A lot of folks who read my occasional columns figure I have a soft spot for wolves.
A lot of folks probably figure I have a soft spot on my head too.
No worries. Spot or not, I’m smart enough to know wolves are here to stay. If every wolf in the predator zone is shot and the packs ebb in the trophy zone, the feds will return to call the wolf shots.
So I’ll keep preaching against polarizing the wolf issue.
Over the years, I’ve come to know the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Those boys are straight shooters — they will do what they say. I believe they are taking the task of protecting wolves seriously, if for no other reason than to retain Wyoming’s recently-acquired management of the canines.
Range Riders, a program initiated by Keystone Conservation in Livingston, Mont., area, is designed to help ranchers and wolves coexist. It has been a happy union between ranchers and a conservation group.
If any group can remove or limit wolf predation, any rancher worth his or her salt should lend them their ear, right?
Maybe people like Janelle Holden, executive director of Keystone, who grew up on a Montana ranch, can relate to stock growers. She’d love to bring Ranger Riders to Wyoming. Check Keystone out.
One conservation group from back east raised havoc last week. They encouraged people to call Gov. Dave Freudenthal’s office asking him to oppose current Wyoming wolf laws. They also urged their members to boycott Wyoming.
Those tactics aren’t very neighborly. But from what information I could glean, other than tying up Gov. Dave’s staff, tourism will likely flourish anyway. In fact, we’ll probably see even more tourists this year. Tourists are a pain in the hind end, but they also spend lots of dough in Wyoming and Park County.
All righty then. You’re darn-tooting I’m a tree hugger. But a hugger with a heart for Wyoming and its people, ranchers included.
I’m devoted to any four-legged critters, wild or domesticated. There is nothing I fancy more than seeing bears or wolves, horses or cows. Heck, I get a kick from watching a herd of cows — my homeys on the range.
I reckon there is a mighty good chance that someone will respond to my earnest, if inarticulate thoughts. Before you pick up that poison pen or crank up your computer, put your money where your mouth is.
Ranchers, if you have a beef, lets talk. Call me, or better yet, invite me to your place and show me (our readers) first hand the devastation wrought by wolves. I’m in the book.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Friday, April 18, 2008
Wolves: Remember the bigger picture
It’s no secret that the road to establishing state management authority over Wyoming’s wolf population has been a hard-fought battle. It’s been a balancing act of meeting federal requirements and environmental community wishes while protecting those resources we in Wyoming hold near and dear.
In recent weeks, we’ve all read the headlines as the state’s dual classification system has been implemented. Wolves in a large section of northwestern Wyoming are being managed as trophy game, while those in the remainder of the state are managed as predators. Hunting has begun in the predator area and is something we can all hope will be handled with good taste and responsibility.
With hunting underway in the predator area, Wyoming’s wolf management plan is doing what it was intended to do — maintain wolves in the trophy game area while keeping them out of the predator area to the extent possible. Given the demographics of the predator area, it’s better for wolves and people if they maintain a fear of humans. It also allows residents of the predator area to protect their private property, a right set forth in this country’s founding documents.
Wolf discussions need to be brought back into perspective. Wolves are one part of the larger picture, ecosystem if you will, and must be managed in accordance with other resources. Wyoming’s plan does just that. Wildlife managers agreed to what they believe to be a workable wolf population for the state. Thresholds set forth in the plan also offer protections for maintaining the state’s wolf population. Before looking to the courts, I wish the environmental community would sit back and watch the plan work for a while.
As the state takes on this management, we need to keep in mind those individuals whose livelihoods have been impacted by the wolf’s presence. There’s a kid in northwest Wyoming who lost his steer to wolves last year. There are also outfitters who’ve wondered about the future of their businesses. We, as a state, have the opportunity to move forward with a plan that puts forth a level of sensitivity to make sure those people receive consideration while maintaining the wolf population we’ve agreed to. We need to keep open spaces, wildlife, hunting opportunities and the economic and natural resource “bigger picture” in mind.
Let’s make sure what’s good for Wyoming, not just wolves, is the dominating discussion of the day.
(About the author: Jennifer Womack is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup, online at www.wylr.net. She can be e-mailed at Jennifer@wylr.net.)
In recent weeks, we’ve all read the headlines as the state’s dual classification system has been implemented. Wolves in a large section of northwestern Wyoming are being managed as trophy game, while those in the remainder of the state are managed as predators. Hunting has begun in the predator area and is something we can all hope will be handled with good taste and responsibility.
