In case there is any doubt in your mind about this NGO's involvement with wolves and other "endangered" species:

http://tesf.org/turner/tesf/

1997 Highlights include:
releasing eight Mexican wolves into the breeding pens at the Ladder Ranch. Two more wolves will arrive in January 1998. The Ladder facility is one of the largest of its kind in the world and will contribute mightily to Mexican wolf recovery. National Geographic Explorer is documenting the Fund’s involvement with Mexican wolf recovery.

developing a strategy for restoring wolves to Vermejo Park. While biologically feasible, wolf restoration presents tremendous socio-political challenges. To succeed, we must proceed cautiously and be respectful of the needs and concerns of Vermejo’s neighbors.


1998 Highlights include:
continuing our assessment of the suitability of Vermejo Park Ranch as a gray wolf reintroduction site.
continuing efforts to breed and prepare Mexican wolves for release to the wild by the USFWS. During November two females were transported from the Ladder Ranch to a release site in Arizona and during January 1999 a family of two adults and three pups will be taken from the Ladder and released in Arizona. Once this occurs, the Ladder ranch will have contributed seven quality animals to the restoration effort.

continuing our assessment of the suitability of Vermejo Park Ranch as a gray wolf reintroduction site.

1999 Highlights include:
continuing efforts at the Ladder Ranch to breed and prepare Mexican wolves for release to the wild by the USFWS. During spring 1999 a litter of four pups was born at the Ranch. Unfortunately the pups died from natural causes before being weaned.

continuing with development of a plan to integrate Vermejo Park into gray wolf recovery programs. Specifically, we began developing a plan for Vermejo to serve as a gray wolf management “Center of Excellence”. The Center will be designed to improve techniques for recovering gray wolves throughout the United States. For example, captive-born Mexican wolves could be released at Vermejo for purposes of gaining experience in the wild before being permanently released in the Apache National Forest by the USFWS. During their free-ranging period wolves would be able to hone survival skills in an area that supports abundant prey and where human-induced mortality would be virtually non-existent. The Fund proposes to intensively monitor the wolves to document their transition to life in the wild and to ensure quick recaptures if they wander to far afield. No other facility in the world exists to promote the conservation of endangered carnivores in such a unique, hand-on manner.

continuing efforts to promote wolf recovery in the northern Rocky Mountains. Specifically, the Fund proposed assisting the USFWS with developing aversive conditioning techniques to reduce livestock depredations, and monitoring gray wolves that settle the public/private land interface in the northwest portion of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, with an emphasis on the Flying D Ranch. The USFWS reviewed the proposal and intends to authorize the described activities during the next few months. We are now trying to involve other conservation organizations in the effort. Undoubtedly wolves will settle the edge of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, creating great opportunities for organizations like the Turner Endangered Species Fund to advance carnivore conservation in a manner that is respectful of the needs and concerns of local citizens and private landowners.

2000-2001 biannual report includes:
Southern Rockies Wolf (Canis lupus) Restoration

Our central accomplishment for 2000 was catalyzing formation of the Southern Rockies Wolf Restoration Project, a coalition of 17 organizations dedicated to the cause. In 2000, TESF and Defenders of Wildlife sponsored a Southern Rockies wolf restoration workshop. A variety of special interest groups such as the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association attended the workshop, which was facilitated by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Conservation Breeding Specialist Group. The resulting population and habitat viability analysis report greatly advanced the scientific underpinnings of the issue. During the workshop we modeled several landscape variables that influence wolf survival (e.g. road density, distribution and abundance of native ungulates, habitat connectivity) and concluded that the ecoregion could support up to 2,000 wolves.

During 2000 we also finalized a plan for developing a wolf experience center at Vermejo. The Center would improve the survival potential of captive-born Mexican wolves before they are released to the wild. A select number of captive-born, naïve Mexican wolves would be allowed to inhabit the prey-rich Vermejo Park Ranch, accompanied by an extremely intensive research and monitoring program implemented by our field team.

During 2001 we began developing the seminal reference on wolves in the Southern Rockies entitled Suitability of the Southern Rockies for Wolf Restoration: An Ecological and Social Assessment. Additionally, TESF was instrumental in working with Decision Research on a public opinion survey that revealed widespread and bipartisan support for wolf recovery in the region. The Project recently catalyzed the formation of the Southern Rockies Wolf Restoration Information Network. The Network is comprised of the Denver Zoo, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Pueblo Zoo, Albuquerque Biological Park, and the International Wolf Center and has a singular mission focusing on education. The Network’s mission is to provide the communities of the Southern Rockies with scientific information about and a diverse public forum for issues related to restoring wolves to the region.

View results of research to assess the suitability of the Southern Rockies ecoregion for gray wolves. View PDF (3.3 MB)
View research to assess suitability of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico for Mexican wolves. View PDF (307 KB)
Mexican wolves (Canis lupus baileyi) – Ladder Ranch, New Mexico

We continued efforts at the Ladder Ranch to breed and prepare Mexican wolves for release to the wild in cooperation with the USFWS. During spring 2000 a litter of pups was born at the ranch. In early 2000, the 6-member Gavilan pack was returned from the wild to the Ladder Ranch facility for management purposes. Throughout most of 2001, a TESF biologist provided routine assistance with the monitoring and management of free-ranging wolves. During 2001 we also served in an advisory and review capacity for the Mexican wolf recovery program. Specifically, we were intimately involved in the technical 3-year review of the reintroduction project being conducted in the Gila and Apache National Forest.

During 2001, the Ladder Ranch Mexican Wolf Pre-release Captive Facility held between 7 and 18 wolves as support for the USFWS Mexican Wolf Recovery Program. One pair was allowed to breed this season, and they produced 3 surviving pups in April. That pack of 9 animals (alpha pair + 4 yearlings + 3 pups) was released in June into the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area in the Apache National Forest of Arizona.

