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The removal of the eagle from the endangered species list means that conservation efforts have paid off.

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Vermont is preparing to remove the bald eagle its list of threatened and endangered species. In 2008, it was the only state in the continental U.S. without a breeding pair. Since then, conservation work has allowed the eagle population to grow. Last year, biologists counted 64 young bald eagles ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus) in the state and 75 in a recovery region that includes portions of New Hampshire and New York. "When people care about something and we all come together to work on things, great things can happen," said Mark Scott, the director of wildlife for the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Read more from the Associated Press.

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Vermont to remove bald eagle from state list - The Wildlife Society

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Vermont is preparing to remove the bald eagle its list of threatened and endangered species. In 2008, it was the only state in the continental U.S. without a breeding pair. Since then, conservation work has allowed the eagle population to grow.

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an average bust on the coast of the united states where i would love to work one day

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Last week while patrolling federal waters off Block Island through DEM's Cooperative Enforcement Agreement with the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration ( National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)), DLE Police Officers Harold Guise & Kyle Murray boarded vessels from New York and Delaware & found the captains of both boats to be in illegal possession of striped bass in the EEZ.

The captains were cited & NOAA General Counsel will prosecute the cases. DLE seized 2 fish - including the striper being held by EPO Guise (pictured above) & donated them to the Galilee Mission, a nonprofit drug & alcohol treatment program based in Narragansett.

The central goals of all fishery management plans are 1) to prevent overfishing, while achieving a steady maximum sustainable yield from each fishery; and 2) to restore overfished or depleted stocks to sustainable levels.

The Marine Unit of DEM's Division of Law Enforcement (DLE) helps by enforcing both recreational & commercial fishing, shellfishing, & lobstering laws & regulations in our state's waters & in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The EEZ is an area from 3 miles to 200 miles offshore where the U.S. has jurisdiction over natural resources.

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Block Island Anglers Busted With Illegal Stripers In Federal Waters - On The Water

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Last week while patrolling federal waters off Block Island through DEM's Cooperative Enforcement Agreement with the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration ( National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)), DLE Police Officers Harold Guise & Kyle Murray boarded vessels from New York and Delaware & found the captains of both boats to be in illegal possession of striped bass in the EEZ.

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The legislation would give 1.3 billion annually to state fish and wildlife agencies.

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The Recovering America's Wildlife Act, a key priority for The Wildlife Society, is continuing to gain support in both chambers of the U.S. Congress, setting up an opportunity for movement on the bill not seen since last Congress.

In April, Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) reintroduced the House bill (H.R. 2773). The bill currently has 118 bipartisan co-sponsors. The Senate counterpart ( S. 2372), introduced in July by Senators Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Roy Blunt (R-MO), has gained 24 bipartisan co-sponsors, with more expected to join in the coming weeks.

The landmark legislation would dedicate $1.3 billion annually to state fish and wildlife agencies, so they can implement science-based wildlife action plans and an additional $97.5 million for tribal fish and wildlife managers to conserve species on tribal lands.

Funding of this magnitude would bring much needed resources to state, tribal and partner natural resource professionals working to conserve native species. Additionally, this funding would provide greater certainty that wildlife professionals could continue working to conserve and manage America's wildlife populations.

In partnership with the Alliance for America's Fish & Wildlife, The Wildlife Society is working to reach a goal of 200 bipartisan co-sponsors in the U.S. House of Representatives. This growth would set the stage for a successful House Natural Resources Committee markup of the legislation, providing increased opportunities for engagement on the House floor.

Members of The Wildlife Society and other wildlife professionals are encouraged to visit TWS' Recovering America's Wildlife Act Action Center to learn more about the bill and urge their U.S. representatives and senators to co-sponsor it.

Share your thoughts on this article, and others, on our
Facebook and Twitter pages.

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Support builds for Recovering America's Wildlife Act - The Wildlife Society

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The Recovering America's Wildlife Act, a key priority for The Wildlife Society, is continuing to gain support in both chambers of the U.S. Congress, setting up an opportunity for movement on the bill not seen since last Congress. In April, Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) reintroduced the House bill (H.R.

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Something i found interesting

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Established in 1895, Maine's fish hatchery program is one of the longest-running and most productive such programs in the United States.
Every year, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW)'s eight hatcheries produce more than 1 million brook trout, brown trout, lake trout (togue), splake (a brook trout/lake trout hybrid), rainbow trout, and landlocked salmon, weighing in at a total of around 375,000 lbs.