With hunting underway in the predator area, Wyoming’s wolf management plan is doing what it was intended to do — maintain wolves in the trophy game area while keeping them out of the predator area to the extent possible. Given the demographics of the predator area, it’s better for wolves and people if they maintain a fear of humans. It also allows residents of the predator area to protect their private property, a right set forth in this country’s founding documents.
Wolf discussions need to be brought back into perspective. Wolves are one part of the larger picture, ecosystem if you will, and must be managed in accordance with other resources. Wyoming’s plan does just that. Wildlife managers agreed to what they believe to be a workable wolf population for the state. Thresholds set forth in the plan also offer protections for maintaining the state’s wolf population. Before looking to the courts, I wish the environmental community would sit back and watch the plan work for a while.
As the state takes on this management, we need to keep in mind those individuals whose livelihoods have been impacted by the wolf’s presence. There’s a kid in northwest Wyoming who lost his steer to wolves last year. There are also outfitters who’ve wondered about the future of their businesses. We, as a state, have the opportunity to move forward with a plan that puts forth a level of sensitivity to make sure those people receive consideration while maintaining the wolf population we’ve agreed to. We need to keep open spaces, wildlife, hunting opportunities and the economic and natural resource “bigger picture” in mind.
Let’s make sure what’s good for Wyoming, not just wolves, is the dominating discussion of the day.
(About the author: Jennifer Womack is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup, online at www.wylr.net. She can be e-mailed at Jennifer@wylr.net.)
Monday, April 7, 2008
Editor's Take
Help Us Write Your Story
We call them people stories. Vignettes about ordinary or unusual folks.
We just don't get enough of them into the pages of the Powell Tribune.
The reasons are many and, often legitimate -- the crush of making sure we don't miss any new developments on the beats our reporters cover, county and city government, law enforcement, etc. We're geared for this. It's what we are good at producing.
While keeping our fingers on the pulse of these things is important for all of us, what often gets lost in all this scurry are stories about real people. The Mom or Dad who volunteer their time and talent to coach a youth sports team. The neighbor who is always there with fresh-baked cookies and soothing words in times of trouble or carts a senior to the store once or twice a week. The quirky guy or gal who's busy carving a dead tree stump in their backyard into a bizarre or breath-taking piece of art.
They are anyone of the hundreds who go about doing what they do without a thought of every getting in the paper. I'd like to change that because I think theirs are some of the most important stories we can ever tell.
This is a blatant appeal for your help in finding these folks. If you know of someone you think leads a life that should be shared, please post your nomination in this space. I can't promise we'll do stories on all of them. I can say we will do our best to tell their stories with dignity and grace.
We call them people stories. Vignettes about ordinary or unusual folks.
We just don't get enough of them into the pages of the Powell Tribune.
The reasons are many and, often legitimate -- the crush of making sure we don't miss any new developments on the beats our reporters cover, county and city government, law enforcement, etc. We're geared for this. It's what we are good at producing.
While keeping our fingers on the pulse of these things is important for all of us, what often gets lost in all this scurry are stories about real people. The Mom or Dad who volunteer their time and talent to coach a youth sports team. The neighbor who is always there with fresh-baked cookies and soothing words in times of trouble or carts a senior to the store once or twice a week. The quirky guy or gal who's busy carving a dead tree stump in their backyard into a bizarre or breath-taking piece of art.
They are anyone of the hundreds who go about doing what they do without a thought of every getting in the paper. I'd like to change that because I think theirs are some of the most important stories we can ever tell.
This is a blatant appeal for your help in finding these folks. If you know of someone you think leads a life that should be shared, please post your nomination in this space. I can't promise we'll do stories on all of them. I can say we will do our best to tell their stories with dignity and grace.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Fire dispute flares
By ILENE OLSON
Tribune News Editor
The Frannie-Deaver fire district is a done deal, but the fireworks aren’t over.
On Tuesday, angry members of the Park County Fire Protection District No. 1 in Powell fumed over remarks by Big Horn County Commission Chairman Keith Grant shortly after the commission approved the new district.
The new district, Big Horn County Fire Protection District 5, was carved out of the Powell District on March 5.
