In Montana, and elsewhere, Moose populations are shrinking, but no one knows exactly why . . .
Hunters spent more than 4,200 combined days in the field searching for moose across Montana in 2011, but the harvest total was the lowest in more than half a century.
Why?
The possible answers remain up for debate. But wildlife managers fear the situation could be bleak and worsening.
Shrinking moose populations have become the subject of escalating concern across the U.S…
The Geat Bear Foundation is putting together a documentary about the life and work of their founder, Dr. Charles Jonkel. Chuck Jonkel is a major figure in bear research and has been associated with the North Fork for over 30 years. Here’s the GBF announcement, which includes a link to the film preview on YouTube . . .
As many of you know, the Great Bear Foundation and Salish Kootenai College Media/KSKC Public TV have been hard at work on a film project documenting the life and work of GBF President and pioneer of bear biology, Chuck Jonkel.
Walking Bear Comes Home combines archival film footage of Jonkel’s historic polar bear research in the Canadian Arctic with interviews with Jonkel, his colleagues, friends, and family, to tell the story of one of the most interesting characters in wildlife conservation, and the co-founder and President of GBF.
Chuck Jonkel’s legacy in wildlife biology and conservation is varied and far-reaching. Just to list a few of his many accomplishments, Jonkel developed the first capture-and-handling procedures for polar bears and black bears, developed the first database on Canada’s polar bears and their habitat requirements, co-drafted and signed the International Agreement on Conservation of Polar Bears, directed the Border Grizzly Project, the most comprehensive field study on the habitat requirements of the grizzly bear in the Lower 48 States, co-founded the Great Bear Foundation and the International Wildlife Film Festival, along with many, many more achievements that have helped to protect wildlife and habitat in North America and beyond. Jonkel’s big heart, generous nature, and unique character may have made as big an impact as his research and advocacy work.
We’d like to thank all of you who have helped out with this project, whether you contributed money, photographs, film footage, stories, interviews, advice, or moral support. We’ve been overwhelmed by your generosity and support! We will continue to keep you posted on the progress of this project.
We screened a preview of this film-in-progress for the first time publicly on February 2, 2013 at the FLIC Cinemafest in Polson, Montana.
You can watch the latest preview here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeYPSEuQbss
For more information, or to donate to the project, please visit our website: http://greatbear.org/projects/#docfilm
This project is sponsored by the Great Bear Foundation, Salish Kootenai College Media, The Cinnabar Foundation, Humanities Montana, and numerous private donations.
If you happen to be up that way, our neighbors to the north are doing a special event on the Canadian Flathead Valley. Here’s the announcement . . .
Join us at the Royal BC Museum for this special event
It’s called a BioBlitz!
On February 28, please join Sierra Club BC and the Royal BC Museum for an evening of stories, science and imagery about B.C.’s Flathead River Valley. RSVP for your free ticket!
In August 2012, Royal BC Museum staff and volunteers joined forces with other scientists in a 7-day BioBlitz to survey and record as many species as possible in the Flathead River Valley. For one intensive week, they documented the valley’s birds, insects, fish, plants, mammals, salamanders, spiders, frogs, slugs, snails, and other surprises!
When: February 28, 2013
Where: Royal BC Museum – Newcombe Conference Hall, 675 Belleville St., Victoria
Free admission, but please RSVP through Eventbrite for a ticket
Join us and begin to appreciate the richness of the Flathead River Valley – a natural treasure in our own backyard.
A couple of articles have surfaced over the last few days discussing wolves killing moose. You’d think wolves would choose an easier target, but apparently not. Here are the two write-ups . . .
Moose study begins in Northwest Montana
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has begun a moose study in three areas across the state, with one area focused near Libby.
The agency is conducting the study in light of decreasing moose populations and declining hunter opportunity, according to a news release from Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
Last week, 12 cow moose were darted, captured and fitted with radio collars in the East Cabinet study area south of Libby.
Research shows Grand Teton wolves have taste for moose
Research shows wolves in the northern part of Grand Teton National Park have an appetite for moose during the wintertime.
Park and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service researchers documented some 55 moose killed by wolves over the past three winters.
As reported last week, the federal government is proposing that wolverines be given Endangered Species Act protection as a threatened species.
If you want to put in your comments, now is the time to do it.
The proposed rule can be viewed in the Federal Register here:
https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2013/02/04/2013-01478/endangered-and-threatened-wildlife-and-plants-threatened-status-for-the-distinct-population-segment
The direct link for submitting a public comment online is here:
http://www.regulations.gov/#!submitComment;D=FWS-R6-ES-2012-0107-0001
If you wish to mail comments, the address is:
Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-R6-ES-2012-0107
Division of Policy and Directives Management
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
4401 N. Fairfax Drive, MS 2042-PDM
Arlington, VA 22203
The deadline for comments is May 6.
Senators Baucus and Tester are taking another swing at getting the North Fork Watershed Protection Act passed . . .
Montana Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester reintroduced legislation Thursday aimed at protecting Montana’s North Fork Flathead River drainage from mining and oil and gas development.
The North Fork Watershed Protection Act does not impede timber production, hunting or fishing and continues to have broad support of Montana businesses and conservation groups, according to the two Democratic senators.
Baucus and Tester have successfully negotiated the return of more than 200,000 lease acres held by energy companies in the North Fork, about 80 percent of the total leased acreage.
The legislation is aimed at securing the remaining acreage.
The headline pretty much says it all . . .
A proposal to expand the state’s wolf hunt is being fast-tracked through the Legislature and shortly will be sent to the governor’s desk for his signature.
The Montana Senate on Thursday suspended its rules so it could take initial and final votes on the same day on the measure that already had overwhelmingly cleared the House. The Senate backed it 45-4.
House Bill 73 lets the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks increase the number of wolves one hunter can take, allows for electronic calls, and removes a requirement to wear hunter orange outside general deer and elk season.
The measure also prohibits the state wildlife agency from banning wolf hunts in areas around national parks. Its swift passage would allow the changes to take effect during the hunting season that’s currently under way.
At first glance, this appears to be a fairly routine write-up about a recently released USDA report on the forecast impact of climate change on forest lands. However, it appears there is disagreement in some quarters with a number of details . . .
Big changes are in store for the nation’s forests as global warming increases wildfires and insect infestations, and generates more frequent floods and droughts, the U.S. Department of Agriculture warns in a report released Tuesday.
The compilation of more than 1,000 scientific studies is part of the National Climate Assessment and will serve as a roadmap for managing national forests across the country in coming years.
As expected, the federal government will propose giving wolverines Endangered Species Act protection today. The recommendation includes a proposal to reintroduce wolverines into Colorado and, of course, would permanently ban trapping and hunting of wolverines in the lower 48 states . . .
The tenacious wolverine, a snow-loving carnivore sometimes called the “mountain devil,” is being added to the list of species threatened by climate change — a dubious distinction that puts it in the ranks of the polar bear and several other animals that could see their habitats shrink drastically due to warming temperatures.
Federal wildlife officials on Friday will propose Endangered Species Act protections for the wolverine in the lower 48 states, a step twice denied under the Bush administration.
After evaluating their legal options, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks commissioners threw up their hands and decided to let the wolf hunt continue in areas close to Yellowstone National Park through the end of this year’s hunting season . . .
Montana wildlife officials said Monday that they were abandoning their efforts to shut down gray wolf hunting and trapping just outside the gates of Yellowstone National Park, citing a recent court ruling that threatened to drag out the issue until the season was almost over.