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 [log in to unmask] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For SC email list T-and-C, send: GET TERMS-AND-CONDITIONS.CURRENT to [log in to unmask] </XMP> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To get off the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask]