BIODIVERSITY BROADCAST
Email Newsletter for January-February-March 2004

Editors' Note:
We apologize for not getting our electronic newsletter out sooner. As many know attacks upon our public lands, wilderness, and endangered species are unprecedented and we are stretched thin. Please, if you don't already, regularly visit our website at www.voiceforthewild.org for campaign updates, information, and action alerts. And watch for this montly newsletter, which we hope to get out regularly. If you would prefer not to receive this newsletter, simply send an e-mail to maggie@voiceforthewild.org. Thank you.

Quote of the Month

"Wyoming coffers are overflowing from mineral revenues but the state must be wary of the impact energy development has on its natural resources and residents. We must not forget that many in our state are not sharing in this prosperity and their energy bills have skyrocketed. Nor should we forget that the same national energy economy that fills our coffers could inadvertently turn our state into a water and wildlife wasteland. This is not the time to reduce our efforts to protect our environment, our water and our wiildlife. ...Do we want future generations to conclude that we traded our Wyoming heritage for a few years of government revenues and low personal taxes."
-- Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal in his February 9, 2004 State of the State Address

Contents:
1. At Long Last, Medicine Bow Forest Plan Released: New Wilderness Recommended
2. Black Hills Snail Falls Victim to Illegal Fish and Wildlife Service Delay
3. West Nile Virus Dangers Added to Powder River Basin Lawsuit
4. BCA Acts to Defend Preble's Meadow Jumping Mouse
5. BCA Files Suit to Protect Red Lake Dunes Wilderness Area
6. Red Desert Outings Announced
7. Volunteer Opportunities

At Long Last, Medicine Bow Forest Plan Released: New Wilderness Recommended
27,963 acres of recommended wilderness, more wild and scenic rivers, five new research natural areas, and more backcountry recreation areas--these are but a few of the highlights of the recently released Medicine Bow Forest Plan.

On January 15, 2004 the U.S. Forest Service finally released its long-range mangement plan for the Medicine Bow National Forest. The plan, called a Forest Plan, essentially maps the way the Medicine Bow National Forest will be managed for the next 10-15 years and represents a milestone in the history of the Medicine Bow National Forest.

Perhaps the most important gain is the addition of nearly 30,000 acres of new wilderness, including 17,530 acres in the Rock Creek Roadless Area. Rock Creek, located to the northwest of Laramie, is the largest remaining heavily forested area in the Snowy Range to remain untouched by logging and road building. Since the late 1990's, citizens have rallied for the protection of Rock Creek. In the early 1990's, BCA (then Friends of the Bow) organized massive opposition to logging in the Rock Creek Roadless Area, forcing the Forest Service to cancel plans for the Three Mile Timber Sale. In 2002, BCA organized massive opposition to a proposed mineral exploration project in the Rock Creek Roadless Area, forcing the Forest Service to again cancel plans to despoil Rock Creek. In January, the continued efforts of grassroots groups and citizens from all over the country paid off as this time the Forest Service agreed to protect Rock Creek for future generations.

Although we will continue to carry out the vision of the citizens' Keep the Bow WILD Plan for manging the Medicine Bow National Forest, the new Forest Plan is nonetheless a significant step in the right direction. BCA would like to thank everyone who spoke out in favor of wilderness, wildlife, and environmental protection on the Medicine Bow National Forest and helped to bring about these major gains. For more information on Keep the Bow WILD, the conservation vision for the Medicine Bow National Forest.

Black Hills Snail Falls Victim to Illegal Fish and Wildlife Service Delay
In January, BCA formally announced its intentions to go to court to halt the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's illegal footdragging and protect the imperiled Black Hills mountainsnail.

