Environmental Issues : Plant & animal protection |
Threats to animal species through hunting, infrastructure development, etc. Abuses of animal rights to humane treatment, both wild and domesticated.
11/24/08 Consumer demand for invertebrate sea-life to stock home aquariums may be endangering Florida's off-shore reefs.
INTERNATIONAL
Websites: WildAid: http://www.wildaid.org/index.asp?CID=3
Analysis & views: 11/18/08 "Naturalist's paradise" in Congo becomes a "war zone" for native wildlife:. Violence associated with DRC's civil war has the "collateral damage" a threat to extinction of several animals species, including the mountain gorilla, as wild life protection agencies are no longer able to operate in their habitats, and many are being killed in the gunfire between rebels and government, with some actually shot in the back of the head "execution style." http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/18/world/africa/18congo.html?th&emc=th 9/28/08 Do animals have inalienable rights? Ecuador says "yes," Chevron says "no.". A proposal goes forward for provision in new constitution of the country that would give animals the right to protection and propagation. Multi-nationals like Chevron and the whole neo-liberal world says that national governments don't have the right to "screw around" with their own plans for economic development to their corporate benefit. http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/09/ecuadors-constitution-gives-rights-to-nature/ 8/7/08 New nesting survey in Republic of Congo shows far more surviving lowland gorillas than it was believed there were. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7544967.stm 7/5/08 Ornithologists say the white stork is now extinct in Denmark. http://www.cphpost.dk/get/108110.html 5/11/08 Caribbean's best habitat for birds, Cuba's Cienga de Zapata, faces imminent destruction from effects of global warming. http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=42318 5/4/08 Bio-diversity: It's about more than just preserving pretty plants and animals: . A newly-released book expresses the consensus of environmental scientists that the extinction of native flora and fauna has dire consequences in the direction of diminishing food production and sources of vital medicines for combatting human ailments. http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=42221 4/25/08 Invasive species, including tourists, are creating problems in the preservation of Galapagos Islands' native plants and animals. http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=42119 3/7/08 Sea Shepard protesters are bombarding Japanese whaler ships with "stink bombs;" whalers are retaliating with "flash grendades." http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7282760.stm 2/7/08 Australia releases pictures of Japanese whaling operations in Southern Ocean, setting off new wave of protests. 2/4/08 Wildlife officials in India admit the impossibility of stopping tiger poaching in the country. http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=41045 1/2/08 Some aborigines in Canada are objecting to prospect of U.S. listing of the polar bear as a "threatened" species, as this might endanger the sport of bear hunts which are a basis of livelihood for some. 9/18/07 Cyber tracking of snow leopards in India allows environmentalists to work more effectively for the preservation of the species, whose habitat is a popular tourist attraction. http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=39298 9/13/07 Survival of the axolotl , an "aquatic salamander" is being threatened by pressues of urbanization in Mexico. http://www.latinamericapress.org/article.asp?IssCode=&lanCode=1&artCode=5272 6/24/07 The fate of imperilled amphibian species in Costa Rica may be a harbinger of things to come in global warming effects and species survival...and a laboratory for studying possibilities for faciliating the survival process. Christian Science Monitor special report. http://www.csmonitor.com/adaptation 5/31/07 International Whaling Commission condemns Japan's whaling operations for "research," over vigorous opposition of "whaling bloc" of nations who abstained from 40-2 vote. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6706805.stm 5/25/07 Poaching and habitat intrusion have produced a 60% reduction of tiger population in four states of India http://www.hindu.com/2007/05/25/stories/2007052503641300.htm 5/19/07 Website helps promote extinction of elephants. Auction of ivory items on E-bay is cited by wild life advocates as a major threat to elephant survival. Though E-bay promises to clean up its act, others are calling for more comprehensive world-wide ban on trafficking in animal products. http://www.counterpunch.org/cp05182007.html 4/19/07 Protesters have failed to stop Canadian seal hunters, but a melting ice cap has done so with a vengeance as hunters in 100 boats are stranded in unique sailing conditions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6570723.stm 2/27/07 High-tech animal protection as scientists use DNA from elephant dung in Africa to compare with cache of illegal ivory seized in Singapore to trace the crime back to its sources. http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=300289&area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__africa/ 2/9/07 Japanese government condemns anti-whaling activists who dropped corrosive and foul-smelling substance aboard Antarctic whaling ship. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6345131.stm 1/29/07 As Japanese whalers are hunting whales in the Antarctica, an anti-whale hunting organization is hunting whalers, trying to disrupt their operations. http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/012807B.shtml 12/21/06 Global warming is apparently pushing several species of sea creatures further north along British coasts. http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/1220-03.htm 12/21/06 Are we ever gonna get some sleep? Bears in northern Spain have stop hibernating, apparently because of the unnatural warmth of the season as a possible indication of global warming. http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/1221-01.htm 10/20/06 Jaws goes to South Africa: increasing number of bites by great white sharks creates a dilemma between conservation and safety, as tourists in "diving cages" and surfers and others engaged in beach recreations are presenting more targets and the usual kill 'em approach is being advocated. http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nationworld/bal-te.sharks19oct19,0,7003444.storyl 8/12/06 Marine life experience catastropic effects from a war-related oil spill off the coast of Lebanon. http://www.courant.com/news/nationworld/hc-oilspill0812.artaug12,0,1622634.story?coll=hc-headlines-nationworld 6/26/06 In an unusual display of pro-environmentalism in the Bush administration, the U.S. joins anti-whaling nations in attempts to counter the efforts of pro-whaling nations to promote commercial whaling. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/25/AR2006062500737.html?referrer=email 4/7/06 Endangered Suhakam tigers are heading for extinction: http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/49477 4/5/06 Brutal killings of endangered species on the brink of extinction are occurring on private Zimbabwe hunting ranches owned by British millionaires: http://www.zimbabwejournalists.com/story.php?art_id=261&cat=1 4/5/06 Sumatran elephants on the verge of extinction in Indonesia: http://science.monstersandcritics.com/news/article_1152677.php/Sextinction_in_Indonesia 3/31/06 Scientists say 40% of Amazonian rain-forests will be gone by 2050 unless major environmental efforts are made: http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=scienceNews&storyID=2006-03-23T005727Z_01_L22726824_RTRUKOC_0_US-ENVIRONMENT-AMAZON.xml 3/27/06 Animal rights activists protest beginning of Canadian seal hunt: http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0326-06.htm 3/16/06 Canada begins seal hunt over animal rights activists' protests: http://www.gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060316/API/603160676 3/1/06 Rapid warming produces beetle infestation that is destroying Canada's pine forests: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/28/AR2006022801772.html?referrer=email 2/26/06 A sad shark tale as population is fast disappearing: Study http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/5493.html 2/23/06 Polar bears facing extinction: http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2006/03/on_thin_ice.html 2/23/06 Whale strandings on North Carolina's Outer Banks may be related to Navy's sonar exercises: http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2006/03/collateral_damage.html 2/23/06 Over-fishing in oceans being encouraged by "regulation" of fishing by commercial fishing interests: http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2006/03/the_catch.html 2/16/06 Most Avian flu carried by poultry, not wild birds: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/15/AR2006021502324.html?referrer=email 2/15/06 Animal rights protesters Paris Hilton's wearing of furs at Paris fashion show: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4715350.stm
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NATIONAL
Websites: Animal Protection Institute: Endangered Species Coalition: http://www.stopextinction.org/site/c.ep/b.704799/k.CCB4/Home.htm Ocean Champions: Politics and Ocean Conservation http://www.oceanchampions.org/
Analysis & views: 11/15/08 A cautionary tale for environmentalists in the "Age of Obama": ." As figures from the Clinton era gather around Obama's transition team, Jeffrey St. Clair suggests that the environmental community today might take caution from the tale he tells of Bill Clinton and the "spotted owl" crisis of 1994. In a largely secretive process of administration rule-making, Northwest lumber agencies were able to secure important exemptions for loggers from the Endangered Species Act that allowed them to operate to the detriment of the owl and other local species. An important part of this tale is the acquiescence of establishment environmentalist groups like the Sierra Club in these negotiations. The Clinton (and Gore) administration basically "didn't align (itself) with the owl, the working stiffs, or the grassroots. (It) sided with the suits." http://www.counterpunch.org/stclair11142008.html 11/13/08 Supreme Court case pits Navy against whales: By 5-4 vote the Navy wins:. Court reverses lower court decision in CA that sonar exercises are harmful to whales and other marine life, and must be suspended. Court's majority, whose opinion is written by Chief Justice Roberts, is that "national security" interests over-ride any concern about environmental effects, which they say are in fact minimal. http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2008/11/13/supreme_court_oks_sonar_use/ 8/22/08 Endangered species protection? If we can't eliminate it by legislation, then we'll accomplish the same result by "Executive Rules Changes": This seems to be the tactic of the Bush administration in curbing independent reviews of impact of economic activites on species maintenance. This isn't just a "lame duck" administration's cave-in to the demands of "regulated" industries; it reflects a broader conservative attack on regulation of any market-dictated activity that has an alleged "social harm" from its operation. http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/08/21 6/24/08 Supreme Court to decide on issue whether Navy sonar exercises must be suspended in areas in which sonor is harmful to whales. http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0624/p02s04-usju.html 5/11/08 Colorado Division of Wild Life apologizes for its advice to citizens to rid themselves of unwanted wild animals by euthanizing them in a "humane" way like putting them in a freezer. http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/may/09/division-of-wildlife-apologizes/ 5/4/08 Northern snakehead fish is an invasive species from Asia that is multiplying rapidly in White River basin of eastern Arkansas. http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/story/604245.html 4/7/08 Uncertain plans of Homeland Security for specific siting of its mandated border fence separating Texas from Mexico include the possibility that the fence will locate to the south of the border some 550 acres of U.S. land largely devoted to the Sobal Palm Aububon Center, a "natural treasure" for American environmentalists. DHS official defends Agency intrusions on wildlife habitat by noting that a section of fence in Arizona provides openings large enough for small lizards to pass, maybe the only "animal" that will survive strong fences and intense surveillance. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/07/us/07land.html?ref=us 3/23/08 Raging controversy as over-populated buffalo roam from their Yellowstone reservation. Some call for a new haven for them to live while the National Park Service sanctions "buffalo hunts" to "cull" the herd. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/23/us/23bison.html?th&emc=th 3/22/08 Just in time for Easter: Your kids may be hunting for eggs produced caged animals:. A national outcry against cruelty in the poultry industry led to regulations that only eggs from free range chickens could be as "Animal Care Certified" (ACC) and United Egg Producers, whose affiliates produce most U.S. eggs, could only mark their eggs as "United Egg Producers Certified." In fact millions of caged chicken eggs were marked with ACC labels in what United Egg said was a "printing error." http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/03/21/7810/ 2/15/08 Federal judge in California rules against U.S. Navy's effort to avoid regulation of its noise-making operations where they are disruptive to whale populations. From warfare to seismic oil exploration, whales are truly endangered by these human activities. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/02/14/ED0UV1QV4.DTL 2/11/08 Elk herds grow in the American West; and so does the controversy about solutions: Some wildlife officials propose solutions such as contraception (for the females, of course!) and the introduction of natural predators such as the wolf, while national parks officials lean toward the more direct method of "lethal reduction" (elk hunts and shootings) 2/5/08 Fate of the polar bear may rest with decisions in U.S. courts:. One suit has been filed to prevent tomorrow's scheduled leasing for oil drilling of 30 million acres in polar bear habitat off the coast of Alaska. Another suit by global warming skeptics and local property-owners would forbid the government's designation of the polar bear as a "threatened" species. http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0205/p03s03-uspo.html 2/4/08 Are Hormle's turkeys gobbling "Don't tase me, bro"?: Not really, but you might think so from efforts by way of a stockholder's resolution to force the company to abandon its "stun bath" way of slaughtering turkeys in favor of a more "humane" method. (Remind you of legal wrangling over "humane" ways of administering lethal injections?) An animal rights activist disagrees with this approach, believing those concerned by meat-packer practices would be better served by boycotts from purchase of the company's products; and perhaps by divestment in company funding. http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/02/killing-turkeys-and-the-%e2%80%9cwin-win%e2%80%9d-scenario/ 1/22/08 Inhumanity to animals and injuries to humans are cited by critics of the practice of using explosive poisoning devices to control unwanted predator animals in American West. http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695246179,00.html 1/20/08 Wild life advocates in American West are concerned that crackdown on wild life predators will lead wolves and big cats to be removed from endangered list after which they will be subjected to indiscriminate killing by hunters. http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0118/p02s01-usgn.html 1/18/07 It's Navy versus whales, and (surprise) Bush chooses the Navy:. The President lifts the ban against sonor operations that are beaching and killing whales off the California coast. (check out the anger in the comments attachment). http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/01/17/6434/ 12/18/07 Bear Spary: Not a take-off on a popular movie, but an actual sbstance recommended for use if hunters encounter aggressive grizzly bears: A Montana fish and wildlife official violates his own agency's admonition to carry the spray on outings where grizzlies might be encountered when, on a fishing trip, he was so threatened by a bear and shot him. His statement that a bear was "the last thing on his mind" while he was fishing symbolizes the indifference with which wildlife officials across the country approach their mandate for species protection of the grizzly. http://www.counterpunch.org/jonkel12172007.html 12/2/07 What do the masked booby, wandering tattler and Mexican chickadee have in common?They are 3 of the 12 new bird species added to the rapidly-growing list of birds that are "endangered" by climate change, pollution and rampant development. http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/1130/p02s01-usgn.html 10/21/07 New Pennsylvania "forest management plan" may lift the ban, designed to protect wildlife habitat, that was instituted 5 years ago for gas well drilling in state forests. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20071021_Pa__may_lift_ban_on_gas_wells_in_state_forests.html 10/18/07 Rusty crayfish, called "king crawdaddies", have migrated from Pennsylvania into Maryland, polluting Maryland waters. http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bay_environment/bal-md.crayfish18oct18,0,967345.story 10/13/07 Cryogenic suspension: It's not just a scheme to keep Waly Disney's body on ice anymore: San Diego zoo has pioneered in research to preserve sperm, embryos and eggs that has already saved the Californis Condor from extinction and holds promise for preservation of may other species. http://www.alternet.org/environment/64927/ 8/7/07 Nearly extinct American chestnut tree may spread again as horticulturalists are working to develop a "fully blight-resistant" hybrid of the species. http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0807/p02s01-sten.html 8/5/07 Conflicting demands for protection of sea lions and salmon is creating a regulatory stand-off in Washington's Columbia River, where migrating sea lions are making a "buffet" on a diet of spawning salmon. http://www.mcclatchydc.com/226/story/18674.html 7/10/07 A "conservation project" on a North Carolina lake results in large fish kill as portion of a lake is drain to allow planting of wetlands grasses. http://www.newsobserver.com/1565/story/631864.html 6/14/07 University of Maine climate official says climate changes are producing alterations in wild life that are barometers of further change. http://www.bangornews.com/news/t/news.aspx?articleid=150974&zoneid=500 6/9/07 Bear/human habitat confrontations are increasing in mountain areas of North Carolina as drought conditions and rural development drive the two species into more frequent contacts. http://dwb.newsobserver.com/news/ncwire_news/story/3027600p-9446861c.html 6/8/07 Washington state wild life officials urge homeowners to take down bird feeders, which they say contributes to a salmonella epidemic carried by bird droppings. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/318967_bird08.html 6/3/07 Federal plans for increasing poisoning in prairie dog towns of South Dakota raises objections from environmentalists concerned for both the prairie dog and ferret populations. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/02/AR2007060201162.html?referrer=email 6/2/07 As bald eagle population recovers and removal from threatened or endangered list is impending, discussion heats up on what would constitute illegal "disturbance" of the bird in the new status. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003731687_eagles02.html 5/24/07 Rio Grande cutthroat trout will be getting a new federal review for possible designation as an endangered species. http://www.abqtrib.com/news/2007/may/23/feds-reconsider-rio-grande-trout/ 5/22/07 Closing of seal rehabilitation facility near Portland Maine puts area's seal pup population in danger. http://www.bangordailynews.com/news/t/news.aspx?articleid=150101&zoneid=500 4/23/07 Volunteer elk patrol being tried in mountains of western North Carolina to help control harassment of the animals by visitors. http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200770422018 4/22/07 Shipping industry lawsuit in Michigan tries to stop the enforcing a regulation that requires ships to purge any materials disgorged into Great Lakes of any exotic plants or animals which might endanger native species. 4/21/07 Yellowstone grizzlies, you're going down. Environmentalist warns that the grizzly, caught between its imminent "de-listing" under the Endangered Species Act and climatic changes that will force it to alter its habitat, is likely to decline or disappear in the future. http://www.counterpunch.com/peacock04202007.html 4/20/07 National Marine Fish Service recommends that beluga whale in Alaska's Cook Inlet be placed on endangered species list; local business leaders protest. http://www.adn.com/front/picture_inset/story/8809928p-8709505c.html 4/20/07 Hunting guide on Maryland shore is being hit with fines for organizing illegal wild goose hunts and other hunting violations. 3/28/07 U.S. Fish and Wild Life Service extends review process for de-listing gray wolves in northern Rockies from endangered species list. http://www.helenair.com/articles/2007/03/28/montana_top/a07032807_02.txt 3/12/07 Alaskan environmentalists are seeking additional fish and wild life refuge designations to protect resources against development pressures; critics call it a recipe for poverty generation in the state. http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/wildlife/story/8703026p-8604665c.html 2/7/07 Maryland considers protection for its "state reptile," the diamondback terrapin, as harvesting of the species increases twenty-fold. 1/27/07 Who's afraid of the big bad "gray" wolf? Elk hunters, for one, as wolves are seen as competitors in killing them, and the U.S. Fish and Wild Life Service plans to remove gray wolves from the endangered list in western states and open the species to "trophy" hunting. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/W/WOLF_DELISTING?SITE 1/19/07 BBC Video footage of effort to rescue dolphins from an inlet off the Atlantic Ocean at Long Island, New York. http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_6270000/newsid_6273500/6273529.stm?bw=nb&mp=rm 1/16/07 Some dolphins have died, vigorous efforts being made to "herd" to sea those remaining stranded in an ocean inlet on Long Island. http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-lidolph0116,0,5616764.story?coll=ny-top-headlines 1/8/07 As bald eagle population in Arizona desert declines to 100, environmentalists file complaint against U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for removing the bird from endangered species list. http://newstandardnews.net/content/index.cfm/items/4064 12/27/06 Don't adjust your reading glasses, you're reading it right: Bush administration finally takes a baby step toward recognizing the reality of global warming, as it will propose that polar bears to placed on "threatened" species list because of loss of their habitat by warming. A way is left out if counter-pressures require a retreat: scientists may yet find that the bears are not endangered by warming. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/26/AR2006122601034.html?referrer=email 12/27/06 Concerted conservation effort has brought back from near-extinction the whooping crane, who now number approximately 518 birds. http://www.madison.com/tct/news/index.php?ntid=112577&ntpid=5 12/27/06 In Minnesota and elswhere across the country, as metropolitan areas expand, there is more invasion of coyote habitat and more human/animal confrontations as the hunting of the animal in rural areas forces them into metropolitan areas where they are immune from being hunted. http://www.startribune.com/462/story/899504.html 12/24/06 1378 acres added to elk preserve in northern Pennsylvania. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06358/748710-140.stm 12/19/06 When food safety and animal habitat concerns collide: California farmers are placed in a squeeze between encouraging wildlife habitats near their crop lands and risking E. coli contamination of their products. http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/12/19/MNGVHN291V1.DTL 12/11/06 Praire dog war breaks out: local ranchers want to protect prairie dog "towns" to preserve a species and to furnish food for ferrets, others including county commission want to exterminate them as "pests." http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/11/us/11prairiedogs.html?_r=1&pagewanted=2&th&emc=th&oref=slogin 12/9/06 Big egos and big markets for their kills fuel the wave of poaching which targets bighorn sheep, elk and other large animals in Nevada and elsewhere in the American West. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/09/us/09poach.html?th&emc=th 10/22/06 Humans and wildlife attempt to co-exist in "urban jungle" areas near Salt Lake City, in tracts of preserved land in the midst of suburban developments. The wildlife tends to suffer the most from the co-existence. http://www.sltrib.com/ci_4532253 10/22/06 State conservation officials are expected to permit a third straight season of "culling" deer in the state park and seminary on Long Island. http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-licull1022,0,1976605.story?coll=ny-linews-headlines. 10/4/06 First of "Hungtingdon 7," animal rights activists convicted of harassament of British firm doing lab experiments on animals, got the maximum 3-year sentence and is headed for jail. He and his lawyer are interviewed by Amy Goodman on Democracy Now. Transcript and video of the interview: http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/10/03/142235 8/16/06 Brown bears are likely to go from frolicing in Neil River in Alaska to a bearskin rug as rules for hunting them near a nature preserve are relaxed. http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/topstories_story_227230655.html 8/13/06 Despite their designation as an endangered species, orca whales in Puget Sound are disappearing under the stress of water pollution and its effects on animals lower in the food chain, like the chinook salmon. http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/wildlife/marine/story/8074684p-7967525c.html 7/31/06 Contamination off California coast produces a steady upswing in beach strandings and mass die offs of whales, dolphins and other ocean mammals. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/nationworld/orl-ocean3106jul31,0,2640009.story?coll=orl-home-headlines 7/15/06 Six people in Huntingdon NY are the first people ever to be convicted of violating the 15-year-old Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, which imposes stiff penalties for the disruption of animal-testing labs, fur farms, zoos, and the like http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0625,hunter,73595,5.html 7/5/06 U.S. Navy under court restrains as it renews sonar exercises near Hawaii, following similar exercises two years ago when whales were allegedly disoriented by the sonar. http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=2153103&page=1 6/25/06 Brown pelicans in California may be suffering the consequences of "protection," as their increase in numbers after DOT use banned in their habitats has led to a possible situation of over-population. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060623/ap_on_sc/starving_pelicans;_ylt=Aul3NTM- 6/25/06 Indiana's struggle to establish policy for the mute swan, an aggressive species and an invasive one introduced as lakes decoration, illustrates the conflict between species protection and the felt need to protect an eco-system from a given species. http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060625/NEWS01/606250443 5/31/06 Federal agents in Oregon make favorable comments on a judge's decision to protect salmon species; and their "loose lips" lead to new rule that only D.C. headquarters can make statements on fish protection policy. 5/27/06 Polar bear seems to be replacing baby seal as the "poster face of Arctic vulnerability. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/27/world/americas/27bears.html?th&emc=th 4/19/06 Migratory shorebids face extinction due to dwindling horseshoe crabpopulation along the Mid-Atlantic coast: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/04/0418_060418_crab.html 4/1/06 Maine court case highlights how animal abuse may become tied up with domestic disputes: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/01/us/01pets.html?th&emc=th 3/25/06 California Rep. Pombo's efforts to rescind the Endangered Speoces Act continue, despite increased political pressure, no public support, and a close GOP primary in June: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2006/03/25/politics/p122201S62.DTL 3/7/06 Wolves, an endangered species, are increasingly endangering Western cattle ranches: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/07/national/07wolf.html?8hpib 3/2/06 Section of Pombo's amendment to Endangered Species Act would exempt regulators from considering expert studies of wild life hazard from pesticide http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0302-02.htm 2/22/06 Funds provided by Congress for wildlife protection being diverted by Federal Bureau of Labor Management to facilitate oil drilling on public lands: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/21/AR2006022101793.html?referrer=email 2/21/06 Horse slaughter industry avoids apparent Congressional intent to shut it down by using private funds to pay USDA inspectors: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/20/AR2006022001376.html?referrer=email&referrer=email&referrer=email 2/16/06 Washington Orcas listed as endangered species http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/16/AR2006021600256.html 2/9/06 Climate change concerns lead to consideration of polar bears as endangered species: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/08/AR2006020802120.html?referrer=email 2/6/06 Thought Super-Bowl commercials were tasteless? ABC refuses to air People for Ethical Treatment of Animals advert against milk http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0206-07.htm 1/30/06 Legislation in Congress would undermine science supporting Endangered Species Act: http://www.ucsusa.org/scientific_integrity/restoring/science-in-the-endangered.html 1/20/06 Eco-terrorism" case hands down indictments: http://counterpunch.org/donnelly01212006.html
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FLORIDA
STATEWIDE
Websites: Institute for Regional Conservation: http://www.regionalconservation.org/ Save the Manatee http://www.savethemanatee.org/ Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (links to much material related to protecton of endangered and imperiled species: http://www.floridaconservation.org//