We conducted 4 transfers of animals between the Ladder Ranch facility and other participating Mexican Wolf Species Survival Program facilities. We created 2 pairs at the Ladder Ranch facility that are scheduled for release into the Gila National Forest of New Mexico in spring 2002. For the first time in many decades, the Ladder Ranch was host to 2 free-ranging Mexican wolves!

2003 Highlights:
maintained captive breeding facilities for black-footed ferrets and Mexican wolves.
continued the desert bighorn sheep restoration project at the Armendaris. (This project is recognized as the most successful efforts of its kind in New Mexico.)
played a key role in prompting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to begin the administrative process for restoring aplomado falcons to the Armendaris and environs.
assisted with monitoring and managing free-ranging gray wolves in southwestern Montana and southwestern New Mexico.
participated in a scientific team which modified the national wolf recovery plan so that the southern Rocky Mountains are properly considered as a restoration region.


2004 Highlights:
maintaining the captive breeding facilities for ferrets and Mexican wolves,
assisting with monitoring and managing free-ranging wolves in southwestern Montana and southwestern New Mexico,
advancing wolf restoration to Vermejo and environs,

http://tesf.org/turner/tesf/reports/

I was unable to copy the 2004 Annual Report. It is worth viewing as you will see documented that the Service (USFWS your taxes at work) gave Melissa Woolf/project a 20% raise. Could she be the same chick that is now taking four years to sail around the world with Andy. Just thought I would ask.

Northern Rocky Mountain gray wolf (Canis lupus)
Wolf recovery is complicated by conflicts with livestock, therefore we are working with ranchers in Montana to reduce these conflicts and are monitoring wolves in southwest Montana to enhance recovery. Our wolf biologist serves as the USFWS wolf biologist for southwestern Montana. (Related site: FWS: Gray Wolf News)
http://tesf.org/turner/tesf/species/

AND,
http://tesf.org/turner/tesf/species/ My favorite page because it has a picture of a wolf next to a chain link fence. Being habituated to humans is part of the problem with released wolves. Also, is a list of collaborators including the ever present Nature Conservancy.

LEAVING THE POLITICS OUT OF SCIENCE: AL GORE...YA' LISTENING?

http://www.ucsusa.org/scientific_integrity/interference/scientists-signon-statement.html

"In February 2004, 62 leading scientists—including many Nobel laureates and former presidential science advisors dating back fifty years—issued a statement to bring attention to the Bush administration's manipulation, suppression, and distortion of science."

Cut and paste the link to a search engine to read the article. I wonder if they sent a copy of this to Al Gore?

Here's a reminder of something we posted in September of 2007.

From the POLITICALLY INCORRECT GUIDE TO GLOBAL WARMING AND ENVIRONMENTALISM by Christopher C. Horner
Senior Fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute.

Page 99

“Next up on the “hit’ parade for Al Gore et al, after Gore’s inauguration was to chase Dr. William Happer out of the U.S. Department of Energy. Though at first asked to stay on as director of energy research by the Clinton White House, Happer subsequently made the mistake of disputing Gore. In REASON magazine at the time, journalist Ron Bailey told the tale of Happer’s fall.
Bailey focuses on Happer’s appearance before a House subcommittee, in which he delivered “cautious testimony…at odds with Gore’s alarmist views.” Specifically, Happer uttered this scandalous sentence: “I think that there probably has been some exaggeration of the dangers of ozone and global climate change.”
Possibly Happer was thinking of the part in EARTH IN THE BALANCE where Gore writes about chlorine from Manmade refrigerants called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCS), “Like an acid, it burns a hole in the Earth’s protective ozone shield.”
No one but Happer knows. However, following this testimony, Happer says, “I was told that science was not going to intrude on policy,” and that he had made his way onto the ‘enemies list” of Gore aide Katie McGinty.”

Compare Dr. Happer’s experience with Gore and Katie McGinty, to Russian physicists and their dealings with the Marxists under Stalin.

From STALIN AND THE BOMB by David Holloway
Page 21-22

“Physicists came under increasing pressure in the 1930s to show their loyalty to the Party and the State. The intellectual climate of the country changed drastically for the worse at the end of the 1920s. The Academy of Sciences lost the relative intellectual autonomy it had enjoyed in the 1920s and was brought under increasing party and government control. Collaboration with the regime was no longer enough; the Party now demanded political and ideological commitment. Scientific disciplines came under scrutiny from militant party philosophers who wanted to root out any political or philosophical deviations that scientific theories might betray. These philosophers claimed the right to judge whether theories in the natural sciences were really scientific or not. What was at issue in these discussions was the question of authority in science: who had the right to say what constituted a valid scientific theory – the scientists or the Communist Party.”

RICHARDSON’S WOLF AWARENESS WEEK

New Mexico Governor, Bill Richardson, proclaimed the week of Oct. 15-19, 2007 as ‘Wolf Awareness Week’ in his state. Richardson is quoted in a press release, emphasizing the importance of wolf reintroduction in New Mexico: “As keystone predators, wolves play a critical role in maintaining balanced ecosystems,” said Governor Bill Richardson. “We must redouble our efforts to promote healthy wolf populations coexisting with our communities and land stewards – both in New Mexico and across the country.”

Richardson must be playing to the environmentalist agenda and suburban nature lover voters who subscribe to eco-crisis newsletters and shell out big bucks for coffee table books on wolves. He’s not attracting the vote of ranchers in the American West. The fact that Richardson would advocate for wolf reintroduction in his own state clearly states he has blatant disregard for the concerns of many New Mexican counties that oppose wolf release programs.

On Richardson’s Presidential Campaign site he chimes in on the Endangered Species Act: “Accurate scientific data must be used in assessing Endangered Species Act issues and ensure that corporations and other special interests adhere to the law when challenging ESA. We must find the right balance between preservation and growth, but to do so we must first have accurate data and compliance with the law.” Richardson’s statement on the Endangered Species Act is intended for other regions of the United States, but surely not in his home state of New Mexico.

