A non-profit corporation devoted to quality upland game bird hunting in Idaho.
Idaho Bird Hunters"Working to Restore and Conserve Quality Game Bird Resources in Idaho" |
| Volume 22; Issue 5 |
May, 2003
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Boise, Idaho
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2003 Officers
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President Russ Heughins 208-322-8645 russheughins@msn.com Vice President Treasurer
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Directors Stephen Goddard 208-587-1027 Terry Pike 208-433-1918 Mark Smith 208-323-2617 Lee Sutherland 208-887-7751 |
This month's program will highlight the program BLM is currently implementing to improve sage grouse habitat in Idaho. Signe Sather-Blair will highlight new programs and strategies being developed to improve the status of sage grouse on public lands. This is an opportunity to find out the latest efforts to improve sage grouse habitat and some future considerations to improve sage grouse populations in Idaho. Since the sage grouse have been petitioned for endangered status under the Endangered Species Act, improvement efforts are crucial in keeping this unique and native game bird off the endangered species list.
The second half of the program deals with the status of sage grouse populations in Idaho. Michelle Commons-Kemner is a biologist with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. Michelle will present the programs Fish and Game has initiated to improve the status of sage grouse. Fish and Game's research and fieldwork and coordination with BLM is key to improving sage grouse populations.
Signe and Michelle present excellent programs. This is an excellent opportunity to find out the current status of sage grouse and what the future holds for sage grouse in Idaho.
On Monday, May 12, members of the Ada County Fish and Game League (ACFGL) and the IBH met with the new district manager of the Lower Snake River District, BLM and his staff as a follow-up to the March 27th meeting with the BLM state director. Earlier this year ACFGL mailed a letter to Gail Norton, Secretary of the Interior advising the Secretary of the unsatisfactory condition of the public range lands in southwest Idaho and eastern Oregon. The IBH mailed a similar letter to Kathleen Clarke, the director of BLM. In the meeting with the Idaho state director, the director offered to make interested sportsmen BLM volunteers to go out after the grazing seasons and report back on the conditions they found. Our commitment is to identify those allotments we have concerns about regarding range conditions, and recruiting volunteers. We have fulfilled the first commitment; we have identified the grazing allotments we consider need attention. At the May 12th meeting we presented the list of allotments to the Lower Snake River District. Our proposal was not very well received by the district management staff. They prefer we work on some undefined wildlife project and help them with noxious weed control. Apparently, they do not want us out on the ground looking at conditions. However, we remain steadfast in our commitment to look at the range conditions after the grazing season. It is vital to know how grazing is affecting wildlife on these grazing allotments.
You can help. The volunteer project to check range conditions offers an opportunity to see different areas of Owyhee County. This endeavor can also be fun. In some instances, we can stay overnight and after working on our project we can have a barbecue and socialize. Our projects can take place during the week and weekends so everyone can participate. We need your support in making this a successful project and in letting BLM know we are a segment of the public to be reckoned with on public land management.
You can sign up by contacting either:
Bob Minter
or: Russ Heughins
Telephone: 327-7970
Email: bminter@idwr.state.id.us
Telephone: 322-8645
Email: russheughins@msn.com
Our April meeting featured the Owyhee Initiative. This initiative would designate approximately 390,000 acres of canyon lands, river corridors and uplands as wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers. Also, the Owyhee Initiative Coalition is planning to include provisions for a county-appointed advisory council, scientific panel and a conservation and research center. The advisory council would have oversight on BLM land management decisions and be advised by the county-appointed scientific panel. The conservation and research center would be under the guidance of the county. These proposals have not been drafted, but that step is at hand. Now is the time for us to be involved and make our views known. Once something is put in print it is hard to change.
This is a major proposal in the manner in which the public lands in Owyhee County are presently managed. We, as bird hunters need to pay attention, stand up and be heard. Wilderness designation carries with it questions of access. Your access to traditional and popular hunting locations may be closed as a result of wilderness designation. Besides the access question, the proposal intends to add an additional bureaucratic layer: an advisory council, scientific panel and conservation/research center. The questions we should ask are: What impact will wilderness designation have on our future bird hunting opportunities? Will wilderness management improve conditions or will it be business as usual? Why do we need another bureaucratic layer, and who really benefits from such provisions?
Watch your future newsletters for updates on the progress of the Owyhee Initiative. If you would like detailed information contact: Russ Heughins by email at: russheughins@msn.com or by telephone at 322-8645.
Help gather signatures for the Petition for the Initiative to Reform the F&G Commission. It is time to gather signatures for the new petition for an initiative to change the selection process of Fish and Game Commissioners. Al Kiler has been appointed as the point person on the drive to gather signatures. Al will have petitions and information on the petition.
If you have any questions, you can contact either Russ Heughins at 322-8645 or Steve Goddard at 587-1027, who are reviewing and commenting on this issue on behalf of the Idaho Bird Hunters organization.
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Idaho Bird Hunters Email: russheughins@msn.com
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A private citizenˇ¦s non-profit
wildlife educational organization
(IRS 501-C3) affiliated
with the Idaho Wildlife Federation
Copyright 2003 by Idaho Bird Hunters, Inc.