In a story published in the Lovell Chronicle on March 13, Grant said the Powell district board closed the Frannie Fire Hall in 2005 because the Powell Fire Hall had an open bar, and that raised the district’s insurance rate.
District board members repeatedly have said they closed the Frannie Fire Hall because firefighters there were not properly trained, and there often were not enough firefighters on duty to properly man the fire truck.
But Grant said that wasn’t really the reason.
“Keith Grant lambasted our fire department,” fire hall manager Jim Liner told the board during its monthly meeting on Tuesday. “He lied through his teeth.”
Fire Chief Joey Darrah said, “(Grant) sat through that meeting. He heard it all — not just from you guys, but from the insurance guy.
“He just had to get his digs in. He was as nice as he could be when we were there.”
The “insurance guy” Darrah referred to is Jim Beukelman, president of Nelson Insurance, which insures the district. Beukelman spoke to the board about insurance issues during an annual review in 2005.
On Wednesday, Beukelman said Grant’s statement about an open bar increasing the district’s insurance rate was not correct.
“Absolutely not,” he said. “It didn’t have anything to do with that.
“When we write insurance, we submit to the company those policies and procedures. The insurance company then looks at those and determines whether they are appropriate or not. These are, and they were willing to insure them.
“I advised the fire department board that they need to continue to follow their standard operating procedures as indicated in the manuals. There is nothing more that came from the company.
“Fire districts are to have procedures in place, and they are expected to follow them.”
Those procedures generally include maintaining equipment and training firemen properly, he said.
Liner said the Powell Fire District’s standard operating procedures follow the national Fire Protection Agency’s recommendations for training firefighters and manning fire trucks.
Darrah has said those requirements often were not met in Frannie, due in part to the retirement of experienced firefighters and insufficient recruits and training to replace them.
Darrah said he sent Grant an e-mail protesting his statement and his portrayal of the fire department.
Board members asked Darrah to send the letter to the entire three-member commission. They also authorized Darrah and other district representatives to attend the next meeting of the Big Horn County Commission to address the matter in person.
Darrah and board members wondered why Grant would say something like that, now that the district is split, assets divided and animosities seemed to be put behind them.
Board member Mark Copenhaver said, “I think we’ve treated them real nice.”
Tribune News Editor
The Frannie-Deaver fire district is a done deal, but the fireworks aren’t over.
On Tuesday, angry members of the Park County Fire Protection District No. 1 in Powell fumed over remarks by Big Horn County Commission Chairman Keith Grant shortly after the commission approved the new district.
The new district, Big Horn County Fire Protection District 5, was carved out of the Powell District on March 5.
In a story published in the Lovell Chronicle on March 13, Grant said the Powell district board closed the Frannie Fire Hall in 2005 because the Powell Fire Hall had an open bar, and that raised the district’s insurance rate.
District board members repeatedly have said they closed the Frannie Fire Hall because firefighters there were not properly trained, and there often were not enough firefighters on duty to properly man the fire truck.
But Grant said that wasn’t really the reason.
“Keith Grant lambasted our fire department,” fire hall manager Jim Liner told the board during its monthly meeting on Tuesday. “He lied through his teeth.”
Fire Chief Joey Darrah said, “(Grant) sat through that meeting. He heard it all — not just from you guys, but from the insurance guy.
“He just had to get his digs in. He was as nice as he could be when we were there.”
The “insurance guy” Darrah referred to is Jim Beukelman, president of Nelson Insurance, which insures the district. Beukelman spoke to the board about insurance issues during an annual review in 2005.
On Wednesday, Beukelman said Grant’s statement about an open bar increasing the district’s insurance rate was not correct.
“Absolutely not,” he said. “It didn’t have anything to do with that.
“When we write insurance, we submit to the company those policies and procedures. The insurance company then looks at those and determines whether they are appropriate or not. These are, and they were willing to insure them.
“I advised the fire department board that they need to continue to follow their standard operating procedures as indicated in the manuals. There is nothing more that came from the company.
“Fire districts are to have procedures in place, and they are expected to follow them.”
Those procedures generally include maintaining equipment and training firemen properly, he said.
Liner said the Powell Fire District’s standard operating procedures follow the national Fire Protection Agency’s recommendations for training firefighters and manning fire trucks.
Darrah has said those requirements often were not met in Frannie, due in part to the retirement of experienced firefighters and insufficient recruits and training to replace them.