Why do we stock?

To maintain healthy trout and landlocked salmon populations

Most of our stocking activities are biological maintenance programs - meaning that their purpose is to maintain healthy numbers of native fish. These programs provide a supplement or substitute for natural reproduction in cases where it is insufficient or completely absent. This can happen where there isn't a suitable spawning and nursery habitat, or when there's an overwhelming presence of predator or competitor fish. We continuously monitor the biological impacts of stocking, and never stock waters that naturally produce healthy numbers of wild fish.

To provide opportunities to anglers of all abilities

We also stock fish to provide anglers with fishing opportunities that would not otherwise be available. Our biological stocking programs keep longstanding fisheries well-balanced and sustained; and our put-and-take stocking programs are specifically designed to create short-term opportunities for anglers, particularly those in more urban areas.

For example, in the spring, we stock some brooks in York and Cumberland Counties where fish can survive for the season even though year-round conditions are not suitable. And in the fall, we stock large fall-yearling trout (typically brook trout), which are highly catchable by open water anglers during the fall months, by ice anglers in the winter, and in some cases by spring anglers at ice-out. These fish are attractive because of their size (usually 12-15 inches long when stocked) and their bright fall colorations, and because they're relatively easy for even novice anglers to catch.

To boost our state's economy

Fish stocking in Maine provides a total economic impact of tens of millions of dollars each year in our state, resulting in a huge return on just a $3 million annual investment from fishing license sales.

How does it work?

MDIFW currently operates eight fish hatcheries and rearing stations, also referred to collectively as fish culture stations. These stations are located on sites conducive to the production of coldwater fish, and are mostly are fed by surface water, with some supplied by water from springs or underground wells.

The hatcheries are just what they sound like - places where fish are hatched and raised. After hatching, some fish are moved to rearing stations to grow a little bigger.

Then, in the spring and fall, MDIFW stocks over 800 Maine lakes, streams, rivers, and ponds with high-quality fish, most of which are six inches or larger when we release them into the wild.

How we deliver the fish depends on the water body's geographic location and accessibility, but will generally fall into one of the following categories:

Truck with hose - One common stocking method is to run a large hose from a hatchery truck to the water.

Bucket - In many cases, we manually move fish to ponds in buckets that we fill at the truck. In some areas, we backpack them in as fry in a specially-made pack frame designed to carry very small fish.

Airplane - In remote areas where truck travel is not feasible, we deliver fish to ponds by airplane.

Boat - In some cases, we'll boat fish to various sections of a water body. This spreads the fish out, reducing the impact of attacks by predators like larger fish and birds.

Looking for information about private pond stocking? Download the Fish Stocking Permit for Private Ponds Application (PDF)

Learn more about our Hatcheries:

How do we decide where and when to stock?

MDIFW regional fisheries biologists use field data, public input, and critical thought to build each year's stocking program. They also follow size and number guidelines for each species, which are based on available habitat, degree of competition from other fish species, and available forage (feed).

We plan fish production schedules at least two years in advance to ensure that enough fish of each needed species, strain, and size will be available. Exactly what species we choose to produce at each facility is governed by the need for specific species, strain and size, the suitability of each facility for certain species.

To give our biological stocking programs the best chance of success, and to give anglers the best returns, MDIFW fish culturists strive to meet fish quality goals (size and condition at a given age) for all species and strains grown in our hatchery system. They take great pride in the products they stock and are continually finding ways to improve them.

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Established in 1895, Maine's fish hatchery program is one of the longest-running and most productive such programs in the United States. Every year, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW)'s eight hatcheries produce more than 1 million brook trout, brown trout, lake trout (togue), splake (a brook trout/lake trout hybrid), rainbow trout, and landlocked salmon, weighing in at a total of around 375,000 lbs.

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K. Fay - important article about women in law enforcement

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K. Fay - important article about women in law enforcement

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A common theme throughout the article: "When I asked what she’s learned specifically about being a woman in a traditionally male-dominated career she replied, “We don’t train male officers or female officers, we just train officers. I knew I’d arrived years ago, at the end of a big car pursuit and arrest. Amid all the high fives and backslapping, the other officers forgot I was ‘a girl.’ I was just as blue as they.”"

