Operating Season Restriction?

[slowp]

We were promised about 20 years ago that this would not happen. The Park Service is now the wildlife service?
I wonder what the operating restrictions will be? Grizzly Bear breeding season? Will we be kicked out of the huckleberries? Will I need to pack a big rifle?

Contracts in the Okanogan area started requiring loggers to keep all food in bear proof lockers about the time I left and went into exile. The intent was that grizzlies might could wander about in the area. I'm not sure if that lasted or not.

There have been sightings of a bear in our local wilderness for a few years. Unfortunately, somebody brought it up in the comment section. I liked it being kind of secret--the researchers have stayed away and the bear or bears remain unharassed.

Rabifravitz....

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Feds-weigh-moving-grizzlies-into-Washington-272240061.html

 

[2dogs]

We were promised about 20 years ago that this would not happen. The Park Service is now the wildlife service?
I wonder what the operating restrictions will be? Grizzly Bear breeding season? Will we be kicked out of the huckleberries? Will I need to pack a big rifle?

Contracts in the Okanogan area started requiring loggers to keep all food in bear proof lockers about the time I left and went into exile. The intent was that grizzlies might could wander about in the area. I'm not sure if that lasted or not.

There have been sightings of a bear in our local wilderness for a few years. Unfortunately, somebody brought it up in the comment section. I liked it being kind of secret--the researchers have stayed away and the bear or bears remain unharassed.

Rabifravitz....

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Feds-weigh-moving-grizzlies-into-Washington-272240061.html

The Cali Dept of Fish and Game recently changed to Fish and Wildlife. I feel your pain. The libs are doing everything they can to stop hunting. Fishing will be next.

 

[lfnh]

Reading article, no evidence of native grizzly in Northern region - yet

Seems like state legislators anticipated this back in the 90's :
"Lawmakers made clear in the mid-1990s that they didn't want bears introduced in the state. A law passed at the time directs the Fish and Wildlife Department to work to encourage the natural recovery of grizzly populations but says: "Grizzly bears shall not be transplanted or introduced into the state. Only grizzly bears that are native to Washington state may be utilized by the department for management programs."

Could be wrong, but don't recall State's Rights prevailing in endangered species case.
Of course, common sense, the law and circuit court 9 are like nails on a chalkboard.
Just think, you'll get a chance to meet Oregon Natural Desert Association.

 

[ArtB]

Hmm, when is Sasquatch mating season out here? WA probably would not close down logging for sasquatch mating unless they are federally declared 'endangered'.

Has anyone here ever seen any sasquatch evidence first hand??

Last year 13 YO grandson was hiking down a tributary of Salmon creek in Lewis co WA 20 mi NW of St. Helens and saw something standing up about 6 ft tall and brown. Probably a bear as they are returning after the 'your dog cant hunt' law of a few years ago, but who knows?

 

[northmanlogging]

yes... 2-3 times weekly... with a week off on a lunar cycle...

 

[madhatte]

I pretty nearly always have to include some degree of operating season restriction in my timber sale prescriptions. It turns out that it's much easier for me to front-load that kind of issue rather than waiting for somebody to catch it later and tear my plans apart. Fortunately, I have pretty good maps showing me where the restrictions are pertinent, so I can include that stuff in my process from day one.

 

[slowp]

Yah, but.....some of the sales here are set up so only Sept-November have no operating restrictions, except September and sometimes October will have fire danger limitations. Some sales were so limited that we had 5 year contracts on them. We have had winter range restrictions in an area that the Yakima Tribal members were hunting in during that time. Our CO, who retired about then, waived that restriction with an expletive over the phone about the stupidity of it all. That wildlife guy also retired, which is a good thing. He's one of the lynx hair fakers.

 

[madhatte]

Yeah, I've read some horror stories and thank my stars that my organization is small enough and below the radar enough that we can actually get things done. Our FSC certification keeps all the state agencies out of our hair and the property boundary keeps most of the public out. If I worked anywhere else, I'd have a whole different set of headaches, to be sure.

 

[Gologit]

Yeah, I've read some horror stories and thank my stars that my organization is small enough and below the radar enough that we can actually get things done. Our FSC certification keeps all the state agencies out of our hair and the property boundary keeps most of the public out. If I worked anywhere else, I'd have a whole different set of headaches, to be sure.

Yup.

 

[slowp]

Yeah, I've read some horror stories and thank my stars that my organization is small enough and below the radar enough that we can actually get things done. Our FSC certification keeps all the state agencies out of our hair and the property boundary keeps most of the public out. If I worked anywhere else, I'd have a whole different set of headaches, to be sure.

It all encourages some of us to retire.

 

[madhatte]

I wish that weren't the case, and also that the universities would push forestry again, and also that the agencies would hire. Every time somebody who's been around a bit retires, their knowledge is lost if there's nobody new to pick it up before they leave. We have lost the art of apprenticeship, and it's gonna hurt worse every day.

 

[Gologit]

You make some good points. In a different post you mentioned that we still need boots on the ground to do a proper job of forest management. I agree. Science and technology take us only so far. There's no substitute for an experienced person who cares enough to do a good job.
It's too bad that there isn't some kind of mentoring program, some way to teach the newer people what the old timers have learned.
People like Slowp and several that I know of in my area that have retired have taken their knowledge and skills with them. Nobody benefited from their years of experience. That's not their fault. If there isn't any interest in passing along what they know and if the agencies they worked for discourage the time and effort it takes to mentor the new people I can't blame them for just walking way.
Schools are fine. Technology is good. Science is necessary. Even we old old guys recognize that. But twenty or thirty years of walking the woods and actually seeing and learning what really happens there is of inestimable value.
Knowledge lost is knowledge wasted.

 

[madhatte]

I try very hard, in the limited time I have with our seasonal crews each year, to pass on as much as I can, but I can only do so much. I can do even less in light of how hard it is to hire permanent employees.