1 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:13,480 Speaker 1: From Mediators World News Headquarters in Bozeman, Montana. This is 2 00:00:13,720 --> 00:00:18,360 Speaker 1: Cal's we Can Review with Ryan cal Callahan. Now here's Cal. 3 00:00:20,120 --> 00:00:23,079 Speaker 1: Why did giraffes have long necks? That might sound like 4 00:00:23,120 --> 00:00:26,040 Speaker 1: a frequently asked question on a fifth grade field trip 5 00:00:26,040 --> 00:00:29,560 Speaker 1: to the zoo, but until now, the scientific answer wasn't 6 00:00:29,600 --> 00:00:35,160 Speaker 1: what you'd call school appropriate. The nexts for Sex hypothesis 7 00:00:35,479 --> 00:00:38,360 Speaker 1: argued that giraffes have long necks for the same reason 8 00:00:38,520 --> 00:00:42,479 Speaker 1: deer have big antlers. Male drafts fight by swinging their 9 00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:47,080 Speaker 1: giant necks into each other. So nexts for Sex made sense, 10 00:00:47,400 --> 00:00:50,960 Speaker 1: and it also rhymed, which is a plus. However, a 11 00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:55,080 Speaker 1: new paper published in Mammalian Biology has found that female 12 00:00:55,160 --> 00:00:59,760 Speaker 1: Massi giraffes have proportionately longer necks and trunks than males. 13 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:03,480 Speaker 1: Males are taller, but researchers point out that everything else 14 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:08,280 Speaker 1: is bigger as well. Proportionally speaking, females actually have longer 15 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:10,800 Speaker 1: necks as they relate to other parts of their bodies. 16 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:15,240 Speaker 1: Scientists think lady giraffes develop these lengthy appendages for reaching 17 00:01:15,319 --> 00:01:18,360 Speaker 1: deep into trees to grab the choicest leaves that help 18 00:01:18,440 --> 00:01:22,039 Speaker 1: them generate enough energy to feed their young so there 19 00:01:22,080 --> 00:01:25,240 Speaker 1: you go. Next for Sex is out and next for 20 00:01:25,360 --> 00:01:29,720 Speaker 1: Leaves is in, and it's you know, not quite as catchy, 21 00:01:29,760 --> 00:01:34,759 Speaker 1: but sometimes that's just how nature is. This week we've 22 00:01:34,800 --> 00:01:40,600 Speaker 1: got it's a brave new world, wolves, wildlife, refuges, crime, 23 00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:43,120 Speaker 1: and so much more. But first I'm going to tell 24 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:46,960 Speaker 1: you about my week. My week started out at this 25 00:01:47,319 --> 00:01:50,400 Speaker 1: the sig ARC Challenge, which I'll tell you what, man, 26 00:01:50,440 --> 00:01:53,680 Speaker 1: their social media team did an amazing job of getting 27 00:01:53,720 --> 00:01:57,520 Speaker 1: that out on the socials super cool event. Seven teams 28 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:03,720 Speaker 1: three people per team compete in rifle, carbing, pistol and 29 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:07,520 Speaker 1: archery over a day shoot, a night shoot, and a 30 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:11,960 Speaker 1: day shoot, and the victor took home a fifty thousand 31 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:14,240 Speaker 1: dollars check for the charity of their choice. 32 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:18,639 Speaker 2: The team that won spoiler Alert was not us, and 33 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:23,559 Speaker 2: they donated fifty thousand dollars via a sig to Defenders 34 00:02:23,600 --> 00:02:27,800 Speaker 2: of Freedom. So super awesome. Learned a whole lot, shot 35 00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:31,200 Speaker 2: a bunch of different courses. Only person competing with the 36 00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:34,440 Speaker 2: old recurve, which I love shooting that bow, and I 37 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:37,520 Speaker 2: just have not been shooting it, so of course I 38 00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:40,120 Speaker 2: disappointed myself by not just being able to pick that 39 00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:44,400 Speaker 2: sucker up and fling arrows. But it was great way 40 00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:49,160 Speaker 2: for me to be humbled into a commitment to getting 41 00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:52,200 Speaker 2: back in shape with the old recurve. After all, be 42 00:02:52,280 --> 