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Some Organizations at risk of automatic revocation of their Tax-Exempt Status (posted 9/2/10)
IRS.gov
Pinedale Online!
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website has a list of tax-exempt organizations that are at risk of losing their tax-exempt status because they have not satisfied the annual filing requirements for three consecutive years. The website has a list of organizations by state. The Wyoming list PDF is 27 pages long with as many as 50 organizations listed on each page.
The list includes a number of Sublette County organizations:
Big Piney Pinners
Business & Professional Women’s Club of Pinedale
Community Christian Church of Big Piney
Friends of Education Inc, Big Piney
Friends of Hoback Ranches, Inc.
Green River Irrigation District, Pinedale
Home Town Hospice, Inc, Pinedale
JOY Inc, Pinedale
Paradise Canal Corporation, Boulder
Research Community Project, Marbleton
Snow Explorers Club Inc, Pinedale
Sublette County Board of Realtors, Pinedale
Sublette County Bowlers Association, Pinedale
Sublette County Outfitters & Guides Association, Pinedale
The Community Food Closet Inc, Big Piney
Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary, Pinedale
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Other selected organizations on the Wyoming list:
Association of Professional Artists, Inc, Gillette
Bowhunters of Wyoming Inc, Green River
Cheyenne Genealogical and Historical Society
Cheyenne Public Employees Association
Christian Broadcasting Inc, Douglas
Cokeville Chamber of Commerce
Deaf Association of Wyoming, Cheyenne
Disabled American Veterans (Lander, Gillette, Sheridan)
Dubois Outfitters Association
Fraternal Order of Eagles (7 towns)
Independent Order of Odd Fellows (15 towns)
International Association of Lions Clubs (12 towns)
Jackson Hole Outfitters & Guides Association, Jackson
Jackson Hole Shooting Sports Foundation, Jackson
Knights of Columbus (9 towns)
League of Women Voters of Wyoming (Casper, Cheyenne, Gillette)
Midwives Alliance of Wyoming, Cheyenne
National Association of Letter Carriers (10 towns)
Nibrara Chamber of Commerce, Lusk
Professional Land Surveyors Association of Wyoming Inc, Cheyenne
Rawlins Volunteer Fire Department, Rawlins
Riverton Valley EMT Association, Riverton
Star Valley Historic Preservation Inc, Thayne
Sweetwater County Volunteer Fire Association Inc, Rock Springs
The Dubois Museum Association
The Johnson County Search and Rescue Unit, Buffalo
Trout Unlimited, Lander
United Mine Workers of America (Rock Springs, Sheridan)
Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States Department of Wyoming (10 towns)
Wind River Rescue, Crowheart
Wyoming Archaeological Society Inc, Casper
Wyoming Association of Professional Archaeologists, Laramie
Wyoming Game Wardens Association, Laramie
Wyoming Pharmaceutical Association, Casper
Wyoming Quarter Horse Association, Casper
Wyoming State Historical Society (12 towns)
Yellowstone National Art Trust, Jackson
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According to the IRS, most tax-exempt organizations, other than churches, must file a yearly return or notice with the IRS. If an organization does not file as required for three consecutive years, the law provides that it automatically loses its tax-exempt status. Loss of exempt status means an organization must file income tax returns and pay income tax, and its contributors will not be able to deduct their donations.
From the IRS website:
(http://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=225889,00.html)
"Tax-exempt organizations that do not satisfy annual filing requirements for three consecutive years automatically lose their tax-exempt status. The IRS is providing one-time relief for such organizations that have filing due dates on or after May 17 and before October 15, 2010. The list includes organizations for which the IRS does not have a record of a required annual filing for 2007 and 2008, and whose 2009 return, due on or after May 17 and before October 15, 2010, has not yet been received.
The list, which was generated on June 30, 2010, includes only organizations with an annual filing requirement. Certain exempt organizations are exempt from this requirement. These organizations should check their records and determine whether they are at risk of automatic revocation because they have not satisfied annual filing requirements. In addition, the list may include organizations that were required to file Form 990 or Form 990-PF. These organizations are not eligible to take advantage of this one-time IRS filing relief to bring them into compliance."