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There are nearly a million sworn officers in the United States; less than 12% of them are women.

In small towns, in remote counties, in the woods and mountains, that fraction varies from less than 5% at South Carolina Department of Natural Resources to 19% in the ranger division of the National Park Service.

Chief Julie Mathews in Thermopolis, Wyoming - population 2930 - presides over a tiny agency in a tiny town where more than 40% of the officers carry two X chromosomes. Thermopolis Police Department is composed of herself, one sergeant and five patrol officers, two of whom are women.

Chief Mathews, 54, grew up in nearby Riverton where her law enforcement career began in dispatch. She fell in love with the field, attended the academy and began working patrol. Riverton's proximity to the Wind River Indian Reservation meant an unfortunate, steady trickle of violent crime. It's hard on the community, but it was a rich training ground.

"While I worked in Riverton there were 18 homicides, and a lot of sexual assaults. I was loaned out to a task force with Wyoming DCI, which investigates everything from dope to officer-involved shootings, and runs the state's crime lab. I learned a lot about assertiveness, self-advocacy and about calling other agencies, whether federal, state or local to ask for information, or help with resources," Mathews said. "There were four chiefs during the 14 years I worked in Riverton. I learned about leadership, good and bad."

Mathews had left law enforcement to work in business when she was approached about the open chief's position in Thermopolis. Compared with the larger, grittier Riverton, Thermopolis is slower-paced and more tourist-oriented.

There's Hot Springs State Park right in town. There's the Wyoming Dinosaur Center for kids, big game that draws swarms of hunters, and the Bighorn River awash in fly fishermen and rafters all summer long.

"All my officers carry ring buoys in their patrol vehicles because of that river. It's too late by the time we call out SAR," Chief Mathews said. After a moment she added, "And all of them carry halters too."

After all, it is Wyoming.

Being chief is a challenge, Mathews admitted. She adjusted to the town's slower pace, and built relationships with local businesses and other agencies. Within the department, her aim is officers who are proactive, professional and approachable.

Raising training standards while staying in budget requires her to use every contact she's developed over the years to find trainers in nearby agencies, conduct classes in-house and keep down overtime costs by cross-training. Since the police department also hosts communications for the county, fire and EMS, even her secretary is certified to dispatch in a pinch.

As in most small departments, Mathews is her own recruiter, and she's creative and aggressive about it. One of her new hires is a bilingual female officer; another female patrol officer is assigned to a mounted unit. Patrol on horseback, she notes, is great PR in a western tourist town, but also very practical in a foot pursuit. Horses are fast, tall enough to see over crowds, and can fit down narrow alleys and footpaths.

Like any effective small-town chief, Mathews works the streets as well as performing administrative tasks; from covering a shift so an officer can attend training to felony car stops at the end of an inter-agency pursuit, she's there.

When I asked what she's learned specifically about being a woman in a traditionally male-dominated career she replied, "We don't train male officers or female officers, we just train officers. I knew I'd arrived years ago, at the end of a big car pursuit and arrest. Amid all the high fives and backslapping, the other officers forgot I was 'a girl.' I was just as blue as they."

And what would she tell other women considering law enforcement?

"Either go all in or don't go at all. If you want it bad enough, go get it. This is who I am. I can't imagine doing anything else."

"To be able to bring some calm when everything is a mess? I love that."

California Highway Patrol covers more than 100,000 miles of road and responds to 6 million 911 calls in a single year.

Like all California law enforcement, CHP's 7,616 sworn officers have authority throughout the state, both on road and off. Only 442 of them are female. Only a handful of those work in rural settings.

In California's Emerald Triangle CHP Officer Sara Compton, 34, patrols the narrow, winding state highways and side roads. Raised in the mountains, Officer Compton got her first taste of law enforcement working for a sheriff's office so small that she doubled as a corrections officer and dispatcher. When she wanted to advance, her local options were few.

However, CHP was actively recruiting female officers, and she became the first female cadet to enter the CHP Academy from her county in 2013. Her first assignment was in Redwood City, on the peninsula between San Francisco and San Jose. Learning to drive in a city was part of a larger culture shock, she admits.

"I grew up in the country with two brothers," Compton said. "I grew up without a TV, reading, riding horses and driving ATVs. The city was a necessary learning experience, but I am so glad to be back in my hometown."