Wolf release programs in New Mexico have created havoc and economic hardship for ranchers in Catron County, NM. The Gila Livestock Growers Association, in Catron Grant and Sierra Counties, has been battling wolves in their region for nine years. Laura Schneberger, president of the association gives the following account:
“We have seen our neighbors run out of business by uncompensated wolf losses, our children have been psychologically damaged due to the slaughter of their pets in their own yards. The program has been in disarray from the start and managers refuse to follow their own laws and Rule. I don’t expect any better from the upcoming Rule change. It just isn’t in the nature of the managers to mitigate the impacts because they can’t admit the depth of the problems to the public.”

Ranchers in New Mexico have a different view about wolves in their region. Livestock deaths attributed to wolf kills continue to rise annually while the governor of New Mexico calls for re-doubling the efforts of wolf release programs. Ranchers and rural residents of Catron County report wolves killing livestock, harassing cattle, horses and sheep, and the killing of family pets. On November 29th of this year, the Glenwood, New Mexico elementary school was put on lockdown when a wolf appeared less than 20 yards away from the playground. Parents in the county report wolf stalking of children walking to the school bus stop on rural roads. Residents in Catron County have erected ‘wolf shelters’ at the school bus stops for the safety of the children waiting for the school bus. These shelters are sturdy wood structures built inside a high chain link fenced enclosure. Such a shelter would probably be illegal in suburban areas of New Mexico where neighborhood association covenants prohibit structures that affect the resale value of property. Yet the governor wants to increase wolf release programs in New Mexico and the rest of the country.

Bill Millsap of the Fish and Wildlife Service dismisses parent’s fears in Catron County.
In a December 5th, 2007 interview with KRQE-TV, Millsap said, “If you look at historical record you could say there is overreaction going on. There is no historical evidence of wolves attacking people in North America, certainly not in the United States in recent years."In April of 1996, Patricia Wyman, and employee of an Ontario, Canada wildlife reserve was killed and severely mangled by a pack of wolves. Kenton Carnegie, 22, was killed by wolves in northern Saskatchewan. A coroner’s inquest confirmed Carnegie had indeed been the victim of a vicious wolf attack. The Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game released a 52-page study of wolf/human encounters which documents several attacks on adults and children. Wolf advocates characterized Catron County parent’s reaction to wolf sightings as over dramatization orchestrated by ranchers opposed to wolf reintroduction. Has anyone asked Governor Richardson where his accurate scientific data was gathered? Apparently the liberal tagline of ‘for the children’ doesn’t apply to the children of Catron County.

On December 3, 2007, the Fish and Wildlife Service pitched wolf reintroduction to the residents of Otero County, New Mexico. The presentation by the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) was held at the Tay’s Center in Alamogordo. The employees of the FWS sat at tables and answered questions or handed out brochures glamorizing wolf reintroduction. When asked when the FWS planned to introduce wolves into Otero County the answer was there were no immediate plans for such a program in the county.
One wonders why the FWS was in Alamogordo, giving a presentation on wolf release, if no such program was planned for Otero County. The Otero County Commissioners have passed a county ordinance making it illegal for the reintroduction of wolves, grizzly bears or jaguars in the county. Otero County ordinance 07-06, in part reads: “…the County of Otero is empowered to enact an ordinance which would prohibit the import for release of certain genera and specifically predators of the Canis, Ursus, and Felis genera, within and adjacent to the boundaries of the County of Otero…”

Catron and Otero counties in New Mexico are not the only counties against wolf reintroduction. Five other counties in addition to Catron and Otero are asking the state for ‘cooperative agency” status in the process of rulemaking for the Mexican Wolf release program. One hopes that Richardson’s campaign staff reminds him that the federal government retains enumerated powers, defined in the U.S. Constitution, and that the federal government has limited authority. The sovereign authorities of each state of these United States and the counties that comprise each individual state have final say over their county lands and land use. Apparently Richardson’s dream of wolf reintroduction on a grand scale somehow overlooked the Constitution and state’s rights.


The very designation of the Mexican Gray Wolf as endangered and as a separate sub-species is questionable. E. Lendell Cockrum, famed biologist and former head of the University of Arizona Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology describes the regional differences of the Gray Wolf and being in name only. In Cockrum’s book, Mammals of the Southwest, he writes, "Only the Red Wolf (Canis Rufus), formerly in the southeastern United States, is considered to be a separate species. Timber Wolf, Lobo and Mexican Wolf are all names applied to local populations of the Gray Wolf."The Tenth Circuit Court issued an opinion in January of 2000, in the case of Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation v. Babbitt, regarding special sub-species designation of populations of the Gray Wolf. The court comments: "In addition, researchers note that although the gray wolf (canis lupus) was once divided into many subspecies, so many subspecies have become extinct that most scientists no longer differentiate between subspecies. Scientists now typically classify wolves as belonging to one of two species: the gray wolf (canis lupus) or the red wolf (canis rufus).
Apparently Richardson is more concerned with advocating for the coffee table book wolf-lovers agenda than adhering to his own conviction of relying on accurate scientific data.

The wolf release issue is only one of several complex and menacing issues facing ranchers and private property owners in New Mexico and the American Southwest.
Americans in the West struggle with water rights, United Nations designation of National Parks and Monuments as World Heritage Sites, federal abuse of jurisdiction and elected officials who seek their political expediency and self-worth at the expense the people back home. Richardson’s proclamation of Wolf Awareness Week clearly defines his goals as a Presidential hopeful. I doubt he will be the Democrat Presidential Candidate in 2008, but it’s worth noting his position on policy that affects rural Americans living in the West. If Richardson drops out of the Presidential race, how convenient would it be for the leading contender to adopt the Governor’s platform on wolf release programs to attract suburban nature lovers? All it takes is a proclamation for those who don’t live with the daily threat of wolves in their backyard.