Darrah said he sent Grant an e-mail protesting his statement and his portrayal of the fire department.
Board members asked Darrah to send the letter to the entire three-member commission. They also authorized Darrah and other district representatives to attend the next meeting of the Big Horn County Commission to address the matter in person.
Darrah and board members wondered why Grant would say something like that, now that the district is split, assets divided and animosities seemed to be put behind them.
Board member Mark Copenhaver said, “I think we’ve treated them real nice.”
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Drunk driving’s tragic consequences
My name is Paul Baessler, I am the son of John and Carol Munkberg. My parents died on January 28, 2008 by a drunk driver playing chicken with his lights off at 9:44pm in Greybull, WY.
My parents were traveling home from Florida from visiting my family and I, where they met their new baby grandson for the first time. They were headed home from landing at the Cody airport on January 28. About halfway home, they were hit head on by a drunk driver and were killed instantly.
When emergency response arrived, both automobiles were engulfed in flames, burning my folks beyond recognition. I was not
notified until about 24 hours later, when they were finally able to ID their bodies.
What a tragic death by someone’s bad choice. Imagine your parents killed and burned beyond recognition at no fault of their own.
A report was released that the guy who hit my parents head-on had previous DUI's and no license, but was still not punished enough to keep him from behind the wheel or even be drunk and behind the wheel.
The driver was 41, driving his mom’s car with his mom’s insurance and had a blood alcohol level of .16, double the legal limit.
If people are not self-disciplined and the family does not help monitor, than who should? If the states laws are not effective, shouldn't they be changed?
Now, we have 2 people, loved by many, and gave a lot. They leave behind four children, 11 grandchildren, brothers, sisters and in-laws.
They were both very active in the communities of Tensleep and Worland. My mom taught sewing at the Senior Center, was active in the Republican Committee and served as a District Rep at one time, volunteered her time at the town library and
was an active member in the Does.
My step dad taught me everything I know, he fixed anything the town asked him to and he was a member of the Elkïs, Moose and Masons. This has left a hole in many hearts for such a stupid choice.
So, this is why I am sending this to all of you. I understand that a bill was voted down in the past few days that was to tighten the DUI laws in Wyoming. This is a very big disappointment in the wake of my parents’ tragic death.
I need to know what I can do about this. We have emailed government officials, collected and made many contributions to MADD to assist in making things better. But I want to know what I can do to change the outcome of the vote.
How many more people have to die and how many more shattered lives of those left behind will it take to make a difference and get drunk drivers off of the road. I beg you to support any and all new laws that make Drunk Driving a serious offense.
I will speak to all of you in front of the House and Senate, if it will make a difference. Tighten the DUI laws for the safety of your state and the innocent people.
Name it, the Munkberg Law in memory of my parents who so tragically died by the hands of a drunk driver.
Paul Baessler
Windermere, Fla.
My parents were traveling home from Florida from visiting my family and I, where they met their new baby grandson for the first time. They were headed home from landing at the Cody airport on January 28. About halfway home, they were hit head on by a drunk driver and were killed instantly.
When emergency response arrived, both automobiles were engulfed in flames, burning my folks beyond recognition. I was not
notified until about 24 hours later, when they were finally able to ID their bodies.
What a tragic death by someone’s bad choice. Imagine your parents killed and burned beyond recognition at no fault of their own.
A report was released that the guy who hit my parents head-on had previous DUI's and no license, but was still not punished enough to keep him from behind the wheel or even be drunk and behind the wheel.
The driver was 41, driving his mom’s car with his mom’s insurance and had a blood alcohol level of .16, double the legal limit.
If people are not self-disciplined and the family does not help monitor, than who should? If the states laws are not effective, shouldn't they be changed?
Now, we have 2 people, loved by many, and gave a lot. They leave behind four children, 11 grandchildren, brothers, sisters and in-laws.
They were both very active in the communities of Tensleep and Worland. My mom taught sewing at the Senior Center, was active in the Republican Committee and served as a District Rep at one time, volunteered her time at the town library and
was an active member in the Does.
My step dad taught me everything I know, he fixed anything the town asked him to and he was a member of the Elkïs, Moose and Masons. This has left a hole in many hearts for such a stupid choice.
So, this is why I am sending this to all of you. I understand that a bill was voted down in the past few days that was to tighten the DUI laws in Wyoming. This is a very big disappointment in the wake of my parents’ tragic death.
