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Montana's brucellosis status downgraded (posted 9/4/08)
Will Wyoming soon follow?
Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!
Montana's brucellosis-free market status has now been officially downgraded by federal animal health officials. According to a release from the Montana Department of Livestock, Montana is now Class A.
Dr. Marty Zaluski, state veterinarian for the Montana Department of Livestock, said the downgrade comes as no surprise.
"Everyone knew this was coming," Zaluski said. "This just makes it official."
Montana had been brucellosis-free since 1985, but the disease was found in a Bridger cattle herd in May of 2007. Per APHIS rules, the state had to remain brucellosis-free for 24 months after that discovery to maintain Class Free status. The process of downgrading Montana’s status was initiated in June 2008 after a cow in Paradise Valley was found to be infected with the disease.
Zaluski said the department has been working on a brucellosis action plan, and will reapply for Class free status as soon as possible, on May 27, 2009.
"We’ve been working internally, as well as with individual producers and producer groups, to develop a comprehensive brucellosis plan," he said. "No one is happy about losing our brucellosis free status, but we’re optimistic that, by working together, we can develop practical approaches that reduce the risks of transmitting the disease to cattle."
The plan will include, among other items, vaccination of livestock, improved animal traceability and disease surveillance, and increased emphasis on maintaining spatial and temporal separation between livestock and wildlife known to carry the disease. The Montana Board of Livestock has also directed the department to create a brucellosis task force.
The department will additionally be working with state and federal wildlife managers to address disease concerns related to wildlife. Zaluski said more information is needed on the prevalence of brucellosis in Greater Yellowstone Area elk.
The downgrade means Montana’s livestock producers will, at a minimum, be required to test all sexually intact cattle over 18 months of age within 30 days of export. Exempt from the testing requirement are cattle sent directly to slaughter, from certified brucellosis-free herds and from ranch of origin to an approved market facility. These requirements are similar to those in place in western Wyoming's brucellosis surveillance area.
Wyoming may soon join Montana in the loss of class-free status. Three more head of cattle from a Daniel herd tested seropositive for brucellosis, and the time period for a decision on the fate of the herd is drawing near.
Should the Daniel producer decide to keep his herd, Wyoming's status will be downgraded, although Sublette County producers point out that since they already undergo vigorous testing and surveillance requirements, the end result will be no change in this area. If the producer allows his herd to be sent to slaughter, then Wyoming maintains its class-free status – at least unless a second infected herd is found within a year.
The infected Montana cattle herds are believed to have contracted the disease from elk, which is also suspected to be the case in the Daniel incident, although no information about the epidemiological investigation have been released at this time.
At far left, a surveillance camera photograph of the utility trailer being stolen. On the right, a stock photograph of the stolen 2006 Cargomate utility trailer. Photo courtesy Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office.
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Reward offered in Rock Springs trailer theft investigation (posted 9/4/08)
Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office seeks public’s help
Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office
The Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office in Rock Springs is seeking help in its investigation into the theft of a utility trailer.
According to Sheriff Rich Haskell, on the late afternoon of Sunday, August 31st, the trailer was stolen from a private lot just east of Knight Oil Tools on Foothill Boulevard west of Rock Springs.
Haskell said the thief or thieves forced entry onto the fenced, padlocked and chained lot and hauled the trailer away with what is believed to be a late 1990s or early 2000s blue Ford Explorer SUV.
The theft was caught on a surveillance camera belonging to Knight Oil Tools, which provided the Sheriff’s Office with the digital images of the theft.
Haskell described the stolen trailer as a white 24-foot tandem-axle Cargomate with a side door on the passenger side and a drop-down ramp rear door. The trailer is fitted with a standard bumper-hitch tongue and all four wheels are white. The trailer’s front end features a diamond plate panel. Its value has been established at $6,000. The trailer contained a dinette set, household items, and important personal papers.