BILL ENGLISH RESPONDS TO FOREST SERVICE'S OPEN SPACE CONSERVATION STRATEGY

WASHINGTON, Dec. 6, 2007—Forest Service Chief Abigail Kimbell today announced the release of the Forest Service’s Open Space Conservation Strategy.
“Our vision for the 21st century is an interconnected network of open space across the landscape—one that supports healthy ecosystems, renewable resources, and a high quality of life for Americans,” said Chief Kimbell. “We plan to achieve this through collaboration and partnerships—by working with willing landowners, conservation groups and state and local governments to promote voluntary land conservation.”

Yes, and if you believe this one then I have beach front property in Sierra Vista, Arizona I sell you cheap!

Ok, my father did, but that’s another story. In the mean time it would seem that once again the U.S. Forrest Service is trying another tactic and lie to grab land, reduce the growth of population centers, and … dare I say it… gasp! Fall into accord with the Kyoto Travesty…I mean treaty. They are lying to us. There is absolutely no question in my mind to that.

What galls me the most about this, is the fact that while they say they took polls and had open meetings; why didn’t we see or heard about any of this here in Otero County? I guess that perhaps they didn’t announce it, or if they did it was on a street corner at midnight with an agent at the Forrest Service whispering it under his or her breath.

Then again, perhaps its because they knew that if they did an honest job of it and did have open meetings that the citizens of Otero County would tar and feather them. The thought occurs to me that the Emperor Nero had a rather unique solution for lighting the main thoroughfare into the city of Rome when he tried to lay the blame for its burning on the Christians. Only in this case instead of lining the Apian Way with burning Christians, we should use Forestry Service personnel.

I must, however, applaud their attempt at a sense of humor. Willing Land Owners?? To be sure they may find a few land owners who are willing to fall for their lies, but what about the not so willing? Let’s see… oh yeah that’s what the conservation groups are for. They are the ones who will file the lawsuits and see to it that the landowners cannot use or even sell their land because it will endanger the existence of a fly, or cockroach. Something as obnoxious as an environmentalist.

This is one that has to be fought folks, and as usual the ones who most likely will, will be us here in Otero County. Experience has already taught us that we cannot trust anything the Forest Service says.

HURRICANE RAVAGED MISSISSIPPI COAST LINE WETLANDS PROPOSAL

http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/K/KATRINA_HOME_BUYOUTS?SITE=CODER&SECTION=US&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2008-01-03-07-13-24

The Army Corps of Engineers proposed buying 17,000 homes in Bay St. Louis, MS. The homes were damaged or destroyed in Hurricane Katrina. Now the proposal is down to 3000 homes. The Corps will turn the area into protected wetlands. Home owners in the area are stunned. Is this another environmental land grab forcing population shift? Did 17000 home owners anticipate FEMA loans or some sort of government buyout? Will 14000 home owners be forced to relinquish their property rights to a government program of wetlands creation? Will another surrogate species surface in coastal Mississippi?

FEDS SHELL OUT $1.5 BILLION IN DIGITAL TV COUPONS

"Congress, in ordering the transition to digital broadcasting, set aside $1.5 billion for the coupon program, which will fund 33.5 million coupons and other costs."

http://news.lp.findlaw.com/ap/ht/58/01-02-2008/20080102085702_15.html

In Feb. 2009, analog TV signals will no longer be used to broadcast TV to your antenna. In 2009, consumers will need a converter box to intercept the new digital signal broadcast. If you have cable or satellite, don't worry...you're taken care of. But if you're 'poor', and unable to buy the new TV technology, the fedgov will mail you a $40 coupon to help with the purchase of a digital converter box. tHE FEDGOV...BRIDGING THE DIGITAL TV DIVIDE.

Copy and paste the above link to a search engine...and then think,'@#$%!!!!'.

OTERO RESIDENTS FORUM PERSON OF THE YEAR AWARD 2007

"It was easy choosing Otero Residents Forum's Man of the Year Award. A no brainer," noted one of the administrators of ORF. "The process is very straightforward because we are simple-minded and there are so many promising candidates. What we do is nominate men, women, flora and fauna, anything really, that has had a huge effect on Otero County. Their effect can be positive or negative. It just has to be HE-MUN-GOUS, you know, really big.

Before the moment you are all waiting for, we would like to recognize the recipients of the ORF Honorable Mentionable Awardables. They are: Sunbaked Cookies, Mayor Don Carroll, County Attorney Dan Bryant (highest paid county attorney in the known universe), the guy who took the picture of Marion Ledford in a hairnet, Mike and Johnny and Johnny, and those who own property that will benefit from the stoplights on the relief route, Henry Morgan Smith and last but not least, Gloria Vaughn, bless her heart.

And now a drum roll, please! The big kahuna, top dog award ORF Man of the Year Award goes to former Superintendent Cliff Spencer and former Cultural Resources Specialist Dianne White who together managed to spend gobs of your tax dollars to generate an application you didn't want. This World Heritage Application almost flew under the radar but the Otero County Commissioners were alerted and a petition with over 1200 signatures told the Commissioners just what to do. Otero County now has an ordinance making a United Nations World Heritage Site a violation of our laws. Congratulations and thank you to Cliff and Dianne. Good luck in your new jobs.















*Photo originally appeared in the Alamogordo Daily News, without photoshop enhancements*

White Sands World Heritage Site and Wolf Release Program

The Alamogordo Daily News, 1/1/2008, featured two topics addressed by Otero Residents Forum in its YEAR in REVIEW 2007:

White Sands: World Heritage Site?
By Kandra Wells, News Editor
Article Launched: 01/01/2008 12:00:00 AM MST

Some corrections/comments are in order:

Otero County Commissioners, acting in response to various opponents to the issue, voted in August to pass a resolution opposing the designation. THE COMMISSIONERS ALSO PASSED AN ORDINANCE.

