Wildlife

Wind Farms, Sage Grouse, And Loopholes

March 12, 2010
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Eastern Oregon turbines. Photo by Ted Timmons.

The growing debate over wind farms and their impacts on the environment were laid out before a group of state regulators Friday afternoon in Hood River.

The Energy Facility Siting Council (EFSC) is being asked to clear up confusion over how to define a “large” wind farm. It’s important because large projects are regulated by the state, while smaller projects are controlled by counties. The state process is more complex, costs more, and has tougher environmental standards.

Environmental groups says some developers are artificially breaking up large wind farms into smaller projects so they can dodge state regulations. They want the EFSC to adopt new rules that will make it harder to do that.

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ODFW Gets Their Goat

March 9, 2010
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The Rocky Mountain Goat was first spotted in the Dry Canyon area east of Bend. Photo from ODFW.

In just a few months, a lone Rocky Mountain Goat has become one of the most popular celebrities in Central Oregon.

Often spotted along Hwy 20 east of Bend, the male goat was first seen last December. As far as anyone knows, he’s the only one of his kind in the area.

That’s enough for him to earn some special attention from Oregon Fish and Wildlife. Last week, ODFW captured and collared the goat so they can keep better tabs on him.

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Breaking: Sage Grouse Won’t Be Listed – At Least Not For Now

March 5, 2010
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A Greater Sage Grouse near Burns, Oregon. Photo from BLM.

Faced with a difficult decision about protecting – or not protecting – the Greater sage-grouse, Interior says it’s going to split the difference.

Secretary Ken Salazar announced Friday morning that the sage-grouse deserves to be listed by the Endangered Species Act, but that’s not going to happen anytime soon. The official label is that listing is “warranted, but precluded.”

So it becomes a candidate species. The bird’s status will be reviewed yearly. But Interior says it can’t protect every species that deserves it, and it has to set priorities. The sage-grouse falls into the bottom third of the candidate list.

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Back At Bonneville and Hungrier Than Ever

February 24, 2010
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A Steller Sea Lion. Photo from NOAA

The all you can eat seafood buffet at Bonneville Dam is open for business.

Early season numbers from Oregon Fish and Wildlife tell us that anywhere from a dozen to two dozen sea lions are hanging out at the dam, enjoying the easy pickings of salmon and sturgeon. Most of are Steller sea lions, only a few of them are of the California variety.

Those numbers are typical for late February, according Rick Hargrave of ODFW. Steller sea lions arrive first. The number of California sea lions will pick up starting in March.

What is unusual – is how much fish they’re eating.

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Wildlife Officials Capture And Collar Three Oregon Wolves

February 19, 2010
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Russ Morgan, ODFW wolf coordinator, with a 97-pound male wolf collared Feb. 12th. Photo from ODFW.

One of the biggest wildlife stories of last year was news that a pack of ten wolves are living in the Imnaha Wildlife Management Unit in Wallowa County.

In order to better follow the pack and understand their movements, officials with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife captured three pack members last weekend and put radio collars on them.

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This Fall, Will Oregon Support Water, Parks and Wildlife?

February 5, 2010
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Silver Falls State Park. Courtesy Oregon Parks and Recreation.

It wasn’t all that long ago that the Oregon State Parks system was on the brink of collapse. After years of budget cuts, park maintenance had fallen so far behind that more than five dozen state parks were in danger of shutting down.

But a group of Oregonians came to the rescue, and in 1998 voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure dedicating 15% of lottery revenues to fund state parks, protect watersheds, and restore habitat for fish and wildlife.

That measure expires in a few years. So with time running out, many of the same supporters are working on a new ballot measure to make the funding permanent.

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ODFW: Concerns About Bat Killing Disease Coming To Oregon

February 4, 2010
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A fringed bat in Central Oregon. Photo by Michael Durham.

With about a month into the official winter season, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is asking people to be careful around hibernating bats. Wildlife officials are concerned about White Nose Syndrome, a fungal disease that’s killed a million bats in the Eastern United States.

As far as we know, Oregon bats aren’t in any immediate danger. But if humans were to spread the disease here, this is the time of year it would most likely happen.

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Brown Pelicans Update, Much Quieter On The Coast

January 27, 2010
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After raising concerns about starving and dying brown pelicans, U.S. Fish and Wildlife says things are looking much better on the Oregon coast.

Roy Lowe with the FWS office in Newport says they’ve received no calls from the public today, and when he surveyed the beach this morning he didn’t see any pelicans at all. He says reports of pelican sightings on birding websites and e-mail lists are also down. He hopes the public is getting the message to leave the birds alone.

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Pelican Die-Off Update, New Information From Astoria Wildlife Rehab Center

January 26, 2010
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Some new information and perspective on the coastal brown pelican die-off from Sharnelle Fee with the Wildlife Center of the North Coast in Astoria.

It’s been a busy season for them. It all started with the massive die-off of shorebirds during last fall’s algae bloom. They took in nearly 750 birds over a six-day period.

Then about three weeks ago, it was an increasing number of pelicans brought in for injuries. Fee says heavy winds and high surf along the coast make it difficult for the brown pelican to hunt for fish. The birds get hurt as the dive into the big waves.

Lately, they’ve seen more of the starving pelicans.

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Brown Pelicans Are Dying On The Oregon Coast – Again

January 26, 2010
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California Brown Pelican. Courtesy U.S. Fish and Wildlife

We’re at the beginning of what could be another major die-off of Brown Pelicans along the Oregon Coast.

Things are developing so quickly no one really knows yet how many of the birds have died, or how much worse things will get. Dawn Grafe with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says calls to the agency started coming in only Monday.

Grafe says the dead and dying birds are mostly adults, sexually mature birds that normally should be in Southern California or Mexico for breeding season. “They should not be off the Oregon coast. This is unusual.” says Grafe. “By now they should all be gone.”

In a typical year, most brown pelicans migrate south by the end of November. Grafe says this year, about 1,000 birds have stayed behind.

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