Many hunters are notable conservationists, and one recently found an unexpected way to conserve bullets.
Prairie du Sac, Wis., resident TJ Hauge was hunting on opening day of the state's nine-day gun deer season. Settled into his tree stand when a buck came into his sights, TJ took careful aim and squeezed off a shot. Bull's-eye -- the buck dropped in its tracks -- and so did the unseen one standing directly behind it.
"Between the adrenaline and the rather strange outcome, my mind had a little trouble grasping what had just transpired," TJ told Outposts. "I spent the next 25 minutes with a big, uncontrollable smile and occasionally laughing to myself in disbelief of what had happened."
TJ immediately text-messaged the other members of his hunting party, "two bucks, one bullet."
I plucked the December/January issue of Outdoor Life from the mailbox Sunday afternoon, shortly after learning that Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger suffered what was believed to be a mild concussion in a losing effort against the Kansas City Chiefs.
By strange coincidence I turned to the back page first and there was Big Ben, whose team is the defending Super Bowl champion, talking about how much he loves the much safer pastimes of hunting and fishing--and boasting about how he once bagged three ducks with a single blast.
Here's the brief Q&A:
Outdoor Life: How did you start out?
Ben Roethlisberger: I grew up in Ohio and have been fishing and hunting as long as I can remember with my dad and grandpa. Whether it was bobber-fishing for bluegills or spin-fishing for bass, I'd do it. I'd get out often.
OL: What's your favorite place to fish?
BR: Anyplace there's water! Seriously, though, I've taken my dad to Wyoming to fly-fish and it's been a great experience.
OL: How about hunting?
BR: I've always been more of a bird hunter than a deer hunter. I love to hunt ducks, geese, quail, grouse and turkeys.
OL: What's your most memorable hunting experience?
BR: As a kid, hunting with my dad on the Ohio River, I once got three ducks with one shot.
OL: How does playing football compare to hunting or fishing?
BR: I think my dad said it best when he said, "Being outdoors is still better than anything else you can do." It's hard, but we always manage to get a day off and I'll get outdoors.
-- Pete Thomas
Photo: Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger warms up before a game against the Detroit Lions this season. Credit: Leon Halip/US PRESSWIRE
The November Nothin' But Sand beach cleanup is set to take place Saturday from 10 a.m. until noon at Will Rogers State Beach.
Hosted by Heal the Bay, the cleanups are held on the third Saturday of each month at different locales and are an opportunity to lend a hand helping keep our shores tidy.
Paid parking is available at a metered lot at Chautauqua Boulevard and Pacific Coast Highway. Volunteers should plan to meet at lifeguard tower 18, just southwest of the Chautauqua / PCH intersection.
All cleaning supplies will be provided, so volunteers are welcome to just show up (those younger than 12 need to be accompanied by a parent).
Attendees should plan on bringing their own drinking water as well as a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. More information on what to wear and bring is available on the Heal the Bay website.
Liability waiver forms will be available on-site and must be signed before pitching in. Participants 17 and younger must have a parent or guardian sign their form.
Groups of 10 or more are asked to call (800) 432-5229, ext. 148 to let organizers know they plan to join in.
-- Kelly Burgess
Photo: A beach-goer skips across the estuary at Will Rogers State Beach. Credit: Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times
Montana's inaugural wolf-hunting season came to an end this week and has been deemed a success by state wildlife officials.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks called for the season to close half an hour after sunset on Monday after receiving word that the statewide quota of 75 was nearly reached.
"We hit 72 of the 75 wolf quota with two weeks left before the season was originally planned to close on Nov. 29," FWP spokesman Ron Aasheim told the Billings Gazette.
A total of 15,600 wolf hunting licenses were sold, generating $325,859 for the state license fund.
"It was a successful season. We learned a bunch, and we'll learn more as we evaluate it," Aasheim said. "We know where wolves where taken by county. We know sex. We know age. We'll know the days hunted. It's a pretty sound information base."
One thing that will be studied further is the sustainability of the hunt.
News item: After months of tireless work by various stakeholder groups in a Marine Life Protection Act process that included periods of review and often heated public input and debate, a plan to establish a network of no-take marine reserves off Southern California has been chosen. A state-appointed panel on Tuesday picked the "preferred alternative," which essentially is a compromise between proposals put forth by conservationists and fishing interests.
Reaction: The panel was not going to please both sides and, as expected, it voted on a plan that angered fishing interests the most. They wanted a less severe network of reserves. Steve Fukuto, president of the United Anglers of Southern California, predicts the closures in such areas as portions of Santa Catalina Island, La Jolla, Swami's Reef and Malibu "will have a devastating effect on California's economy and the public's right to access the state's coastal waters."
Conservation groups are satisfied to a degree but wanted more extensive closures. Notably, they wanted Rocky Point off the Palos Verdes Peninsula to become a no-take marine reserve. An Ocean Conservancy spokesman called Tuesday's decision "a step in the right direction," but added, "There is still room for improvement,"clearly in reference to Rocky Point, which will remain open to fishing.
Sometime this afternoon or evening a state blue-ribbon panel will vote on how severely to restrict fishing off Southern California, and earlier today, as if to illustrate how contentious the issue is, a brief shoving match ensued, during a hearing near LAX, between men on the fishing and environmentalist sides of the issue.
Fishing interests, naturally, are arguing to keep the extent of the no-take closure areas to a minimum, and to protect their livelihoods. Those on the extreme environmental side favor extensive protection they believe will allow the comeback of embattled fisheries and habitat.
Photo: Reed Smolan, taking a break from crew duties aboard the Southern Cal,
unhooks an 18-inch calico bass caught off Palos Verdes. Credit: Pete Thomas/Los Angeles Times
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To give you an idea of how popular the special, late-season cow elk hunts are in New Mexico, it took only 10 seconds Tuesday for the 350 available licenses to be sold over the Internet.
The New Mexico Game and Fish Department issued a news release stating that tens of thousands of hunters stormed its website seeking a license to bag an antler-less elk in any of five game management units.
The licenses were sold on a first-come, first-served basis, and the website logged 250,000 hits from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. The sale began at 10 and was scheduled to end at 10:30.
A female great white shark that had lived in the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Outer Bay exhibit since August was tagged and released today.
The young predator, which was captured off Malibu, was set free offshore beyond the southern edge of Monterey Bay. She measured 5 feet, 5 inches, and weighed 100 pounds.
It's the fifth white shark successfully released after a stay at the facility, where the sharks are intended to provide visitors with a better understanding of the apex predators and inspire support for shark conservation.