Analysis & views: 11/24/08 Consumer demand for invertebrate sea-life to stock home aquariums may be endangering Florida's off-shore reefs. 7/17/08 NASA says it may be using some wildlife-sensitive areas in Florida for space launches, Audobon official thinks this unlikely. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orl-launch1708jul17,0,2419062.story 7/12/08 Florida's coral reefs are dying and about all the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration can do is issue "calls for action: Alan Farrago visits list-serves of environmentalists concerned about the problem and finds widespread skepticism about such empty "calls" and about the tendency of officials in the regulatory community to issue their own calls for "more science" before any action is taken. http://www.counterpunch.org/farago07102008.html 7/6/08 Watchiung the Snail Kite Hawk make lazy cricles in the sky; Not so easy in the Everglades any more. A drastic reduction is noted in the kite population, and protection advocates are blaming environmental officials for endangering the species by their water management efforts to protect another species, the seaside sparrow. Flooding of land areas by release of waters from Lake Okeechobee is beneficial to the sparrow but devastating to the population of apple snails on which the kite largely subsists. A critic wonders whether officials can legitimately "choose" among endangered species. http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/story/595063.html 4/10/08 Where have all the bees gone? Florida bee-keepers are as mystified as others on that question, but they recognize the importance of bees both to the honey industry and for the pollination of citrus and winter vegetable crops, and are making major efforts to restore and protect their hives. http://www.miamiherald.com/460/story/489954.html 4/2/08 Ah, Spring! When a young Florida alligator's thoughts turn lightly to... Hooking up with a gal' gator on U.S. Highway 441:THOUGHTS TURN LIGHTLY TO....HOOKING UP WITH A GAL GATOR ON U.S. HIGHWAY 441. Traffic-stopping appearance near Hollywood FL of a gator beside this highway highlights the seasonal mingling of human and alligator "species" in Florida, as many gators cruise unfamiliar habitats in search of mates http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbgator0402sbapr02,0,3827798.story 1/28/08 Class of 2007 whooping cranes arrive in Florida under ultra-light aircraft protection:17 chicks from a Wisconsin refuge come to winter in Florida under escort to be located near Dunnellon. Their sponsors hope for a better result than last year's "class," all but one of whom perished last February during a storm as they were confined in a pen for "protection" against their predators. http://www.gainesvillesun.com/article/20080127/NEWS/578266225 1/26/08 Operation Migration group in central Florida is trying to protect this year's arrivals from Wisconsin of a whooping crane flock; as last year's flock was virtually wiped out by a violent storm. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/lake/orl-whooping2608jan26,0,6843533.story 12/17/07 The "last great bay" that Apalachicola Bay is described as being faces prospects of becoming another "lost" bay: In the water war between Florida and George that is described of "Atlanta v. the world," Georgia's success in recent skirmishes in preserving more water for metropolitan use that had earlier drained into tributaries headed for the Gulf of Mexico has put at severe risk an A Bay industry that has furnished 90% of the oysters eaten in Florida. http://www.miamiherald.com/457/story/347518.html 12/4/07 Deferred decision on whether Florida Fish and Wild Life Commission will remove manatees from endangered species list is scheduled for Wednesday, but could be put off again. http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/orl-manatee0407dec04,0,3302370.story 11/3/07 Florida Governor Crist says Jimmie Buffett has "Florida in his heart" in his support of the state's manatees. http://www.miamiherald.com/358/story/294242.html 9/14/07 "I might as well be a sexual predator" says a Marion County breeder of exotic animals, responding to proposed changes in regulations by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for the issue of large animal permits. These include a regulation that would require neighbors to be informed of the harboring of such animals and would apply whether the operation was that of a breeder, a zoo, or an animal rescue facility. http://www.gainesvillesun.com/article/20070914/NEWS/709140319/1018/news01 8/26/07 Dog-fighting is said to be "out of control" in south Florida. http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sfl-flbdogs0826nbaug26,0,6095840.story?coll=sofla_tab01_layout 7/6/07 Alligator hunting classes are scheduled around state of Florida as the season will open shortly. http://gainesville.com/article/20070706/LOCAL/70706004/-1/news 6/30/07 Everglades National Park fishing guide takes boss of the park fishing and may have won a reconsideration of some proposed regulations in the use of the park. http://www.miamiherald.com/884/story/156254.html 6/29/07 Governor Crist signs bill giving 10-year extension to Florida's Everglades restoration project. http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/tcoast/epaper/2007/06/29/m1a_MCCRIST_MAIN_0629.html 5/7/07 Florida Everglades threatening to become a big shop of horrors as invasive plants eat their way into dominance. http://gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070507/LOCAL/705070310/-1/news 4/18/07 Python lovers in Florida about to face new rules about reptiles in captivity. Fish and Wild Life Commission rules will go into effect next January and they focus on issue of preventing the release of captive animals into the wild, including the implantation of micro-chips in pets so that their owners can be located when lost ones are found. http://www.miamiherald.com/569/story/77739.html 3/21/07 Florida crocodiles are no longer an endangered species, as they have made a sharp comback from near-extinction. http://www.tbo.com/news/metro/MGB0W6J7JZE.html 2/23/07 Florida's new plan would have developers relocate gopher tortoises rather than burying them. http://gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070223/LOCAL/70222053/-1/news 1/26/07 Group of "stakeholders" (developers, animal rights activists) are meeting in Gainesville to try to devise a "growth management" strategy that will allow development to proceed without obliterating the species as the tortoises are buried alive. http://gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070126/LOCAL/701260314/-1/news 1/12/07 Threatened or endangered, sea cows are in trouble: Florida Fish and Wild Life Commission struggles to justify its decision last June to transfer manatees from endangered to threatened status, as a record number of manatee deaths in the state were recorded during 2006. http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Headlines/frtHEAD04ENV011207.htm 1/3/07 Opinion: Floridians should care about the plight of the polar bear, as global warming could produce inundation of a large part of Florida. http://www.tbo.com/news/opinion/editorials/MGBFUENZGWE.html 12/29/06 Florida's wild panthers now number 80-100, and they find their habitat becoming progressively restricted as over a million acres have been removed from protection against development. http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2006/dec/28/panther_making_east_naples_his_new_home/?local_news 11/25/06 What does an 800 lb. giant grouper eat? Just about everything in the ocean, including their own catches, say Florida fishermen, who complain that years of protection have endangered other marine life; not so, says an FSU biologist who thinks the species is still endangered. 