Next year, the passenger pigeon will have been extinct for 100 years. This is significant for a number of reasons, including recent thoughts of whether or not the species could be brought back through the process of “de-extinction.” The passenger pigeon and the wooly mammoth are top of mind for scientists who are interested in venturing down this road of using DNA to revive a species.

According to the article linked below, there are two ways to go about de-extinction. The first option is cloning, which involves the capture of a living cell from an extinct species, which could be re-programmed into an embryonic cell and implanted in a surrogate mother. An attempt was made to bring back the bucardo, using this method, but it has failed thus far. The second option, because living cells from these species are so difficult to find, is to take remnants of a cell and try to fill in the missing pieces. Researchers are planning to use this method for passenger pigeon recovery.

It’s exciting stuff, to be sure, but a major question in all of this is, if we have the means to bring back extinct species, should we? That’s a question that scientists and policymakers must weigh very carefully before this process moves forward.

As Stan Temple, an emeritus professor of wildlife ecology at UW-Madison and a recent keynote speaker at a National Geographic meeting on de-extinction, says in the article:

“Think very carefully about this before the saber-toothed tiger is out of the bag.”

New science poised to bring back lost species

By Ron Seely, Wisconsin State Journal

In 2014, Wisconsin and the rest of the nation will observe a sad anniversary — the 100th year of a world without passenger pigeons.

Preparations are already under way in the state to properly note the passing of a bird that once turned daylight to darkness with its numbers. From books and conferences to buffing and rededicating the famous memorial monument at Wyalusing State Park, it will be a year spent pondering the meaning of the loss.

But, as opposed to other such anniversaries since the bird’s passing, this one will be marked also by a curious and perhaps momentous new twist.

Why not, some are asking, bring the passenger pigeon back? Read more …

In celebration of Earth Day, Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman announced the Beel family  as the recipient of the 2013 Leopold Conservation Award, the state’s premier award for private lands conservation, during a ceremony at the State Capitol on Friday.

The award, which is presented by Nebraska Cattlemen, Cargill, and Wisconsin-based Sand County Foundation, recognizes outstanding, positive contributions to natural resources by agricultural families.

Third generation ranchers Frank, Henry, and Adam and their wives, Jennifer, Mary, and Jenny operate the nearly 22,000-acre ranch located in north-central Nebraska. Carrying on a tradition of conservation begun by their ancestors, the Beel brothers and their families, among other efforts, implement practices that improve wildlife habitat and water quality and quantity, which has helped them withstand the second driest season on record.

Congratulations to the Beel family!

Photo courtesy of Omaha World-Herald

Johnstown family receives conservation award

By Martha Stoddard, Omaha World-Herald

Nebraska ranch family that has handed down an ethic of conservation from father to son was honored Friday for its stewardship.

Gov. Dave Heineman announced the Beel family of Johnstown as the recipients of the 2013 Leopold Conservation Award.

The award, named in honor of world-renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, is presented to agricultural families in Nebraska who practice responsible land stewardship and management.

“Conservation on private land is something Nebraskans do very well,” the governor said.

The Beel brothers, Frank, Henry and Adam, along with wives Jennifer, Mary and Jenny, operate a nearly 22,000-acre cattle operation along the border between Brown and Cherry Counties. Read more …

Soil conservation experts in Maryland recently discovered that the level of conservation practices on farmland in their state has been underestimated by as much as 40 to 50 percent. A major reason for the discrepancy is some farmers are engaging in efforts to enhance soil, water, wildlife habitat, and vegetation without assistance from state and federal agencies. With or without assistance, however, the researchers found that most farmers are adding these practices, such as riparian buffers and efficient water management structures, to their farming operations simply because it’s the “right thing to do”.