She was released because she had begun to exhibit aggressive behavior toward other sharks in the 1-million-gallon tank.
"I’ve always said that these animals will tell us when it’s time to put them back to the ocean. Now was clearly the time,” said Randy Hamilton, vice president of husbandry for the aquarium. “Her health is excellent, and we learned a lot while she was with us. Based on past experience, we have every expectation that she’ll do well after release.”
Tracking tags will enable scientists to monitor the shark's movements and habits. Previously, two of the released sharks traveled beyond Baja California's tip. The other two ventured to the Santa Barbara area.
The aquarium, with its research partners, also is part of a Juvenile White Shark Program, which involves tagging and tracking of sharks that utilize California and Mexico waters as nurseries. Real-time data and published research can be found on the Tagging of Pacific Predators website.
Renowned Australian surfer Dave Rastovich and three others are nearing completion of a monthlong kayaking expedition with humpback whales and their calves in an attempt to bring attention to the dangers marine mammals face as they migrate past Australia en route to the Southern Ocean for the Antarctic summer.
Commercial fishing methods, industrial runoff, noise pollution, ship strikes and human interaction are some of the dangers. Other whales, notably minke whales, also are migrating and they'll soon be targeted by Japanese whalers, who in turn will be harassed by Capt. Paul Watson and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.
Rastovich, co-founder of the group Surfers for Cetaceans, spearheaded a 435-mile journey that includes San Diego's Chris Del Moro. Musician Will Conner and photographer Hilton Dawe are also part of the odyssey.
The crew, sailing aboard red trimaran kayaks, began Oct. 1 at Byron Bay and arrived today in Sydney Harbor. It will officially conclude its mission Thursday at nearby Bondi Beach. The campaign is called Transparentsea.
Said Rastovich: “The primary intention of our journey has been to highlight the plight of whales that are destined for the Southern Ocean and the inevitable visits by Japanese whaling fleets. As surfers, we have a direct connection with these amazing creatures and during the past 30 days, we’ve had the fortune of interacting with them, almost on a daily basis.
“Now we are calling on people to show their support and to join us in putting pressure on the Australian government, lead by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and our Minister for the Environment, Peter Garrett, to uphold their pre-election promise to challenge Japanese whaling in international court and to protect the Southern Ocean sanctuary.”
The surfer and his group plan to celebrate with Sea Shepherd crew members, who are in Australia preparing for their sixth campaign against the Japanese whalers. Japan's whaling effort is carried out under a research loophole in the wording of an international moratorium on whaling.
-- Pete Thomas
Photo: Transparentsea environmental campaigners protest the actions of Japanese whalers from aboard kayaks in Sydney Harbor. Credit: Fetch/Transparentsea
Hundreds of mountain bikers, from professionals to toddlers, descended
upon Castaic Lake State recreation Area Sunday for the 2009
iteration of the Fat Tire Fest, put on by local bike trail advocacy
nonprofit CORBA (Concerned Off-Road Bicyclists Assn.).
The event featured group rides led by professional mountain bikers Ned Overend, Brian Lopes and Sid Taberlay;
demo bikes from companies including Cannondale, Giant, Ibis,
Specialized and Trek Women; a skills clinic; poker ride; wheelie
contest; a bike limbo contest; a silent auction; and a raffle drawing.
The festival is CORBA's biggest source of funding each year and all
proceeds go to help the group advance the cause of mountain biking in
the greater Los Angeles area, said association president Jeff Klinger.
"We get probably 50% of our operating budget from just this
event," Klinger said. The group has held the festival every year since
its inception in 1987.
In addition to maintaining trails in L.A. and parts of Ventura counties, Klinger said CORBA
advocates for greater trail access for mountain bikers; runs a youth-outreach program
that brings inner-city kids ages 8 to 17 on
mountain biking trips in the Santa Monica mountains; and provides free
skills clinics and group rides for cyclists of all levels, including
those new to the sport.
The big draw of the day was the chance to ride with pros Lopes, Overend and Taberlay.
A state task force failed to reach consensus Thursday on a network of marine reserves and conservation zones to be established off Southern California and will reconvene Nov. 10 in the Los Angeles area to produce a version it hopes will meet conservation goals without severe economic impact.
Three proposals were up for consideration as part of the Marine Life Protection Act process, which ultimately will place no-take reserves and less-restrictive conservation zones along the California coast to protect fisheries and habitat.
That the so-called Blue Ribbon Task Force could not reach consensus, after a marathon session, shows how delicate and contentious this issue is. It did not accept any single map proposal offered by stakeholder groups but plucked parts of each and tweaked here and there and departed with a tentative map that will be scientifically evaluated before the next meeting.
It does not appear as though Rocky Point will be made into a marine reserve, as fishing interests had feared. Instead the Palos Verdes Peninsula reserve might be placed a bit more to the south off Point Vicente.
Neither will fishing closures at Santa Catalina Island be as extreme as one proposal had offered, but there will be closures at Catalina, deemed critical by conservationists. Vast parcels off the La Jolla and Laguna Beach areas also will become off-limits to fishing.
Since nothing is decided, though, it's premature to speculate as to what the final product will look like. The tentative map is expected to be posted on the Department of Fish and Game's website next week.
Hikers, bikers and horseback riders enjoying the Santa Monica Mountains can now assist in mapping invasive weeds, thanks to a new smart-phone application developed to identify the locations of intruding plant species in the park.
The "What's Invasive!" application allows users to snap an image and map the location of encroaching weeds, which will help National Park Service staff identify where plants need to be removed and monitored in the park.
"When visitors launch the application on the phone, the information they collect is automatically submitted to the 'What's Invasive!' website," said Lauren Newman, external affairs manager for the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. "NPS will rely on that website to get the information."
The six most common plants being targeted are Harding grass, perennial pepperweed, poison hemlock, Spanish broom, Terracina spurge and yellow starthistle.
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society held a fundraiser in Los Angeles on Saturday and unveiled the Ady Gil: a sleek and speedy trimaran that is expected to bolster the group's effort against Japanese whalers in the Southern Ocean below Australia.
Formerly named Earthrace, the vessel is powered by biodiesel and can reach speeds of 50 knots and deflect harpoons. It was renamed to reflect its benefactor, Ady Gil, who helped acquire the futuristic-looking boat.
Sea Shepherd will launch its sixth campaign against the Japanese whalers in December from Australia, using the flagship Steve Irwin and the Ady Gil to disrupt efforts by whalers to kill and process minke and fin whales.
It would be interesting to see the expressions on the faces of the whalers when they first glimpse the Ady Gil.