While CHP policy requires officers to patrol with a partner after midnight, on other shifts Officer Compton is on her own. Backup can be an hour or more away, especially in remote "resident officer" assignments. Therefore, Compton places a high value on maintaining good working relationships with officers from other agencies; cooperation and reciprocity are vital when sheriff's deputies, game wardens and tribal police officers are closer to her location than another highway patrol officer.

"I have to be able to do anything, assist with any kind of call. Yes, I had to prove myself, to show other officers I'll bail into that fight, or that working with a girl doesn't mean instant drama. I think that's normal in any male-dominated profession," Compton said.

"I've learned to assess a situation right away, to use 'verbal judo.' And I've learned there are times when it's actually advantageous to be female. In interviews, sometimes I can learn things that especially women and children don't want to say to a man. I just don't worry about it. I haven't had a problem with anyone who wasn't going to be a problem anyway."

When asked what was hard about her working environment and what she liked best, the answers came easy.

"I'm working in my hometown. The job is going to overflow in my personal life. Everyone knows me, and everyone knows my family. There's not really much outside socialization for me because of that. But what I like best about it? Maybe it sounds strange, but I really like working accidents. I'm usually the first one on scene, and there's always a way to help. To be able to bring some calm when everything is a mess? I love that."

"What difference does it make being female? No difference."

It's 2020. Women patrol the streets and highways - and also the woods, the swamps, the beaches and deserts. They're game wardens, conservation officers, and fish and wildlife officers: different titles, different uniforms, sharing a mission to take care of wildlife, the land and the people who use it.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service calls its mission the " Big 6 " - hunting, fishing, wildlife viewing, photography, interpretation and ecological education.

Officer Nicole Prescott, 33, is one of 17 females out of 222 total commissioned USFWS officers. Now working in Florida at the 10-year mark of her career, she's a federal game warden, an Advanced EMT and a SCUBA instructor - and she loves her job. "I'm in for the long haul, till retirement. Then I want to be a SCUBA instructor - somewhere warmer than Maine."

Maine is where Prescott grew up, and her first SCUBA instructor's day job was with the Maine Warden Service. From there she learned that she could make a living in the outdoors, and she never looked back. After graduating from Unity College with a bachelor's degree in conservation law enforcement, Prescott pursued a career as a federal game warden, training first in North Dakota, and then gaining experience in the rangeland of Montana.

"I much prefer a rural setting to urban," Prescott said. "In Montana, I got used to being self-reliant. There were no radio comms, no cell service in most places. If there was any backup, it could be hours away. Now that I'm working in Florida, I realize that I was incredibly lucky. Here, I have tools and toys that tell us background about subjects before I contact them, access to dispatch through Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, backup a maximum of a half-hour away - and usually more like 5 to 20 minutes."

Prescott sometimes rides along with a local ambulance company on her time off to keep her EMT skills sharp.

"It's a different way to make a difference, to give back. The license is valuable in the case of an OIS or a school shooting, as well as in the field," she said. "Volunteering as a medic and teaching SCUBA provides a tangible sense of accomplishment sometimes missing from law enforcement, where the work never seems finished. This is a fantastic job in a lot of ways, though, especially on the conservation side and on successful SAR operations."

And what about being the rare female in her field?

"Well, that's a double-edged sword," Prescott said. "In some ways, I have to know even more than my male counterparts. There are certain contacts who want to challenge me more on hunting and fishing knowledge, things like that. They don't really expect a female to have that depth of knowledge. But working now in the South, there's a tendency toward basic respect for a female. I can use my gender to advantage that way. Good Southern men are brought up that 'you don't wanna lie to your mama' and I don't mind using that sentiment in an interview. Here or in Montana, it really isn't unusual for a contact to be less confrontational with a female officer, not more."

Further north in South Carolina there is only one police academy that all law enforcement trainees attend. Game wardens then go on to another five weeks of Wildlife School; coastal officers add still more training as the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SC DNR) has a joint agreement with the Coast Guard and wardens may find themselves patrolling as far as 250 miles offshore.

Lt. Amy Staton, 41, and LCpl. Kendall Lownsbury, 39, are two of the 12 female game wardens working for the SC DNR. Both are accomplished and experienced officers, leaders in their field.