00:02:57,120 Speaker 2: heading into the great state of Wyoming trying to spank 43 00:02:57,280 --> 00:03:01,160 Speaker 2: a big old Wyoming bull hear this archery season, and 44 00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:03,280 Speaker 2: if that doesn't motivate yet to get better, I don't 45 00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:06,840 Speaker 2: know what the heck will Anyway. I'm shot for years 46 00:03:06,919 --> 00:03:12,359 Speaker 2: with the same recurve getting great results, but I feel 47 00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:17,320 Speaker 2: like the limbs this is a detachable limb situation, like 48 00:03:17,360 --> 00:03:23,040 Speaker 2: the Olympic recurve set up have had so many repetitions 49 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:27,000 Speaker 2: that they may have lost a little pop and might 50 00:03:27,080 --> 00:03:29,480 Speaker 2: get a new set of limbs, which made me think 51 00:03:29,480 --> 00:03:35,520 Speaker 2: about getting a new riser and then getting new arrows. 52 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:41,520 Speaker 2: So all the changes will necessitate more and more practice, 53 00:03:42,160 --> 00:03:46,560 Speaker 2: which then makes me better and more effective for killing 54 00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:49,240 Speaker 2: that l you know, got dust off the old bugle 55 00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:53,360 Speaker 2: lungs too, and start ripping on all that phelp stuff 56 00:03:53,360 --> 00:03:56,400 Speaker 2: and annoying everyone around me to no end. I'm sure, 57 00:03:56,840 --> 00:04:01,080 Speaker 2: But man, middle of June already. I hope you're feeling 58 00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:04,240 Speaker 2: the pressure like I am. It's anxiety time. Kids. We 59 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:07,680 Speaker 2: could all be doing more if there was just more time, 60 00:04:08,200 --> 00:04:12,080 Speaker 2: fewer excuses, more time, got to get up to snuff. 61 00:04:12,920 --> 00:04:15,000 Speaker 2: Nothing worse than going out with that tag you've been 62 00:04:15,040 --> 00:04:18,160 Speaker 2: waiting for and just being like, oh boy, I am 63 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:22,039 Speaker 2: at a disadvantage here, and it's all my fault. That 64 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:26,960 Speaker 2: old Elksrus four wheel drive is plenty challenging enough anyway. 65 00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:32,600 Speaker 2: Moving on to the conservation desk. Following our coverage a 66 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:36,159 Speaker 2: few weeks ago the environmental impact of server farms, several 67 00:04:36,200 --> 00:04:38,920 Speaker 2: of you wrote in with other stories about how our 68 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:42,040 Speaker 2: brave new world might not be so great for wildlife. 69 00:04:42,279 --> 00:04:44,440 Speaker 2: One of you sent me a story about a microchip 70 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:48,280 Speaker 2: company called Micron Technology that plans to build a factory 71 00:04:48,320 --> 00:04:50,680 Speaker 2: on top of a wetland in the town of Clay, 72 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:53,760 Speaker 2: New York. According to an analysis by the Army Corps 73 00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:56,560 Speaker 2: of Engineers, the plant would permanently destroy more than two 74 00:04:56,640 --> 00:05:00,600 Speaker 2: hundred acres of wetlands and six thousand, seven hundred sixteen 75 00:05:00,640 --> 00:05:04,400 Speaker 2: feet of stream banks spanning forty football fields. The plant 76 00:05:04,440 --> 00:05:07,279 Speaker 2: is going to be the biggest chip manufacturing site in 77 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:10,600 Speaker 2: the United States and one of the biggest in the world. 78 00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:13,320 Speaker 2: The factory is being made possible in part by a 79 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:17,160 Speaker 2: six point one billion dollar federal grant, and President Biden 80 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:20,360 Speaker 2: himself applauded the construction of the facility during a visit 81 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:22,359 Speaker 2: to Syracuse earlier this year. 82 00:05:23,160 --> 00:05:26,719 Speaker 3: Today, I'm please announce we're building on that commitment with 83 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:31,600 Speaker 3: a landmark preliminary agreement between my administration and Micron, a 84 00:05:31,640 --> 00:05:34,800 Speaker 3: major chip manufacturer, which is building these fabs here in 85 00:05:34,880 --> 00:05:39,520 Speaker 3: upstate New York six point one billion and Chips funding 86 00:05:40,680 --> 00:05:43,839 Speaker 3: paired with one hundred and twenty five billion from Micron 87 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:46,320 Speaker 3: to build these facilities here in New York and near 88 00:05:46,400 --> 00:05:48,000 Speaker 3: Micron headquarters in Idaho. 