Florida’s housing bust may be disheartening for developers and damaging to the state’s economy, but it’s a blessing – short-lived, most likely – for one of the world’s most endangered big cats.

The Florida panther once roamed most of southeastern America, from the Carolinas to Louisiana and all over Florida. It was hunted, and then squeezed into an increasingly shrinking range as Florida’s human population boomed. Many other native species in the state have been pushed to the brink of extinction (and a couple are considered extinct).

Eventually, the Florida panther population was living in South Florida, in a tiny fraction of its original range. Their numbers fell. For a period, the panther was believed to be extinct; then investigators found an estimated 30 adults in the 1970s. All this, despite the fact that the panther had been placed on the endangered species list in 1967.

Now, three environmental groups have joined together to petition Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reserve more than 3 million acres of South and Central Florida which they say is essential to the panther’s survival.

The Center for Biological Diversity helped author a 30-plus page petition calling for more habitat for the panther, saying that previous conservation efforts – well-intentioned as they were — had not set aside enough land. Also, faulty science had led to incorrect assumptions about the panther’s behavior, range and habitat, they say

The Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility and the Council of Civic Associations were also authors of the petition, filed Sept. 17. The government has 90 days to respond.

Previous efforts have brought the panther population up:  Today, there are an estimated 80 to nearly 200 in south Florida. That increase in numbers was partially achieved by introducing some Texas cougars, a close relative, to cross-breed.  A captive breeding program was launched in the early 1990s to bring more cats into the wild. Several times over the last few decades, large swaths of land in Florida have been cordoned off from development, or limited development, to provide the panthers room to roam. Many of the cats wear radio collars so their movements can be tracked.

Why so much land? These cats, sub-species of the mountain lion, need a lot of space. The males require as much as 200 square miles to establish territory; females need less, but still as much as 80 square miles, according to Big Cat Rescue. The Florida panther is the only large feline still living in the southeast U.S.

With less space, and fewer panthers, in-breeding has led to genetic abnormalities that threaten the population. Feline leukemia has taken a toll. The crowded habitat has led to deaths: male panthers kill other males to maintain their small piece of territory.

Even though one of the state’s popular vanity license plates says “Save The Panther,” about 10 percent of the panther population has been killed by cars and trucks.

In the past, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Federal Highway Administration was faulted for not protecting the big cat’s habitat, according to the Defenders of Wildlife group. In 2004, they say, the courts revoked a Corps of Engineers permit for a rock mine. That, conservationists say, would have destroyed more than 5,000 acres of habitat. Even now, the proposed panther habitat expansion could be at odds with plans for new cities and housing development in Collier County, one report said.

Panthers are solitary creatures, and their primary food is deer, along with wild hogs and smaller animals if necessary. They are mostly nocturnal. In previous research, according to the petition to the federal government, researchers miscalculated the breadth and variety of environments the panthers require.

They have adapted to hot and humid Florida over the decades. Males can be up to 8 feet from nose to tail and weigh up to 160 pounds. They can, under the right conditions, live up to 15 years.

The proposed enlarged habitat would establish three zones, a primary zone to keep panthers alive and reproducing, a secondary zone that expands beyond the first to give the big cats more natural terrain, and a third “dispersal zone” that would allow panthers to extend their numbers north into central Florida.

A portion of the conservationists’ petition waxes eloquent about their efforts:  “Nothing enhances civilization more than to reserve open lands for human contact with wild nature, and the greater the forbearance displayed the more the people in those communities may discover opportunities to enhance their own individual humanity.”

Read more about their work to preserve the panther at the Biological Diversity Web site. Interested in more about the Florida panther? PantherNet keeps tabs on them. Big Cat Rescue offers a video complete with growls, hisses and snarls from many of the world’s big cats. And if wildlife is your passion, Rare Earth Tones has ring tones featuring the sounds of endangered animals for your cell phone, including the Florida panther.

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

At least three of Idaho’s wolves have been killed as hunting commenced this week under the first authorized sport wolf hunt in the lower 48 states.

But while the hunt has attracted sportspeople, it has repelled others.  A Lewiston-area man who killed the first wolf on opening day told the local media that he has received numerous calls of protest.

