The Fish and Wildlife Service is auctioning off 300,000 items made from wildlife to save on storage costs. Don't expect any rhino heads or elephant feet. They aren't selling anything endangered and the listings so far are pretty tame: Avon watches or Cole Haan "leather driving slippers w/ dog-faces water snake skin trim." This isn't what you fear: it's a kind of snake.
The Sage Grouse might be declared endangered by next Friday. Guess what? The Wyoming Tribune doesn't think they deserve it and thinks the 2005 decision by the Bush administration--though found tainted by politics--was just fine.
This cow in India can milk herself. She doesn't need anyone to pull on her udders, she just whizzes the milk away.
President Obama wants to freeze the tiny part of the federal budget that applies to programs in the environment, parks, education and transportation. I've seen this movie before and know this political gimmick doesn't have a happy ending for wildlife. But here are four easy way to cut the federal budget by $280 million a year and help the environment, wildlife and animal watchers.
Discount Grazing on Public Lands: $121 million
Wild Horse-Roundups and Permanent Holding: $85 million a year
Killing Coyotes, Starlings and other "Bad" Animals: $71 million a year
Rounding up Yellowstone Bison $3 million
1) Stop Cattlemen Welfare $121 million Cattlemen get to graze on federal land for about one-tenth the cost they would have to pay the private sector. This is a program both the left and right hate. The CATO Institute calls it "land-use socialism."
Ranchers now pay about $1.35 per animal unit per month (AUM), compared to $13.50 in the real world. Just to break even the federal government should be charging between $7.64 and $12.26, a GAO report found. We could stop losing $121 million by charging market rates.
I'm a meat eater and amid the myriad choices of grass-fed and dry-aged, I've never gotten a special deal on federal land beef. If the massive federal lands were put on the free market, it would probably drive down costs for all ranchers--and consumers.
(Photo courtesy of Sharat Ganapati)
2) Stop rounding up wild horses : $85 million a year
We really have more wild horses in captivity that we know what to do with--about 33,000. The Bureau of Land Management started amassing mustangs under Bush, then proposed selling them to slaughter in 2005. The public was repulsed.
Each horse costs about $333 to round up (based on the $900,000 the BLM spent to catch 2,700 horses). Then it costs about $500 a year each to keep them.
But, we're still rounding up horses--another 12,000 this year. That will put nearly two-thirds of the wild horse population in federal custody at a cost of about $85 by 2012.
3) Stop Killing Coyotes and Starlings: $71 million a year
The federal government spent a stunning $71 million in FY2010 on the widely discredited science of killing 2.4 million predators and "nuisance" animals. The predators taken are quickly replaced by other animals moving into the territory. Wyoming spent $2.2 million federal tax dollars in 2007 to kill 11,000 coyotes, 300 foxes, 1,000 pigeons, 600 ravens and 55 wolves (among other animals they decided were bad).
Whether you think these animals should survive or not, you have to question whether federal tax dollars should be spent removing them.
The federal government also paid to dispatch (partial list)
1,177,00 starlings
335,000 cowbirds
90,000 coyotes
86,000 pigeons
16,000 cormorants
13,000 mourning doves
13,000 raccoons
6,000 squirrels
500 stray dogs
1,100 prairie dogs
1,110 feral cats
6,000 rabbits
876 robins (including 776 shot on purpose in Mississippi)
400 otters
344 wolves (including four critically endangered Mexican gray wolves that you are also paying the Fish and Wildlife Service to bring back)
336 cougars
84 mockingbirds
52 pelicans (including one brown pelican, then classified as endangered, intentionally shot in Florida)
43 Sandhill cranes
1 flamingo
4) Stop Rounding up Yellowstone Bison $3 million
Again, lay this one on the cattlemen. The various government agencies (parks, forest service, USDA) say they needs to limit bison because they might give a disease to 200 neighboring cattle.
"The U.S. government spends about $3 million a year to manage wild buffalo like livestock inside Yellowstone Park through its capture, quarantine, and vaccination program, all intended to prevent buffalo's natural migration to adjacent National Forest lands and on private lands where people want and respect them as wildlife," says Buffalo Field Campaign habitat coordinator Darrell Geist. He also points out that doesn't even count crop and livestock subsidies,giveaways to mining companies and gifts to
oil and gas interests.
They could just stop giving out the money-losing grazing rights to the land in the valley. Remember, it's a money losing proposition anyway. But on top of that, we're paying to round them up and ship them off. Even though seeing bison is one of the reasons Americans like going to Yellowstone. BFC's. Habitat Coordinator Darrell Geist says they could probably buy out the cattle for about $1 million.
Other marine mammals have etiquette standards. The Whale Sense or Dolphin Smart programs give tourists list of operators that play nice. But who's smart about the 3,000 manatees left in the U.S.?
As an endangered species and marine mammal, manatees area already supposed to be protected, but go on YouTube and search "manatee harassment." You'll find videos of tourists coralling and chasing manatees, separating the mom and calf and even trying to ride or kick them. It's like Crystal River, FL, tour operators live in a 1950s world where they feel entitled to sell the experience of touching, petting and scratching manatees. Do they then drive home without seatbelts into a house lined with asbestos and eat canned soup casserole for dinner? Haven't they heard that's not how you treat wild animals?
"It's this culture of everybody that come to Crystal River," says manatee advocate Tracy Colson. "It's well-advertised that this is the only place where you can touch a manatee. It's the only place in the world where you can interact with an endangered species."
"There's something to the swim with- programs that would be a great help to the mantee," says Colson. "If you have that magical experience, it's going to make you a strong advocate." I get as excited as anyone seeing a wild animal, so it's easy to see how some one could become over eager to make a manatee connection. But, like most animal tourists I know, I don't want to do anything that hurts the animal. So I asked Tracy to give out-of-towners some tips so we don't unwittingly help the bad guys. It can be hard to pick out a good tour because many go through the motions.
The programs that reign in whale and dolphin tours amount to this: don't bother the animals or make it look like you do in your ads. You stand still and if the animal wants to come close, it will.
TIPS ON FINDING A RESPONSIBLE TOUR
* Ask them if you're allowed to touch or approach a manatee.
* Is their website all about party and adventure?
* Do they show pictures of people petting, kissing, tickling, riding or otherwise molesting manatees?
* Look for a small operation and small boat. While it's better for whales if everyone is on one big boat, it's better for manatees if there are small boats and small groups, where the mob mentality hasn't taken over.
SOME GREAT TOURS
Manatees in Paradise
Husband and wife, Captain Mike and Stacy Dunn, help with manatee rescue and bay clean up. Their pontoon boat only holds up to six. $25 per person, plus wet suit rental. 1223 North Crystal Drive, Crystal River, FL
352-563-0865 cell 352-601-5520
Nature's Connection
Capt. Hank rides with up to 12 on 3 1/2 hour tours.
$50 including wet suit.
267 N.W. 3Rd. St. Crystal River, Fl. 34429
capthankstours@yahoo.com 352-697-0220
Native Vacations comes highly recommended by Passport Magazine and manatee fans. Dedicated manatee lover Traci Wood offers private 6-hour snorkel tours ($400 for up to 4 people) or $35 (plus equipment fees) 3-hour tour.
Nature Coast Kayak Tours
Tracy Colson volunteers to clean out the waterway, rescue manatees and document manatee harassment. Her 3 1/2 hour tours are $40, including all equipment.
(352) 795-9877 or 888-795-9877 toll free Adventure Outpost
Lars Andersen, who writes guides on paddling and the area, leads kayak tours of many waterways. $39
386-454-0611