Opponents, including some signing a petition OVER 1200 SIGNATURES WERE OBTAINED presented to county commissioners before their Aug. 23 vote,...

Quoting Cliff Spencer,"...The Congressional Research Service, that did the impartial report, does not own a dog in this fight. If that is good enough for Congress, it should be good enough for you."FOLLOWED BY BOOS AND HISSES FROM THE COMMISSION CHAMBERS.

... In a Sept. 11 letter send by the Park Service to Dr. Martin Moore, Otero County administrator, the Park Service stated that "at this stage, based on the merits of the site and the strong support it received, other than from Otero County, White Sands National Monument has been recommended by NPS staff experts for inclusion on the new Tentative List."UNMITIGATED ARROGANCE. WHO WILL STOP THE BUREAUCRATS?

Comments about the sites... are due Feb. 1.TIME TO TURN UP THE HEAT.

Along with WSNM, also being recommended for inclusion are Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona... CLIFF SPENCER'S NEW JOB, SUPERINTENDENT OF PETRIFIED FOREST.

http://www.alamogordonews.com/features/ci_7853008


By Karl Anderson, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 01/01/20
Alamogordo Daily News08 12:00:00 AM MST

This story did not contain anything new.

http://www.alamogordonews.com/features/ci_7853013

Otero Resident Forum Requests Entire Blog Be Included In Public Input To USFWS

Wolf Release by USFWS‏
From: J T WHITE
Sent: Mon 12/31/07
To: R2FWE_AL@fws.gov

FAXED and EMAILED:

December 31, 2007

Dear Mr. Slown,

It is my opinion, given much research, that the introduction of the wolf anywhere in the 48 contiguous states is ill advised at this time:

1. It is a fact that wolves are not endangered on planet Earth.

2. The Mexican Grey wolf is genetically identical to other wolves.

3. FWS employees are, in my judgment, more concerned about job security than the actual welfare of the flora and fauna that the American taxpayers are paying you to protect.

4. Releasing wolves, or any plant, animal, insect, in an area that does not contain the necessary resources for that living thing to survive is tantamount to murder.

5. Released wolves are necessarily habituated to man and therefore at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to avoidance of man.

USFWS should nix all plans for introduction of the wolf until science favors doing so. Trying to advance agendas without legitimate reasons only weakens USFWS credibility. To use an appropriate cliché, I believe that USFWS is “crying wolf”. You may find a place and time where you need the support, financially and otherwise, of your employer, the U.S. taxpayer. What will you do then?

I co-administer a site entitled Otero Residents Forum which has focused on wolf introduction. Over 2400 visits have been logged to the site from all over the world. The site too voluminous to include here but I request that it be included as public input. The address is:

http://www.oteroresidentsforum.blogspot.com

Sincerely,

Janet T. White
P.O. Box 49
Alamogordo, NM 88311-0049
575. (deleted)

Cc: Congressman Stevan Pearce
Otero Residents Forum

SOMEBODY STUCK A WOLF IN OUR MAILBOX

(Parody) We suspect some irrate wolf lover attempted to cause us harm by putting a Mexican Gray Wolf in our mailbox. We discovered the wolf, crammed in the mailbox, and called a federal agency which immediately called the fire department to get the poor creature out of the mailbox. The wolf has been shipped to a petting zoo in Santa Fe county, NM.

BRUCE HEMMING'S COMMENTS TO THE FWS

Mr. Hemming asked his comments to the Fish and Wildlife Service be published on the Otero Residents Forum. Mr. Hemming never received an answer from the FWS.
Mr. Hemming's comments to the Fish and Wildlife Service:

Sense my questions were not answer on my written request I would like them in the scoping comments.

1. Through research I have found that in the 1700's, 1800's, 1900's and up to present day wolves are known man-eaters. Why did the US Fish and Wildlife service put out the misinformation that there has never been a documented wolf attack in North America?

2. Wolves have stalked, surrounded, cornered, and chased children. Why are you allowing these dangerous predators to do this?

3. Wolves have been reported on the Blue Arizona school playground why have you not put up protective fences to keep these children safe?

4. Reserve public school is trying to raise money to build wolf proof school bus shelters. How come the USFWS is not paying for these shelters?

5. Wolves have been video tape right next to ranch houses. Through research I have found that wolves spread many diseases especially in their feces. Wolves have marked their territory right on ranches, rural homes on front and back porches, corrals, barns and yards common to area children are found. What diseases can these children catch from the wolves?

6. Why did the USFWS service put out the misinformation that wolves make for healthy deer and elk herds when reading studies I find that wolves can completely wipe out deer, rabbits and musk oxen and reduce moose to such low numbers hunting has to be closed?

7. Several ranchers have been forced out of business. In the 1982 Mexican gray wolf reintroduction document I found many facts out. 1. This plan is still in effect. 2. On page 19 first paragraph last sentence ranchers should be economically bought out or otherwise eliminated? 3. Wolves are known livestock killers and many problems would occur. What budget do you have to buy out ranchers? what does otherwise eliminated mean? 4. What budget do you have to pay the ranchers for lost livestock?

8. Defenders of wildlife is not paying for all verify kills on livestock. This is a government program you brought the wolves how come USFWS is not paying for lost livestock?

9. The San Carlo Apaches are suffering huge losses from wolves attacking their livestock. How come you are not removing all the wolves off the reservation as requested by the tribe? Are you breaking yet another treaty with the Native Americans?

10. Spending 10 million dollars on the Mexican gray wolf program it appears to be a failed program why do you keep it going?

Here is some proof about wolves attacking humans.

Iowa Citizen, The 12-09-1892 The 3-year-old child of Peter Lyons was killed and partially devoured by wolves near Kingfisher.