Every organization exempt from federal income tax under Internal Revenue Code section 501(a) must file an annual information return except organizations on this list: http://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=152729,00.html
Frequently Asked Questions: ttp://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=221600,00.html
Yellowstone set for final big weekend of summer (posted 9/1/10)
Summer season closures begin Sept. 5th
Yellowstone National Park
Good weather is forecast for Yellowstone National Park for the start of the Labor Day holiday weekend. This typically results in a pulse of weekend visitors, as many people from the area surrounding the park use the occasion to mark the unofficial end of summer.
All campgrounds, lodging, stores, shops, service stations, restaurants, and other services and activities in the park remain open for the start of the Labor Day weekend.
Campgrounds and lodging in and around the park can fill very early in the day. Advance reservations are highly recommended. Visitor should plan to arrive early at campgrounds that do not take reservations. The current status of available camping and lodging in the park is available by calling (307) 344-2114.
Some visitor services begin to close for the season starting Sunday, September 5. Details are available in the park newspaper handed out at entrance stations, from the staff at visitor centers and information stations in and near the park, or online at http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/index.htm.
All roads to and inside the park remain open.
Visitors should expect travel delays of up to 30 minutes between Norris and Madison through Gibbon Canyon due to road construction, even during the holiday weekend. There are no longer any night closures on this road project.
There will be no holiday travel delays through Sylvan Pass (East Entrance road). Construction on that project will be halted from 6:30 p.m., Thursday, September 2, until 7:00 a.m., Tuesday, September 7.
The National Weather Service forecast is for sunny skies Friday with a slight chance of showers Saturday into Labor Day. Daytime highs are forecast to be in the upper 50s to upper 60s with overnight lows in the upper 30s.
However, Yellowstone's weather is very unpredictable. Both the park’s South and East Entrance roads were temporarily closed Tuesday morning, August 31 due to snow; the first time this has occurred since late spring. Fall visitors should be prepared for a wide range of weather conditions, including plows clearing snow from the roads, and temporary road closures.
Updated road information is available 24 hours a day at (307) 344-2117. Visitors can get the latest weather forecast by calling (307) 344-2113, or by listening to the NOAA Weather Radio station broadcasts from transmitters located at Mammoth Hot Springs and Grant Village.
Related Links:
Yellowstone National Park
Annual Grizzly Bear research set to resume in September (posted 9/1/10)
Researchers plan to trap bears through October in Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park
As they have for 36 years, members of the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team (IGBST), are set to resume research work in Yellowstone National Park.
This long-term monitoring and research effort provides critical information used to monitor the status of the grizzly bear in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. This and other data helps wildlife managers devise and implement programs to support the ongoing recovery of the grizzly bear population.
Over the coming weeks, team members will attempt to trap bears at several remote sites in Yellowstone National Park. Once trapped, the bears are sedated in to allow wildlife biologists to conduct scientific studies of the grizzlies in accordance with long established protocols. The trapping work is set to begin in early September and will continue through the end of October.
None of the trap sites in the park are near any established hiking trails or backcountry campsites. All trap sites will have a posted perimeter. Potential access points will also be posted with warning signs. In the very unlikely event that backcountry users were to come upon one of these posted areas, they need to heed the warning and stay out of the posted area.
The Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team was formed in 1973 in response to population impacts of the National Park Service’s decision to close open pit garbage dumps and transition to natural ecosystem management of wildlife.
The IGBST is composed of representatives of the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Tribal Fish and Game Department, and the states of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.
Related Links:
Yellowstone National Park
Sage Grouse hunting amid concerns for the species (posted 9/1/10)
‘Conservative hunting seasons do not have a detrimental impact on most populations in Wyoming’
Wyoming Game & Fish
One of the most common questions Wyoming Game and Fish Department personnel have been hearing is: "If the sage grouse is a candidate to be listed as a threatened species, then how can you have a hunting season for the bird?"
"The Wyoming Game and Fish Department understands the question and appreciates the concern for this trademark game bird of the West," said Tom Christiansen, the Game and Fish’s Sage Grouse Program coordinator. "The most significant threats to sage grouse have been shown to be changes to sagebrush habitats and effects of human disturbance."
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the federal agency that makes the decision whether or not to list a species as threatened or endangered. The Service must consider "overutilization" (hunting and other activities that may result in the death of individual animals) in this process. In its March 2010 listing decision the Service said the greater sage grouse is not threatened by "overutilization," but states should continue to carefully manage hunting. With that responsibility, the Game and Fish has analyzed in depth the impact of hunting on the species.