Japan hunts the whales annually in the Antarctic region using a research loophole in the wording of an international moratorium on whaling.
-- Pete Thomas
Photo: Earthrace, now named Ady Gil, will be used during Sea Shepherd's upcoming campaign against Japan's annual whaling effort. Credit: Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
The artwork that will grace the 2010-11 Federal Duck Stamp has been chosen.
The beautifully detailed painting of an American wigeon done by Waldorf, Md., artist Robert Bealle was selected from 224 entries in the oldest wildlife art contest in America. (The contest dates back to 1949 -- earlier stamps were done by commissioned artists.)
"The magnitude of this moment has not escaped me," Bealle said. "I'm so humbled and appreciative of this, I just don't know what to say."
The stamp, produced by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which all waterfowl hunters age 16 and older must possess, will go on sale in late June for $15. The stamps also allow free admission to any public national wildlife refuge.
Purchase of the stamps, also prized by philatelists, birding enthusiasts and conservationists, helps to support migratory bird habitat, raising about $25 million annually to fund the acquisition and preservation of wetlands for the National Wildlife Refuge system.
-- Kelly Burgess
Photo: Winning 2010-11 Federal Duck Stamp artwork by Robert Bealle. Credit: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Anglers on Sunday will stage a "Yes on 2!" rally at Dana Wharf Sportfishing in support of one of three proposals being considered by the Blue Ribbon Task Force as part of the Marine Life Protection Act Initiative. The BRTF will select its preferred alternative -- either of the three plans or an integrated version -- during a meeting next week at the Hilton Hotel in Long Beach.
(Public comments will be accepted from 1:30-4:30 p.m. and from 7-10 p.m. Wednesday, and the BRTF will choose its alternative Thursday.)
Whichever proposal is selected and ultimately approved by the California Fish and Game Commission, it will establish a network of state marine reserves along the Southern California coast and at the Channel Islands to help conserve fisheries and habitat. SMRs will be off limits to fishing and other types of consumptive activities.
The Marine Life Protection Act, passed by the California Legislature in 1999, requires the state to reevaluate and redesign California's system of marine protected areas, or reserves. The process is already complete in the North-Central and Central Coast regions.
In the South Coast region, from Point Conception to the U.S.-Mexico border, proposal No. 2 is favored by anglers because it's not as extreme when it comes to SMRs.
"We're not out here saying 'no' to conservation -- we're saying yes to a plan that achieves the MLPA's mandated conservation goals while minimizing the economic and social impact on Southern Californians," said Steven Fakuto, president of the United Anglers of Southern California, which was involved in the process as a stakeholder. "Workgroup 2's plan is still going to hurt, but we can live with the fact that it offers the best level of conservation while striving not to severely restrict recreational fishing."
At a meeting Tuesday, the five-member commission voted unanimously to close the remote area for the remainder of the season while keeping the statewide quota of 75 animals in place, reports the Associated Press.
Hunting had been suspended last week after nine wolves were killed surprisingly quickly since the season opened Sept. 15 in the backcountry zone. The area is located within what is called Wildlife Management Unit 3, which has an overall quota of 12.
State wildlife managers and commission members acknowledged a mistake in the decision to open the hunting season early near Yellowstone, and have characterized the nearly filled quota for the area as a learning experience.
Photo: A wolf watches biologists in Yellowstone National Park after being captured and fitted with a radio collar. Credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
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The backcountry hunt began Sept. 15 in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, coinciding with elk and deer hunts there. That small zone is within what is called Wildlife Management Unit 3, one of three large units in which hunting will be allowed when the statewide general season opens Oct. 25.
But with nine animals having been killed surprisingly quickly in the backcountry zone, the agency decided to suspend the hunt until the general season begins, to ensure some hunting occurs elsewhere in WMU 3 before the quota of 12 is met.
One of the goals of the state's inaugural wolf hunt is to encourage wolves to steer clear of ranches and livestock. Hunting the predators in a remote wilderness does not serve that purpose.
"We’re learning things every day as Montana’s first ever, fair-chase wolf hunt progresses," Joe Maurier, director of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, said in a news release posted Thursday on the agency website. "We were always a bit unsure about the level of hunter success we’d see in the remote, early-season backcountry areas. One thing we hope to achieve with closing the backcountry hunt in WMU 3, is to provide some hunting opportunity in other portions of the management unit where we’ve seen conflicts with livestock. We also need to learn as much about wolf hunting in the valleys as we’re learning about hunting in the backcountry."
In Montana’s other early backcountry hunt — also in deer- and elk-hunting districts — only two wolves have been harvested. The state has set quotas in each of the three units and next week will consider raising the quota in WMU 3 for the general season to ensure more front-country wolves are targeted. But that would mean lowering the quota in another zone. The overall state quota is 75 wolves.
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's planned mission this winter against the Japanese whaling effort has hit a snag because Capt. Paul Watson and his first officer are experiencing visa issues and so far are not being allowed into Australia.
Outposts reported on this Monday. Australia is the strategic point of departure for Sea Shepherd, which annually hunts and harasses the Japanese harpoon and factory vessels as their crews seek to kill minke whales in the Antarctic region during its summer.
Watson claims politics are behind the stringent visa requirements he's being asked to comply with and on Tuesday posted a letter on the Sea Shepherd website blasting Australia's government for its stance on whaling and for trying to "sabotage" the Sea Shepherd campaign.
Here's the controversial captain's letter:
By Captain Paul Watson
Way back in October 2007, I had urged thousands of Australians to vote for Kevin Rudd and Peter Garrett’s Labor Party. Why? Because they promised to get tough on illegal Japanese whaling. They promised to take Japan to court. They promised to send a ship down to the Southern Ocean to monitor the illegal activities. They had severely criticized the former Howard government for not doing enough.
Since then Rudd and Garrett have demonstrated that they have done far less for the whales than former Environment Minister Ian Campbell had done.
The hunt is in progress in Montana's remote Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness along the northern border of Yellowstone National Park. It began Sept. 15 in a small parcel within what is known as Wildlife Management Unit 3. WMU 3 has a quota of 12 but nine wolves already have been killed and it's conceivable the quota will be reached before the statewide general hunt in WMU 3 begins Oct. 25.
Carolyne Sime, the wolf program coordinator, said in a Billings Gazette story that she "didn't think the wolves would be so vulnerable to firearms harvest."
One of the goals of the overall hunt is to encourage wolves to remain in the backcountry away from potential conflicts with livestock. "So what we're learning," Sime said, "is that maybe we need to rethink these backcountry hunts and see if we can fine-tune that."