This is nothing new, however, and, given the fact that most land in the United States is privately owned, it is vital to our nation’s environmental health. Landowners across the country are making an effort to enhance natural resources, so high quality land, water, and wildlife will endure for future generations. These efforts are evident through recognition programs such as the Leopold Conservation Award and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s Environmental Stewardship Award, which identify hundreds of farmers, ranchers, and foresters who are worthy candidates for the awards. These landowners “do the right thing,” not out of obligation, but out of passion for the natural resources they care for as an integral part of their successful agricultural operations.

Conservation on local farms is highly underestimated

Star Democrat

According to a study by soil conservation experts released in March, farmers in Queen Anne’s, Kent and Howard counties have been implementing environmentally conscious practices on their own to the extent that the Watershed Implementation Plan will need to be re-evaluated.

Conservation on Maryland farms in general, may be underestimated by 40 to 50 percent according to the data.

Most of these undocumented practices were installed by farmers without technical or financial assistance from state or federal agencies, because it’s the right thing to do, the farmers said. Read more …

According to the article linked below, the amount of plastic produced worldwide has increased 500 percent in the last 30 years, and a lot of it is ending up in waterways. Plastic is now responsible for 80 to 90 percent of ocean pollution, and the Great Lakes are experiencing similar pollution issues.

The problem comes from larger plastic items such as plastic bags and bottles, but a bigger concern might be the plastics that aren’t easily seen. Not only do these small plastic particles, most of which are smaller than two-tenths of an inch, affect water quality, they are also often mistaken for food by fish, birds, and other wildlife. Fish contamination, obviously, directly affects human health.

Great Lakes pollution is so severe that it may be surpassing oceanic pollution levels. In a study cited in the article below, researchers found the ”number of microparticles to be 24 percent higher in the Great Lakes than in samples they collected in the Southern Atlantic Ocean.”

A ‘great garbage patch’ grows in the Great Lakes

By Melissa Breyer, Mother Nature Network

In 1988, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration first described the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch,” an area in the North Pacific Ocean where currents have concentrated plastic debris into a mucky toxic soup estimated by some to be twice the size of Texas.

And now, scientists are reporting that the same fate is befalling the Great Lakes, the largest groups of fresh water lakes in the world. Lorena M. Rios Mendoza, Ph.D., reported on the latest findings at the Great Lakes meeting of the American Chemical Society.

“The massive production of plastic and inadequate disposal has made plastic debris an important and constant pollutant on beaches and in oceans around the world, and the Great Lakes are not an exception,” said Rios in a press release for the study.

The amount of plastic produced has increased a stunning 500 percent in the last 30 years, and plastics are now responsible for 80 to 90 percent of ocean pollution, according to Rios. It comes from plastic bags, bottles and other trash, fishing lines, household products, synthetic fibers shed by clothes in the washing machine, and other sources — as well as plastic pellets, the raw material which is melted down and molded into an array of commercial and industrial components. Read more …

A private-public partnership is working to improve rice productivity, as well as enhance waterbird habitat in California. Montna Farms, owned by Al and Gail Montna enrolled in the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s (NRCS) Waterbird Habitat Enhancement Program (WHEP), which pays incentives to landowners who implement pro-wildlife habitat practices on their land. The rice belt, where Montna Farms is located, is an area where birds, including ducks, geese, swans, sandpipers, avocets, herons, egrets, and cranes stop to nest during winter.

Practices that WHEP encourages include the placement of water boards in rice fields post-harvest to collect additional water, intentional flooding and incremental draining of rice fields as birds gradually arrive and leave.

This is not a one-way street, however. The presence of the waterbirds benefits rice production, as well. After harvest, rice straw is is left in the fields, which are flooded to help decompose the straw. After flooding, waterbirds will mix the straw into the soil, improving the soil and increasing its capacity to retain water, which leads to improved rice production.

Al and Gail Montna are not new to natural resources conservation. They are the recipients of the 2010 Leopold Conservation Award, California’s premier recognition of conservation on private lands. The award was the result of many efforts to improve land, water, and wildlife habitat at Montna Farms, including the installation of a solar powered rice dryer and  the establishment of an over 1,000-acre waterbird easement that was the first of its kind in California.

