Defenders of Wildlife Blog

Sea otters don’t want roses or chocolates for Valentine’s Day.

Check out this video with our friend Philippe Cousteau to learn more about what you can do to help the threatened California sea otter.

If you live in California, the best way to show you care is to do your taxes early and donate to the California Sea Otter Fund, a vital lifeline supporting research and recovery programs for these furry marine mammals.

Californians must raise more than a quarter-million dollars this tax season for vital fund to reappear on tax forms again next year. Learn how you can contribute today at saveseaotters.org.

BLM aims to guide utility-scale solar power plants to public lands with least chance of harming wildlife.

BREAKING: On the heels of President Obama’s State of the Union remarks to expand clean energy development, the Interior Department is moving to finalize the nation’s first solar energy program for public lands with the closing of the public comment period.

Over the past 90 days, the Bureau of Land Management has been seeking input on the Supplemental Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (SPEIS) for solar development on public lands in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah.

The solar plan has garnered more than 100,000 comments in the past two years from stakeholders across the country advocating for balanced, guided development that would minimize potential impacts on wildlife and sensitive lands, and reduce uncertainty in permitting. Solar companies, major trade associations, utilities and conservation groups also submitted a joint letter to Interior with recommendations to help shape a successful solar program.

Following are statements from conservation groups and other stakeholders in support of guided solar development:

“We are at a critical juncture in the future of solar development on our public lands,” said Chase Huntley, Director of Renewable Energy Policy at The Wilderness Society.  “We have seen a tremendous amount of leadership from staff at the Department of the Interior to ensure we develop a strong solar program. Over the next few months we hope to see them finalizing a plan that strikes a balance between wildlands and wildlife protection while creating certainty and a level playing field for the solar industry.”

The Interior Department’s proposed solar program focuses on producing power in low-conflict and no-conflict zones and offers the best opportunity to achieve this goal. This zone-based approach is an important step toward producing energy in the right places and protecting sensitive public lands and wildlife. -Jim Lyons, Defenders’ senior director for renewable energy

“It’s time to kick our addiction to polluting fuels and create new jobs by increasing clean sources of energy,” said Johanna Wald, senior attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council. “Interior’s intention to guide development to thoughtfully designated ‘solar energy zones’ will help ensure the success of the solar industry and our nation’s quick transition to a clean energy economy while protecting irreplaceable lands and wildlife. Reaching that balance is a tall order but Interior has provided strong leadership demonstrating that a comprehensive final solar program can be achieved.”

Solar projects must be carefully designed to avoid desert bighorn sheep habitat.

“If the Obama administration is to reach the goal of powering three million homes with clean energy by the year’s end, it must move quickly to put in place a smart solar energy program that speeds up permitting of projects. The key is to guide development away from conflicts with wildlife and natural resources to areas with access to transmission,” said Jim Lyons, Senior Director for Renewable Energy with Defenders of Wildlife. “The Interior Department’s proposed solar program focuses on producing power in low-conflict and no-conflict zones and offers the best opportunity to achieve this goal. This zone-based approach is an important step toward producing energy in the right places and protecting sensitive public lands and wildlife.”

As a solar investor, I believe the biggest advantage of the zones approach is reducing uncertainty in permitting. By doing so, it will reduce risks and attract long-term investments for projects that will create jobs and help advance our nation’s clean energy goals. — Nancy Pfund, founder and managing partner at DBL Investors

“Properly designed solar energy zones on public lands would be a major step forward in helping create an enduring and stable investment environment for the solar industry,” said Nancy Pfund, founder and managing partner at DBL Investors. “As a solar investor, I believe the biggest advantage of the zones approach is reducing uncertainty in permitting. By doing so, it will reduce risks and attract long-term investments for projects that will create jobs and help advance our nation’s clean energy goals.”

“The Bureau of Land Management’s latest solar energy plan is a major step forward in achieving the multiple goals of efficient solar development and protecting our water, wildlife and magnificent western landscapes,” said Timothy Hay, former Nevada consumer advocate and public utility commissioner. “By establishing clearly defined zones for solar energy development, we can begin to provide investors, developers, conservationists and citizens the predictability and stability to move forward.”

Desert tortoise benefit from smart planning of solar power projects.

“Well-designed solar energy zones will result in faster permitting and speedier construction of projects,” said Jonathan Foster, a director of Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2) in California. “Interior’s approach to guide solar development to appropriate areas strikes the right balance between protecting critical lands and wildlife, and providing greater certainty for project success – and should be supported by solar developers, environmentalists, and the public at large.”