I need to know what I can do about this. We have emailed government officials, collected and made many contributions to MADD to assist in making things better. But I want to know what I can do to change the outcome of the vote.
How many more people have to die and how many more shattered lives of those left behind will it take to make a difference and get drunk drivers off of the road. I beg you to support any and all new laws that make Drunk Driving a serious offense.
I will speak to all of you in front of the House and Senate, if it will make a difference. Tighten the DUI laws for the safety of your state and the innocent people.
Name it, the Munkberg Law in memory of my parents who so tragically died by the hands of a drunk driver.
Paul Baessler
Windermere, Fla.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Goodbye Big Box
I was shopping in a big box store Saturday, which, I admit with a certain degree of chagrin, I frequent all too often.
Not anymore.
It was crammed with pushy people and aisles displaying junk that I don’t need.
I shop the box for items to stock my bathroom and laundry room. Always looking for ways to save time, I usually wind up buying my week’s worth of grub there too.
There were a score or more checkout stands, but only a dozen or so were manned by employees, who, for the most part, act as though they would rather be anywhere but there.
After waiting 10 minutes to pay for my purchases, I was forced to return to my car for my driver’s license to verify that I was indeed the individual listed on my personal check.
I was tired and sick and really wanted to go home, not dash across the parking lot dodging testy shoppers in SUVs.
I have never bounced a check in my life. Why are these periodic audits on my checks necessary? If I told a local retailer my ID was a block away, they would likely let me slide. Not the corporate big box though. They see customers as merely percentages on sales reports.
I must admit I was a bit surly when I returned to the store. Sorry. When I eventually escaped, I wondered how much bread I had really saved. Two, three dollars?
Local grocery stores carry the food I need and discount store has a large stock of toiletry items and Tide. Why, when I have the opportunity to purchase stuff from my neighbors, do I instead settle for getting it from strangers who could care less whether I enter their store?
That was when I signed a pact with myself: I will never enter a big box store again. They neither need nor want my money. And although I don’t spread it around all that much, local merchants are glad to see my cash, and even me.
I call upon local business owners to keep their products current. If an item exceeds its expiration date, yank it off the shelf. I know you are the little guys facing corporate giants, but strive to keep your prices competitive.
I also call upon my neighbors to patronize local merchants. If they earn profits, they can afford to expand and thus hire more working stiffs like us who are simply trying to put food on the table.
At the risk of sounding like a pinko, this calls for solidarity, folks. Let’s support main-street markets, not capitalistic businesses bent on making a buck above all else.
Not anymore.
It was crammed with pushy people and aisles displaying junk that I don’t need.
I shop the box for items to stock my bathroom and laundry room. Always looking for ways to save time, I usually wind up buying my week’s worth of grub there too.
There were a score or more checkout stands, but only a dozen or so were manned by employees, who, for the most part, act as though they would rather be anywhere but there.
After waiting 10 minutes to pay for my purchases, I was forced to return to my car for my driver’s license to verify that I was indeed the individual listed on my personal check.
I was tired and sick and really wanted to go home, not dash across the parking lot dodging testy shoppers in SUVs.
I have never bounced a check in my life. Why are these periodic audits on my checks necessary? If I told a local retailer my ID was a block away, they would likely let me slide. Not the corporate big box though. They see customers as merely percentages on sales reports.
I must admit I was a bit surly when I returned to the store. Sorry. When I eventually escaped, I wondered how much bread I had really saved. Two, three dollars?
Local grocery stores carry the food I need and discount store has a large stock of toiletry items and Tide. Why, when I have the opportunity to purchase stuff from my neighbors, do I instead settle for getting it from strangers who could care less whether I enter their store?
That was when I signed a pact with myself: I will never enter a big box store again. They neither need nor want my money. And although I don’t spread it around all that much, local merchants are glad to see my cash, and even me.
I call upon local business owners to keep their products current. If an item exceeds its expiration date, yank it off the shelf. I know you are the little guys facing corporate giants, but strive to keep your prices competitive.
I also call upon my neighbors to patronize local merchants. If they earn profits, they can afford to expand and thus hire more working stiffs like us who are simply trying to put food on the table.
At the risk of sounding like a pinko, this calls for solidarity, folks. Let’s support main-street markets, not capitalistic businesses bent on making a buck above all else.
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