Free Republic

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has taken the unusual step of issuing a permit allowing an American Indian tribe in Wyoming to kill two bald eagles for religious purposes. The agency's decision comes after the Northern Arapaho Tribe filed a federal lawsuit last year contending the refusal to issue such permits violates tribal members' religious freedom. Although thousands of American Indians apply for eagle feathers and carcasses from a federal repository, permits allowing the killing of bald eagles are exceedingly rare, according to both tribal and legal experts on the matter.

confirmed killed by wolves... the confirmed kills varied from the reported animal deaths and values, which came to 40 animals valued at roughly $40,000. He cautioned people not to draw conclusions about the confirmed numbers, because unconfirmed kills are often those in which the livestock is discovered too late to actually identify, by tracks, tooth marks or other means, the actual cause of death. Their agency is part of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, though they often are mistaken for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which is part of the...

Public meetings are scheduled next month in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming on the federal government's plans to remove federal protections for grizzly bears surrounding Yellowstone National Park. The move would put management of bears in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem into the hands of the three states and give them greater flexibility. It also could clear the way for limited hunting. Public meetings on the proposal are scheduled Jan. 9 at the Holiday Inn in Bozeman; Jan. 10 in Cody, Wyo.; Jan. 11 in Jackson, Wyo.; and Jan. 12 in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Information on the plan will be provided, and...

Four gray wolves released near Meeteetse on Feb. 14 may have been illegally captured on his land. The rancher, Frank Robbins, was among more than 40 people attending a March 2 Hot Springs County Commission meeting to lodge objections to the way federal agencies have managed wolves in the area. The group ..."to tell the feds that monitoring wolves on private property would be considered trespass," ... "We were caught unawares," ... the commissioners "are concerned about what (wolves) could do...We don't see any of the plus side." whether any laws may have been violated in the case of low-flying...

Three days before Halloween, George Norris, 24407 Pine Canyon Drive, Spring, got a visit from a U.S. agency that proved scarier than any spook or goblin. He is still recovering from the encounter. Norris, 65, and his wife, Kathy, own Spring Orchid Specialties. "I import orchids from all around the world and have been doing it more than 25 years," he said. A small greenhouse is located in the back of their home. The income supplements his Social Security check. He suffers from diabetes, arthritis and heart problems and is unable to work, he said. At 10 a.m. Oct. 28,...

<p>A draft analysis of the economic impact of designating areas of Maui and Kaho'olawe as critical habitat for rare plants estimates the cost at between $310,000 and $2 million over a 10-year period.</p> <p>The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed setting aside 126,500 acres on Maui and 19,000 acres on Ka-ho'olawe to protect 61 plant species. Fifty-three percent of the land is state-owned, 45 percent privately owned and a small portion is part of Haleakala National Park.</p>

Sunday, August 4, 2002 Wildlife Director Pushes Cooperation With Ranchers By Tania Soussan Journal Staff Writer     The new man in charge of protecting silvery minnows, willow flycatchers and other rare critters in New Mexico plans to use the fist of federal regulation only as a last resort.     Dale Hall is a biologist who recently took over as director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Southwest region, which has its headquarters in Albuquerque.     He echoes some ideas of his boss, U.S. Interior Secretary Gale Norton, a President Bush appointee known as an advocate of private property rights...