Robert Millage, a real estate agent, says he’s been called a “wolf murderer, a fat redneck and other names” in some 50 phone calls and hundreds of e-mails, according to the Lewiston Tribune. (To see a picture of the young wolf Millage killed view the story on Lewiston’s KLEW-TV.)

Idaho’s wolf season began on Tuesday, putting up to 220 (the maximum allowed kill) of the state’s estimated 1,000 wolves in jeopardy.

This hunting season follow nearly two decades of wolf restoration in the region.  The Rocky Mountain Wolf population was restored in the US in the mid-1990s with the introduction of gray wolves from Canada to try to replace US wolves, which were annihilated over decades of hunting and defensive shooting by ranchers. The restoration seeded the predators in the Yellowstone National Park area and allowed them to grow while under the protection of the Endangered Species Act.

When their numbers reached what the US government said was a sustainable level — there are about 1,500 to 1,600 wolves in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming — the wolves were “delisted” from the ESA, allowing the states to take over their management.

But many environmentalists say that the Idaho wolves — as well as a smaller population of several hundred in Montana, where the hunt begins Sept. 15 — have not reached levels that can be maintained.

“The heavy-handed wolf hunt beginning today in Idaho, together with the hunt planned to begin September 15th in Montana, puts the recovery of the Northern Rockies population of wolves at risk and demonstrates precisely the kind of irresponsible state management that should have precluded taking the wolf off the endangered species list at this point in time,” said Rodger Schlickeisen, president of Defenders of Wildlife in a statement issued on Tuesday.

Added Suzanne Stone, a wolf expert for Defenders: “Today’s hunt undermines decades of tremendous support, time and investment from the American public, federal, tribal and state wildlife agencies, and threatens one of the most successful wildlife restorations in history.”

Defenders, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Earthjustice and other groups have petitioned a federal court in Montana to stop the state hunts and reinstate federal protection for the wolves.

Friends of Animals, meanwhile, has urged those opposed to the wolf hunts to fight back — with a boycott of Idaho potatoes.

“As long as Idaho is in the business of killing wolves, the nature-respecting public should stop buying potatoes there,” said FOA president Priscilla Feral, explaining that consumers could look for potatoes grown in Maine, Colorado, North Dakota, Oregon, Washington and other states.

This federal government has been taking steps for the past several years to remove the wolves from protection and has been stopped at least twice by court injunctions when environmentalists intervened. Those groups have argued that the wolf population should be at least 2,000, if not more, to be sustainable.

Wyoming, the only other US state where the wolves live in the wild, has not been allowed to institute a federal hunt. The US Fish and Wildlife Service was worried that Wyoming’s preliminary hunting plan was malicious.

As state hunting agencies add sport hunting to their menu of wolf control measures, it is worth noting that wolves already are subject to legal lethal measures when they interfere with livestock.

In 2008, 153 wolves were confirmed to have died in Idaho. Agency control and “legal landowner take in response to wolf-livestock depredation” accounted for 108 deaths, according to a detailed report by the Idaho Fish and Game Department. Other human causes (including illegal take) accounted for 23 deaths; 18 wolves died of unknown causes, and 4 wolves died of natural causes.

Also during 2008 calendar year, 96 cattle, 218 sheep, 12 dogs, and 1 horse foal were classified by
Idaho game officials as confirmed wolf kills; 32 cattle, 46 sheep, and 1 dog were considered probable kills by wolves.

The report contains numerous maps and charts, suggesting that the Idaho wolves, are well tracked. It also shows that the number of breeding wolf pairs declined slightly in 2008, before the hunts were authorized.

(Photos: Gray wolf, Idaho Fish and Game Department; Game official with wolf pup, USFWS.)

It’s almost April 22, Earth Day, and the green living tips are flying at us like meteors.

A few from our mail:

• From Car MD – Keep your car maintained, tires inflated, don’t make unnecessary trips, and if you’re going to idle for more than 10 seconds, turn the gas-hound off. Wow. That’s the lowest bar on idling we’ve seen yet. It won’t work in traffic, but maybe we should all rethink the drive-through.