Photo © Paolo Vescia

WHEP program a win-win for California rice, waterbirds

By Cary Blake, Western Farm Press

The Montna farming family of Dingville, Calif., successfully integrates commercial rice production on its 3,000 acres of land with habitat enhancement practices which benefit waterbirds, thanks to a partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

Montna Farms is in the second year of a three-year contract in the NRCS’ Waterbird Habitat Enhancement Program (WHEP). The voluntary program is designed to help rice production and waterbirds successfully co-exist in California’s Sacramento and northern San Joaquin valleys.

Montna Farms, located in the Sacramento Valley’s Sutter County, is owned and operated by Al and Gail Montna and their two daughters. The vertically-integrated farm grows super premium Japanese short-grain rice with a rice-drying operation onsite on Highway 99, halfway between Sacramento and Yuba City.

“The Waterbird Habitat Enhancement Program is a win-win for rice production and wildlife,” said Jon Munger, Montna Farms’ manager of operations. “The program requires some extra work on the grower end but it is worth the effort.” Read more …

Wildlife habitat across the United States is being adversely affected by climate change, so the federal government has introduced a plan that includes the development of “corridors” to help wildlife migrate to more hospitable habitat.

Called the “National Fish, Wildlife and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy,” the strategy aims to roll out several tactics, the corridors being one of them, during the next five years to maintain and enhance wildlife populations that are feeling the negative effects of climate change. The plan is expected to be a decades long effort.

It is clear, however, that this plan cannot be successful without the assistance of America’s farmers and ranchers. Many of the corridors will need to be created through the establishment of easements in which farmers and ranchers are paid to remove land from production, helping to improve habitat for certain species.

This process has already begun in regards to the lesser prairie chicken in the western U.S. where farmers and ranchers are paid incentives to return some of their land to native prairie.

Photo courtesy of USDA NRCS

Federal plan aims to help wildlife adapt to climate change

By Neela Banerjee, Los Angeles Times

The Obama administration Tuesday announced a nationwide plan to help wildlife adapt to threats from climate change.

Wisconsin-based Sand County Foundation and the Kentucky Agricultural Council have announced the launch of the Leopold Conservation Award in Kentucky. Kentucky is the ninth state to offer the $10,000 award, which honors farmers, ranchers, and foresters who do outstanding work to enhance natural resources as part of their agricultural operations. 

Applications are being accepted until July 31, 2013 and the award will be presented at the Kentucky Ag Summit in November. Read the full press release below.

New Leopold Conservation Award program seeks nominees in Kentucky

PRWeb

Sand County Foundation and Kentucky Agricultural Councilhave announced the launch of the Leopold Conservation Award program in Kentucky, and are accepting applications for the award.

The $10,000 Leopold Conservation Award will honor Kentucky farmers, ranchers and other private landowners who voluntarily demonstrate responsible stewardship and management of natural resources.

“Private landowners across the State of Kentucky are doing exceptional land conservation work,” said Brent Haglund, Ph.D., Sand County Foundation President. “We look forward to honoring these good stewards of the land who are committed to the enhancement of Kentucky’s rich and diverse agricultural landscape.”

Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the Leopold Conservation Award recognizes extraordinary achievement in voluntary conservation. It inspires other landowners through these examples and provides a visible forum where farmers, ranchers and other private landowners are recognized as conservation leaders. In his influential 1949 book, “A Sand County Almanac,” Leopold called for an ethical relationship between people and the land they own and manage, which he called “an evolutionary possibility and an ecological necessity.”