"The conclusion is conservative hunting seasons do not have a detrimental impact on most populations in Wyoming," Christiansen said.
This conclusion is consistent with Wyoming’s citizen-based state and local sage grouse working groups’ conservation plans completed between 2003 and 2007 that also addressed hunting issues and provided management recommendations. It is also consistent with a July 2010 decision of the directors of the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies that calls for the states to continue to adjust hunting seasons using the best available science and guidelines, current sage grouse population data, and local circumstances that can change each year - such as West Nile virus.
The department recognizes the relationship of hunting and sage grouse is not as simple as pheasant or partridge seasons, where hunting basically siphons some of the population destined to perish in the winter anyway. Pheasants and partridge are relatively short-lived birds - seldom living past two - but have lots of young to replace the adults. Sage grouse are a much longer-lived bird (often living over six years) with smaller broods and high overwinter survival. Therefore there are fewer adult sage grouse to be replaced and the number of harvestable sage grouse is lower than for an equal population of pheasants.
Well before there was much public concern about the future of sage grouse and before environmental organizations were filing petitions to list the species, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department was addressing the question: "How should hunting seasons be structured for the benefit of the species?"
The result was a restructure of the sage grouse hunting season in 1995. The opening date was moved back to late September to reduce the harvest of successful breeding hens. A study near Farson showed more hens are harvested when the hunting season opens on Sept. 1 than during years with a mid-September opening date. When the season begins after Sept. 15, hens with chicks are mixed with other groups of grouse scattered across upland sites and away from wet sites where they concentrated in the summer. This mixing and dispersal makes adult hens less vulnerable to hunter harvest. The later date also reduces pressure, likely because more hunters are off in pursuit of big game.
Although the department has been addressing the impacts of sage grouse hunting for decades, it continues to monitor and evaluate the issue. Each year the department analyzes the seasons and recommendations from field employees and the public. That has resulted in additional season and regulation adjustments including: closing the season in the Jackson area and eastern Wyoming, closing three counties in 2003 due to West Nile virus outbreak and reducing bag limits in other areas.
Hunting also indirectly benefits the bird. "Hunters have been and continue to be the greatest advocates for wildlife," Bill Rudd, assistant Wildlife Division chief said. "We want hunters in the field to maintain this advocacy."
In addition to fueling a knowledgeable sage grouse constituency, hunting also produces sage grouse information and statistics that would be very difficult to obtain except through very costly radio-telemetry studies. "Wings from hunter-harvested birds are used to determine the ratio of hens to chicks, which provides an index to annual chick production," Christiansen said. "In conjunction with population trend counts, these data contribute to understanding the dynamics of sage grouse populations."
The department continuously collects data on sage grouse and monitors populations closely. "Wyoming continues to be blessed with large numbers of sage grouse as shown by the over 44,500 males counted on breeding grounds in 2006," Rudd said.
"If populations drop significantly in the future the department will act quickly to further restrict hunting," Christiansen said, "but until such a time, regulated hunting, as recommended by existing state and local conservation plans, is a sustainable multiple-use activity similar to well-managed grazing and energy development."
Wyoming’s sage grouse season for the majority of the state is Sept. 18-30. For northeast Wyoming, excluding the Black Hills, the season is Sept. 18-20. The bag limit in both areas is two daily and four in possession. The season is closed in southeast Wyoming, extreme northeast Wyoming and the Jackson area. Consult the upland game bird regulations for specific details.
A detailed technical review of hunting and sage grouse is available on the department’s website at
http://gf.state.wy.us/wildlife/wildlife_management/sagegrouse .
County seeks multiple use unity (posted 8/31/10)
Sublette County Commission
Natural resource users of public lands should unite to ensure that all multiple use activities on public lands are maintained, according to a resolution enacted by Sublette County Commissioners this week. The resolution is part of the continued fall-out from El Paso Corporation’s Ruby Pipleline LLC’s $15 million agreement with Western Watersheds Project, the group intent on ridding the West’s public lands of domestic livestock grazing.
"The deal pits one public land use against another, to the detriment of all public lands users," said Sublette County Commissioner John Linn.
Sublette County is one of the local governments active and vocal in its opposition to the agreement, in which El Paso agreed to establish a "conservation fund" in exchange for WWP’s consent to the 680-mile pipeline from Opal, Wyoming to Oregon without engaging in litigation. Money from the deal could be used to buy out grazing permits on public land. Although the Ruby Pipeline will not traverse Sublette County, much of the natural gas it will transport will originate in Sublette County, entering at the Opal Hub, in nearby Lincoln County.