The trailer’s owner is offering a $2,000 reward for information leading to the recovery of the trailer and all its contents. A reward of $1,000 is being offered for information leading to the recovery of the trailer only.
The Sheriff’s Office is requesting that anyone who has seen the trailer or has information about its theft or whereabouts call in. Haskell said calls will be handled with discretion.
Defenders slams Palin over wolf control (posted 9/4/08)
Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund media release
Alaska Governor and GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin is a strong promoter of the aerial hunting of wolves and bears, a practice that has been condemned by conservationists, scientists and many hunters alike. It involves shooting wolves and bears from the air or chasing them to exhaustion and then landing and shooting them point blank. The animals, shot with a shotgun, usually die a painful death. The hunters involved in the program keep and sell the animals' pelts.
"Sarah Palin's anti-conservation position is so extreme that she condones shooting wolves and bears from airplanes or using airplanes to chase them to exhaustion and then shoot them point blank. Most Americans find this practice barbaric, but it's routine in Alaska under Palin's leadership," said Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund president Rodger Schlickeisen.
Sarah Palin has supported aerial hunting since taking office despite the fact that the National Academy of Sciences, the National Research Council, the American Society of Mammalogists, and more than 120 other scientists have called for a halt to the program, citing its lack of scientific justification and despite opposition from many hunters who see it as violating the sportsmen's ethic of fair chase. Palin in 2007 even proposed offering a bounty of $150 per wolf, as long as the hunter provided the wolf's foreleg as proof of the kill. And just earlier this year, she introduced legislation to expand the program and derail a scheduled August 2008 citizens' vote on the issue. The bounty was determined to violate the state's constitution and her legislation failed.
"Sarah Palin's positions against America's wildlife could put her to the right of even the Bush administration," said Schlickeisen. "She is a promoter of one of our nation's most ugly and cruel wildlife hunting programs and Americans deserve to know her views on such matters before they vote."
Related Links:
Wolf Watch - By Cat Urbigkit
Idaho anti-wolf activist won't be retried (posted 4/8/08)
Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!
The Idaho Mountain Express reports that anti-wolf activist Ron Gillet of Idaho will not be retried on charges that he assaulted wolf activist Lynne Stone. Gillet was tried, but the result was a hung jury. Now the prosecutor is declining to take the case forward again.
For the complete story, click on the link below.
Related Links:
- Prosecutor: Gillett will not be retried
Wolf Watch
Senator Barrasso on MSNBC Sept. 4 (posted 9/3/08)
From the Republican National Convention
Wyoming Senator John Barrasso will appear on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" with Host Joe Scarborough, on Thursday, September 4, at approximately 7 a.m. (MDT) LIVE from the Republican National Convention.
Wild Horse Adoption on September 19 & 20 in Riverton (posted 9/3/08)
The Wyoming Bureau of Land Management and the Wyoming Honor Farm Celebrates 20th Anniversary
The Wyoming Honor Farm and the Bureau of Land Management will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Honor Farm's Wild Horse Program Sept. 20, 2008. Special activities will take place in addition to the clinic and adoption on Sept.19 and 20.
On Friday, Sept. 19, the Wyoming Honor Farm will host a free clinic to discuss the Honor Farm’s gentling program. The clinic runs from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and is open to the public. After the demonstration there will be an Ice Cream Social and a preview of the horses with the day’s events concluding at 4:00 p.m.
On Saturday, Sept. 20, the gates will open at 7:30 a.m. for previewing the horses. Free coffee and homemade cinnamon rolls will be available during the preview. There will be gate prizes and raffle opportunities. BLM and Wyoming Department of Corrections representatives will be available to answer questions regarding the BLM and Wyoming Honor Farm Wild Horse Program. The adoption will begin at noon. This is later than at previous adoptions. A lunch concession will be available.
The adoption will offer 30 horses in a variety of colors along with three burros. All horses have been haltered, led, trailered and have had their feet handled; and have been through the "gentling program" which starts with halter training and proceeds to saddle-training.