In September of 2003, BCA filed a petition to list the Black Hills mountainsnail, a rare and imperiled land snail found only in the Black Hills of Wyoming and South Dakota, under the Endangered Species Act. By law, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was required to respond to our petition within 90-days. Unfortunately, the Service still has not responded, even though populations of the snail continue to decline. For more information on BCA's efforts to protect the Black Hills mountainsnail and other rare land snails in the Black Hills, visit http://www.voiceforthewild.org/bhnf/news/n25sept03.html.

West Nile Virus Dangers Added to Powder River Basin Lawsuit
Challenging coalbed methane development in Wyoming's Powder River Basin, BCA filed papers on February 19 in Federal Court seeking to amend our lawsuit to hold the Bureau of Land Management accountable for the relationship between coalbed methane development, West Nile virus, and the impacts to people and sage grouse. If the Court agrees to this request, the claim will be added to BCA's original charges that the Bureau of Land Management failed to protect sage grouse and prairie dogs, two severely declining wildlife speices native to the Powder River Basin. The original lawsuit centered on the unnecessary impacts of the proposed CBM drilling on wildlife, as well as the Bureau of Land Management's failure to adequately study impacts of coalbed methane development on sage grouse and prairie dogs, two declining wildlife species native to the Powder River Basin.

Ponds created by coalbed methane water discharge provide prime breeding habitat for mosquitoes, which are the primary carriers of West Nile virus. These ponds are of particular importance in the arid and semi-arid Powder River country because they provide one of the only sources of standing water in the region during the hot summer months. The virus has been linked to deaths of humans, horses, and sage grouse in Wyoming, and has the potential to wipe out sage grouse populations in the Basin.

With representation from the Western Environmental Law Center, BCA and co-plaintiff American Lands Alliance seeks to hold the Bureau of Land Management accountable to protecting prairie dogs, sage grouse, and human health. For more information, visit our website at http://www.voiceforthewild.org/blm/news/n19feb04.html.

BCA Acts to Defend Preble's Meadow Jumping Mouse
On March 8, BCA moved to oppose a lawsuit aiming to eliminate protection for the Preble's meadow jumping mouse and its streamside habitat in southeastern Wyoming and the Front Range of Colorado.

The Preble's meadow jumping mouse was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1998 because of declining populations, habitat loss, and continued threats. The Preble's needs high quality streamside habitat, including dense vegetation and a clean water source. Urban sprawl along the Front Range of Colorado, domestic livestock grazing, and irrigation developments have all degraded streamside habitats, threatening the Preble's with extinction. Although urban sprawl along the Front Range of Colorado remains a primary and increasing threat to the mouse, poorly planned agricultural development is also a threat in Wyoming. With representation from the public interest law firm Earthjustice (www.earthjustice.org) BCA is acting to defend the Preble’s protected status by opposing in court a lawsuit filed by Mountain States Legal Foundation, an anti-environmental law firm.

Although opponents claim that protecting the Preble’s meadow jumping mouse is harming the agriculture industry in Wyoming, this claim is vastly overstated. In 2001, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service actually exempted all ongoing agriculture development on privately owned lands from complying with the Endangered Species Act. This means that all ongoing domestic livestock grazing, haying, mowing, irrigation, ditch maintenance, and other activities, which are all reported to harm the mouse and its habitat, are not restricted in any way. This exception is planned to remain in effect indefinitely. For more information, visit our website at www.voiceforthewild.org/wildspecies/news/n9march04a.html.

BCA Files Suit to Protect Red Lake Dunes Wilderness Area
In January, Biodiversity Conservation Alliance filed an appeal of the BLM’s plan to unleash 31-ton “thumper trucks” on 279 square miles of the Red Desert. The project, called the Hay Reservoir Geophysical Project, would impact over ten thousand acres of proposed wilderness in the Red Lake Dunes area in the Red Desert west of Rawlins. For more information, visit our website at http://www.voiceforthewild.org/blm/news/n9jan04.html.