Lt. Staton has a master's degree in criminal justice and public administration; she was the first female in the agency to be promoted to first sergeant over a male candidate and the first female field lieutenant. She is a certified diver, part of a team that added female officers for the first time in the early 2000s.

LCpl. Lownsbury, also on the dive team as a team leader, is a water survival instructor who often returns to the state's wildlife school as a role player.

Both women are mothers, one with two girls and the other with two boys. Working in an emergency response agency and living in small towns, a nearby family support system is indispensable in the case of shift changes, disaster call-outs, SAR operations and hunting or recreation seasons that seem unending. Nevertheless, both Staton and Lownsbury remain enthusiastic about their careers.

"I have the BEST job," Lownsbury said. "It's everything - flexibility, independence, an agency that's mostly very family-oriented. What difference does it make being female? No difference. I've worked with many different supervisors in different locations, with no problem. "

Staton agreed, adding, "I have had every opportunity I could want. I've had promotional opportunities, attended the FBI LEEDA Trilogy course. Being a female in this job now is an opportunity to demonstrate that this is a job for all, that it's never been a hindrance."

Both officers spoke of the need to be willing to work outdoors and work alone.

Like all game wardens, they are nearly always outmanned and outgunned; learning to deal with that requires projecting command presence and maintaining a businesslike demeanor. Communicating clearly matters. So does just plain being nice.

"In the field I will still run into people who have never seen a female game warden," Staton said. "We can't bank on being big or strong, so women have to work smart. You approach a group alone, no cell service, no radio coverage, you'd better be tough, and you'd better be a good communicator. Officers who don't know how to talk to people get themselves in trouble. That extra step of explaining can make all the difference."

Lownsbury added, "If something happens to me, it's likely the public that will be the ones to help me. It's disconcerting to ask for backup and then watch those blue lights roll on by because the dirt road you're on doesn't even have a name. So, it can make a difference to just be nice; most people I approach are really very respectful. They'll sling their weapon, or set it on the ground when I approach. I appreciate it, and it keeps everyone safe. Mostly, our contacts are good people, who maybe made bad decisions."

Staton finished, "This is the best job in the world. I believe I've saved some lives over the years. To get to ride around in a boat, a truck, a four-wheeler for 25 years, to get paid to work outdoors? How do you follow that?"

The Takeaways

What's the final word on being a female, and a rural officer?

First, understand what you're getting into: you will work alone.

There will be challenges by other officers and the public; expect to work harder, know more and react less. The stereotype of "girl drama" lingers, and fair or not, it will be on you to defuse it.

Second, the burden of arranging childcare still falls disproportionately on women, even when they wear a badge.

One deputy I interviewed was in the process of changing agencies to find more regular hours, in anticipation of starting a family.

Others told me of coworkers who left the field entirely because finding flexible, affordable childcare in rural areas was impossible in the absence of family nearby.

Third, let's just say it: it's hard for a female to pee in the woods. Every single officer interviewed for this article, including some who aren't quoted, was terrified of her backside ending up on a random game camera and expressed a deep distrust of those "feminine funnel" gadgets.

Fourth, in the words of Lt. Amy Staton, "If it's what you really want, don't give up. Law enforcement, in general, is hard for females, but it's what you make it. We can't get bigger or stronger, but we can get smarter. Get an education. And if someone tries to make you doubt, stay your course. They will leave, and you'll still be here."

Finally, a deputy in Wyoming sends this advice for aspiring female officers: "We need you. But come prepared - physically, mentally, emotionally - because you'll be tested and pushed beyond your boundaries. Know your job, keep yourself healthy, don't take anyone's BS and strive every day to be the best you can be."

I can't state it any better than that.
NEXT: How LAPD's first female SWAT officer broke the glass ceiling

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There are nearly a million sworn officers in the United States; less than 12% of them are women. In small towns, in remote counties, in the woods and mountains, that fraction varies from less than 5% at South Carolina Department of Natural Resources to 19% in the ranger division of the National Park Service.

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https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2021/09/22/us/gabby-petito-brian-laundrie-update-wednesday/index.html

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gabby petito investigation: fbi asks for the public's help in finding  brian laundrie as new tip emerges about his previous movements - cnn

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FBI asks for the public's help in finding Gabby Petito's fiance as new tip emerges about his previous movements

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The FBI is asking for the public's help in finding Gabby Petito's fiancé Brian Laundrie after a coroner made an initial determination that Petito died by homicide.