Sublette County’s federal land use policy notes that the prioritizing of any one multiple use should only occur after impacts to other multiple uses are fully quantified and mitigated. In addition, Sublette County’s policy opposes the "relinquishment, transfer or retirement of livestock grazing animal unit months in favor of conservation, wildlife or other uses besides livestock grazing."
"This agreement, if carried out, has tremendous impacts," Sublette County Commission Chairman Bill Cramer said. "The public needs to know what’s in the agreement, and the impacts of implementing the agreement need to be fully disclosed beforehand."
Sublette County is one of the local governments in the Coalition of Local Governments that has requested a full disclosure of the terms of the agreement, noting that the impacts from implementing such an agreement should have been examined in the federal planning process prior to the Bureau of Land Management’s issuance of a record of decision favoring the pipeline.
Sublette County Commissioner Joel Bousman said, "This whole agreement is based on the false premise that removing livestock grazing is good for the environment."
The removal of public lands livestock grazing would cause tremendous negative impacts on the custom and culture of the affected region, the commission notes, and would result in the loss of open space due to development of private lands, loss of winter wildlife habitat and wildlife migration corridors, and the loss of return flows to fisheries if agricultural lands were no longer irrigated.
Western Wyoming’s Coalition of Local Governments has filed a Petition for Review with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, seeking the court’s review of the authorization of the pipeline, noting that three days after the pipeline was approved, El Paso announced the deal to buy and retire grazing permits – an action not analyzed in the environmental impact statement process. In fact, the EIS assumed that existing livestock grazing would continue and even considered continued livestock grazing as part of the ecological regime and baseline condition. The elimination of grazing would have both ecological and economic impacts, as well as impacts to the custom and culture of local communities in the region, yet this was not disclosed in the EIS process. If the agreement is to stand, then a supplemental EIS must be prepared to examine its impact, according to the petition for review.
The Sublette County Commission’s resolution notes that while the commission is generally supportive of the Ruby Pipeline, the commission requests that El Paso not conclude its deal with WWP, and instead join with Sublette County, other western counties, livestock grazing interests, energy developers and other multiple users of natural resources to promote and maintain all multiple use activities on public lands based on facts and sound science.
Bousman said, "El Paso’s agreement with WWP drives a dagger in the heart of the level of trust we have developed between the public, energy operators, and other multiple users of public lands."
Related Links:
www.SubletteWyo.com - Sublette County website
Sublette Examiner – August 31, 2010 (posted 8/31/10)
Back to school
Cimarex clears final hurdle
Pinedale pit bull ban recommended
EPA postpones new ozone standard
Obituary - Mary Jean Roth
Pinedale Roundup – August 27, 2010 (posted 8/31/10)
Mesmerizing Melody
Change is in the air
There’s a new sheriff (candidate) in town
Candidates confuse canvassing committee
Egg recall (posted 8/26/10)
No reported cases in Wyoming yet
There have been recent national news reports about egg recalls and a large salmonella outbreak. Some potentially affected eggs have been sold in Wyoming. However, at this time, no laboratory-confirmed salmonella cases associated with this large outbreak have been reported in the state to the Wyoming Department of Health.
What is the size and scope of the recall (Updated Thursday, August 26, 2010)?
The recent Wright County Egg in Iowa and Hillandale Farms of Iowa, Inc. voluntary recalls of shell eggs are considered nationwide recalls. Shell eggs from Wright County Egg were sold to distributors and wholesalers in 22 states and Mexico, who then distributed the shell eggs further throughout the country. According to Wright County Egg, 380 million of their shell eggs are being recalled under many different brand names. Shell eggs under recall by Hillandale Farms of Iowa, Inc. were sold to grocery stores, distributors, and wholesalers in 14 states; these entities then distributed the shell eggs further throughout the country.
Below is the media release from Hillandale Farms of Iowa about the voluntary recall issued on Friday, August 20th:
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Hillandale Farms of Iowa conducts nationwide Voluntary Recall of Shell Eggs Because of Possible Health Risk
Contact:
Egg Safety Media Hotline
404/367-2761
info@eggsafety.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - August 20, 2010 – Hillandale Farms of Iowa is voluntarily recalling shell eggs because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections, endocarditis, or arthritis.