The front-country wolves, those more likely to come into conflict with livestock, will be targeted during the general season.
Matt Skoglund, blogging for Natural Resources Defense Council, wrote: "How could FWP have expected anything else when they opened the backcountry wilderness areas to wolf-hunting?" Skoglund stated that wolves sought by hunters in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness are "those famous Yellowstone wolves you've seen in the park or on PBS and the Discovery Channel." The blogger wondered whether the "poorly planned hunt" will affect tourism in Yellowstone.
The answer, most likely, is that it will not affect tourism. The quota in this district is only 12 wolves. Montana's wolf population at the end of 2008 was believed to number 500. The overall state quota is 75, which is deemed conservative by the agency, which regards hunting as a necessary wildlife management tool.
But as long as Montana's inaugural wolf hunt continues -- legal challenges remain -- it will be open to this kind of attack by animal rights groups.
-- Pete Thomas
Photo: Gray wolves wander through the snow in Montana. Courtesy of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
The recent change of weather is a reminder that fall is here and winter is not far off. That means it won't be long before Pacific gray whales begin their southbound migration.
For those who'd like to become more closely involved with the migration and help others enjoy the whale-watching experience, the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro is holding its first orientation meeting for docents Tuesday from 7-9 p.m.
Volunteer docents meet every Tuesday for classes, lectures and other training in a casual, friendly atmosphere. During the first meeting program director Larry Fukuhara will give the orientation while Bernardo Alps, president of the American Cetacean Society's Los Angeles Chapter, will share a PowerPoint presentation on whale watching during the last six months.
Alps' presentation will include killer whales in Monterey Bay, lunge feeding humpback and blue whales in the Santa Barbara Channel, the wayward juvenile gray whale that paused for a while in Marina del Rey and a Guadalupe fur seal at Cabrillo Beach.
Everyone is welcome but prospective docents must be college-age or older. The aquarium is located at 3720 Stephen M. White Dr. in San Pedro. For details call (310) 548-8397 or email cabrillowhalewatch@gmail.com.
-- Pete Thomas
Photo: A Pacific gray whale breaks the surface off San Simeon in this file photo. Credit: Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times
*Updated to reflect that the cost of this project was $800,000
Many Yosemite National Park visitors never realized the view they were missing — the iconic Half Dome framed between the cliffs of Glacier Point and the granite walls of El Capitan — or the availability of a spot to take it in.
That's because the Half Dome Overlook on Big Oak Flat
Road was easily missed.
Now, thanks to Yosemite Fund donors, the overlook has been redesigned, allowing better access and adding areas from which to enjoy the awe-inspiring view other than just a parking lot.
Paths have been rehabilitated in areas eroded from years of use and to meet the Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility standards.
There also are new educational exhibits, including the bronze relief of Half Dome pictured in the image at right.
"These improvements enhance the visitor experience," said Yosemite's acting superintendent, Dave Uberuaga. "Now people can enjoy the view and its exhibits in a safe and accessible manner as part of a redesign that also protects the natural environment. All of that makes a great view even better."
The project cost $800,000 and is part of the Yosemite Fund's 15-year effort to improve park overlooks, including those at Glacier Point, Olmsted Point and the approach to Yosemite Falls.
—Kelly Burgess
Photo: Ken and Aiwen Nakamoto of Sunnyvale, Calif., take a picture of themselves at the redesigned Half Dome Overlook.
Capt. Paul Watson and his ragtag vegan crew are about 90 days from embarking on another controversial campaign against the Japanese whaling fleet in and near the Antarctic.
But early next month, to drum up support for the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's sixth such mission, Watson will guide the group's flagship vessel, Steve Irwin, on a tour of Australian ports.
The vessel will open for tours and the crew will share stories about what these campaigns entail; perhaps they'll discuss the controversial methods employed while trying to spare whales from exploding harpoons--like tossing bottle of rancid butter at the whalers.
For those who live Down Under, tour dates are as follows: Sydney–Oct. 5-12 at Circular Quay; Hobart–Oct. 16-22 at Macquarie Wharf; Fremantle–Nov. 4-Dec. 7 at C Berth.
For anyone considering joining up with Sea Shepherd, here's the job description: "No pay, long hours, hard work, dangerous conditions, extreme weather. Guaranteed: Adventure, fulfillment, and the hardest work you will ever love. The experience of a lifetime."
These campaigns have gained widespread notoriety thanks to Animal Planet and its "Whale Wars" series. The shows take viewers along for the ride as the Sea Shepherd crew hunts down the Japanese fleet and disrupts hunts that annually target about 1,000 minke whales and a small number of endangered fin whales.
The series also has served as a valuable recruitment tool for Sea Shepherd, a group that seems to be either despised or admired. Critics point out that Japan's hunts are legal and that Watson's questionable antics will get someone killed. But supporters maintain that Japan is hunting whales via a research loophole in the wording of an international moratorium on whaling, and that profit, not research, drives the whaling effort. If most of the world is against whaling, why is Japan still slaughtering the intelligent mammals?
From the sidelines, these annual confrontations are entertaining, to say the least. That's why Animal Planet jumped aboard two campaigns ago. Season 1 was boring, Season 2 was action-packed and it's anyone's guess how Season 3 will turn out, but it will not be lacking in drama.
-- Pete Thomas
Photo: Steve Irwin docked in Hobart, Australia. Credit: Adam Lau / Sea Shepherd
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To commemorate the first public wolf hunt in state history, Idaho Fish and Game is auctioning off state gray wolf hunting tags Nos. 1 through 10 via six hunting and wildlife conservation groups.
Proceeds from these tags will go to the Idaho wolf management program, which aids in wolf conservation and management, public education, population monitoring and law enforcement.
Tags No. 5 and 9 will be sold by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation on Oct. 3 during a live auction in Mackay, Idaho.
Tag No. 6 will be sold by the Idaho Sportsmen's Caucus Advisory Council on Oct. 29 in a live auction at a National Assembly of Sportsmen's Caucuses event in McCall, Idaho.
Each organization will keep a portion of the proceeds to cover its costs.
Winning bidders will receive one commemorative tag suitable for display plus a duplicate for use when hunting. Since state rules allow only one wolf tag per person per calendar year, any winner that already has an unused tag may exchange it. Winners must also have a current Idaho hunting license to claim their tag.
-- Kelly Burgess
Photo courtesy of National Parks Conservation Assn.
The 25th annual California Coastal Cleanup Day is Saturday and
volunteers are invited to lend a hand picking up debris at the
state's beaches and inland shorelines.
