Interesting discussion from the State and Private Forests list. It has
relevance to issues in Iowa.
Tom

Subj:         Re: Logs and Lynx
Date:   01-05-23 23:27:09 EDT
From:   [log in to unmask] (Jim Olson)
Sender: [log in to unmask] (ST-PVT-FORESTS)
Reply-to:   [log in to unmask]
(ST-PVT-FORESTS)
To: [log in to unmask]

In a message dated 5/23/01 8:15:20 PM, [log in to unmask] writes:

<< Jim -- Sorry to be slow to respond.  Off and on over the past fifteen or so

years the Sierra Club forest activists in Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota

have coordinated efforts on forest issues at all levels, not just federal

lands.  Obviously the lynx issues is one of the regional issues that cuts

across borders, not just here but throughout the northern and mountain

regions of the country.  The FWS recovery plan is supposed to consider

recovery on all ownerships, and when the grey wolf plan was adopted for this

region it involved the states in actually bringing the restoration plans

into being.


Increasing evidence about one limiting factors for lynx is that the growing

presence of snowmobile trails throughout the Great Lakes region are an

impediment to recovery.  A major competitor for lynx is the bobcat, which

expanded its range northward while lynx were being driven out.  Bobcat are

much more aggressive than the lynx, however have been limited by deep snow

in the past -- lynx have feet evolved to allow them to get around on top of

snow, while the bobcat couldn't compete in the deep snow.  However, with

snowmobile trails, and to a certain extent plowed roads going into areas

formerly not accessible to bobcats, the competition for habitat has grown,

with the bobcats winning.  This will likely be as big or bigger an issue for

bringing back the lynx as providing habitat.  With the huge and growing

snowmobiling constituencies in our region, these guys may be harder to deal

with than the lumber interests.

***************
That is an understatement.

I understand from an article in the Magazine Washington Monthly. "Playground
or Preserve" that the recreation industry and particularly the mortoized
segment has
a Washingtom  lobby that rivals that of the lumber industry.

In our state it has stong legislative support.

It is difficult to deal with and I don't have a clue as to how to go about
trying.

The arguement about the economic value of silent recreation depending on
wild areas doesn't hold up as they can clearly show how much more the average
snowmobiler spends in an area than the average cross country skier.




One possible way came to mind today as I attended meeting of our Natural
Resources Board (which regulates our DNR) and the snowmobile lobby clashed
with the deer lobby over the length of the deer hunting season as the private
landowners that lease land to the snowmobilers won't do so while the hunting
season is on. The snowmobile people want a short- quick deer season. Now all
we have to do is get the hunters and the snowmobilers fighting each other.
Nah that won't work- either way we lose as both the excessive deer habitat
and the snowmobilers are both  major ecological threats here.





Regarding prey, already the argument is made that intensive management is

needed for prey, including the snowshoe hare -- they don't even need the

ruffed grouse to make the arguments here.

********

With the forest service intensively managing prey for them I think the Lynx
are probably
better off staying in Canada.


*********




Jim Olson
Eau Claire, WI 54701
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