8/4/06 Now here's a plan: open the floodgates of heavily polluted Lake Okeechobee and let its waters "flush" Gulf estuaries where red tide is accumulating and making large manatee kills. Some say it will introduce new forms of pollution in the Gulf. http://gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060804/LOCAL/208040353/1078/news For a video on sun-bathers and dead fish at red tide areas in Lee and Charlotte Counties, see: http://heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060803/VIDEO/60803027/0/BUSINESS 6/8/06 Florida Fish and Wild Life "Conservation" Commission downgrades manatee extinction risk to "threatened." while gopher tortoise does a little better, but no guarantee it won't be buried by developers. Bald eagles are no longer considered in risk of extinction. http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/14765889.htm 5/5/06 Two rapidly disappearing coral reefs off Florida Keys are placed on federal endangered species list: http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/14505155.htm 4/29/06 Score one for the sea turtle: state legislature close to passing a bill which would forbid massive armoring of beaches as post-hurricane reaction, such fortifications being ruinous to sea turtle habitat: http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060429/CAPITOLNEWS/604290313 4/10/06 Florida's manatee population, which has increased under protective regulations, is being challenged again by possible removal of their endangered designation and the reduction of water supply in their habitat: http://www.gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060410/LOCAL/204100302/1078 3/14/06 Predatory behavior of Florida panthers raises issue on the state's commitment to their protection: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/14/science/14pant.html?th&emc=th 3/6/06 Gopher tortoises are being killed at constantly increasing rates by development http://www.tampatrib.com/MGBXFWIT4KE.html 2/17/06 973 acres of Ocala National Forest may be Up for Sale, much larger sales elsewhere in the country: http://www.gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060217/LOCAL/202170329/1078 2/16/06 Manatee Death Record Set In January http://www.wesh.com/news/7081067/detail.html 2/11/06 State legislators propose reptile control legislation (.e.g., pythons) as way of protecting alligators: http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060210/NEWS02/602100336/1011 2/4/06 Endangered species list alterations spark controversy among Florida conservationists: http://www.gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060204/LOCAL/202040336/1078 2/3/06 Conservationists want Florida black bear on endangered species list: http://www.gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060203/NEWS/60203008/ 2/1/06 Florida panther needs more habitat to survive: http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/13760228.htm 1/15/06 2005 Is Second-Highest Mortality Year for Manatee On Record http://www.savethemanatee.org/news_feature_2005_mortality.htm
Other information sources:
FLORIDA LOCALITIES
Websites:
Analysis and views: Tampa: 11/16/08 Environmental activists oppose re-zoning that they say will permit road building with negative effects on "scrub habitat" in Hillsborough County FL http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/nov/16/na-activists-oppose-road-rezoning/ Key West: 11/8/08 "It's a wonderful, fragile, wild place..." says U.S. Fish and Wild Life biologist during the current celebration of the 100th anniversary of Theodore Roosevelt establishing the Key West National Wild Life Refuge. Roosevelt's main concern was to protect birds from the ravages of hunters providing a demand for plumes for ladies' hats, but nowadays, the "fragility" of the Refuge is more related to hurricane damage as well as problems of over-use and over-development. http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/story/762201.html Panama City: 7/7/08 Wildlife biologist at Tyndall Air Base near Panama City has job of keeping local animals safe human aircraft; and vice versa. http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/story/595813.html Miami: 3/28/08 Crocodiles roam University of Miami as officials' efforts to capture them are thwarted by federal protection as "threatened" species. http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sfl-flbcroc0328sbmar28,0,3146721.story Flagler Beach; 3/7/08 Flagler Beach FL was a "sundown community" in which blacks were not allowed to live in the early 20th century. Today, critics say, FB is de facto the same, with only 26 blacks in a town of 5000 population. http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Local/newFLAG01030708.htm Miami: 2/24/08 Miami Metrozoo unveils a first of its kind "amnesty day" for owners of illegal or exotic pets, in which they are allowed to hand them over to the zoo, no questions asked, in hopes that they will not release them into the wild. http://www.miamiherald.com/top_stories/story/430884.html Boynton Beach: 9/17/07 Illegal dogfighting ring is broken up in Boynton Beach http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/south/epaper/2007/09/17/s1b_dogs_0917.html Naples: 7/30/07 Woodpecker protection is the focus of conflict between landowners and environmentalists in Collier County. http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2007/jul/29/landowners_dismiss_proposal_environmental_groups/ Loxahatchee Groves: 5/27/07 Newly-minted town of Loxahatchee Groves FL, still struggling to establish a functioning government, is struggling as well to preserve its fabled herd of turtles from extinction resulting from enroaching development and drought. Wesley Chapel: 5/25/07 Human and wild life habitats get mixed up in Florida again as an alligator visits suburban Wesley Chapel in Pasco County and tries to climb a