Volunteers can pre-register with a local coordinator or simply show up at any of the drop-in sites. Participants should plan on wearing sturdy shoes and bring a hat, gloves and sunscreen.
Last year, more than 70,000 volunteers removed a record 1.6 million
pounds of trash and recyclables, of which almost 200,000 pounds was
recycled.
When combined with the International Coastal Cleanup,
organized by Ocean Conservancy and taking place on the same day,
California Coastal Cleanup Day is part of one of the largest
worldwide single-day volunteer events.
"We want Coastal Cleanup Day to be an opportunity for every Californian to feel their connection to our coast, no matter where they may live," said Eben Schwartz, California Coastal Commission outreach manager. "By pushing the cleanup into every corner of the state, we can clean up a lot of trash before it has a chance to reach our ocean, and in doing so, bind every Californian to one another through our collective stewardship."
-- Kelly Burgess
Photo: Poster announcing this year's California Coastal Cleanup Day. Credit: California Coastal Commission
"They do have the potential to see wolves because wolves and human hunters are both looking for the elk," she said.
Joining Idaho, Montana is one of the first of the lower 48 states to legally
participate in gray wolf hunts since the animals were removed from the
endangered list last May throughout much of the Northern Rockies. The
Idaho season opened Sept. 1.
Thus far, more than 8,500 Montana wolf hunting licenses have been issued. Sales may increase now that a Montana federal court denied a
preliminary injunction requested by Defenders of Wildlife and other
plaintiffs that had sued to halt the hunts and challenge the delisting.
The statewide quota of 75, if met, would total 15% of Montana's lupine population.
-- Kelly Burgess
Photo: Silhouetted wolf in Yellowstone National Park. Credit: Joel Sartore/National Geographic/Getty Images
I've always been curious about people and their pastimes, whether it's hiking, fishing, hunting, climbing or bird-watching.
I've never given trapping much thought, until picking up the premier issue of Turkey Country magazine and reading a story on Jill Easton Spencer, who last year was named Arkansas Trapper of the Year.
The woman is clearly passionate about the outdoors and does not care how she might be perceived by others. She has learned to read signs and to anticipate what routes various critters will use around her home in Calico Rock, Ark.
She uses mostly small traps and says of the appeal: "When you're trapping you're an apex predator and that's pretty exciting. You become part of the animal's world and you become part of nature."
Jill and her husband, Jim, sell their fur and she proudly wears fur. She explains that trapping, like hunting, improves the ecosystem. "For example, the raccoon population is exploding in this country, and trappers help keep the numbers in check. Raccoons devour more eggs and female ducks in a year than hunters kill in five years."
Of those who might not understand trappers or hunters, she implies they've lost touch with reality. "Kids have no clue that food comes from anywhere but a hamburger package at McDonald's or a plastic container from the grocery store. Trapping puts you in a reality you can't get anywhere else."
Turkey Country invites readers to check out Jill's recipe for baked 'coon. Thanks, but no thanks.
-- Pete Thomas
Photo: A coyote appears from low fog on a hillside near grazing livestock in San Luis Obispo County in this 2001 photo. Credit: Associated Press
Another chapter of the saga involving wolf hunting in Idaho and Montana -- the first hunts since the animals were removed from the endangered species list in those states last April -- appears to have closed with a federal judge ruling the controversial hunts can continue. The ruling was made Tuesday evening in Montana.
After the delisting, Idaho authorized a harvest quota of 220 wolves for its inaugural season. Montana authorized a per-season quota of 75 wolves.
Idaho's season opened last week despite fierce opposition. Montana's hunt is scheduled to begin next week. On Tuesday evening, a Montana federal court denied a preliminary injunction requested by Defenders of Wildlife and other plaintiffs that had sued to halt the hunts and challenge the delisting.
Rodger Schlickeisen, president of Defenders of Wildlife, posted this statement Sept. 1: "The heavy-handed wolf hunt beginning today in Idaho, together with the hunt planned to begin September 15th in Montana, puts the recovery of the Northern Rockies population of wolves at risk and demonstrates precisely the kind of irresponsible state management that should have precluded taking the wolf off the endangered species list at this point in time."
Safari Club International is among groups defending the wolf delisting in Idaho and Montana, while supporting hunts as critical tools of species management. SCI President Larry Rudolph said Wednesday in a news release:
“SCI continues to lead the way for the hunting community in efforts to keep the recovered wolves of the Rocky Mountains where they belong – off the endangered species list. The states can and will effectively manage the wolf, as demonstrated by their establishing reasonable and well-regulated wolf hunts."
The fight is far from over, however, as the judge's ruling is only temporary and there are many more chapters before this story ends. Please stay tuned.
With the comeback of the northern peregrine falcon along the East Coast comes the limited return of opportunity for hunters to capture the birds for use in falconry.
"We are restoring a prized opportunity that was taken away from
falconers several decades ago," said Jim Ozier, a wildlife program manager with the Georgia Department of Natural
Resources. "We believe opportunities for
traditional, regulated and sustainable wildlife uses should be
permitted and safeguarded when possible."
This week the Georgia Board of Natural Resources approved regulatory changes allowing the capture of no more than five migrating juvenile peregrines along the state's coast this fall.
That's part of an allotment of 36 northern peregrines that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other agencies approved for capture in the Eastern U.S. The raptors breed in Canada, Alaska and southern Greenland, and winter in South America.
Though animal rights groups will squawk, the limited capture program is not expected to affect the breeding population of peregrines.
Georgia's five lucky falconers will be picked in a drawing and will have one month, beginning Sept. 20, to capture a migrating bird. Limited trapping also is being allowed in South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland.
There will be various activities each day, including crafts, films, games and educational presentations with a focus on learning about local protected marine areas.
At 1:30 p.m. both days, attendees will have the opportunity to meet an underwater photographer and see a slide show.
Sunday at 3:30 p.m. there will be a special weekend feeding of the aquarium's sharks.
Admission for adults is $2 minimum ($5 suggested), and children 12 and younger can enter free with a paying adult.
-- Kelly Burgess
Photo: The Santa Monica Pier at twilight. Credit: Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times
Original artwork in any medium will be accepted beginning Oct. 26 until the Nov. 20 deadline.
Entries must feature the mourning dove, and at least one dove must sport an aluminum band with the number 682 on its right leg. The number was chosen as a tribute to the volunteers who help band mourning doves, and is a sequence contained in the band numbers of two birds banded and reported to the U.S. Geological Survey's Bird Banding Laboratory to meet the quota requested by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Open to all U.S. residents 18 and older, this is a return to the contest format after three years of commissioned artwork for the stamp.