Manitoba Daily Free Press 1-13-1891 woman and child attacked 1 child died An Invasion by Wolves. WICHITA, Kas., Jan. 12.— Wolves are invading the western border counties of Kansas in great pack in search of food, A short distance from Liberal this morning Mrs, Jarvey and her child were attacked by a pack of wolves a few steps from their home, .and while the woman escaped with slight injuries, the child was carried some distance and mangled so horribly that it cannot recover. The men about the place finally beat off the savage beasts.

Bismarck Daily Tribune 10-31-1891 1 child
Oct 30th Mr.Jenson 4 year old son died daughter injured. The wolves had attacked several people along the road. But on Oct 30th a dread day for the Parents. They heard the terrifying screams of their young children. The father armed with a shotgun raced to help. He was to late his 4 year old son was torn to pieces and died. The pack was now working on his 6 year daughter and he was able to drive them off saving her. She had several scratches and bites on her arms from fighting off the vicious wolves.

Janesville Gazette, The 11-19-1891 3 documented wolf killed children St Paul Minnesota 3 children killed and ate by wolves. These are the large vicious gray wolves from Northern Minnesota. The pack was saw fighting over the remains of the 3 children. The children had wandered into the woods by the twin cities. No one knows the finally terror these poor children felt as the savage beast ripped the life out of them. Men taking a shortcut found the wolves and left to get help. Upon returning with a number of armed men the beast would not leave until 2 were shot. Once drove off the grizzly scene of the 3 partial eaten children were found. A huge hunting party was formed to drive the beast away.

I really want the answer to these questions especially the fact that the USFWS has lied to the American public about the dangers of wolves to children. I have a great idea how about not worrying about your job and try telling the truth. A novel concept.

Bruce Hemming
Independent Film Producer

Another Wolf Comment Moved to Front Page

This comment to an earlier post moved to front page. PLEASE do not forget to get your input to Mr. Slown of FWS. Direct link above.

I knew an old indian once, my grandfather, who on occassion would share with me his knowledge of the wild and of the animals in it.

One lesson he taught me was that if you see a wolf, kill it. Not because he was a gun tottin' redskin, but because he said; "The wolve is the only predator in the world that didn't kill just to eat and survive, but also killed because they enjoyed killing". A fact that can be substanciated by many a rancher who has come across several cattle that were killed by wolves but not eaten.

Environmentalist would have you believe that this animal is largely mis-understood and is in point of fact a cuddly critter, much like a dog who just needs to be loved and cared for and allowed to run free. Well guess what. I've seen packs of wild dogs that are just a vicious as a pack of wolves, so that argument doesn't hold much water. But of course the enviromentalist say it with such sencerity that you just have to believe them. And if you don't they'll sue the crap out of you until you do.

Common sense has absolutely nothing to do with environmentalism. At least not from the perspective of saving a species. It is my considered opinion that it has more to do with real estate than anything else. It doesn't have to involve the wolf. It could be the ring tailed wombat, or the blue nose checker spotted, winged field mouse. I say this because past history has shown, that if there isn't an endangered species available in the area that the environmentalist want to take control of, they will create one. And they have been caught at it on several different occassions.

A good example of this is the Spotted Owl. You know I discovered an interesting fact a while back. Cloudcroft, New Mexico is the only place in these United States that I know of, where you can get "Spotted Owl Helper". It's similar to Hamburger Helper. Just add Spotted Owl for a tasty treat. It also goes well with a little red wine, and ranch style beans on the side.

I mean, here is a bird that is so anti-social to its own kind that its no wonder its dying out. Logging has absolutely nothing to do with it.

Once the environmentalist managed to stop the logging they decided that it was time for Cloudcroft to go and they next created the Checker Spotted Butterfly. If they had gotten what they wanted on that one, no one would have been able to drive to or through Cloudcroft essentially killing the village all together. And now they are trying once again with the "Mexican" Grey Wolf. Sorry! no such critter! And if there were I believe that the INS sould be involved simply because the only "Mexican Grey Wolf" that I know of is an old retired drug runner out of Nogales.

Joking aside, the reason the grey wolf was on the endangered species list was because they were hunted down for the killers they are. And if they are re-introduced into Otero County again, it will happen again... Hmmm... I have a spot in my livingroom that could use a good fur rug....

December 25, 2007 10:37 PM
Bill English

Charles Walker's Letter to USFWS

I took the liberty of posting Mr. Walker's letter without his permission. You can do that when you are dealing with the most upstanding, honest people you could ever hope to meet, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Walker.


December 28, 2007

Mr. Brian Millsap
State Administrator
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
New Mexico Ecological Services Office
2105 Osuna N.E.
Albuquerque NM 87113

Re: Wolf

Dear Mr. Millsap:

I am a cattle rancher in Otero County NM. I am 85 years old and have spent all my life ranching in Otero County.

My grandfather and father were both lifelong ranchers who came to the Sacramento Mountains in 1887.

There were wolves here when they came to this area that were called “Lobos.”

The government put a $50.00 bounty on wolves because of the severe damage they did to the livestock business.

The crippling, harassing and killing of animals is well documented as well as the threat to human life.

Therefore, I am against the government’s managed wolf program with the proposed intention of releasing additional wolves in New Mexico or increasing the proposed area in which wolves are proposed to be released.

I am a member of many farm and livestock organizations. They were all against the government’s release of wolves when the program first started and continue to be strongly against the release of any additional wolves in New Mexico.

The many sporting groups, that I am aware of, are also against releasing wolves because of the threat to wildlife that wolves have.

The hunting and fishing industry is a multi-million dollar industry not only in New Mexico, but throughout the United States.

The sportsmen and women bring significant revenues to the local economies, counties and states which has the probability of being drastically reduced with the release of any additional wolves.

The hunting and fishing industry has already been severely impacted in those areas where wolves have been released as evident from the continual information received from the Gila area of New Mexico.

The revenues lost to wolf depredations in both the livestock and hunting and fishing industries cannot be recovered and should not be tolerated.