• From the Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions — Go Dutch! Apparently pretty much everyone in Amsterdam owns a bike, and more importantly, they use it. Half the city’s traffic comes from bikes, according to the NBTC, which urges us this week to “be inspired by the Dutch way to a greener life.” Ride a bike, and consider buying a Dutch bikes at Batavus. OK, I hadn’t thought of it. But I suppose I could split the cost with my spouse. (Get it, split the cost….) Okay, another Dutch treat that caught my eye: Nothing brand cardboard modular offices. Now that’s just so…biodegradable. Actually they’re beautiful, and they could fill a niche in America. Office shutting down? Just fold and leave!

• And finally, this piece of wisdom from SunRidge Farms in California — Buy in bulk. Sunridge sells its nuts, snacks and trail mixes to consumers and stores in bulk packages — actually in smaller packages that are packaged together. This way ya doesn’t have ta make so many darn trips to the store. Sunridge asks us to order online from Defenders of Wildlife, where lo, they’ve got quite a little online enterprise, selling groceries and beauty supplies. You get economical bulk products, Defenders gets money to do what it does.  And you can sleep at night because you did your part for those besieged Rocky Mountain Gray Wolves. So buy bulk to be green. We’re big on that one.

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

It’s about jobs.

America’s newly inaugurated President, Barack Obama, has a Herculean task ahead of him, no question. Virtually everyone from the far right to the hard left agrees that if the new leader wants to rescue America’s economy, it’s all about jobs.

And as Mr. Obama promised, the buzz is about green jobs – a green economy, greening our buildings, revamping parks, wildlife refuges and public spaces. These involve “shovel-ready” jobs, some of which can be started within 90 days of Obama’s inauguration, say eco-leaders, who’ve been lobbying Washington to fund what could amount to an environmental restoration of the United States.

Last week, when the U.S. Congress presented its $825 billion recovery package, legislators gave the first hint that they are listening. The package proposes $90 billion for infrastructure and $54 billion to support renewable-energy production and research — all aimed at modernizing the economy and stopping the river of pink slips that claimed two million jobs in just the last four months of 2008. As Appropriations Committee chairman, Rep. David Obey, (D-Wisc.), pointed out – without the recovery plan, the country could face 12 percent unemployment in 2009.

That’s precisely why now is the time to bust out the shovels and dig in, say people like Noah Kahn, manager of the national wildlife refuge program for the nonprofit Defenders of Wildlife. We’ve definitely got our work cut out for us, he adds. And what’s being proposed by Congress is only the tip of the iceberg, in terms of what could be achieved in a green-jobs economy.

Defenders of Wildlife has joined with 21 other groups in the Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Enhancement (CARE) to propose a massive, ambitious jobs-creation plan, a Green Jobs for Refuges plan,  which CARE is urging Congress to include in its economic recovery package.

And considering that CARE is made up of nonprofits ranging from the American Birding Association and American Fisheries Society to the Nature Conservancy and the National Wildlife Refuge Association to the National Rifle Association and Ducks Unlimited – a broad mix of environmentalists, wildlife conservationists and sportsmen – its 14 million combined members carry considerable freight among lobbyists on Capitol Hill.

CARE calls for a two-prong plan – one portion on “Greening Facilities” and another for “Habitat Restoration.” The details:

• Spend $443 million for removing non-native, invasive species and restoring native habitat. Create 5,644 jobs

• Spend $243 million for dramatically improving the energy efficiency of existing facilities. Create 5,103 jobs

• Spend $201 million for new “green” construction of visitor centers, environmental education and equipment storage facilities. Create: 5,025 jobs

• Spend $60 million for increasing renewable energy capacity, such as tapping solar, wind and geothermal energy to power refuge facilities. Create 1,260 jobs

• Total: Nearly 20,000 jobs.

“With about $950 million or a $1 billion investment, about 20,000 jobs could be created in 90 days,” says Kahn, who works closely with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services (FWS), which oversees 550 national wildlife refuges.

Now that you’ve worn off the magnetic strip on the credit card buying presents for everyone, gotten the letter that your health insurance premiums are doubling and your job is being “redefined,” it’s time to think about those year-end donations. Sigh.