Eggs affected by this recall were distributed to grocery distribution centers, retail grocery stores and foodservice companies which service or are located in fourteen states, including the following: Arkansas, California, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas, and Wisconsin.
There have been laboratory-confirmed Salmonella enteritidis illnesses associated with the shell eggs; the investigation is ongoing.
Eggs are distributed under the following brand names: Hillandale Farms, Sunny Farms, and Sunny Meadow in 6-egg cartons, dozen-egg cartons, 18-egg cartons, 30-egg package, and 5-dozen cases. Loose eggs are packaged under the following brand names: Wholesome Farms and West Creek in 15 and 30-dozen tray packs. The loose eggs may also be repackaged by customers.
The only eggs effected by this recall have plant numbers P1860 or P1663 and Julian dates as follows:
• P1860 – Julian dates ranging from 099 to 230
• P1663 – Julian dates ranging from 137 to 230
Only eggs with these plant numbers are affected - even though the brand name may be the same Julian dates and plant codes can be found stamped on the end of the egg carton or printed on the case label. The plant number begins with the letter P and then the number. The Julian date follows the plant number, for example: P1860 230.
Consumers who believe they may have purchased these shell eggs should not eat them but should return them to the store where they were purchased for a full refund. Consumers with questions should contact Hillandale Farms at (866) 262-4208.
Hillandale Farms strives to provide our customers with safe, high-quality eggs – that is our responsibility and our commitment and why we are fully cooperating with FDA's investigation and are undertaking this voluntary recall. Additionally, as a precautionary measure, we are also diverting our existing inventory of shell eggs.
This FDA Recall notice can be found at: http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm223452.htm
Related Links:
Investigation Update: Multistate Outbreak of Human Salmonella Enteritidis Infections Associated with Shell Eggs Centers for Disease Control and Infection (CDC
How can I tell if my eggs have been recalled? US Food & Drug Administration
Investigation info US Food & Drug Administration
Wyoming Department of Health
Hunter & Outdoor Recreationist alert: Be Bear Aware (posted 8/25/10)
Fewer Whitebark Pine cones could mean increased bear conflicts this Fall
Wyoming Game & Fish
Recent information provided by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team (IGBST) reports whitebark pine tree cone production to be poor this year which could mean an increase in bear conflicts this fall—especially for hunters.
The IGBST reported that of the 20 established whitebark pine tree transects examined, mean cone production was 5.25 cones per tree; all of the trees on one transect were dead from mountain pine beetle infestation. When available, the seeds of whitebark pine are high in fat content, and are an important fall food as bears prepare for winter hibernation. Near exclusive fall use of whitebark pine seed as food by grizzly bears occurs during years in which mean cone production exceeds 20 cones per tree.
However, with poor cone production, bears will be ranging farther this fall in search of alternative food sources. And, according to the study team, the alternative is generally meat. "What this means is that bears will shift their distribution from higher to lower elevation," said Mark Bruscino, bear management officer for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. "A fact that berry pickers and hunters should take note of."
Bruscino noted that although whitebark pine cones may not be readily available, bears are adaptable to other food sources and that in his experience, the bears nutritional status based on percent body fat does not change significantly during poor whitebark pine cone production years. "Bears will not starve to death. They will merely switch to alternative foods, primarily meat and hunters should be extra cautious this fall," added Bruscino.
Both the study team and Bruscino state that bear conflicts do increase as bears move from more isolated habitats to areas with higher human use in response to a lack of pine nuts. Often, bear mortality increases as well as a result of management removals related to conflicts and human encounters. "Even so, the grizzly bear population continues to grow at a rate of 4-7 percent annually, regardless of these poor cone years," said Bruscino.
When asked about bear behavior, Bruscino stated that bears seem to get bolder around people while searching for food during low whitebark pine cone years, which increases the chance of human-bear conflicts. "Although I believe this to be true, I do not think bears behave more aggressively in encounters when whitebark pine cones are scarce," said Bruscino.
Both the interagency study team and the game and fish recommend that all recreationists mentally prepare themselves for a bear encounter and carry a bear deterrent. "As a matter of personal safety, we recommend that everyone, including hunters, carry bear spray as a deterrent against aggressive bears. Studies and anecdotal evidence has shown that bear spray is effective," said Bruscino.
New Wyoming license for minors will retain the vertical format. Adult licenses are horizontal.
