Wildlife

May 14, 2008 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) praised the House Natural Resources Committee for its approval today of two House companion bills to Senate legislation she introduced to protect and conserve more than 300,000 acres of pristine public land in California.

Senator Boxer said, “I am pleased that the House Natural Resources Committee has approved these two measures, which are critical to protecting California’s wilderness.”    » read more »

05/01/2008 -- California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today issued the following statement regarding the U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez's declaration of a commercial fishery failure due to a fishery resource disaster in California:

"I commend the Secretary of Commerce's decision today based on the alarmingly low number of salmon returning to the rivers of California, Washington and Oregon. The salmon industry contributes greatly to our economy and way of life, and this news couldn't come at a more critical time for the fishermen and businesses that will be hurt by the loss of the salmon season."    » read more »

April 25, 2008 -- WATERBURY, VT - Vermont's black bears have emerged from their winter dens and are looking for springtime food sources. If you have been feeding birds, you can help prevent the bears from getting into trouble by removing your bird feeders now according to the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department.

Black bear: Photo by Jean-Guy Dallaire (CC)

"We are getting reports of bears getting into bird feeders," said Fish & Wildlife’s Col. Robert Rooks. "We are urging people to help by removing any food sources that may tempt the bears."    » read more »

April 22, 2008 -- Salem – Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski, together with Governors Schwarzenegger (CA) and Gregoire (WA), sent a letter to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi asking Congress to begin working on securing emergency appropriations for ocean salmon fishermen and related businesses that will be affected by the expected closure of much of the West Coast commercial and recreational ocean salmon fishing season.

Salmon sculpture, Oregon: Photo by p medved (CC)    » read more »

ANNAPOLIS, MD (April 23, 2008) – Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley released the following statement today regarding Virginia’s efforts to assist in the rebuilding of the Blue Crab population in the Chesapeake Bay:

“I want to thank Governor Kaine and his staff for their leadership and partnership with Maryland on their historic efforts to rebuild the Chesapeake Bay blue crab fishery.”

Maryland Blue Crabs: Photo by Robert Fornal (CC)    » read more »

04/23/2008 -- The letter below signed by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Oregon Governor Theodore R. Kulongoski, and Washington Governor Christine O. Gregoire was sent today to U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Chairman Daniel Inouye requesting his support of H.R. 802.

Container ship off San Francisco: Photo by Adam Knight (CC)

H.R. 802, the Maritime Pollution Prevention Act of 2007, is key to protecting public health in coastal regions and expanding international global trade by vessels to and from the United States.

April 23, 2008

The Honorable Daniel K. Inouye
Chairman    » read more »

04/21/2008 -- California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Oregon Governor Theodore R. Kulongoski and Washington Governor Christine Gregoire today sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi asking her for assistance in obtaining emergency appropriations to help address the economic emergency resulting from the Pacific Fisheries Management Council recommendation to close commercial and recreational salmon fishing because of the near record-low levels of salmon fish.

Seattle fish market: Photo by ashatsea (CC)

April 21, 2008

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Speaker of the House
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515    » read more »

April 18, 2008 -- WATERBURY, VT— Vermont offers some of the best turkey hunting in New England according to the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department. Vermont hunters have established new spring turkey harvest records in seven of the last ten years. In 2007, Hunters took a record 5,024 turkeys in both the youth weekend and regular May 1-31 seasons.

Turkey hunter: Photo by J. Martin (CC)    » read more »

April 16, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, DC – United States Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today sent a letter to Interior Secretary, Dirk Kempthorne, and Jim Caswell, the Director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), asking that they take all possible steps to protect the wilderness areas of southern Utah. The Utah BLM is developing plans which could open up three million acres of roadless land to mechanized vehicles and oil and gas development.

Tony Grove, Logan Canyon, Utah: Photo by mbush_utah (CC)    » read more »

Call for Governor and buffalo managers to stay out of calving grounds

Livingston, MT – This has been a gruesome year for the buffalo of Yellowstone with nearly one third of the herd killed by state and federal authorities. The 1,465 animals slaughtered represent the largest death toll for Yellowstone’s buffalo since the 19th Century, when the species was nearly wiped off the planet.

Buffalo at Yellowstone National Park: Photo by Heather (CC)    » read more »

April 8, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) today announced that the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will award the New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium (NJMSC) with more than $1 million in federal funds.

Oyster revealed at low tide: Photo by Christopher Seufert (CC)

The funding will support two separate initiatives: the New Jersey Sea Grant College Program and a study of the disease resistance of oysters.    » read more »

04/04/2008 -- California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today sent the following Statement of Support for the First Amended Joint Plan of Reorganization proposed by Mendocino Redwood Company, LLC and Marathon Structured Finance Fund L.P. to the bankruptcy court for the Southern District of Texas and other interested parties in the Pacific Lumber Bankruptcy Case.

Redwood trees: Photo by Marc Soller (CC)

It is based on the five principles the Governor put forth in his Statement of Position dated January 29, 2008.

To All Parties in Interest and the Court:    » read more »

Upholds Wisconsin Tradition to Protect Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Lands

April 2, 2008 -- Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Russ Feingold is continuing his strong support for the National Wildlife Refuge System by calling for an increase in funding to help meet the tremendous budget shortfalls the refuges face.

Feingold and Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME) were joined by 33 other senators in writing to the Senate Appropriators requesting a modest increase in funding for necessary operational and maintenance costs of the Refuge System. Each year, rising costs and inadequate funding for the Refuge System create huge maintenance backlogs and lead to staffing cuts.    » read more »

April 1, 2008 -- Miami, FL – A U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals today upheld an injunction protecting eight federally listed species and their habitats in the Florida Keys. The court denied an appeal by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) seeking to overturn the 2005 injunction, which prohibits FEMA from issuing flood insurance for new development in the sensitive habitats of the Florida Key deer and seven other threatened and endangered species.    » read more »

March 31, 2008 -- Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement today after the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1187, the Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries Boundary Modification and Protection Act:

Seals at the Gulf of Farallones National Marine Sanctuary    » read more »