89 00:05:48,960 --> 00:05:51,800 Speaker 2: Looking at images of the factory site online, it doesn't 90 00:05:51,800 --> 00:05:54,480 Speaker 2: look like these wetlands are likely to be used by hunters, 91 00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:57,240 Speaker 2: and the listener who wrote in didn't mention that they are. 92 00:05:57,600 --> 00:06:00,280 Speaker 2: It's also true that Micron is required to buy or 93 00:06:00,320 --> 00:06:04,480 Speaker 2: create wetland properties nearby to offset the losses caused by 94 00:06:04,520 --> 00:06:08,040 Speaker 2: construction of the complex. They're working with a nonprofit group 95 00:06:08,080 --> 00:06:12,920 Speaker 2: called Wetland Trust in Ithaca to find and set aside wetlands. Still, 96 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:15,840 Speaker 2: the Army Corps of Engineers is seeking public comment on 97 00:06:15,880 --> 00:06:19,240 Speaker 2: whether Micron should be allowed to permanently destroy two hundred 98 00:06:19,320 --> 00:06:22,599 Speaker 2: acres of wetlands to submit a comment, send an email 99 00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:28,440 Speaker 2: to cel rb dash Micron dot public dot comments at 100 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:33,760 Speaker 2: USACE dot Army dot mil. We'll post that address at 101 00:06:33,800 --> 00:06:35,960 Speaker 2: the meat eater dot com forward slash col if you 102 00:06:36,040 --> 00:06:41,320 Speaker 2: had trouble following that random sequence of letters. Staying in 103 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:43,680 Speaker 2: New York, listener Andrew Lottie told me about a plan 104 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:46,680 Speaker 2: by local residents to oppose a new battery facility in 105 00:06:46,720 --> 00:06:49,839 Speaker 2: Putnam County. The facility is being proposed by a green 106 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:52,960 Speaker 2: energy supplier called east Point Energy, and they plan to 107 00:06:53,040 --> 00:06:56,159 Speaker 2: use it to store energy and lithium ion batteries during 108 00:06:56,320 --> 00:06:59,920 Speaker 2: off peak hours. Battery storage is a major part of 109 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:03,599 Speaker 2: green energy systems, since wind and solar can't always generate 110 00:07:03,640 --> 00:07:07,560 Speaker 2: electricity when it's needed. Most if it's hot, while overcast 111 00:07:07,680 --> 00:07:10,160 Speaker 2: and still, wind and solar may not be able to 112 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:13,520 Speaker 2: power those AC units we've come to rely on. Batteries 113 00:07:13,520 --> 00:07:17,200 Speaker 2: allow power companies to store energy. Energy then is sent 114 00:07:17,240 --> 00:07:21,000 Speaker 2: to customers during peak hours to prevent blackouts. But some 115 00:07:21,200 --> 00:07:24,200 Speaker 2: residents in Putnam and Westchester Counties don't want to see 116 00:07:24,200 --> 00:07:27,680 Speaker 2: battery storage in their backyards. In some cases, that's a 117 00:07:27,720 --> 00:07:31,400 Speaker 2: literal description of where this facility will be located. One 118 00:07:31,480 --> 00:07:34,160 Speaker 2: resident took local reporters to the rear border of his 119 00:07:34,320 --> 00:07:37,080 Speaker 2: property and explained that the battery plant would be less 120 00:07:37,120 --> 00:07:41,160 Speaker 2: than two hundred feet away. Residents are primarily concerned about fire. 121 00:07:41,600 --> 00:07:44,800 Speaker 2: Lithium ion batteries rarely ignite, but when they do, they're 122 00:07:44,880 --> 00:07:47,720 Speaker 2: extremely difficult to put out. Just last month, that fire 123 00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:51,520 Speaker 2: broke out at a similar facility in Ota Mesa, California. 124 00:07:51,640 --> 00:07:54,239 Speaker 2: Despite the best efforts of fire crews, the blaze burned 125 00:07:54,280 --> 00:07:57,679 Speaker 2: for almost two weeks before the evacuation orders were finally lifted. 