California Considers Easing Hunting Regulations on Black Bears

"The population has roughly quadrupled over the last two decades, and some Fish and Game officials say it would remain robust with expanded hunting regions and caps."

"But officials at the state Department of Fish and Game say they proposed the changes because California's black bear population is flourishing and spreading."

God forbid a species flourish and spread, except for our own of course ;) Hopefully habitat restoration and reconnection will allow bears to flourish without danger to human settlements.

Comment on the Forest Plan Revision Malheur Umatilla and Wallowa Whitman

The Malheur, Umatilla, and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests are combining efforts to revise their Land Management Plans (also referred to as Forest Plans). The current Plans are near the end of their intended 15-year life, and will be revised to address the substantial resource and social changes on the three Forests as well as new scientific information.

PROPOSED ACTION RELEASED!

The proposed action for the land and resource management plan for the Malheur, Umatilla, and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests is now available for public comment. This initiates the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process for the forest plan revision. Using public comment, the planning team will develop alternatives to the proposal and analyze the effects of the proposal and alternatives on the environment. The result will be a draft environmental impact statement, which is expected to be released to the public for comment in 2011. The final decision is expected in 2012.

Public Meetings to explain the proposal, the NEPA process, and how to make effective comments will be held around the area in April.

Meeting Schedule:

April 6 - 5:00 – 8:00 p.m Federal Building, Juniper Hall, 431 Patterson, John Day, OR

April 7 - 5:00 – 8:00 p.m Harney County Senior & Community Services Center, 17 S. Alder St., Burns, OR

April 13 - 5:00 – 8:00 p.m Pendleton Convention Center, Rooms 3 & 4, 1601 Westgate, Pendleton, OR

April 14 - 5:00 – 8:00 p.m Saint Patrick Senior Center, 182 N. Main, Heppner, OR

April 15 - 5:00 – 8:00 p.m Public Use Building - Columbia Co. Engineer’s Office, 1 No. Pine, Dayton, WA

April 20 - 5:00 – 8:00 p.m Sunridge Inn, One Sunridge Lane, Baker City, OR

April 21 - 5:00 – 8:00 p.m Eastern Oregon University, One University Blvd, Hoke Hall, Room 309, La Grande, OR

April 22 - 5:00 – 8:00 p.m Civic Center, 102 E 1st St., Joseph, OR

April 28 - 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. Red Lion Convention Center, 1021 NE Grande Ave., Portland, OR

April 29 - 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. Franklin County PUD, 1411 West Clark, Pasco, WA

Gateway CPAC Meeting.

The Gateway Regional Center Program Advisory Committee meeting will hold a regular bi-monthly meeting, Wednesday, April 21, 2010, from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm, at the East Portland Community Center, 740 SE 106^th Avenue. The meeting agenda is posted at the following website:

http://www.pdc.us/ura/gateway/membs-mins-notes/pac-info/pac-minutes.asp

Please contact Justin Douglas, (503) 823-4579, douglasj@pdc.us, with questions.

Earth Day on the Oregon Coast

Join NCLC on Saturday, April 24 for Earth Day at Circle Creek, an all-day celebration at our 364 acre Conservation Center property in Seaside. From seed starting to tree planting, tours of the Sitka spruce forest to tours of amphibian habitats, there will be activities for people of all ages looking to Celebrate Earth Day by connecting with this beautiful and unique landscape on Oregon’s North Coast.

Earth Day at Circle Creek schedule of events:

• 9:30 a. m. The Forest Remembers: Memorial program in the Circle Creek spruce grove to honor those who have been remembered with a gift of support to NCLC.
• 10-00- 10:30 Welcome! Enter to win the raffle, Start seeds to take home, Enjoy morning refreshments and displays while deciding which fabulous tour to attend.
• 10:30-11:30 Field programs on the land. Sitka spruce tour with NCLC Conservation Director Neal Maine, Habitat Development tour with NCLC Executive Director Katie Voelke, Amphibian tour with North Coast Ecologist and NCLC Volunteer Mike Patterson.
• 12 noon -1:00 BBQ ($4 suggested donation, or bring your own sack lunch). More opportunities to start seeds, meet other outdoor enthusiasts, and learn if you are the winner of the 2010 Earth Day raffle!
• 1:00-3:00 Planting the Pasture: hands-on tree planting project led by NCLC Stewardship Director Celeste Coulter. Join us as we add to the over 8,000 native trees and shrubs that have been planted at Circle Creek so far. Celebrate Earth Day by planting trees that will live a lifetime on conserved land.