Poachers of wildlife are the worst kind of hunters if they can even be labeled hunters. They steal resources belonging to others with potentially damaging consequences, and they tarnish the image of legitimate hunters and conservationists.
Thus, Outposts has developed a habit of publicizing major poaching cases, which emerge all too frequently. (See Monday's report about a Florida deer poacher whose target was a 12-point buck inside a game farm.)
The latest bust was in Washington County, Utah.
Mathew Steven Spendlove, a resident of Hurricane, was arrested last week and charged with four Class A misdemeanors and three Class B misdemeanors stemming from the alleged poaching of seven buck deer.
If Spendlove is found guilty, he could spend five years in jail and be ordered to pay $13,000 in fines and $2,800 in restitution. He might also lose hunting privileges in 31 states that are part of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact.
The evidence against Spendlove is damning. Officers with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, whose investigation began after they'd received a tip on the agency hot line, found seven sets of deer antlers (pictured). They also discovered photos they say provided evidence that all seven deer had been taken illegally.
Chris Schulze, one of the officers, said the bucks were taken from a relatively small area, which "can seriously decrease the buck population in the area and even narrow the genetic pool."
A trial date is scheduled for Sept. 10 in 5th District Court in St. George, Utah.
-- Pete Thomas
Photo of confiscated deer antlers courtesy of Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
Hosted by FoLAR in partnership with Aquarius Spring natural spring
water, the public is encouraged to come lend a hand.
There will be live music at the event as well as informational booths about the L.A. River and ongoing revitalization projects.
Volunteers should plan on wearing work clothes and sturdy shoes, and remember to bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen.
A second cleanup is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 29, from 9 a.m. to noon at Taylor Yard in Cypress Park.
--Kelly Burgess
Photo: Seven Auchterlonie, left, and Roberto Auchterlonie took part in a Friends of the Los Angeles River cleanup event earlier this year in Long Beach. Credit: Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times
The L.A. Times Dish Rag blog today breaks news that many already know about: Capt. Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society runs a vegan ship. DR also provides Sea Shepherd recipes for those interested in learning how these anti-whaling operatives dine.
Another bit of Sea Shepherd news: The controversial skipper and his ragtag crew will be at the Riverside Municipal Auditorium on Aug. 29 for an art auction fundraiser entitled "Sea No Evil." It will begin at 7 p.m. and feature more than 60 works of art, including original pieces from Shepard Fairey and Jeff Soto.
A $5 donation is required and proceeds will benefit Sea Shepherd, which is in off-season preparations for yet another campaign -- and perhaps another Animal Planet "Whale Wars" series -- against Japanese whale hunters in the Antarctic.
To be sure, that's what people want to know about. All this blase news about fluffy vegan pancakes and art shows does is whet the appetite for the meat-and-potatoes activity that includes dramatic confrontation and what the Japanese refer to as outright terrorism.
Watson will have more and faster boats for what he promises to be an escalated campaign. Those who followed last season's campaign may recall the collisions and other close calls. Surely, Japan and its Institute of Cetacean Research (Japan suggests to the world its minke and fin whale hunts are in the name of research) are plotting countermeasures for when both groups take to the whale grounds in about four months, during the Antarctic summer.
Many of the few hundred people who have commented on Outposts about this issue -- Watson has lots of supporters, but as many critics -- claim it's only a matter of time before someone is killed or seriously injured during these confrontations. Will this be that kind of season? Stay tuned....
The Idaho Fish and Game Commission has set a quota of 220 wolves for the inaugural wolf hunting season, scheduled to begin next month.
Tags will go on sale Monday at 10 a.m. at Idaho Fish and Game offices, online and at private outdoor retailers. The cost is $11.75 for state residents and $186 for
non-residents. All hunters must also possess an Idaho hunting license, which
costs $12.75 for residents, $154.75 for non-residents.
The commission rejected a more aggressive option, which called for a quota of 430 wolves -- 49% of the state's wolf population.
Idaho joins Montana as one of the first Lower 48 states to legally participate in gray wolf hunts. Last month, the neighboring state set a quota of 75 wolves, with hunting season also scheduled to begin in September.
The plan continues to draw protests, though. Several lawsuits by environmental groups regarding the predators' removal from protection under the Endangered Species Act are pending, and could block the upcoming hunt.
In an effort to curb illegal hunting nationwide, Whitetails Unlimited has unveiled a campaign of anti-poaching signs and decals available free.
Loosely modeled on a "neighborhood watch" program, the signs encourage anyone who witnesses dubious hunting activity to report it to enforcement agencies.
"All true conservationists have an obligation to help fight poaching,"
said Whitetails Unlimited Executive Director Pete Gerl. "It's as simple as being
conscious of what's happening around you while in the field and
reporting any suspicious activity to law enforcement."
Printed on heavy plastic, the signs have room enough to write the local agency phone number, if desired.
"Poaching steals from all of us, destroys our natural resources, and
tends to cast a negative light on the sport of regulated hunting," Gerl said. "Wardens and law enforcement can't be
everywhere, and they need the help of all citizens to catch those who
think they are above the law."
Free signs, decals and wallet cards are available by contacting WTU headquarters at (800) 274-5471.
The August Nothin' But Sand beach cleanup is set to take place Saturday from 10 a.m. until noon at Venice Beach.
Hosted by Heal the Bay, the cleanups are held on the third Saturday of each month at different locales and are an opportunity to lend a hand helping keep our shores tidy.
Parking is $1 per vehicle. Volunteers should plan to meet at lifeguard tower Buccaneer at the south side of Venice Pier.
All cleaning supplies will be provided, so volunteers are welcome to just show up (those younger than 12 need to be accompanied by a parent).
Attendees should plan on bringing their own drinking water as well as a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. More information on what to wear and bring is available on the Heal the Bay website.
Liability waiver forms will be available on-site and must be signed before pitching in. Participants 17 and younger must have a parent or guardian sign their form.
Groups of 10 or more are asked to call (800) 432-5229, Ext. 148 to let organizers know they plan to join in.
-- Kelly Burgess
Photo: A couple taking a walk along the beach near the Venice Pier. Credit: Alex Gallardo / Los Angeles Times
Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Rep. George Miller, both California Democrats, have introduced a bill in Congress that, if passed, will all but ban the aerial hunting of wolves in Alaska.
Alaska officials would have to declare a biological emergency showing
the imminent collapse of a species before the wolf hunts can take place, and could only allow such hunting to be conducted by state or federal wildlife employees, barring private contractors.