“The solar industry is up to the task of meeting the President’s goal for dramatically expanding our rich solar resources in the Southwest,” said Rhone Resch, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association.  “However, project developers need clear rules of the road that balance the need for flexibility to build solar power plants both inside and outside of designated Solar Energy Zones with responsible stewardship of public lands, resources and wildlife. These are not mutually exclusive objectives and we look forward to continuing work with stakeholders.”

Late condor biologist Mike Tyner looks on as a released California condor takes flight.

With a heavy heart, I write this post about the tragic, untimely death of condor biologist Mike Tyner.

While out checking on a recently released condor in Big Sur, Calif. Mike was fatally struck by a large tree during a severe windstorm on November 30, 2011.

But he was no stranger to putting his life on the line to help save these rare, magnificent birds. In 2008, he joined the rescue team responsible for saving eight condors from the Basin Complex Wildfire, which razed two condor facilities as it raged across Big Sur.

Mike was unassuming, humble and hard working, says Ventana Wildlife Society’s executive director, Kelly Sorenson. “He was truly an exceptional individual. This loss is catastrophic, heartbreaking and painful. As we mourn the passing of a remarkable friend, our hearts go out to his family. Mike will be greatly missed.”

Mike worked for the Ventana Wildlife Society, an organization solely dedicated to monitoring Big Sur’s flock of wild condors. And for several years, Defenders partnered with Ventana, helping to support Mike’s research.

Thanks to Mike, the team was able to locate numerous nests in Big Sur. And twice each year, he led an effort to recapture every condor in the flock to check their blood for lead poisoning—the leading cause of death among endangered condors—helping to ensure that sick condors received urgent, lifesaving medical care.

Although Mike is no longer with us, his dedication and research will be with us every day. His work has left a lasting mark on condor conservation efforts.

Our partners at Ventana Wildlife Society have helped to bring the California condor back from the brink of extinction—thanks, in part, to Mike’s dedication.

May his spirit soar with the condors.

Expert scientist questions Wyoming wolf plan – All five scientists asked by the federal government to review Wyoming’s proposed wolf management plans raised concerns about the plan. But one in particular said the plan could jeopardize the future of the state’s wolf population.  John Vucetich, a wolf biologist at Michigan Technological University, said the plan doesn’t provide sufficient safeguards to make sure that too many wolves aren’t killed. Specifically, he said the number of wolves allowed to be killed under the plan could result in more dramatic population decline than currently estimated. Read the full story reported in the Casper Trib and download the peer-review comments.

Lucky number 27 in Washington – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife says there are at least 27 wolves and three breeding pairs in the state, according to their annual tally. Unfortunately, that’s one less than they would have had, after a collared wolf from the Diamond Pack wandered into Idaho and was trapped on Dec. 20.

Washington has five confirmed packs, with three (Salmo, Smackout, Diamond) in the far northeast corner of the state, one (Lookout) in the north-central part of the state, and one (Teanaway) right in the middle of the state. The Diamond, Smackout and Teanaway all had at least one adult male and one adult female wolf capable of breeding plus two pups that survived through the end of 2011. The wolf recovery plan adopted in December commits wildlife managers to managing for the return of at least 15 breeding pairs distributed broadly across the state.

"Journey" (aka, OR7) during his Oregon days. Photo by Allen Daniels, courtesy of Sacramento Bee.

Journey’s California journey continues, first photo emerges – The latest report from the Sacramento Bee indicates that OR7 remains in California and continues moving south. But now, true to celebrity form, the 2.5-year old wolf has adopted a stage name and his first paparazzi photo has emerged. “Journey” was the winning name in Oregon Wild’s contest, initially submitted by two different children and garnering 40 percent of the online vote. The first picture came from Allen Daniels, a 24-year old hunter in Central Point, Oregon, who set up a remote camera to take pictures of deer.

Hunting restrictions protect Yellowstone wolves – While at least 124 wolves have been killed so far by hunters in Montana, the state’s quota system has helped protect wolves that live primarily in Yellowstone National Park (see full AP story). According to Yellowstone wolf biologist Doug Smith, the four wolves killed this year just north of the park boundary did not live exclusively in the park. This is a sharp contrast to 2009, when 12 wolves were killed just beyond the northern boundary, and four of those wolves were part of the Cottonwood Pack that spent 98 percent of their time inside the park and had been studied closely for years. This year’s quota of three wolves was filled very quickly, and hunting in the region has been closed since October 6.