While environmental groups will likely have an easier time on Capitol Hill next year talking policy with a new Administration that sees global warming as a real threat, they paradoxically could be facing headwinds with donors.

Consider first that some of their large contributors may have been dragged down in the Bernard Madoff securities/Ponzi scheme, which savaged many charitable foundations. While the extent of that damage is being assessed, it’s safe to assume that even nonprofits that escaped that five-alarm fire, have been singed by the economic meltdown.

This holiday season, their biggest time to collect donations, finds them pressing for money from corporations and individuals who may be more flushed with worry than flush with cash.

Will a public that’s financially fragile have anything left over to help feed Pandas? Preserve forests? Save tigers? Support Darfur refugees? Buy back rainforests? Rescue polar bears? Stop mountain top mining?

Let’s hope so. The work list is long. The causes are legit. And climate change demands urgent attention.

Should you be making donations this season, here are links to some of the top environmental organizations. They all have worthy projects.

Defenders of Wildlife
I fell in love with this group when I heard about how they organize volunteers to ride Western ranges as part of an effort to help ranchers and the gray wolves live side by side in, if not harmony, détente. It’s just one of many innovative projects they support.

EarthJustice
Lawyers are the front lines when it comes to assuring everyone follows the rules under the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts and other protections that only work if they’re enforced. Earthjustice provides free legal counsel to environmental groups large and small, because, as their motto goes, “the earth needs a good lawyer.”

Environmental Defense Fund
An alliance-building group that lobbies for protections for nature and we human inhabitants, from coordinating a drive to clean up school bus emissions to advocating for wind and solar energy projects. (If you can’t donate, consider buying EDF President Fred Krupp’s book, Earth: The Sequel, an informative primer full of real life anecdotes that examines our green energy options.)

Environmental Working Group
Scientists working with EWG have screened our water, food, furniture and cosmetics for toxins, creating valuable tools like the Dirty Dozen list of fruits and veggies most doused with pesticides, and Skin Deep, a database where you can check your body lotion for harmful additives. Their reporting helps us show us how to clean up our home and natural environment.

Greenpeace
A strong advocacy that works on behalf of endangered wildlife, marine life and forests around the globe. Known for their visual stunts, boycotts and blockades, Greenpeace takes action and makes news, helping raise the profile of many enviro causes.

Nature Canada
This group is working to save our Northern wildlife such as the caribou (Santa’s reindeer), as well as one of earth’s largest land carbon sinks, the Boreal Forest. It may be in Canada, but it is of global importance.

The Nature Conservancy
The conservancy works to protect land, rivers and marshes around the world, relying on a staff of 700 scientists to steer work in the right direction. They’ve also begun a campaign to Plant A Billion Trees in the Atlantic rainforest in South America.

Natural Resources Defense Council
They’re also covering the planet, working to mitigate climate change and preserve habitats. A new fund drive invites people to donate $10 to plant a tree to help Revive the Rainforest in Costa Rica.

National Wildlife Federation
The producer of Ranger Rick and Your Big Backyard magazines focuses on AMerican wildlife and nurturing a love of wildlife and the outdoors in children. One way to donate is through their “adoption” programs.

Sierra Club
The oldest and largest American environmental group has a membership of more than 1 million and works to save natural spaces. Want to see the national parks protected? Look to Sierra Club. But they also have their hands in the urban environment, working with the Cool Cities project to tamp down carbon emissions and make cities greener and cleaner. Read about founder John Muir, who started Sierra in 1892 to “make the mountains glad.”

World Wildlife Fund
Where to begin? WWF has wildlife saving projects in place from the Congo to the Arctic to the Galapagos Islands. They also have a wealth of information on their website, and adopt-an-animal donor programs. (Big givers can adopt whole acreages of imperiled habitat through the Partners in Conservation program.

Union of Concerned Scientists
At the forefront of energy and climate science, this venerable group helps link the latest scientific thinking on energy, climate change and invasive species into policies that makes sense and preserve our world.

Worldwatch Institute
Someone’s got to study, analyze and explain the problems facing the globe so we can find the right solutions. That’s Worldwatch, helping dissect the issues that stand between us and a just, sustainable and less-toxic environment.

Copyright © 2008 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media