From the pages of
Sublette Examiner
Volume 7, Number 2 - April 5, 2007
brought to you online by Pinedale Online

Reporter’s Notes

Wolves cloned

The first cloning of wolves has been achieved in South Korea, according to a report by Science Editor Mark Henderson on the UK’s TimesOnline www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article1572401.ece. The article reports that the two female wolves were born back in October 2005, but DNA tests recently confirmed the claim that the animals were clones.

Apparently some of the research team is associated with Woo Suk Hwang (known for his faked human stem-cell research).

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) APHIS Administrator Dr. Ron DeHaven, DVM, has been named the new executive vice president at the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). With more than 25 years of public health experience, DeHaven will succeed Bruce Little, DVM, who is retiring this year after service as executive vice president since 1996.

"This position at the AVMA will provide me an exciting opportunity to give back to the profession,” DeHaven said. “I will be in a leadership position in the organization that represents 75,000 veterinarians at a time when the profession is at a crossroads. We are facing a future where the intersection of animal health, public health and food-supply veterinary medicine is becoming critical to meeting the needs of a global society."

DeHaven is planning to remain in his position at APHIS for a few months to ensure an orderly transition for USDA.


Weather

Last week brought severe weather to Wyoming. The high winds that hit Sublette County March 27, included speeds topping 60 miles per hour near Big Piney, 65 mph at Boulder and 44 mph near Pinedale, according to the National Weather Service.

Snowfall amounts recorded on Thursday, March 29, included a high of 70 inches at the Hobbs Park SNOTEL site in Fremont County, and 37 inches at Sinks Canyon.


Ski now

White Pine Ski Area and Resort has been getting fresh powder from the recent spring snowstorms, so now is a good time to get your spring skiing in before the season ends. The resort plans to remain open through April 15.


Grizzly

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Director H. Dale Hall announced the 16 recipients of the agency’s 2006 National Recovery Champion award. The award recognizes outstanding contributions of FWS employees and their partners toward efforts aimed at recovering threatened and endangered species in the United States.

Receiving these awards were the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee, the Yellowstone Ecosystem Subcommittee, the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team and FWS Grizzly Bear Recovery Coordinator Dr. Chris Servheen.

On March 22, FWS announced that it is removing the Yellowstone population of grizzly bears from its status of threatened on the U.S. list of threatened and endangered species. Four other grizzly populations in the lower 48 states have not yet recovered and will continue to be protected as threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.


Alaska wolf bounty

Last week Defenders of Wildlife, the Alaska Wildlife Alliance and the Alaska Chapter of the Sierra Club were successful in their effort to convince the Alaska Superior Court to shut down the state’s $150-per-wolf bounty program, pointing to the 1984 repeal of Alaska's bounty laws. The environmental groups alleged, and the court agreed, that the state has no current legal authority to implement the bounties.

"The governor is overstepping her legal authority by offering cash payments for each wolf killed by aerial gunners," said Tom Banks, Defenders of Wildlife's Alaska Associate. "That's a bounty by anyone's standards regardless of what they call it."

Hoping to boost the number of wolves killed this year by permitees, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin announced the state would pay $150 for each kill. According to an Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) news release, the bounty was instituted to "motivate permittees to redouble their efforts and to help offset the high cost of aviation fuel, ADF&G will offer cash payments to those who return biological specimens to the department." The state's press release noted, "Permittees will be paid $150 when they bring in the left forelegs of wolves taken from any of several designated control areas."

On Friday, the court ordered a halt to the bounty payment.

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