To learn more about the day's events, please the NCLC website.

See you outside!

Water in Peril! (Wow this is getting redundant)

"It is clearly one of the worst disasters, environmental disasters of the world. I was so shocked," Said Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary General, regarding the disappearance of the Aral Sea.

I agree. I also would add to that list every other major river that has been diked, dammed, and diverted to other uses. The Colorado River delta is another example. Where once there was a vibrant fishing-culture, now is a dying community struggling to feed their families. All for power and money. Oh well. What is there left to do?

Carnivorous Plants in Peril!

"Scientists in the UK are reporting evidence that consumption of insects contaminated with a toxic metal may be a factor in the mysterious global decline of carnivorous plants." Read the entire article on Science Daily at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100331122648.htm

New biological control for knotweed introduced in the UK

New biological control for knotweed introduced in the UK. A Japanese insect is joining the fight against the malacious invader. This is big news for the Oregon coast. Knotweed has spread throughout many riparian areas. Hopefully this control will be safe and effective. It would be nice to find a solution (or stop gap). Here are a couple of images I yanked from the BBC.

I thought there was one mouse...

But actually there was 40! and counting. "DIY Pest Control" has amazing non-lethal mouse traps that actually work. They catch up to 5 at a time. It is easy and absolutely worth the money. I can't imagine killing 40 mice. I don't think it would have been as effective. Mice aren't too bright but they probably would have caught on. As it is the more mice caught the more effective the trap became. The mice were attracted to the smell of the other mice. Definitely check it out if you have rodents. They have large rat traps (also non-lethal) and a lot of very good info.

SOLV!

Hi Friends,
Its time again for the annual SOLV beach clean-up! Come join thousands
of volunteers across Oregon this Saturday from 10am to 2pm as we clear
the coast of debris. In the Coos area there are two sites where you can
get involved in this great event: Horsfall Beach and Bastendorff Beach.
All the necessary equipment will be provided by SOLV.

For more information or to pre-register go to www.solv.org

What: Spring Beach Clean-up!
When: This Saturday March 20, 2010 (10am-2pm)
Where: Horsfall Beach or Bastendorff Beach
Who: Everyone!

I look forward to seeing you at the beach!

Meredith Pochardt
Watershed Outreach Organizer (AmeriCorps)
Coos Watershed Association
PO Box 5860
Charleston, OR 97420
Phone: 541-888-5922

PNAMP Calendar

Greetings PNAMP Participant,

PNAMP is hosting the following meetings during the months of March and April 2010:
o March 4 - PNAMP Data Management Leadership Team Work Session, Portland
o March 12 - PNAMP ISTM Demo Second Fish Scoping Work Session, Vancouver, WA
o March TBD - PNAMP Steering Committee Meeting

Please check the PNAMP calendar for recently added meetings as well as meeting updates, agendas, directions, and contact information.

Other meetings of interest for March and April 2010:
o March 2 - 4 - 2010 WA-BC Chapter AFS Annual General Meeting, Nanaimo, BC
o March 9 - 11 - USGS Climate Change Conference, Denver, CO (See below for more information)
o March 9 - 11 - Northwest Power and Conservation Council Meeting, Portland
o March 10 - 13 - 28^th Annual Salmonid Restoration Federation and 44^th Annual AFS Cal-Neva Conference, Redding, CA (see below for more information)
o March 16 - 3^rd Annual Klickitat White Salmon Fisheries and Watershed Science Conference, The Dalles, OR
o April 13 - 15 - Northwest Power and Conservation Council Meeting, Boise, ID
o April 13 - Washington Forest Practices Adaptive Management Annual Science Conference, Olympia, WA (see below for more information)
o April 14 - 15 - GIS in Action, Portland


If you would like your meetings posted on the PNAMP calendar or if you would like to be removed from this email list, please reply to jschei@usgs.gov.