The U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service should furnish unbiased and “Sound Science” information to the public instead of attempting to protect their jobs.

Sincerely,

Charles Walker
Sixteen Springs Canyon
Cloudcroft, New Mexico

OTERO RESIDENTS FORUM EXCLUSIVE

(Parody) The controversy over wolf reintroduction into southern New Mexico has fanned the flames of a heated debate between ranchers and wolf advocates. Livestock and family pets belonging to ranching families have fallen prey to wolf packs. Environmentalists and wolf advocates insist the wolf is a beneficial predator essential to the ecological well being of the region. Ranchers complain their cattle and family pets don’t stand a chance against ravenous wolf attacks. Wolf advocates counter with arguments that essentially call for removal of ranchers, livestock, family pets and line dancing from the region.

An equitable solution may be in the making. The Otero Residents Forum has learned that famed geneticist ‘Bill’ has bred miniature gray wolves in captivity. Working in a secret facility, Bill has used genetic engineering to reduce the size of a Gray Wolf, from the larger animal familiar to both sides of the debate, to a much smaller animal the size of a jackrabbit. Bill’s rationale is to give other animals, both domestic and wild, a fighting chance when encountering wolf packs. Bill insists the smaller version of the wolf has all the natural instincts for survival and maintaining wolf society, in a smaller package.
“Imagine if you will”, Bill explains; “You walk outside and there’s a miniature gray wolf on your porch, eyeing your dog’s food dish. Instead of fleeing back inside the house, in fear of your life and abandoning your dog to certain death; you grab a shovel and smash the little critter. Then you just scoop it up and drop it in a specimen bag and mail it to the Fish and Wildlife Service”.

Bill believes the miniature wolf packs will feed primarily on smaller rodents, insects, the endangered Mexican Spotted Owl, road kill and bird seed. Wolf advocates criticize the creation of a new genetically bred mini-wolf as unfair to the animal and against the morals of environmentalism. Bill counters this assessment with, “Who cares what those guys think? We can release these little wolves anywhere we want. Those people have no say in miniature wolf reintroduction. We’re releasing them on public lands; not environmentalist owned lands. The environmentalists have no standing in this debate. They’re from out-of-town, don’t rely on the land for their livelihood and talk like they have some right to come in here and disrupt the community. My next project will be to genetically engineer little environmentalists a fellow can just stomp on like a bug”.

WHERE ARE WE AT WITH THE WHS TENATIVE LIST?

From the Department of Interior Office of International Affairs website:

"National Park Service (NPS) staff recommendations and those of the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO regarding sites to be included in a new U.S. World Heritage Tentative List were published on October 31, 2007 in the Federal Register for public comment. All comments received will be considered by the National Park Service and the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish and Wildlife and Parks and the Secretary of the Interior for their use in developing a final U.S. Tentative List to be submitted to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre by February 1, 2008. The NPS staff recommendations, along with recommendations by the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO, appear at the end of this release. Public comments were accepted until November 30, 2007."

We won't know until Febuary of 2008 if White Sands National Monument is still on the WHS Tentative list....or will we?

FWS FUNDS $5,798,791 IN INTERNATIONAL CONSERVATION GRANTS

From October, 2007:

The Fish and Wildlife Service will fund $5,798,791 to international conservation grants in 47 countries. Link: http://www.frameweb.org/ev_en.php?ID=63134_201&ID2=DO_TOPIC
Included in these grants is funding for designating additional RAMSAR site. If you don’t know what a RAMSAR site is, we’ll help you out.
In 1971, the United Nations got together and held the Convention of Wetlands, in Ramsar, Iran. The convention set forth the ‘framework’ where by wetland conservation and designation would begin on an international scale.
Link to Ramsar site: http://www.ramsar.org/.
The treaty and wetland designation has been another non-voter issue in the United States.
Private property owners can have their land declared a wetland and loose the use of their property and even be jailed for violating federal regulations imposed on their own lands!
Copy this link to a search engine to go to the Private Property Rights Foundation of America to view comprehensive case history of this abuse of federal power:
http://prfamerica.org/indices/WetlandsNatl-Index.html

CENTER FOR HYSTERICAL DIVERSITY: CATTLE EAT ENDANGERED BATS

The Center for Hysterical Diversity released a study alleging cattle in Otero county eat endangered species of bats. According to the study, cattle stalk the endangered bats in caves and abandoned buildings, scale the walls of the cave and eat the endangered bats.
CHD scientists have found endangered bat remains in the scat left behind by these bovine carnivores. Bovine carnivores are suspected as the culprits responsible for a missing wolf pack in Catron county. The Center blames orchestrated campaigns of misinformation by ranchers attempting to conceal bovine predation on endangered species. Reports of cow packs terrorizing the region have been suppressed by the media due to intense pressure from area ranchers. The Center plans to move ahead with plans to reintroduce the Mexican Great Panda in southern New Mexico.
(parody)

NEW MEXICO HABITAT FOR ENDANGERED BAT

http://ecos.fws.gov/speciesProfile/SpeciesReport.do?spcode=A0AD
Lesser long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris curasoae yerbabuenae)
New Mexico and Arizona are home to the Lesser long-nosed bat, listed as endangered on the Endangered Species List.

CONSERVATIONISTS 2006 LAWSUIT TO CREATE CRITICAL HABITAT FOR JAGUAR

http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/swcbd/press/jaguar-07-12-2006.html
In July, 2006 the Center for Biological Diversity began litigation for designation of critial habitat for another surrogate species, the jaguar.
View their 2006 press release by copying the link providing, and pasting it in a search engine.