Please remember, no firearms, alcohol, drugs or dogs are allowed at anytime. All cell phones, cameras, video equipment and tobacco products must be locked in one's vehicle while on site. In order to maintain a positive environment for visitors, a reasonable clothing standard must be adhered to. Clothing that is unduly suggestive, form fitting, or exposes undue amounts of flesh is prohibited. The wearing of shorts is not allowed on site.
A horse trailer must be at least a four-horse trailer with a swing gate and covered.
Wild horses are also available for adoption by appointment through the BLM Rock Springs Corrals and the Mantle Ranch.
For more information, visit the website at http://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/programs/Wild_Horses
Bridger-Teton National Forest reopens Snake River (posted 9/1/08)
Bridger-Teton National Forest
(Jackson) – The Jackson Ranger District of the Bridger-Teton National Forest has reopened the whitewater stretch of the Snake River after a tree fell across the channel, blocking the river to boats. The blockage was approximately 1-mile downstream of the West Table Boat Ramps, located in Lincoln County, Wyoming about 25-miles south of Jackson. A tree had washed into the S-turns on the river and the Forest had to close the stretch due to safety concerns until the tree could be removed. Members of Star Valley Search and Rescue working with their jet boat, along with sawyers from the local Forest Service fire engine crew were able to dislodge the tree, secure it in an eddy below the blockage point, and buck the tree into less than twelve-foot segments that should not be able to hang up elsewhere in the river channel.
"We appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding today," said Jackson District Ranger Dale Deiter. "Consider the river reopened," he said.
Boatmen from Mad River also lent their skills, knowledge, and equipment to providing scene safety during the tree removal operation. The dynamics of cutting on heavy wood under extreme tension are very dangerous. Forest Service sawyers spend hundreds of hours in training, and working with huge trees in hazardous conditions. "We are all very pleased that this hazard was removed without any of the specialists or the public being injured," remarked Deiter.
Emergency Closure of Whitewater Section of the Snake River (posted 9/1/08)
Bridger-Teton National Forest
(Jackson) – The Jackson Ranger District of the Bridger-Teton National Forest has temporarily closed the stretch of the Snake River between West Table Boat Ramp and Sheep Gulch Boat Ramp due to a large tree wedged across the river. The tree has blocked more than 80 percent of the river channel and has resulted in one flipped boat as of this morning. "No injuries haveresulted from the obstructed river channel thus far, and we’d like to keep it that way," said Jackson District Ranger Dale Deiter. Due to public safety concerns the District Ranger has closed this whitewater stretch until the tree can be removed. "We hope to get this addressed as soon as possible," said Deiter. "We don’t take closing the river lightly, but we must put safety at the forefront of our decision," said River Manager David Cernicek.
The Bridger-Teton will be assisted by the Star Valley Search and Rescue (SAR) volunteers as they attempt to remove this river hazard. "We are certainly grateful for the Star Valley SAR volunteers that are willing to give up their holiday to help the Forest and the visitors out with this operation," said Cernicek. Presently, Star Valley SAR is on their way to the blockage with their jet boat and trained operators to help position the Forest Service sawyer crew for removal of the tree. The sawyers are part of the Forest Service firefighting crew and are trained in removing hazardous trees.
The blockage is just below Taco Hole at the top of the S-turns about 1-mile below the West Table Boat Ramps. The scenic sections of the Snake Riverremain open and unaffected by this temporary closure. "We appreciate everyone’s understanding," said Deiter. "We will announce immediately when the river is reopened," he said.
The New Fork Fire smoke is clearly visible from Pinedale. This picture was taken Wednesday afternoon, August 27. It has reached Pine Mountain, almost into the Pine Creek watershed. Photo by Bob Rule, KPIN 101.1 FM.
