Biodiversity Conservation Alliance's E-Mail Newsletter aug

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BIODIVERSITY BROADCAST

Biodiversity Conservation Alliance's E-Mail Newsletter

August 2004

 

 

Quote of the Month

 

" In times where drought and plague continue to take a toll on national

[black-footed ferret] recovery efforts, such an unexpected impact to our best

and most stable recovery site is indeed very bad news. If this is an indication

of how flimsy endangered species management standards/agreements really are,

particularly on federal public lands, there seems to be little realistic hope

for future downlisting or recovery. "

 

--Comments from black-footed ferret recovery coordinator in response to proposal

to exterminate prairie dogs on the Buffalo Gap National Grassland of South

Dakota, an area that supports the world's only self-sustaining population of

endangered black-footed ferrets.

 

Contents

Bridger-Teton Roadless Areas Need Your Help!

 

Prairie Dog Removed from Candidate List; Proposals for Extermination Quickly

Follow

BCA Seeks to Protect Wildlife, Old Growth Forest in the Black Hills

Crown Jewel of Wyoming's High Desert Wilderness in Path of Gas Drilling

Endangered Species Spared from Oil and Gas Leasing

BCA Acts to Protect Western Springsnails

Lawsuit Filed to Protect Black Hills Dipper

Thomas Hearing on the Endangered Species Act Misses Mark

Bridger-Teton Roadless Areas Need Your Help!

 

On August 23, BCA joined a coalition of conservation and outdoor education

groups in formally asking the U.S. Forest Service to withdraw plans to lease

nearly 158,000 acres for oil and gas drilling in western Wyoming’s

Bridger-Teton National Forest. The leasing would open the door to industrial

development in 92,000 acres of pristine roadless areas that provide habitat for

wildlife species ranging from elk to lynx, and offer outstanding opportunities

for hunting, fishing, and other outdoor activities.

 

The proposed leasing is the result of rollbacks of the 2001 Roadless Area

Conservation Rule, a regulation that would have prohibited new leasing in

National Forest roadless areas. Currently, the 2001 Rule is under review and the

Forest Service is asking for public comment on a proposal that would strip

protections from roadless areas, such as those in the Bridger-Teton. Now is

your time to act to save roadless areas in the Bridger-Teton and across the

United States! Visit our website at

http://www.voiceforthewild.org/general/alerts/a26aug04.html and send a letter to

the Forest Service asking them to uphold the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation

Rule and leave a legacy of pristine forests for today's and future generations.

 

Prairie Dog Removed from Candidate List; Proposals for Extermination Quickly

Follow

 

In a sharply criticized move, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service removed the

black-tailed prairie dog from the “candidate†list of species awaiting

protection under the Endangered Species Act. Shortly after, the State of South

Dakota pushed ahead with plans to exterminate prairie dogs from thousands of

acres of public grasslands.

 

Once ranging throughout the Great Plains, the black-tailed prairie dog has

declined by nearly 99%. Cropland conversion, uncontrolled poisoning, rampant

shooting, and oil and gas projects have all contributed to the species' decline

and continue to be major threats. Plague has also decimated populations.

Compounding the problem, states have failed to develop meaningful prairie dog

conservation plans. The State of Wyoming for example, currently has no prairie

dog conservation plan, and a recent draft plan would have actually allowed a

decrease in prairie dogs.

 

The State of South Dakota's proposed extermination plan calls for the poisoning

and shooting of black-tailed prairie dogs from public lands that are within one

mile of privately owned lands. The Buffalo Gap National Grassland, which

supports the majority of publicly managed prairie dog colonies, stands to lose

45% of its prairie dog population as a result. Many of these colonies are within

designated black-footed ferret recovery areas and support wild ferrets. The

Conata Basin area of the Buffalo Gap, which is adjacent to Badlands National

Park, supports the world's only self-sustaining population of black-footed

ferrets and has been called the " cradle " of ferret recovery. For more

information on how you can help protect the black-footed ferret and the prairie

dog on these public lands, visit our website at

http://www.voiceforthewild.org/wildspecies/alerts/a31aug04.html.

 

BCA Files Suit to Protect Wildlife, Old Growth Forest in the Black Hills

 

Citing illegal wildlife inventories and shoddy environmental analysis,

Biodiversity Conservation Alliance has taken the U.S. Forest Service to court

over the Cement timber sale, a large industrial logging and road building

project slated for the Black Hills National Forest. The Cement timber sale will

affect 17,000 acres of public forest lands in northeastern Wyoming. It threatens

an area noted for its diverse wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities,

biological richness, and proximity to the Sand Creek Roadless Area, the largest

and one of the last remaining unprotected wilderness landscapes in the Black

Hills. The area also supports old growth forest. The Forest Service estimates

less than 2% of the entire Black Hills is old growth. With such little old

growth, the Cement timber sale poses serious risks to forest health. For more

information on the Black Hills and the Cement timber sale, visit

http://www.voiceforthewild.org/bhnf/alerts/a28may03.html.