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New look for Wyoming drivers licenses (posted 8/25/10)
Wyoming Department of Transportation
Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) will begin issuing driver licenses, identification cards and concealed weapons permits with a new look and additional security features beginning Aug. 31 in the Cheyenne area, and throughout the rest of the state by the end of September.
The new format retains the bucking horse and script Wyoming logos on the front of the card, and adds the state flag and a background photo of the Tetons. The back of the cards will continue to carry a scannable barcode for all the information from the front of the card.
A ghost image of the cardholder’s photo will continue to appear in a second area of the card. Other new security features will not be readily visible to the cardholder.
Licenses and ID cards issued to minors will retain the vertical format that is easy to distinguish from the traditional horizontal format used for adults. Minors’ cards also will include the dates when the cardholder will turn 18 and 21 years of age.
WYDOT Driver Services will roll out the new format in phases beginning in Cheyenne and followed by Torrington on Sept. 1 and Wheatland on Sept. 8. The rollout will continue moving to the west and north until all Driver Services offices are on the system by the end of the September.
"Once the new system is in operation, anyone getting a new license or renewing an existing license will get the new format," WYDOT Driver Services Manager Don Edington said. "There is no need to come in for a new license before your existing license has expired."
In addition to the new security features on the cards themselves, there will be improved security in the production of the new cards. They will be printed by Marquis ID Systems at a secure facility in Fort Wayne, Ind., saving WYDOT the expense of creating its own secure facility.
The change is not expected to increase the projected mail delivery time of about 10 business days for the new cards to reach the cardholder’s home.
The new cards will be more expensive to produce, but the fees for them will remain the same: $20 for a new license and $15 for a renewal, $25 for a commercial license and $20 for a renewal; and $10 for a photo ID.
As part of the effort to upgrade security, WYDOT personnel who check documentation required for getting a license or who have access to the license database have completed background checks by the state Division of Criminal Investigation and the FBI, and fraud training to help them recognize counterfeit birth certificates, passports or other identification documents.
The new licenses and ID cards will meet federal Transportation Security Administration requirements for boarding commercial aircraft at the nation’s airports scheduled to go into effect in 2014 for those born after Dec. 1, 1964 and in 2017 for those born before December 1, 1964.
WYDOT issues about 180,000 driver licenses and ID cards a year.
Click on this link to see the new adult and minor licenses: New Wyoming Drivers Licenses
Defenders ends wolf compensation program (posted 8/25/10)
Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!
Defenders of Wildlife has ended its wolf damage compensation program.
Here's information from the Defenders website about what the organization is calling is a transition to another program.
"Defenders of Wildlife announced August 20, 2010 that, with the implementation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and states of new federal legislation providing federal funds for state programs to compensate ranchers for livestock taken by wolves, Defenders’ highly successful livestock compensation program is no longer needed and will end in most states on Sept. 10. Defenders is providing support to states as they start their own compensation programs, and will be focusing on collaborative efforts to help ranchers coexist with wolves.
The Wolf Compensation Trust has been instrumental in building tolerance for wolves within the ranching and livestock industry as wolf populations have made a comeback across the Northern Rockies and have begun to repopulate the Southwest. New federal legislation that provides funding to help states initiate their own compensation programs will allow Defenders to focus its resources on safeguarding livestock and saving wolves by preventing conflicts.
The following is a statement by Rodger Schlickeisen, president of Defenders of Wildlife:
"For nearly a quarter of a century, Defenders’ livestock compensation program has been a resounding success in helping ranchers who live and work in wolf country. Without it, recovery of wolves in the western United States would not have been possible.
"We are pleased that federal legislation authored by Senators Jon Tester of Montana and John Barrasso of Wyoming, and financial contributions by Defenders of Wildlife, are enabling states with recovering wolf populations to continue this legacy by initiating or expanding their own compensation programs. At the same time, we look forward to building more partnerships with livestock owners, helping them find ways to reduce or avoid losses to wolves."
Background:
Last year’s Omnibus Public Lands Management Act included a provision sponsored by Senators Jon Tester (D-MT) and John Barrasso (R-WY) authorizing the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to provide up to $1 million in FY2010 for wolf compensation and nonlethal deterrence programs in Arizona, Idaho, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Those states are eligible for up to $140,000 each as a result of the new legislation, but they must provide a 50 percent cost-share to match their request for federal funding. Awarded funds are to be used both to compensate ranchers for verified livestock losses and to prevent conflicts with wolves.