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Pinedale Ranger District urges caution – Fire Danger Very High (posted 8/28/08)
Bridger-Teton National Forest
(Pinedale) – The New Fork Fire on the Pinedale Ranger District continues to burn inside the Bridger Wilderness Area and has been putting up more smoke in the last several days. The fire ignited on July 29 on the bank of New Fork Lake north of the town of Pinedale and has burned 13,400 acres to date. Currently there are two fire specialists on site monitoring the fire.
According to Mark Randall, Assistant Fire Management Officer, "This fire is probably going to keep burning until snowfall." Randall also said that fire activity will greatly increase whenever the weather is hot and dry like it was this last weekend causing visible smoke plumes.
"One thing we really want to stress to people who plan to camp and hike in the Wilderness is safety. Even areas of the fire that are no longer actively burning are extremely dangerous." Some of the hazards that exist are falling snags, rolling rocks and other debris, burned out stump holes, and hidden pockets of heat.
Forest Officials advise visitors to the Bridger Wilderness to avoid hiking trails out of Spring Creek Park Trailhead which are Trapper Lake Trail and Glimpse Lake Trail. Campsites to steer clear of when planning itineraries include Trapper Lake, Little Trapper Lake, Section Corner Lake, Prospector Lake, Trail Lake, and Glimpse Lake. "These areas aren’t closed but we want people to use some common sense and be safe when they’re out there." Randall stressed.
Fire danger on the Bridger-Teton National Forest is at Very High. All visitors are urged to use extreme caution with fire. Never leave a fire unattended and always be sure to completely extinguish all campfires.
Photos by Dave Bell, and Bob Rule-KPIN 101.1 FM
For more photos of the fire on Wednesday, click on this link: New Fork Fire revives (8 photos)
Related Links:
New Fork Fire - August 27, 2008 - Photos by Dave Bell
Inciweb: New Fork Fire
Governor proposes reactivation of Homestead Tax exemption (posted 8/28/08)
Proposed for short-term property tax relief - Would cost State $29-56 million in revenue
Governor Freudenthal’s office
(Cheyenne) - To help Wyoming homeowners who are struggling with the increasing costs of food, gasoline and home heating fuel, Gov. Dave Freudenthal has proposed the reactivation of the homestead property tax exemption as a means for short-term relief. Last year the Governor’s targeted proposal to offer tax relief to Wyoming seniors did not gain support in the Wyoming Legislature.
In a letter to Sen. Jim Anderson and Rep. Rodney "Pete" Anderson, chairmen of the Wyoming Legislature’s Joint Revenue Committee, Freudenthal said he aimed to submit a proposal this year that would offer between $184 and $291 in property tax relief for Wyoming homeowners.
"The Wyoming Legislature has not been particularly interested in property tax relief, but I am going to try again and have suggested that we consider a reactivation of the homestead exemption," he said. "I look forward to working with the committee on this along with other suggestions."
The homestead exemption was originally passed in 1979 as a tax exemption and then modified to a tax credit in 1980. "Both the Attorney General and LSO have suggested that given the 1988 constitutional amendment creating the tier system, it may be advisable to recast the credit as a true exemption and stay within the clear language of Article 15 § 12 of the Wyoming Constitution," Freudenthal said.
Based on data developed by the Department of Revenue, an exemption of $3,000 or $5,000 of assessed value for an owner occupied residence would cost the State $29 or $56 million respectively. This would produce an average of $184 or $291 in tax relief per owner occupied residence.
As a long-term solution, the Governor suggested that the Legislature might consider a proposal offered by Representative Simpson last session to create a separate constitutional tier for residences with a restriction on the amount of separation between the residential assessment ratio and assessment ratio for the "other property" class.
"This would allow future legislatures the opportunity to provide permanent relief for residential property taxpayers. Since we have both the 2009 and 2010 sessions to consider this option, we have time for discussion of the pros and cons of this suggestion," he said.
Click here for the text of the Governor’s letter: Governor proposes reactivation of Homestead Tax exemption
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