“The Kentucky Agricultural Council is proud to be part of the Leopold Conservation Award program,” said Kentucky Agricultural Council Chairman, Tony Brannon. “From the beginnings of pioneering no-till farming in the 1960’s through today’s many and varied farm sustainability efforts to leave this place better than they found it, Kentucky farmers have a proud tradition of feeding, clothing, sheltering and fueling our nation and our world. This award will allow us to celebrate and learn from the examples of Kentucky farmers who have taken a thoughtful approach to conservation and stewardship of our land.”

The Kentucky Agricultural Council will be seeking sponsorships to host the award and will present a celebration of the award recipients at the Kentucky Ag Summit, to be held in November 2013.

Nominations must be postmarked by July 31, 2013, and mailed to Leopold Conservation Award c/o Kentucky Agricultural Council, P.O. Box 5478 Louisville, Kentucky 40255-0478.

For application information, please visit www.leopoldconservationaward.org or www.kyagcouncil.net

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been SLOWLY making its way through the list of candidates for the Endangered Species list. There is a current backlog of over 260 imperiled species that are awaiting a decision from the agency, some have been waiting for over 20 years.

Due to a 2011 settlement of two lawsuits filed by conservation activists, a federal judge ruled that the Fish and Wildlife Service must work its way through the backlog by 2018.

The backlog is blamed on a number of issues, including lawsuits over protected habitat for listed species, budget cuts, and past mismanagement.

Individuals and organizations on both sides of the Endangered Species Act are highly interested in the outcome of these decisions and some are highly controversial, especially the sage-grouse. Sage-grouse habitat in the Western Plains has been negatively impacted by development, but private landowners and energy companies are fighting the listing of the species due to the potential restrictions that could be placed on energy exploration and agriculture.

Therefore, some western landowners and energy companies are working together, through groups, such as the Cooperative Sagebrush Initiative, to help restore sage-grouse habitat. The sage-grouse, however, is certainly not the only controversial species awaiting a decision by the Fish and Wildlife Service, so the next 5 years is likely to spark a lot more discussion about the merits of the Endangered Species Act.

Endangered or not, but at least no longer waiting

By Michael Wines, The New York Times

Perhaps it does not seem cause for celebration that the Oregon spotted frog, a four-inch-long amphibian that prefers the Pacific Northwest’s dwindling marshy spots, is to be considered this year for federal protection as an endangered species.

Tell that to the frog. It has been languishing for 22 years — since 1991 — awaiting its day in the bureaucratic sun.

The eastern massasauga rattlesnake has been a candidate for protection since 1982, a legless bridesmaid, never a bride. Ditto the elfin-woods warbler. Like them, the Dakota skipper butterfly, a cucumber-bodied flier that zips unusually fast (for a butterfly) over the Minnesota and Dakota prairies, is dying out as development shrinks its habitat. It nevertheless has hung on, its candidacy deferred since 1975.

Belatedly, the Interior Department’s Fish and Wildlife Service is giving them all — and 258 more — a thumbs up or down for protection under the Endangered Species Act, the 1973 law that was among the early triumphs of the environmental movement.

It is evidence of the law’s travails that it took a federal judge to get them to this point.

Under a 2011 settlement of two lawsuits by conservation activists, the wildlife service has pledged to decide the fates of all the backlogged species by 2018. A schedule issued by the service on Feb. 8 promised to decide by September whether to add 97 species to the endangered list, including 70 covered by the lawsuit settlement. Read more …

In a recent study, researchers from South Dakota State University have documented a sodbusting trend in the Central Plains states. Due largely to rising commodity prices, the Western Corn Belt has lost  1.3 million acres of grassland over the past 5 years, which is a rate that hasn’t been seen since the 1930′s.

The authors found that farmers and ranchers in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota are taking advantage of the doubling of corn and soybean prices, at the expense of native grassland, by converting those lands to crop production.

Aside from the loss of native prairie, there are other troubling environmental impacts. Grassland is often plowed up on marginal lands that are highly susceptible to erosion and vulnerable to drought. Also, crops in Minnesota and the Dakotas are increasingly being planted near wetlands, which is having a detrimental impact on waterfowl habitat.