Additional information. See below for the following conference information:
· 2010 WA-BC Chapter AFS Annual General Meeting, Nanaimo, BC (March 2 - 4)
· USGS Climate Change Conference (March 9 - 11)
· 28^th Annual Salmonid Restoration Federation and 44^th Annual AFS Cal-Neva Conference (March 10 - 13)
· Washington Forest Practices Adaptive Management Annual Science Conference (April 13)


March 9 - 11 - USGS Climate Change Conference (Denver, CO)
http://geology.usgs.gov/globalchange2010/

Over the three days of the conference, we will focus on:
· Providing USGS Global Change scientists information they need to support the Department of the Interior Secretarial Order No. 3289, Addressing the Impacts of Climate Change on America’s Water, Land, and Other Natural and Cultural Resources

· Providing USGS scientists opportunities to hear from the Department of the Interior, the USGS Office of Global Change, other DOI agencies, and national and international organizations about their program goals, strategic directions, and science needs

· Showcasing current USGS Global Change science and coordinating future USGS research plans within the national and international context

· Implementing the USGS Science Strategy through the USGS Science Planning Process

Focus Areas:
1. Paleo-reconstructions of climate change and ecological responses
2. Global change effects on ecosystems and linkages among water, soils, biota, and land use

3. Incorporating global change science into resource management decisions

4. Modeling and projection of resource response to global change

5. Results or status of projects funded through the Request for Proposals (RFP) process

Please contact the committee at globalchangeconf@usgs.gov for assistance.

March 2- 4 - 2010 WA-BC Chapter AFS Annual General Meeting (Vancouver Island Conference Center, Nanaimo, BC)
http://www.wabc-afs.org/agm2010/

Meeting Theme:
“New research and applied science to meet fishery management needs”
We are privileged this year to co-convene with the Pink and Chum Salmon Workshop
We will have invited Speakers; Symposia, and Contributed Sessions on regional or local marine, estuarine, and freshwater topics; and Several educational exhibitors! Please check out our Program page for the latest update.

March 10 - 13 - 28^th Annual Salmonid Restoration Federation and 44^th Annual AFS Cal-Neva Conference (Redding Convention Center, Redding, CA)
www.calsalmon.org

Salmonid Restoration Federation and the California-Nevada American Fisheries Society chapter will co-host the 28th Annual Salmonid Restoration Conference and the 44th Annual Cal-Neva AFS Conference in Redding, California. We are truly excited about this new collaborative effort. The theme of the conference is Fisheries Restoration and Science in a Changing Climate. The first two days of the conference will be filled with symposia, full-day workshops continuing education classes, and field tours. A half-day plenary session will be followed by 1.5 days of technical, biological, and policy-related concurrent sessions. This conference will focus on a broad range of salmonid, fisheries, and watershed restoration topics of concern to restoration practitioners, and the scientific fisheries community.
For more information about the conference, to see the agenda, or to register, please visit www.calsalmon.org

April 13 - Washington Forest Practices Adaptive Management Annual Science Conference (Washington State Capital Campus, Olympia, WA)
The Cooperative Monitoring, Evaluation and Research Committee (CMER) announce the sixth annual Forest Practices Adaptive Management Science Conference on Tuesday, April 13^th, in Olympia, Washington. CMER is responsible for conducting research and monitoring in support of adaptive management of the Forest Practices Rules, which governs forestry practices on private and state forestlands in Washington State.

The one day conference will highlight CMER studies including:
· Riparian Research and Monitoring on Fish- and Non Fish-Bearing Streams
· Amphibian Research and Monitoring
· Upland Research and Monitoring on Roads and Unstable Slopes

An agenda for the conference will be distributed in February 2010. There is no fee for the conference, however reservations are required.
To register, please send an e-mail including your name, affiliation, and e-mail address to Dawn Hitchens at dawn.hitchens@dnr.wa.gov .

The conference will be held on the Washington State Capitol Campus at the DSHS Office Building 2 Auditorium in Olympia. For driving directions to DSHS OB2 visit:
http://www1.dshs.wa.gov/geninfo/drivingdirections.shtml

For more information on CMER, please visit the web site:

http://www.dnr.wa.gov/BusinessPermits/Topics/FPAdaptiveManagementProgram/Pages/fp_am_program.aspx

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jacque Schei
5501A Cook-Underwood Road
Cook, WA 98605

www.pnamp.org

Lower Columbia River Recovery Act

A post hearing update:

The Columbia River Act was introduced along with reauthorization/authorizations for four other great water bodies. the Columbia River Restoration Act bill number is HB4652. No Senate number yet.