Red Desert Outings Announced
Biodiversity Conservation Alliance has just announced its schedule of Red Desert outings and you're invited. The hikes listed below will be led by BCA staff and are free and open to the public. If you would like to register (space is limited) or would like carpool, rendezvous, or camping information, please RSVP to Travis Murphy at (307)742-7978 or maggie@voiceforthewild.org.

May 15-Ferris Dunes
Day trip into a vast expanse of active dunes at the base of the Ferris Mountains, at the northeastern edge of the Red Desert. The trip includes a visit to the site of the abandoned mining settlement of Ferris. A high-clearance vehicle will be needed; bring hiking gear, food, and plenty of water. Trip leader: Erik Molvar.

May 16-Red Lake Dunes
Day trip into a proposed wilderness where the Killpecker Dune Field travels below the foot the Luman Rim in the heart of the Red Desert. In this area, actively migrating dunes move through stabilized dunes that have been anchored by vegetation. These lands are threatened by an oil and gas exploration project. Bring hiking gear, food, and plenty of water. Trip leader: Erik Molvar

May 22-23 and June 19-20-Adobe Town
Two overnight trips to the crown jewel of Wyoming's high desert wilderness. Features car camping and short day hikes along the towering cliffs and among the pinnacles of the Skull Creek and Adobe Town rims. Bring food, camping gear, and plenty of water. High-clearance four-wheel drive required. Trip Leaders: Erik Molvar (5/22-23); Travis Murphy (6/19-20).

May 22-23-Boar's Tusk Dunes
A campout with day hikes into the Killpecker Sand Dunes near the spectacular Boar's Tusk as well as a visit to the White Mountain petroglyph site. Bring your camping gear, food, and plenty of water. Visit emerald dune ponds in the midst of the desert. Trip Leader: Jeremy Nichols.

May 29-31-Southern Red Desert Caravan Trip
A three-day auto tour with car camping and very short day hikes across the southern Red Desert, visiting landmarks such as the Powder Rim, Prehistoric Rim, and Adobe Town. Highlights will include bird watching in juniper woodlands and wild horse viewing. High-clearance four-wheel drive required. Trip Leader: Erik Molvar.

June 5-6-Honeycomb Buttes and Pinnacles
Car camping with day hikes into the Pinnacles and the colorful Honeycomb Buttes badlands of the Jack Morrow Hills area of the northwestern Red Desert. Bring your camping gear, food, and plenty of water. Trip leader: Travis Murphy.

June 11-23-Wild Cow Creek Backpack
A two-day, moderately strenuous backpack through the canyons of Wild Cow Creek and Deep Gulch in the Wild Cow Creek Proposed Wilderness, located in the Atlantic Rim country at the eastern edge of the Red Desert. Bring backpacking gear, water, water filter, and food. Trip Leader: Erik Molvar.

June 19-Ferris Mountains
A day hike with an option to camp out in the Ferris Mountains, one of the few mountain ranges that lacks even a single trail. Bring hiking gear, food, camping gear if you plan to sleep over, and plenty of water. Trip Leader: Jeremy Nichols.

Volunteer Opportunities
Let me begin with a big *thank you* to all of you who have already volunteered with BCA. Volunteering is an excellent way for you to be more involved with BCA's work and to further help protect wildlands and wildlife. We have exciting opportunities for all of you! Here is a sample:
  • Write a personal letter to Governor Freudenthal in support of protecting the Red Desert.
  • Help BCA to locate events where we can share our message and groups that would like to host presentations. This can be as simple as you hosting a house party for a few of your friends.
  • Spread the word! Tell everyone you know about these great but threatened places and what they can do to help protect them.
  • If you would like to get even more involved, please become a volunteer organizer. This involves working with BCA to engage your own community, both now and in the future.

For more information or to share your own ideas, please contact Travis Murphy at (307) 742-7978 or by email at maggie@voiceforthewild.org

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Biodiversity Conservation Alliance
P.O. Box 1512, Laramie, WY 82073
(307) 742-7978 - maggie@voiceforthewild.org