Crown Jewel of Wyoming's High Desert Wilderness in Path of Gas Drilling

 

 

Biodiversity Conservation Alliance has just filed a legal challenge of the

Bureau of Land Management's decision to approve the Desolation Flats project, a

massive natural gas drilling proposal that will despoil 50,000 acres of the

Adobe Town citizens' proposed wilderness area. In total, the project calls for

the development of 385 gas wells, 542 miles of new roads, and 360 miles of

pipeline within pristine badlands, crucial wildlife habitat, and the crown jewel

of Wyoming's high desert wilderness.

 

 

The wilderness of Adobe Town is nearly 200,000 acres in size and is the largest

tract of high desert wilderness in the state of Wyoming. Besides its striking

wildness, the area also holds the Power Rim wildlife linkage, a vital habitat

corridor that supports sage grouse, white-tailed prairie dogs, and other

important wildlife of the sagebrush sea. In August, Adobe Town was featured in

the magazine Wyoming Wildlife. For more information on Adobe Town, visit our

website at http://www.voiceforthewild.org/greatdivide/adobetown_op.html.

 

Endangered Species Spared from Oil and Gas Leasing

 

In response to endangered species concerns and a threat to sue, the Bureau of

Land Management dropped 44 oil and gas leases totaling more than 53,000 acres

from an August 4th lease auction. All proposed leases were in the Newcastle

Field Office in northeastern Wyoming. Biodiversity Conservation Alliance and

Center for Native Ecosystems threatened to sue for refusing to consult with the

Fish and Wildlife Service to protect endangered wildlife and plants. The Bureau

of Land Management had failed to consult over the impacts of its land use plan

to black-tailed prairie dogs, which are vital to the recovery of endangered

black-footed ferrets, and rare plants. Earlier this year, Jeff Carroll, the

official responsible for ensuring the Wyoming Bureau of Land Management protects

endangered species, went on record stating he " hated " the Endangered Species

Act.

 

BCA Acts to Save Western Springsnails

 

Biodiversity Conservation Alliance and a coalition of scientists and

conservationists filed a petition in early August requesting the Fish and

Wildlife Service protect the Jackson Lake, Harney Lake, and Columbia

springsnails under the Endangered Species Act. The springsnails are described as

" indicator species, " meaning the health of their populations signals the health

of freshwater habitats. The snails are dependent upon relatively undisturbed

habitats, making them excellent indicators of natural watershed health.

Protection under the Endangered Species Act would provide a valuable safety net

for these important springsnails and the watersheds they depend on. For more

information, visit our website at

http://www.voiceforthewild.org/wildspecies/news/n28july04.html.

 

Lawsuit Filed to Protect Black Hills Dipper

 

On August 2, Biodiversity Conservation Alliance filed a lawsuit to protect the

Black Hills population of American dipper. The dipper population in the Black

Hills has declined significantly over the years. It once inhabited several

permanent streams in the Black Hills, but today only Spearfish Creek supports a

healthy population. In response, BCA petitioned the Fish and Wildlife Service to

protect the dipper in the Black Hills under the Endangered Species Act. Over a

year has passed and the Service has not responded to the petition. BCA is now

suing the Service to ensure timely protection. More information on the American

dipper in the Black Hills can be found on our website at

http://www.voiceforthewild.org/bhnf/pubs/dipper_fact1.html

 

Thomas Hearing on the Endangered Species Act Misses Mark

 

 

Calling attention to the vital role the Endangered Species Act has played in

preventing extinction and promoting the long-term health of the environment, BCA

and other groups called upon Wyoming Senator Craig Thomas to stand by the

landmark conservation law. At a press conference held before an August 23

subcommittee field hearing on the Endangered Species Act, BCA, Wyoming

Conservation Voters, and the Sierra Club urged Senator Thomas to stand by the

law, highlighting the many recovery successes, landowner incentives, and the use

of the best available science under the Endangered Species Act. For more

information, visit our website at

http://www.voiceforthewild.org/wildspecies/news/n23aug04.html.

 

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Biodiversity Conservation Alliance

PO Box 1512

Laramie, WY 82073

(307) 742-7978

www.voiceforthewild.org