"Shooting wolves from airplanes is not sport -- it is cruel and inhumane," Feinstein said in a written statement to the Anchorage Daily News. "It undermines the hunting principle of a fair chase and often leads to a slow and painful death for the hunted animals. This practice should be banned."
The legislation would close a loophole in the 1972 Airborne Hunting Act (which bans most aerial hunting in the U.S.) that allows Alaska to issue permits for such hunting of wolves on non-federal lands.
"What this bill does is essentially makes it impossible for
Alaska to manage wolf populations in any sort of responsible way," said
Pat Valkenburg, Alaska Department of Fish and Game deputy commissioner. "We
finally have a program that works and to end it because of the
emotional feelings of uninformed people is just not a good idea."
The iconic fire prevention figure, known to outdoor enthusiasts and nature and animal lovers young and old, has changed little since first gracing U.S. Forest Service posters in 1944.
In all these years, the catch phrase associated with Smokey has only been updated twice. The original, "Smokey Says -- Care Will Prevent 9 out of 10 Forest Fires" was switched to "Remember...Only YOU Can Prevent Forest Fires" in 1947, then again modified in 2001 to "Only You Can Prevent Wildfires," to better cover natural areas other than forests that may be affected by fires.
Smokey did also go through a name change, when "the" was added in 1952. It wasn't a "legal" change though, and was only inserted by songwriters to help maintain the rhythm in an anthem. Smokey enthusiasts still debate the correct name. (The Times style book states the correct usage is Smokey or Smokey Bear, not Smokey the Bear.)
No matter how you say it, the Smokey Bear wildfire prevention campaign is the longest running public service advertising campaign in U.S. history.
An ironic side note: Smokey's "birthday" coincides with the opening weekend of bear hunting season in California.
--Kelly Burgess
Photo: Smokey Bear poster. Credit: U.S. Forest Service
It will create 24 marine protected areas and ban or restrict fishing in nearly 20% of coastal waters between Half Moon Bay and Point Arena.
The commission adopted the measure -- one of four alternative measures up for consideration -- by a vote of 3-2.
While environmental groups were pleased with a measure they believe will help ensure the long-term survival of beleaguered fish stocks, fishermen did not waste time bemoaning the loss of historic fishing grounds and what they perceive to be a threat to their livelihoods. State game wardens complained that they're already overworked and may not be able to guard against poaching and other violations.
"For me the most painful is an area called Fitzgerald's Reef, which extends outside the harbor six miles along the coast and three miles offshore," said Capt. William Smith of the recreational fishing boat Rip Tide, which runs from Half Moon Bay. "That's always been a major fishery for us."
Much of the waters surrounding the Farallon Islands west of San Francisco also will be closed to fishing, with a few seasonal exceptions. Nature viewing operations might also be affected there because there will be a 1,000-foot buffer zone from North Island. A spokesman for a small seaweed harvesting business at Point Arena said it will suffer a 40% annual loss because of the restrictions.
The closures are scheduled to go into effect Jan. 1
Check out the white shark video to try to determine the location: (a) Guadalupe Island; (b) South Africa; (c) South Australia; (d) Farallon Islands; or (e) none of the above?
The answer is "e."
It's a newly discovered white shark aggregation site and news of its existence is sure to pique the interest of scientists and documentary teams.
An announcement regarding the site will be made this weekend by Shark Divers, a company that used to be in the commercial cage-diving business but now specializes in working with film and television crews.
For now, its code name is Oceana and Shark Divers CEO Patric Douglas, who labels it the most exciting white shark site discovery since Mexico's Guadalupe Island in 2001, would only confirm that it's a very remote island in the Southern Ocean.
Douglas said a limited number of crews will begin visiting the location early next year and that it remains unclear whether a commercial cage-diving operation will be established.
Cage-diving operations are beneficial in that they allow the general public to develop a better understanding and appreciation of the embattled apex predators. But they can also be harmful to sharks--especially those that accidentally get caught between cage bars--and some charge that chumming habituates the sharks.
Because aggregation sites are so few, they do need to be protected and diving operations need to be regulated. "These sites need to be protected with everything we've got," Douglas said. "Now that the site is known, we've got to get the public behind it so the local government can say 'Yes, we need to turn this into a special place.' "
Thanks to a team effort, chinook salmon stranded in warming waters during their spring-run spawning migration were able to continue their journey Tuesday.
The fish were trapped in Butte Creek near Chico in a pool of water that was warmer than the surrounding area. This thermal block caused the salmon to dive to the bottom in search of cooler waters and halted their forward movement.
"Without human intervention to capture and move these fish, we would
have seen a high mortality rate," DFG fishery manager Joe Johnson said in a release.
Biologists also implanted the chinook with radio transmitters prior to release.
"The radio transmitters will enable us to track where the
salmon go and determine what the results ultimately are for this type
of rescue," said Johnson.
Chinook salmon are listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act. Though changes in habitat and water management have helped the Central Valley chinook population rebound somewhat, recent surveys indicate a lower number returning to the region than in years past. Because of this, salmon fishing is off-limits in most of the area.
-- Kelly Burgess
Photo: An NOAA biologist releases one of the Butte Creek spring-run chinook salmon
with an implanted radio tracking device. Credit: Harry Morse / DFG
Norwegian whalers have suspended this year's hunt of minke whales, citing lack of product demand.
According to an Agence France-Presse article, industry officials state that the suspension is due to capacity problems at processing plants.
"The number of whales killed so far is enough to meet the known demand," Willy Godtliebsen, head of sales at the Norwegian Fishermen's Sales Organization said. "They may resume the hunt later if new buyers turn up."
The environmental group Greenpeace, however, claims that it is proof of a growing disinterest for whale meat among consumers and that the meat is being shunned.
Norway's whaling season, which defies an international ban on commercial whaling, begins in spring and usually runs until fall. With a quota of 885 minke whales, approximately 350 have been harpooned thus far.
-- Kelly Burgess
Photo: Minke whale. Credit: Eric Martin / For The Times
To mark the first day of sale Friday for the 2009-10 federal and junior duck stamps, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will host a ceremony at the Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World store in Nashville.
Attending will be the winning artists whose work will grace this year's stamps. Watertown, S.D. resident Joshua Spies' painting of a long-tail duck and decoy (above) was chosen from 270 entries for the federal stamp, and 16-year-old Lily Spang from Toledo, Ohio won the junior stamp contest with her design featuring a wood duck (below).
To continue the 75-year tradition of a postmaster selling the first stamp to the Fish and Wildlife Service director, Nashville postmaster Dave Vale will be at the ceremony to sell the first stamps to USFWS Acting Director Rowan Gould.