In order to smooth the transition toward state-run compensation programs, Defenders is offering to make a one-time contribution to help states in need of matching funds, and Defenders regional staff is offering expert guidance to help design and implement these new programs. In Montana, Defenders has already provided the state with grants of $50,000 for each of the last two years to help get that state’s livestock compensation program up and running. In Idaho and Wyoming, Defenders’ compensation payments already made to livestock producers this year will be credited toward fulfilling those states’ matching requirements. In Arizona and New Mexico, Defenders will make a contribution to the Mexican Wolf Interdiction Trust Fund, which will provide for livestock compensation for wolf depredations. In Washington, Defenders will offer a substantial contribution to help the state meet its matching funds requirement. Defenders will continue to offer livestock compensation in Oregon, Colorado, and Utah, and with certain tribes, for one year while those states and tribes adopt measures necessary to establish livestock compensation programs. Meanwhile, Defenders is focusing resources on projects to safeguard livestock and protect wolves.
Defenders’ Wolf Coexistence Partnership
What is the Wolf Coexistence Partnership all about? We work with ranchers to prevent wolves from preying on livestock, which gives wolves a better chance of staying out of harm’s way. Together, we are implementing nonlethal techniques to keep wolves away from livestock, including:
• Range riders or cowboys to protect livestock (a constant human presence discourages wolves from getting too close)
• Guard dogs to alert herders and range riders of nearby wolves
• Portable fencing or fladry (brightly colored flags strung across a rope or electrified wire that scare wolves) to secure livestock overnight
• Nonlethal hazing techniques, such as shining bright lights or firing a loud starter pistol, to drive off wolves
• Good husbandry practices, such as removing carcasses, which attract wolves to livestock, offering them an easy meal
• Moving livestock to grazing pastures away from wolf dens to avoid conflicts
Related Links:
Defenders of Wildlife - Read about the program here.
FAQ: Transitioning wolf compensation - Read the frequently asked questions here.
Wolf Watch - By Cat Urbigkit
Idaho proposes wolf reduction program (posted 8/25/10)
Idaho Fish & Game Department
The Idaho Department of Fish and Game is seeking public comments on a proposal to reduce the wolf population in part of the Clearwater drainage.
The proposal calls for reducing the population of wolves in two big game management units that make up the Lolo elk management zone. Wolf numbers would be kept at about 20 to 30 wolves for five years, while the elk and wolf populations are monitored. That amounts to removing about seven percent of the estimated minimum of 835 wolves in the state at the end of 2009.
This wolf reduction proposal is for one elk zone out of the 29 zones that Idaho Fish and Game manages. The proposal is being pursued in an attempt to control wolf predation on elk in the Lolo zone because of unacceptable impacts on the elk population by a wolf population that has recovered biologically.
As long as wolves south of Interstate 90 in Idaho remain on the endangered species list they are managed under section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act. Simply put, the rule, revised in 2008, would allow Idaho to use lethal controls on wolves that are having unacceptable impacts on the elk population.
In the Lolo zone, elk numbers have been declining over the past three decades as a result of a combination of degraded habitat, natural mortality nd predation. Recent research shows that wolf predation now has pushed the decline to about 15 percent annually, and is keeping the elk population down.
More than 140 adult female elk in the Lolo Zone have been radio-collared since 2002. More than half of the animals that died were killed by wolves, Deputy Director Jim Unsworth said. In addition, 86 six-month old elk calves have been radio-collared since December 2005. Sixty-five percent of the elk calves that died in the winter were killed by wolves. Adult female mortality and calf mortality are key factors that affect overall elk population trends.
The reduction in wolf numbers in the Lolo zone would not affect overall wolf recovery efforts, Unsworth said. But it may help increase elk numbers.
Idaho Fish and Game would prefer to let hunters help manage the wolf population. But until the wolves are delisted and turned over to state management, Idaho has decided to pursue the best option available under the Endangered Species Act.
The state has prepared a science-based proposal that details the problem and shows the role of wolves and why their removal is warranted. The proposal has been reviewed by recognized experts, and will be available for public comment for 14 days.
Once public comments have been reviewed, the proposal would be submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for final approval.
Related Links:
Idaho Fish & Game - Read the proposal here
Wolf Watch - By Cat Urbigkit
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