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Land owners can receive an annual payment in exchange for removing environmentally sensitive land from agricultural production and planting species.

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 Department of Environment Management Vs Rhode Island 

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 Department of Environment Management Vs Rhode Island 

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For a state run organization that works under and employs people including Environmental Police Officers to run against the state pushing that they recognize climate change is a big deal. if you go to page 12 it explains the case fully and shows that the state of Rhode Island refuses to recognize climate change. I think it is an interesting case

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The U.S. just had its hottest summer on record

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This summer beat the record set by the Dust Bowl summer of 1936, when huge parts of the West and the Great Plains were parched by severe drought.

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In the waning days of the 2021 session, the Idaho Legislature passed and the Governor signed a new anti-wolf law that will allow the killing of up to 90% of Idaho's wolves . Starting in July, hunters with wolf tags can trap, snare, and shoot an unlimited number of wolves and their pups. And, hunters can use ATVs, snowmobiles, aircraft, and other vehicles to track and target them. In addition, the law allows year-round hunting on private lands across the state.

The Legislature essentially stripped wolf management authority away from the Idaho Fish and Game Commission and the Idaho Fish and Game Department. Since wolves were reintroduced in Idaho 26 years ago, the program has successfully restored wolves across much of Idaho. As a result, the population management authority was successfully transferred to the State from the federal government. The new law jeopardizes this authority, and threatens the recovery of wolves.

While the proponents of the bill argued that it was developed collaboratively, the reality is it was developed behind closed doors with input from the ranching and trapping communities. The Idaho Fish and Game Commission, wildlife advocates, and hunting interests alike spoke out against the bill. Nonetheless, it passed the House and Senate along party lines. What's even more galling is that the bill requires hunters and anglers to increase their contribution to the wolf control fund, while agricultural interests will not see their fees increase.

While Idahoans p assionately disagree about whether we have too many wolves or too few or how they are being managed, we currently have sustainable populations of wolves, elk, and livestock across the state.

Livestock depredations may increase

Wolf depredations represent very few livestock deaths. There are over 2.8 million cattle and 220,000 domestic sheep in Idaho but wolves accounted for only 81 cattle and 92 sheep deaths last year. That amounts to less than .006% In comparison, roughly 40,000 Idaho cattle are lost each year to non-predator causes like disease and weather.

If the purpose of the new law is to reduce livestock deaths, it may end up doing the exact opposite. Wolves are intolerant of other canines, such as coyotes, and will kill them if they can. Without wolves, coyote numbers may increase, which can have a greater impact on livestock.

Pets and other animals may become trapped and snared

Rare wildlife like wolverine, grizzly bears, and lynx can be caught in traps and snares intended for wolves, as can big game like elk, moose, and deer. Since traps can be set as close as 10 feet from the edge of a hiking trail without a warning sign, our pets are also vulnerable, and the results can be tragic if they are caught . In 2013, IDFG noted that more than 30 dogs were caught in such traps in Idaho. Since then, trapping has expanded significantly.

What else is next?

Now that the legislature has decided to micromanage wolves, what's next? Other big game species, like deer and elk, sage-grouse, or cutthroat trout? Idahoans came together in 1938 and 76% agreed to pass an initiative creating the Idaho Fish and Game Commission . Due to political interference in the preceding five decades, Idahoans decided to entrust fish and game management to this independent commission.

What you can do

Wolf management

The Idaho Conservation League supports fish and game management in Idaho free from political influence with decisions based on science and facts. We also want to make sure that wolf hunting and trapping involves common-sense policies so that our pets and rare wildlife, like wolverine, are not at risk.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service typically conducts a post-delisting monitoring plan for five years following the delisting of a species to ensure that protections are sufficient.

Join us to ask the USFWS to initiate a new review and post-delisting monitoring period to ensure that wolves are not managed to minimal levels and to intervene and assume management authority if needed.

Wolves can potentially be relisted if a change in state law or management objectives would significantly increase the threat to the wolf population. One of these triggers is "a change in State law or management objectives that would significantly increase the threat to the wolf population."

While it is unlikely that the USFWS will weigh in immediately, a thorough review by them is needed. Ask the USFWS for a thorough review.

Traps and snares

Request that the Idaho Fish and Game Commission expand the distance from unpaved trails where traps and snares are allowed. Traps can be set within 10 feet of the centerline of unpaved trails, which is clearly not a sufficient distance to protect a pet. Also, trappers may apply a scent near their traps and dogs may be lured by this smell.

For traps, IDFG already has a 300-foot setback from sites such as designated public campgrounds, trailheads, paved trails, or picnic areas. This setback should be expanded to include U.S. Forest Service and BLM roads and trails with high recreational use.

Trappers should be required to place signs in areas where traps are present and should be required to check traps every 24 hours to reduce the killing of non-target animals.
Ask the IDFG Commission to protect pets from traps. To find and contact your local Commissioner, click here.
Non-lethal measures

Agencies should invest more in non-lethal measures instead of paying bounties for wolves as is currently done . Non-lethal measures, like those practiced at the Wood River Wolf Project , have been extremely successful at protecting livestock and provide a reasonable win-win alternative.
Ask the Wolf Depredation Board to fund non-lethal measures. To contact the Wolf Depredation Control Board, click here.

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New wolf law might come back to bite Idaho - Idaho Conservation League

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In the waning days of the 2021 session, the Idaho Legislature passed and the Governor signed a new anti-wolf law that will allow the killing of up to 90% of Idaho's wolves . Starting in July, hunters with wolf tags can trap, snare, and shoot an unlimited number of wolves and their pups.

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September 9, 2021 (AUGUSTA, ME) - A lawsuit filed today seeks to stop the owner of four dams on Maine's Kennebec River from violating federal law. Operations at the dams are killing endangered Atlantic salmon and other sea-run fish critical to the state's commercial fishing industry and the health of the Gulf of Maine.

The massive, multinational energy corporation Brookfield Renewable Partners (Brookfield) owns more than 5,000 dams worldwide, including 17 in the Kennebec watershed. Their four dams between Waterville and Skowhegan block access to spawning and rearing habitat for Atlantic salmon in the Sandy River and hinder restoration of American shad, alewives, blueback herring, sea lamprey, and American eel. These obsolete dams represent only 0.002 percent of the company's 19,000 megawatts of worldwide generating capacity.

For more than two years, Brookfield has been violating the Endangered Species Act (ESA) by killing endangered Atlantic salmon migrating upstream and downstream on the Kennebec. The ESA prohibits the killing, harming, or capture of endangered species unless a company has received an "incidental take" permit.

Brookfield's ESA authorization to "take" Atlantic salmon trying to pass through the dams expired in 2019. The conservation groups that filed the lawsuit are asking the court to order Brookfield to cease operations that cause take during salmon migration periods, which run from April 1 to December 31.

"Maine can achieve a healthy Kennebec River that supports expanding fish populations and meets the needs of riverfront communities, including the continued operation of the SAPPI paper mill in Skowhegan," said the Atlantic Salmon Federation, Conservation Law Foundation, Maine Rivers, and Natural Resources Council of Maine in a joint statement. "This future is only possible if Brookfield stops violating the law and starts to play a constructive role in solving the problems its four dams cause. Instead, the company is spreading fear and misinformation and violating one of America's landmark environmental laws."

Brookfield operates harmful dams on other Maine rivers, including the Union River in Ellsworth, where alewife kills are routinely documented, and a State Water Quality Certificate was recently denied. In the case of the Kennebec, the company has not taken the necessary steps to fix its dams' problems. Instead, Brookfield has delayed progress by submitting proposals for fish passage that the company knows are ineffective and have not worked anywhere else in the world.

Removing Brookfield's four dams on the Kennebec is the nation's best chance to save Atlantic salmon from extinction, bring back millions of other sea-run fish, and revive a river that was historically the most productive in Maine. State and federal agencies have reinforced the economic and ecological benefits of further dam removal and have also admonished Brookfield for its negligence. In July 2020, the federal government rejected Brookfield's proposed Species Protection Plan (SPP) for Atlantic salmon.

"The four lowermost projects in the Kennebec River...have a disproportionately large impact on the natural resources in comparison to their authorized capacity because of their location relative to spawning and rearing habitat," according to the Maine Department of Marine Resources.

"Diadromous fish support key ecological functions as a mechanism for nutrient transport, prey for commercially and recreationally important fish, and baitfish for the lobster industry. Dam removal will support restoration of these key species in support of these ecological and social functions and values," in the view of the National Marine Fisheries Service.

