Good News (for some ....)

Judge Restores Protection for Wolves

July 18, 2008, 5:19 pmJudge rules gray wolf be returned to federal protection http://www.lmtribune.com/breaking-news/636/ A federal judge in Montana has ruled that gray wolves in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming be returned to federal protection under the Endangered Species Act.Judge Donald Molloy of Montana ruled Friday the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service acted in an arbitrary and capricious manner when it removed wolves in the Northern Rockies Region from the endangered species list in March.He agreed with arguments made by environmental and animal rights groups that wolf populations in Yellowstone National Park do not yet interbreed with wolves in Idaho and western Montana to an extent that ensures genetic diversity. He also ruled the agency approved Wyoming's state wolf management plan last year despite previously saying the basic tenants of that plan that allow wolves to be killed without regulation in 90 percent of the state, was inadequate to protect wolves. Lastly, Molloy ruled the groups proved that wolves were likely to be harmed by public hunting seasons planned in each state this fall.Molloy granted a preliminary injunction reversing the delisting of wolves while the entire case is being heard and also said the plaintiffs were likely to succeed in a majority of their claims.The ruling is a setback for the Fish and Wildlife Service that has said wolves are biologically recovered and decided earlier this year that adequate state regulations were in place to keep the wolves from becoming imperiled. There are estimated to be about 2,000 wolves in the three states and about 800 in Idaho.

Noted Photographer Tom Vezo Dies

Tom Vezo, a widely known and admired professional wildlife photographer, died Friday, July 18th while hiking with a friend in the Rincon Mountains near his Arizona home. Tom was 61 and is survived by his wife Dorothy and 2 stepdaughters.

Tom is widely known for his superb bird photography but has amassed an impressive photo collection of over 40,000 images featuring a wide variety of subjects and has been widely published in both the US and Europe.

He has been an ardent supporter of the preservation of the Madera Canyon near his home in Green Valley, Arizona. His wife, Dorothy, has asked that memorial contributions be made to the Defenders of Madera Canyon. http://www.friendsofmaderacanyon.org/default.htm

To find out more about Tom and his lifetime of excellent photographic work, visit his website.
http://www.tomvezo.com/

He will be missed.

Outcomes of ILCP's Wyoming "Rave"

World Class Photographers Focus Lenses on Threatened
Upper Green River Basin and Wyoming Range

June 2, 2008

Twelve preeminent nature photographers from all corners of the globe converged at a critical environmental crossroad in Wyoming's Upper Green River Valley, May 19th through May 21st to create a visual statement about beauty and the beast of energy development.

The International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP) took their cameras and packs on a 72 hour expedition called a Rapid Assessment Visual Expedition (RAVE), scouring the region by air and by ground capturing images that told the story of the good, the bad, and the ugly of a landscape on the brink of further industrialization.


Wyoming's Upper Green River Basin has recently seen some of the most intense pressure for gas exploration and development in the United States. Current development has already diminished air and water resources, wildlife, and the very health of local citizens. Among other disturbing effects, drilling has resulted in a 46 percent decline in the mule deer herd in places in the region, and sage grouse have seen breeding population declines due to displacement from natural gas fields. But this landscape still contains areas of high scenic and ecological value, including the Wyoming Range, which the public is trying to safeguard from future exploitation.

"Citizens throughout Wyoming are beginning to question the no holds barred rush to industrialize everything in sight," said Peter Aengst of The Wilderness Society. "This RAVE can help fuel that opinion shift by showcasing the impacts of this rush and highlighting those signature areas which can still be spared."

The RAVE culminated Friday with the Rich Clarkson Photography at the Summit Workshops exhibit at the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole, WY. Students from the Summit had the opportunity to participate in the RAVE and exhibit their work along side ILCP photographers. ILCP photographers included Tom Mangelsen (USA), Jack Dykinga (USA), Balan Madhavan (India), Cristina Mittermeier (Mexico), Matthias Breiter (Germany), Daniel Beltra (Spain), Wendy Shattil (USA), and many others. ILCP partnered with Rich Clarkson Photography at the Summit Workshops, The Wilderness Society, The Upper Green River Valley Coalition, The Biodiversity Conservation Alliance, Eco Flight, Lighthawk and others on this effort.

"Photography is a witness to history and the RAVE is the tool that allows us to provide our joint testimony in the court of public opinion. As photojournalists, we are the bearers of that witness. Our hope with this Wyoming RAVE is not to judge or criticize, but to capture simple moments eloquently and to translate them visually so that universal human experience is recorded for future generations to see and judge for themselves one image at a time,"
said Cristina Mittermeier, Executive Director of ILCP.

RAVE is a trademarked initiative of the ILCP meant to address the challenge of modern conservation, which often needs an immediate supply of images, words and research to answer threats of imminent disruption. For more information on recent RAVEs, please visit the ILCP website (www.ilcp.com)

Contacts:
Cristina Mittermeier, Executive Director ILCP 703.341.2821
Jenny Nichols, Project Manager ILCP 703.341.2707
Peter Aengst, The Wilderness Society 406.