Senator Merkley gave excellent testimony to the needs of the entire Columbia River Basin. He was very complimentary of the Estuary Partnership and the work we have done. And he made noted that the Columbia continues to be the only great water body to receive no funding pursuant as a great water body.

Peter Silva, EPA Assistant Administrator for Water, testified for the five water bodies. Mr. Silva described the EPA large aquatic ecosystem program (aka great water bodies) in his testimony and he discussed their goals for the Columbia. In his concluding remarks, he expressed concern about not wanting to duplicate NEP and LAE efforts. You can hear or read all testimony at www.epa.senate.gov.

Senator Merkley’s staff felt the hearing went very well.

Following the I hearing, I met with staff from our delegation and I had the opportunity to personally thank Congressman Blumenauer and Congressman Baird for their sponsorship. Like all legislation, this will go through changes; we’re working on a few already with the Congressional offices. (I’ll work with EPA headquarters and Region 10 on the NEP/LAE issue. With the Columbia, the NEP is a very small subset of the basin, the duplication issue wouldn’t be the same as say Puget and Long Island Sound whose geographies for both the NEP and LAE are nearly the same.) We don’t know yet if there will be a hearing in the House and what the schedule is from here.

I think the Estuary Partnership has taken a great approach: we took our time to demonstrate our capabilities, support local efforts and fill gaps, and show results with the investment that was being made in us as a National Estuary Program before we asked for more money. And of course we are far from there! The Estuary Partnership will continue to work to ensure that the bill addresses our primary goal: get funding to expand our ability to implement the Management Plan, especially monitoring and toxic reduction actions.

All of the Delegation have been incredibly dedicated to this. Congressman Blumenauer’s DC and district staff and Senator Merkley’s DC have taken the lead on this --- and all the staff with Senators Wyden, Murray and Cantwell, Congressmen Baird, Wu, even Congressmen DeFazio and Walden who only have a small piece of our study area is in their districts, have been right there with us.

The hearing room and the event was impressive; it reminded me how important it is to see the processes of our government and understand its history. I wish every school kid could witness this at least once especially at our State level. Our Congressional members and State members have been so accessible to us.

Please let me know if you have questions, concerns or any thoughts about this,

Debrah

Executive Director

Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership

811 SW Naito Parkway, Suite 410

Portland, Oregon 97204

*****************************************************

We have very exciting news! The Columbia River Recovery Act will be introduced in U.S. Congress today. Senator Merkley from Oregon will introduce it in the Senate and Congressmen Blumenauer, Wu, and Baird will introduce it in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The Estuary Partnership has been working for years to raise awareness for the Columbia River with Congress. We worked since 1995 to raise the stature of the estuary and in recent years extended our support for the entire Columbia River Basin. We appreciate EPA Region 10 elevation in 2006-2007 of the Columbia River Basin to one of its national priorities and the efforts of the Toxics Reduction Workgroup. As a reflection of the Estuary Partnership’s long term commitment and involvement with this work in Congress, Debrah was invited to testify in the Senate this week on behalf of the Columbia River Basin and the lower Columbia River Estuary.

We are delighted by the momentum this work has received from our entire Congressional delegation. We will keep you posted as things move along.

Sincerely,

Maggie Codding Jones

Development and Communications Specialist

Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership

811 SW Naito Parkway, Suite 410

Portland, OR 97204

Bees in Peril

Bees are in peril, bats are in peril, predators are in... well you get the picture. The question at the end of the article asks what is causing this. For bees there are multiple factors, as the article synthesizes. When you look at one problem, plummeting bee or bat or bird populations for instance, it seems like a problem that can be fixed. All problems viewed in symphony however seems a much more daunting task to surmount. Are we in peril as well? I don't normally give in to fears of doom but, DOOM!!! Just a little humor, if you don't laugh about it you can only cry.

"Interestingly, some beekeepers who normally avoid problems by protecting their bees during the hardest part of the winter in huge potato warehouses are having problems. The weather, too, was against the bees this year. Deadly cold temperatures were harder than normal on the bees that had been loaded on trucks moving west, causing significant losses for some. Down south, where bees are normally soaking up the sun and honey from Florida's balmy days, winter seeped south and kept those bees from doing much of anything except staying home and keeping warm. So instead of building nicely, they stubbornly, simply stayed warm. They didn't grow, expand into colonies the size almond groves need. So they're out of the equation.