NO CRITICAL HABITAT IN UNITED STATES FOR JAGUAR

Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 133 / Wednesday, July 12, 2006 / Notices
"Therefore, these features are not essential to the conservation of the species. Further, we are unaware that any physical and biological features within the United States are in need of special management considerations or protection for the purpose of jaguar conservation as jaguar conservation does not require habitat within the United States. Based on this information, we determine that the physical and biological features occasionally used by the jaguar within the geographical range occupied by the jaguar in the United States are not essential to the conservation of the species and, therefore, do not meet the definition of critical habitat."http://www.fws.gov/policy/library/E6-10915.pdf

A Christmas Gift From Janet

I post for your consideration a message I received today. Merry Christmas.

To the Board and Members of Patriots’ Border Alliance, to Minutemen everywhere, to brother and sister Patriots serving our cause:

The second cup of coffee has brought me around to a state of consciousness. The quiet of the Christmas Eve morning leads me to a reflective mood of peace, contentment, and purpose. The rising sun has just begun to illuminate the walls of my home, giving it the warm glow of security that man has treasured through out the eons. My grandchildren’s exclamations of joy, exuberance and fellowship still ring in my memory from last night’s gathering. These remembered expressions create a melody in my ears that sing my mind into a state of fulfillment only a grandfather can know. The yuletide feast is ready. The gifts for the grandkids lie in wait to excite, thrill, and with any luck, convey to those children the love I have for them. I am confident that I have in very earthly ways done my part to set the stage for my progeny to enjoy those small Christmas miracles my tired and cynical brain still hoard as life treasures bequeathed to me by parents and family.

Most of us probably experience similar wishes and hopes this time of year. Each of us works for these same things in different ways. Truly this season promotes a deep reflection in all of us. May we treasure this time with our families and our thoughts. May we strive to hold the love and hope inherent in this season throughout our year, and indeed throughout our lives.

I also recognize that in addition to those who carry my genes – those who will carry into the future my characteristics, loves and passion – I belong to another family. A family not anchored in blood or genetic ties. I belong to a family whose love, loyalty and dedication to one another is based upon the love of ideals. These are the ideals that have provided the entire of mankind its greatest hope for earthly redemption. These are the ideals that tell mankind that justice and freedom can be a natural part of the human experience. These are ties that are strong.

I have, to the best of my ability, provided thoughtful gifts to my progeny. I hope they reflect careful thought designed to recognize the individual traits and passions of the recipient. What gifts may I give my other family – my family of idealists, patriots, and Minutemen? I cannot provide to each a physical gift, thoughtfully chosen. But I hope each and every one of you will accept these gifts of the “heart” I electronically send to you this blessed Christmas Eve.

The first of these offerings is my deepest gratitude to each and every one of you. My gratitude that you exist in this time and in this place of history. I am thankful that you are the selfless, dedicated Patriots that you are. I am inspired by your willingness to sacrifice so much to preserve that which we hold so dear. I am humbled that you allow me to be part of this family, to walk among you as an equal, to be counted as your brethren.

I would like to offer to you my pledge to always stand with you and our cause, keeping pure the goals and methods of our efforts. This pledge contains a commitment to honor your sacrifices and your efforts, never forgetting the familial ties that bind us together in this great quest.If you look closer under our imaginary Minuteman tree you will find, wrapped in thoughtful dedication, my acknowledgement of my accountability to you, my Minuteman family. With this acknowledgement comes my assurance that every word I write or speak, every action I take, every course I suggest will be designed to insure the integrity of our cause and our organization. You will also find my prayer that the day never comes when you find yourselves trying to explain an ill-conceived statement or reckless course of action initiated by myself.

The final offering from my Christmas sack is the awareness of the great gift we have been given. Whole generations have lamented that they lived in times of boredom. Bereft of great challenges they mourned the opportunity to show their greatness, their courage, and their nobility. We are blessed that we are living in a time of great challenge – in a time which heroes can live. We live in a time where nobility can be exercised by those who have the capacity. How fortunate that the creator gave us an era in which the best of our instincts and spirits are given a dramatic stage upon which to play out the courage and nobility that lives in each of you. God be praised that no one will say that this “family” lived lives of quiet desperation. I hope each will embrace this gift and be thankful that we were given the opportunity to live a life of dedication to something larger than ourselves.

Bob Wright

Otero County Commission Meeting 12/20/07

Tonight at the Otero County Commission meeting, much of the time was used taking input to the proposed Elk Ordinance. The commissioners made the point repeatedly that they will continue the input process to get the wording of the ordinance in alignment with the desires of the county. Several citizens had specific suggestions, one was to include farmers' concerns along with those of ranchers' and hunters'. Lou Woltering, Lincoln National Forest Supervisor, suggested two changes to definitions. Ms. Woods from High Rolls gave her opinion that the state and feds are doing a great job in managing the resources and that the Elk Ordinance was not necessary. She went on to say that she didn't want any of her taxes to pay for damages caused by elk. The reporter will report this. What she won't report is this:

The Commissioners were asked the circumstances of Dr. Martin Moore's (County Manager) termination and/or release. A "Public Records Inspection Act" letter requesting documentation, email, communications, etc., was proferred but not accepted by Chairman Doug Moore. I will make the necessary trip to the court house tomorrow to fill out the "required forms" and have them time and date stamped. Stay tuned.

"Wolves" Comment Moved to Front Page

Otero Residents Forum received this comment 12/19/07 to the post "Otero County Ordinances - Full Text". This comment deserves front page attention.

...a caller on the Mike Haymes Radio Show on 12/19/2007 told of seeing Wolves along the Sacramento River Road. I have hunted the high country around Sierra Blanca and the White Mt. Wilderness and can tell you that there are "Wolves" there also! These animals have evolved into 'NON-howling' animals and are very shy of humans because it is well known that 'howling wolves' are 'dead wolves'. I have historical photos of 'dead Sierra Blanca wolves' from the early 1900's - They were never entirely eliminated! Very few enviromentalist "wackoos" ever venture into the areas where these animals still exist, if ever! Only true 'Outdoorsmen' can appreciate these animals anyway!