126 00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:01,160 Speaker 2: Lithium batteries can ignite for a variety of reasons, but 127 00:08:01,200 --> 00:08:04,480 Speaker 2: when they do, the chemical reactions inside the device's result 128 00:08:04,600 --> 00:08:08,480 Speaker 2: in something called thermal runaway. When this happens, the temperature 129 00:08:08,480 --> 00:08:10,560 Speaker 2: in a battery can rise from two hundred and twelve 130 00:08:10,720 --> 00:08:14,960 Speaker 2: to eighteen hundred degrees fahrenheit In a second. Water doesn't 131 00:08:14,960 --> 00:08:17,360 Speaker 2: work great against a fire like that, and in some 132 00:08:17,440 --> 00:08:20,200 Speaker 2: cases they just have to be allowed to burn out. 133 00:08:21,840 --> 00:08:25,679 Speaker 2: Another story sent in by listener Si Sneed, which definitely 134 00:08:25,680 --> 00:08:29,840 Speaker 2: sounds made up. It's a great moniker anyway. SI reports 135 00:08:29,880 --> 00:08:33,160 Speaker 2: that a new solar development in California will destroy thousands 136 00:08:33,200 --> 00:08:35,920 Speaker 2: of iconic Joshua trees, some of which are thought to 137 00:08:35,960 --> 00:08:38,880 Speaker 2: be one hundred years old. The La Times reports that 138 00:08:38,960 --> 00:08:41,840 Speaker 2: the twenty three hundred acre solar farm is being built 139 00:08:41,840 --> 00:08:44,520 Speaker 2: in the Mojave Desert near the towns of Boron and 140 00:08:44,559 --> 00:08:48,240 Speaker 2: Desert Lake. It's known as the Aretina Solar Project and 141 00:08:48,360 --> 00:08:51,640 Speaker 2: is being developed on private land by a company called Avantus. 142 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:56,120 Speaker 2: Avantus is mostly owned by KKR, which is a global 143 00:08:56,200 --> 00:09:00,440 Speaker 2: private equity firm. Global private equity firms generally don't concern 144 00:09:00,520 --> 00:09:03,120 Speaker 2: themselves with the thoughts and opinions of a local residence, 145 00:09:03,280 --> 00:09:05,439 Speaker 2: and that appears to be the case here. The La 146 00:09:05,520 --> 00:09:07,959 Speaker 2: Times interviewed a number of people who were worried about 147 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:10,840 Speaker 2: dust from the construction, along with the destruction of the 148 00:09:10,880 --> 00:09:14,480 Speaker 2: area's trees and wildlife habitat. A tipster told The Times 149 00:09:14,520 --> 00:09:17,360 Speaker 2: that rather than cutting the trees down and hauling them away, 150 00:09:17,600 --> 00:09:20,480 Speaker 2: the company plans to shred them on site. They made 151 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:23,600 Speaker 2: this decision, according to the anonymous source, to avoid the 152 00:09:23,640 --> 00:09:27,319 Speaker 2: inconvenient site of the famous ancient trees loaded up on 153 00:09:27,360 --> 00:09:31,120 Speaker 2: a flatbed. For their part, Avantis is claiming that actually 154 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:34,640 Speaker 2: the solar farm will save many more trees than it destroys. 155 00:09:34,880 --> 00:09:37,840 Speaker 2: The company website says quote while trees will be impacted 156 00:09:37,920 --> 00:09:41,920 Speaker 2: during project construction, vastly more Joshua trees are being threatened 157 00:09:41,920 --> 00:09:45,440 Speaker 2: by climate change caused by rising greenhouse gas emissions, which 158 00:09:45,480 --> 00:09:50,079 Speaker 2: the Aretina Solar Project directly addresses. Avantas has also put 159 00:09:50,120 --> 00:09:52,920 Speaker 2: one point four million dollars into a fund that will 160 00:09:52,920 --> 00:09:55,520 Speaker 2: be used to protect Joshua trees in other areas of 161 00:09:55,559 --> 00:09:58,600 Speaker 2: the state, and they've actually purchased grazing rights to two 162 00:09:58,679 --> 00:10:01,920 Speaker 2: hundred and fifteen thousand eight of federal land in the county. 163 00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:05,120 Speaker 2: Company officials say they're working with the government to preserve 164 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:07,960 Speaker 2: those acres to offset what they'll be doing on the 165 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:10,839 Speaker 2: solar farm. There's no such thing as a free lunch, 166 00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:14,720 Speaker 2: as they say, reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a fine goal, 167 00:10:14,840 --> 00:10:17,520 Speaker 2: and using solar energy to do it is one of 168 00:10:17,559 --> 00:10:20,800 Speaker 2: the many promising solutions out there, but there's a cost 169 00:10:20,840 --> 00:10:24,000 Speaker 2: to that. In the same way on shoring, computer chip 170 00:10:24,080 --> 00:10:27,000 Speaker 2: manufacturing is a good thing, and