Lawmakers in Minnesota and South Dakota, with an endorsements from groups like Ducks Unlimited and the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, have introduced legislation to try to slow down this trend. The “Protect Our Prairies Act” would reduce crop insurance on newly broken grassland for four years.

Read the entire study

Photo: Kevin Kiley

Study documents conversion of grassland to crops

Associated Press

A new study documents a loss of 1.3 million acres of grassland over a five-year period in the Western Corn Belt — a rate not seen since the 1920s and 1930s.

The research by Christopher Wright and Michael Wimberly of the Geographic Information Science Center of Excellence at South Dakota State University said a recent doubling in commodity prices has created incentives for landowners in South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota and Iowa to convert grassland to corn and soybean cropping.

“Historically, comparable grassland conversion rates have not been seen in the Corn Belt since the 1920s and 1930s, the era of rapid mechanization of US agriculture,” the authors wrote.

The study is published in Tuesday’s edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

Read more … 

The Wyoming Stock Growers Association and Sand County Foundation have announced Wayne and Judy Fahsholtz of  Padlock Ranch as the recipients of Wyoming’s 2013 Leopold Conservation Award.

Given as part of the Wyoming Environmental Stewardship Award Program, the Leopold Conservation Award recognizes private landowners who practice responsible land stewardship and management. The award will be presented at the Wyoming Stock Growers Association summer convention, June 5-8 in Cheyenne. The ranch will also be featured during the annual Environmental Stewardship Tour July 9.

Congratulations to the Fahsholtz family!

Photo courtesy of Padlock Ranch

Wyoming’s Padlock Ranch named 2013 Leopold Conservation Award Winner

PRWeb

The Wyoming Stock Growers Association and Sand County Foundation are proud to recognize The Padlock Ranch as the recipient of the 2013 Leopold Conservation Award. Given as part of the Wyoming Environmental Stewardship Award Program, the Leopold Conservation Award recognizes private landowners who practice responsible land stewardship and management.

The award will be presented at the Wyoming Stock Growers Association summer convention, June 5-8 in Cheyenne. The ranch will also be featured at the 2013 Environmental Stewardship Tour July 9.

On 500,000 acres spanning the Wyoming–Montana border, Padlock Ranch operates a sustainable and profitable cattle operation raising natural beef.

“Successful ranches enable the community to continue to have vast amounts of open space that would otherwise be used for uses that would not enhance water and air quality, wildlife habitat and provide recreational opportunities to the public,” said Wayne Fahsholtz, President and CEO of Padlock Ranch. “When I came here 10 years ago, we really had the opportunity to look at our practices and decide what we needed to do to have as good a ranch as we could and to grow as much grass as possible.”

Padlock Ranch is owned by the Homer Scott family and has been operating since 1943. Scott and his wife Mildred started the operation on 3,000 acres and continued to grow the property to its current size.

The $10,000 Leopold Conservation Award, which is presented as the most prestigious award within the Wyoming Stock Growers Association’s Environmental Stewardship Program, recognizes Wyoming ranchers who demonstrate outstanding, sustainable management of natural resources. The Leopold Conservation Award is presented in honor of famed conservationist and author Aldo Leopold, who called for an ethical relationship between people and the land they own and manage.

“We salute the owners and operators of Padlock Ranch for their dedication to conservation practices that make them great stewards of the land,” said Sand County Foundation President Brent Haglund, Ph.D. “They exemplify what our Leopold Conservation Award stands for.”

“Each year the Wyoming Stock Growers Association and our partners look forward to honoring more landowners for the contribution they make to our state’s economy, environment and culture,” said WSGA Executive Vice President Jim Magagna.

Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc., Peabody Energy, the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation and the Monaghan Foundation sponsor the Leopold Conservation Award in Wyoming.

The deadline for nominations is July 12, 2013. For more information please visit: http://www.leopoldconservationaward.org