Two individuals caught poaching lobsters in the San Diego area have been sentenced to jail. Though the cases are unrelated, both involve repeat offenders.
Jason Bryan Chavez was caught mid-May with 46 lobsters in his possession. Not only were they taken out of season and below the legal minimum size, some of the females were carrying eggs as it is breeding season for the crustaceans.
Chavez pleaded guilty and has been ordered to serve 120 days in jail. He will be placed on probation following his release. This is the 10th time that Chavez has been arrested on poaching charges in the Mission Bay area since 1995.
The other man, Binh Q. Chau, was caught in March fishing with a hand-line at the La Jolla Marine Preserve, where it is unlawful to take any marine life.
When approached by a Department of Fish and Game warden, Chau attempted to toss the line into the ocean, but the spool it was connected to was in his pocket. When searched, he was found to have four lobsters and a cabezon in his possession.
In support of the California Department of Fish and Game and its effort to keep hunters and anglers informed, Outposts, on Thursday afternoon or Friday, posts marine biologist Carrie Wilson's weekly Q&A column:
Question: I ran into a bunch of guys recently who love to bass-fish and so have been moving bass into the rivers. They think it's OK but I think not because bass eat trout and salmon fry. They say the water is too warm during the summer for trout. Is there anything we can do if we know they are taking a bunch of bass to the rivers to dump? Who do I contact if I know where and when it will be done next? (Anonymous)
Answer: Transporting and relocating live finfish from one body of water to another in California can cause serious environmental problems and is a serious offense punishable by fines and even jail time. If you have knowledge of this activity, you should immediately call our toll-free CalTIP line ([888] DFG-CALTIP, or [888] 334-2258) and provide specific details, including suspect and vehicle descriptions, license plate numbers and locations of where the fish are being caught and dropped off.
Aside from the fact that the transported fish may not adapt well to their new surroundings or even die, they can potentially disrupt the balance of existing species through increased predation, competition for limited food sources, disease and parasites.
Capt. Paul Watson, whose Sea Shepherd Society has drawn praise and harsh criticism for its sometimes confrontational encounters with Japanese whalers, says of the second season of the Animal Planet series, "Whale Wars," which debuts tonight at 9 p.m.: "It ought to be 10 times more dramatic and exciting than last year."
That's because last year's shows, which were based on the 2007-08 exploits of Watson and crew, contained very little drama and excitement. This year it'll be different because Watson's 2008-09 campaign against whalers in the Antarctic included numerous confrontations -- including three collisions and a very dramatic pursuit through ice -- with Japanese crews that regard Sea Shepherd as a terrorist group.
"They were very aggressive toward us -- the most aggressive I've ever seen them -- so it's a far more dramatic season for that reason," Watson said in an interview this week.
Sea Shepherd's tactics are to disrupt the months-long hunt and any efforts by whalers to transfer harpooned whales onto the processing ship.
Japan employes a research loophole in the wording of an international whaling moratorium to justify the hunts, which annually target nearly 1,000 minke whales and 50 endangered fin whales. Minke whales are not endangered and the country for generations has sold whale meat at market. Whaling, Japan has argued, is deep-rooted in the nation's culture.
Watson, one of the co-founders of Greenpeace, is either revered or despised for the controversial methods he employs. Greenpeace and other whale conservation groups consider his efforts too confrontational and potentially perilous. Watson counters that Sea Shepherd doesn't violate laws and has not injured anyone. He has lots of critics and does not care.
For the first time in nearly 15 years, a contest was held to select the image to appear on the duck stamp that will adorn 2009-10 licenses of California waterfowl hunters.
Above is the winning design chosen from 18 entries, and it's a beauty.
The painting by Indiana artist Jeffrey Klinefelter depicts a pair of northern shovelers, the species for this year's competition and stamp.
The contest was close, with the second-place finisher losing by only one point. The judges, which included California Waterfowl Assn. President Robert McLandress and Harry Curieaux Adamson, who painted the image for the current stamp, said the vibrant colors in the background gave the winning entry the edge.
The stamps go on sale in August, with proceeds going to waterfowl-related conservation projects. The Department of Fish and Game also typically produces and sells limited-edition prints of the image, some signed by the governor. Since it began in 1971, the California duck stamp program has raised more than $22 million.
For those wondering whether California will follow through with the Marine Life Protection Act Initiative in light of the state's massive budget deficit and the drastic cuts being made elsewhere, the answer appears to be a resounding yes.
Natural Resources Secretary Michael Chrisman on Monday delivered a memo to the California Fish and Game Commission in response to two commission members who recently suggested a delay in further implementation of the MLPA process. The MLPA Initiative staff and stakeholder groups are working toward establishing a coastwide network of marine protected areas -- which would be off-limits to fishermen -- and is currently focusing on Southern California.
Chrisman explained to the commission, on behalf of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, that "California's process for adopting an improved system of marine protected areas is well funded. Moreover, there is no reason, funding or otherwise, for the process supporting the law to be postponed."
Chrisman further explained that the state budget has "consistently provided support for MLPA" and that "this funding is but a small part of the more than $34.2 million that has been allocated statewide for MLPA by a partnership of state agencies and foundations."
This news will be disappointing to many fishermen but should be reassuring to environmental groups that favor a network of no-take areas to benefit beleaguered stocks of fish, and that have devoted thousands of hours, as stakeholders, to the painstaking process.
-- Pete Thomas
Photo: Reed Smolan unhooks a calico bass caught off the Palos Verdes Peninsula. A portion of ocean beyond the peninsula faces possible closure as part of the Marine Life Protection Act Initiative. Credit: Pete Thomas / Los Angeles Times
The historic trout breeding center in Independence, which began operation in 1917, was closed last year when floods and mudslides caused extensive damage to ponds, pumps and outbuildings.
The Friends of Mt. Whitney Fish Hatchery, headed by Bruce Ivey, led a cleanup and recovery effort that brought about the reopening of the facilities.
Visitors can tour the grounds and the main building, which is now an interpretative center with displays and historic information.
The pond in front of the hatchery has also been cleaned and stocked with trout. Though there are no plans in the near future to raise fish onsite, the ones currently in the pond are Department of Fish and Game brood trout that will be used next March for breeding.
To celebrate the opening, there will be a barbecue dinner held at the hatchery Saturday at 5 p.m., with tickets available at the location.
-- Kelly Burgess
Photo: Mt. Whitney Fish Hatchery. Credit: California Department of Fish and Game
Outposts' primary contributor is veteran L.A. Times outdoors and action sports reporter Pete Thomas. Also contributing are Kelly Burgess and other Times staffers.