Prior experience in Maine proves that removing dams is the best way to restore rivers, and that it can be done while successfully relocating and modernizing in-river infrastructure for pulp and paper mills and municipalities.

The lower Kennebec surged back to life after the removal of the Edwards and Fort Halifax Dams in 1999 and 2008 bringing back millions of sea-run fish, such as shad and river herring. But that success has stalled because Brookfield's Lockwood, Hydro-Kennebec, Shawmut, and Weston Dams create an impassable wall for adult salmon and other fish moving upstream from the Gulf of Maine. Warm temperatures and predators in the 30 miles of stagnant water behind these dams are also killing younger salmon as they try to return to the ocean.

The Kennebec was once the most productive river in Maine for sea-run fish, with Atlantic salmon runs in the hundreds of thousands. Nicknamed "The King of Fish" and "The Leaper," Atlantic salmon live half of their lives in our rivers and streams and half their lives in the ocean. They travel thousands of miles to the waters off Greenland and back, returning to spawn in the same freshwater streams where they were born. The species is culturally and spiritually important to many people across Europe and eastern North America, and particularly the Wabanaki tribes of Maine and Canada.

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Brookfield Sued For Repeatedly Breaking the Law and Killing Endangered Atlantic Salmon

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"Maine can achieve a healthy Kennebec River that supports expanding fish populations and meets the needs of riverfront communities, including the continued operation of the SAPPI paper mill in Skowhegan. This future is only possible if Brookfield stops violating the law and starts to play a constructive role in solving the problems its four dams cause.

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If TV crime dramas and police procedurals are to be believed, law officers seem to spend a lot of time planning and executing drug busts. But what happens to the contraband they seize after it all goes down? It depends a lot on the amount and type of drugs, the circumstances surrounding the possession and seizure, and what state and federal laws govern the next steps.

The Evidence Locker

When drugs are confiscated , law enforcement stores them in a secure warehouse known as a crime laboratory. Here, the drugs are tested, cataloged, organized, and shelved pending criminal trial. Where the drugs are stored can vary depending on which enforcement agency is investigating. Small amounts of drugs may be stowed at the local police station. In contrast, larger amounts are often taken to a secure federal or state vault.

Drug trafficking and manufacturing cases can be long, drawn-out processes as they move through the courts. Because of this, seized evidence can remain in storage for months or even years while the trial is ongoing. Sometimes they are kept until the opportunity to appeal the case is exhausted, after which, there's a good chance that the drugs will be destroyed.

Search and Destroy

Seized drugs no longer needed as evidence as most often incinerated, but the business of destroying narcotics can be tricky: how do you destroy drugs without releasing their intoxicating or toxic effect?

This is why pharmacists ask you to return your unused drugs to be destroyed rather than throw them in the garbage or flush them down the toilet. Not only are loose pills highly toxic to both humans and wildlife, but they also affect the environment in ways you might not expect. Medications cannot be filtered out by water treatment plants or septic systems. This means that when flushed, they can pollute bodies of water and the aquatic life within, seep into surrounding soil and sediment, and contaminate nearby food and water supply.

Because they are frequently dealing with mass amounts of confiscated drugs, US Customs and Border Patrol have been known to outsource the destruction of illegal drugs . They pass the task on to contractors or simply turn them over to be dealt with by agencies like the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The DEA destroys seized drugs in incinerators approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

However, smaller or more rural enforcement agencies-or those dealing with smaller amounts of seized drugs-may resort to alternative methods. In Ohio, law enforcement officers have used crematories, hospital incinerators, foundries, or have solicited the services of specialized businesses. Even massive metal drums and fire pits have been used to get the job done. However, regardless of size, these burns are controlled , lest any fumes or residue affect nearby communities.

Of course, not all drug charges are on par with Breaking Bad, but even possession of a few grams can mean big trouble with the law. Just know that you can still turn your life around before the problem becomes too much to handle. Landmark Recovery is here to help. Reach out today , and let's begin the journey to wellness together.

About the Author

Landmark Recovery Staff

This post was written by a Landmark Recovery staff member. If you have any questions, please contact us at 888-448-0302.

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What Happens to Seized Drugs? - Landmark Recovery

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If TV crime dramas and police procedurals are to be believed, law officers seem to spend a lot of time planning and executing drug busts. But what happens to the contraband they seize after it all goes down?