wall. http://www.tbo.com/news/metro/MGBB0HMZ32F.html Orlando: 5/24/07 In what could be the start of a trend, gopher tortoises found in the path of Orange County road construction are re-located in remote areas of Florida Panhandle. Osceola Co.: 5/10/07 Wildlife habitat in Osceola County is being severely threatened as a developer's plan to build a traffic-congestion reducing road through wetlands proceeds. Naples: 3/30/07 Monkey habitat gets confused with human ones in Naples. http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2007/mar/30/monkeys_stricken_wanderlust/ Gainesville: 3/19/07 While thousands of Gainesville folks watch the Gator basketball team in an NCAA playoff game or attend Gatornationals auto races, 26 people show up at Florida Museum of Natural History for an informative program on manatees. Across town, a fashion show for manatee benefit doesn't do much better. http://www.gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070319/LOCAL/703190326 New Port Richey: 2/21/07 Conflict between human and animal habitats in Florida surfaces again as a golf course worker in New Port Richey is bitten by alligator as he retrieves golf balls from a lake. Volusia Co.: 1/11/07 Volusia County bird-watchers have for several months been watching and trying to rescue an ibis who flies with an arrow that has penetrated its body. http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Local/newEAST02011107.htm Daytona Beach: 1/1/07 35 manatee died in 2006 in Volusia and Flagler Counties, compared to 24 the year before; most were new-borns. http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Local/newFLAG01ENV010107.htm Sebastian: 12/23/06 Numerous dead pelicans found in an area north of Sebastian FL on Indian River Lagoon. Illegal hunting is suspected. http://www.tcpalm.com/tcp/local_news/article/0,2545,TCP_16736_5230416,00.html Apalachicola: 12/21/06 St. Vincents' National Wild Life Refuge near Apalachicola faces reduction of staff and programs as it is hit by 2/3 staffing cut for U.S. Fish and Wild Life Services through southeastern U.S. http://community.emeraldcoast.com/apalachicola/news/article.showarticle.db.php?a=2073 Melbourne: 11/13/06 42% decline in number of loggerhead turtle nests along 28 Atlantic beaches raises concern of Florida conservatists for survival of the species. http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061113/NEWS01/611130319 Immokalee: 10/27/06 Confusion of human and animal habitats is symbolized in Immokalee where bear wanders onto the campuses of two local schools; officials remove him to wildlife refuge. http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2006/oct/27/?local_news Miami: 10/11/06 Sea turtle hatchling rescue on south Florida beaches in full swing as some are disoriented by condo lights. http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/15727902.htm Broward County: 10/2/06 Nesting sea turtles on Broward County beaches continue to die at rapidly increasing rate. Earlier practice of re-located their nests to less vulnerable places has been replaced by efforts to darken beaches to preven disorientation; results have been disappointing. Indiatlantic: 9/28/06 Stepped-up enforcement is instituted to protect sea turtles from hotel lights along Florida's Space Coast beaches. http://www.flatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060928/NEWS01/609280347/1006 Levy County: 8/7/06 University of Florida researchers are documenting the accelerated demise of palm trees on Gulf coast at Waccasassa State Preserve (Levy County) and blaming it on sea level rise attributed to global warming. http://gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060807/LOCAL/208070333/1078/news spectacular failure. Jacksonville: 7/26/06 Real activists give us all a lesson: Members of Sea Turtle Patrol at Jacksonville prowl the beaches each morning looking for nests and "do what they can" to protect them from dogs, disorienting lights and human abuses. http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/072206/nes_22380400.shtml Ft. Lauderdale: 7/23/06 Crusty the Alligator, a gator grown aggressive as people feed him, to be re-located from a canal in Alligator Alley to a "wild life exhibit" in Hollywood FL; his case highlights the continuing man-meets-animal saga of Florida development impinging on wildlife habitat. http://www.gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060723/LOCAL/207230367/1078/news Miami: 7/10/06 Be careful what you wish for: 100 years ago a "visionary" man planted "thirsty" melaleuca trees in a scheme to drain the Everglades. New University of Florida study shows that the state now spends $12 million per year trying to control the fast-spreading tree, which turns out not to be so thirsty while it devours native vegetation. http://heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060710/APN/607100501 Gainesville: 6/26/06 When wildlife and humanlife habitats collide: bears need a north-south corridor to roam for food and mates; humans an east-west one for roaming between beaches and interior residences. Widening of SR 20 between Hawthorne and Interlachen advances the human habitat, damages the wildlife one. Humans proceed to build, and debate how they can "protect" the wildlife with culverts, raised roads, etc. Bears don't get a vote. http://www.gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060626/LOCAL/206260319/1078 Key West: 6/12/06 Key Deer Rescue agency will not intercede to rescue key deer suffering starvation after hurricanes and droughts; agency cites overpopulation of the species and need to numbers adjustment. http://keysnews.com/286310367662099.bsp.htm Orlando: 3/22/06 Threat to bear habitat being noted in Central Florida: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/custom/growth/orl-bears22_106mar22,0,6321565.story?coll=orl-home-promo Ft. Lauderdale: Dania Beach crocodiles get unjustified media attention: http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/13808320.htm Key West: 2/7/06 Bird flu fears making Key West's free-roaming chickens an endangered species: http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/states/florida/counties/monroe_county /cities_neighborhoods/florida_keys/13792712.htm
Gainesville: 2/3/06 Protests as officials in High Springs try to shoot stray chickens: http://www.gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060203/LOCAL/202030336/1078
Other information sources
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