So prices are officially crazy. Three weeks ago if you asked $150 rent for colony you'd be laughed right out of the almond orchard. Today, $200 isn't an uncommon offer, and the line goes out to the parking lot for growers wanting to pay that amount. What's causing this?"

Read more: http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/blogs/bees/almond-prices-47020601?src=rss#ixzz0emmvlz6w

Turbidity Standards Revision

Oregon DEQ has initiated a revision of its water quality standard to address turbidity. Additional information about this process is available at: http://www.deq.state.or.us/wq/standards/turbidity.htm. Oregon DEQ will hold a meeting to discuss the process for revising the turbidity standard on February 17 from 9-11am at the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs Building in Salem. We will post an agenda and conference call information to the website prior to the meeting if you can’t make it in person. For additional information, please contact Aron Borok at Oregon DEQ at 503-229-5050

Oregon Bats in Peril

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife News Release

February 4, 2010

Contacts:

Andrea Hanson, ODFW Strategy Species coordinator, (503) 947-6320

Meg Kenagy, ODFW Conservation Strategy Communications coordinator, (503) 947-6021

Wildlife Managers Say New Disease Could Affect NW Bat Populations

Salem, Ore.—The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife asks Oregonians, especially those who work in or enjoy exploring caves or mines, to take action to limit the spread of white-nose syndrome, a new disease that has killed over one million bats in the northeast.

White-nose syndrome is caused by a cold-environment fungus that thrives in the same temperature range as hibernating bats do. Once infected, bats demonstrate a tell-tale white fuzzy growth on their noses. The direct cause of death is still unclear, although it is believed the fungus interrupts sleep patterns and causes the hibernating bats to awaken during winter and burn calories they can’t afford to use, depleting their fat reserves and causing starvation.

Although white-nose syndrome has not yet arrived in Oregon, precautions need to be taken now to ensure the health of our native bats, which play important roles in the environment. For example, one bat can eat up to 600 insects in an hour, benefiting farmers, foresters and homeowners.

First, never disturb a bat colony. Bats are highly sensitive to disturbance when they gather together in summer to give birth and in winter to hibernate. Second, avoid going into mines or caves unless necessary. If you do enter a cave, decontaminate your clothing and equipment to avoid transmitting any potential disease. Decontamination is particularly critical if you have been in caves in the eastern United States. Third, notify your local ODFW office if you observe several dead bats in the same location. Do not pick up or handle bats, alive or dead.

“We need to monitor the health of our bat populations. A number of our native species are already vulnerable,” said Andrea Hanson, ODFW Strategy Species coordinator. “In the past, reports of unusual bat deaths have come from the public, which is why we are asking for help from Oregonians.”

There are 15 species of bats in Oregon. Many of them are identified in the Oregon Conservation Strategy as species in need of help. Learn more about them in the Conservation Summaries of Strategy Species section of the Strategy.

More information

If you have been in a cave, follow the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s recommended decontamination procedure which is detailed on their Northeast Region Web site, http://www.fws.gov/northeast/wnscavers.html

Report unusual bat death situations to Andrea Hanson, ODFW Strategy Species coordinator, (503) 947-6320, or Colin Gillin, State Wildlife veterinarian, (541) 757-4186.

Living with Bats, a flyer about bats in Oregon, is available on the ODFW Web site (pdf).

The Bat Conservation International Web site, has additional information on white-nose syndrome.

Photo

Fringed bat flying in the high desert of Central Oregon. Photo Michael Durham.

##

bat for news release001.jpg

Books

This one is not an environmental post, but I thought it was interesting. Read the entire article on Fast Company, "Hmmm. A 'monopoly over their own titles' is the absolute key phrase here, because it's plain dumb. It's like complaining that Van Gogh has a monopoly over paintings painted by Van Gogh." Interesting point but completely incorrect. It is more like an art gallery where Van Gogh sells all his paintings through a contract (a gallery that doesn't allow him to sell them any where else and pays him $.10 on the dollar IF he's lucky). I would argue that publishing companies do often have a monopoly on titles. Most authors have no leverage and cannot gain support because they can't get exposure.