More evidence that wolves benefit entire ecosystem – A follow-up study by Oregon State University researchers Bob Beschta and Bill Ripple confirms that the return of wolves to Yellowstone has had a positive influence on the park’s ecology (see report in Chicago Tribune). Their most recent study, published online in the scientific journal Biological Conservation, shows that willow, aspen and cottonwood trees in parts of Yellowstone have started to recover since the reintroduction of wolves. Their findings lend support to the theory that wolves reduce elk numbers and change their behavior, which prevents the elk from destroying native vegetation that supports other species. With wolves back on the scene and fewer elk munching on plants in sensitive river bottoms, songbirds and beavers are thriving once again. These trickle-down ecological benefits, known as a “trophic cascade,” result from having more food available for a greater diversity of species. The impact that top predators have up and down the food chain in discussed in great depth in the feature documentary, Lords of Nature:

Lone wolf entering California marks historic conservation success

WASHINGTON (Dec. 30, 2011) – A lone dispersing wolf from Oregon, known as OR7, has crossed the border into northern California.

The following is a statement from Jamie Rappaport Clark, president of Defenders of Wildlife:

“I can’t think of a better way to ring in the New Year than celebrating this incredible conservation success. The return of the gray wolf to California represents more than two decades of hard work by wildlife advocates and state and federal wildlife managers to bring this magnificent animal back from the brink of extinction. We also owe our thanks to the millions of Americans who gave their support along the way. However, there is much more work to be done to ensure that breeding packs can become established and accepted as part of California’s natural heritage. Defenders of Wildlife has been honored to help turn the dream of wolf recovery into a reality. Now, we stand ready to help the people of California learn how to safely coexist with wolves in this important part of their historic range.”

Learn more about OR7 from Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

Read a press release from California Department of Fish and Game

See what Defenders is doing to pave the way for wolf recovery across the West

Get weekly wolf news on Defenders blog

Limestone salamander. © Gary Navis

The endangered limestone salamander lives nowhere else in the world except in the lower Merced River region of California. But if a local hydropower company has its way, crucial habitat for this slippery salamander will soon be underwater.

And that’s bad news for this extremely rare amphibian, which is one of the few species of salamander that survives solely on land.

Emerging during cool, damp weather, limestone salamanders dwell much of the year below ground to escape the Merced River canyon’s hot, arid climate. They breathe through their skin, and because they lack lungs or gills, they must remain moist to move oxygen out of air into their bodies.

Up until recently, the limestone salamander has had things pretty good in the canyon. Its habitat is so remarkable that it has been designated a Wild and Scenic River, which means a good stretch of it — from the beginning in Yosemite National Park to the McClure Reservoir in central California — is protected from development.

The Merced River flows through Yosemite National Park

That’s the way Wild and Scenic River protection is supposed to work, but some members of Congress have other ideas. U.S. Representative Jeff Denham of California has introduced two bills that would strip Wild and Scenic Rivers Act protections from a portion of the Merced River in the Golden State, so that the Merced Irrigation District can expand its reservoir and sell more water to make electricity.

But expanding the McClure will submerge key limestone salamander habitat at the worst possible time in the late spring and early summer — when they are cloistered underground alongside their eggs. Even if they beat the rising waters to the surface, their chances of escape are slim. They will still have to scramble to higher grounds during some of the hottest, driest, deadliest days of the year.

The first bill (HR 869) aims to make room for the expansion by rolling back protections for a section of the river directly upstream of the reservoir. If passed, Congress would set a dangerous precedent, marking the first time lawmakers have ever taken protections away from a Wild and Scenic River. Even worse is that the bill would allow the reservoir to be so vastly enlarged that it will block what is currently a free-flowing river of national and local importance.

This outrageous move completely undermines the intent of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act and is likely to kill endangered limestone salamanders, which is illegal under California law.

This broad proposal could have lasting impacts on the Merced as well as other protected rivers across the country – all for the short-term gain of a single water district.

The other legislation (HR 2578) is a backdoor attack on the Merced River’s protections. It seeks to move the Merced River’s legal boundary line above the proposed hydropower project’s border. Officially, the bill would establish a policy mandating that Wild and Scenic River boundaries cannot overlap with Federal Energy Regulatory Commission hydropower project boundaries. But this broad proposal could have lasting impacts on the Merced as well as other protected rivers across the country – all for the short-term gain of a single water district.

This bad news for people who cherish and depend on these special rivers, but it could doom the tiny limestone salamander to extinction. Defenders is working to put a stop to these misguided proposals. Stay tuned as the saga unfolds.