the new Micron factory 171 00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:29,400 Speaker 2: will create thousands of jobs in a struggling area of 172 00:10:29,440 --> 00:10:32,120 Speaker 2: upstate New York. The listener who sent me that story 173 00:10:32,200 --> 00:10:34,680 Speaker 2: is a Micron employee, which is why I'm not using 174 00:10:34,760 --> 00:10:38,040 Speaker 2: their name. He says, he has mixed feelings about the facility, 175 00:10:38,120 --> 00:10:41,679 Speaker 2: which is totally understandable. But everything has a cost. In 176 00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:45,480 Speaker 2: this case, it'll be several hundred acres of wetland. Whether 177 00:10:45,520 --> 00:10:48,000 Speaker 2: that cost is worth it is the million dollar question, 178 00:10:48,320 --> 00:10:53,679 Speaker 2: and it's one will have to answer in the years ahead. 179 00:10:55,040 --> 00:10:59,640 Speaker 2: Moving on to the wolf desk. The wolf desk is 180 00:10:59,720 --> 00:11:03,600 Speaker 2: usually where we talk about controversial wolf management policies, poaching stories, 181 00:11:03,600 --> 00:11:07,480 Speaker 2: and livestock depredation. But in all that controversy we can 182 00:11:07,520 --> 00:11:10,160 Speaker 2: lose sight of the fact that these are tough, smart, 183 00:11:10,240 --> 00:11:13,320 Speaker 2: fascinating critters. I was reminded of that this week when 184 00:11:13,320 --> 00:11:15,160 Speaker 2: one of you sent me a story about an ancient 185 00:11:15,240 --> 00:11:19,280 Speaker 2: one eyed wolf living in Yellowstone National Park. Biologists call 186 00:11:19,360 --> 00:11:23,040 Speaker 2: her nine zero seven F and they've watched in amazement 187 00:11:23,320 --> 00:11:26,760 Speaker 2: as she's survived year after year after year. The average 188 00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:29,080 Speaker 2: life expectancy of a wolf in that area is three 189 00:11:29,120 --> 00:11:31,800 Speaker 2: to four years, but nine zero seven a half has 190 00:11:31,880 --> 00:11:36,079 Speaker 2: circled the sun eleven times and still going strong. There's 191 00:11:36,080 --> 00:11:38,400 Speaker 2: no hunting in the park, but wolf packs often fight 192 00:11:38,520 --> 00:11:42,000 Speaker 2: over territory, and there are always casualties on each side. 193 00:11:42,240 --> 00:11:44,720 Speaker 2: The odds of a wolf living to its eleventh birthday 194 00:11:44,800 --> 00:11:47,760 Speaker 2: are just one in two hundred and fifty, and only 195 00:11:47,800 --> 00:11:50,840 Speaker 2: one wolf has been recorded as living longer than nine 196 00:11:50,960 --> 00:11:54,200 Speaker 2: zero seven half. This granny wolf has been able to 197 00:11:54,200 --> 00:11:57,679 Speaker 2: avoid a gruesome death. But she's done something even more impressive. 198 00:11:57,960 --> 00:12:00,920 Speaker 2: She's had a literate puppies every single year since she 199 00:12:01,080 --> 00:12:04,840 Speaker 2: reached sexual maturity. That's ten straight years, the litter of 200 00:12:04,880 --> 00:12:08,360 Speaker 2: four or five pups, which biologists say has never happened 201 00:12:08,400 --> 00:12:12,240 Speaker 2: since wolves were reintroduced. She's also managed to do that 202 00:12:12,280 --> 00:12:15,600 Speaker 2: without a functioning left eye, which biologists say was injured 203 00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:18,520 Speaker 2: at some point about seven years ago. Wolf nine zero 204 00:12:18,600 --> 00:12:21,640 Speaker 2: seven F is the alpha female of the Junction Butte pack, 205 00:12:21,760 --> 00:12:24,280 Speaker 2: which boasts between ten and thirty five members at any 206 00:12:24,320 --> 00:12:27,440 Speaker 2: given time. The average pack size and Yellowstone is about 207 00:12:27,480 --> 00:12:30,280 Speaker 2: twelve wolves. Biologists point to a few things as the 208 00:12:30,400 --> 00:12:34,400 Speaker 2: secret to this matriarch's longevity. They say she's savvy, she 209 00:12:34,520 --> 00:12:37,280 Speaker 2: stays within park boundaries, and she does a good job 210 00:12:37,360 --> 00:12:41,280 Speaker 2: crossing roads and avoiding humans. Her experience, while also a 211 00:12:41,280 --> 00:12:44,360 Speaker 2: big benefit in conflicts with other packs, as studies have 212 00:12:44,440 --> 00:12:47,320 Speaker 2: shown that packs with a few elderly wolves are more 213 00:12:47,360 --> 00:12:50,960 Speaker 2: successful in these battles. Nine zero seven F doesn't do 214 00:12:51,080 --> 00:12:53,920 Speaker 2: much battling, she mostly stays back and takes care of 215 00:12:53,960 --> 00:12:57,079 Speaker 2: the pups, which is like a reflection of her status. 216 00:12:57,120 --> 00:13:02,480 Speaker 2: I suppose within that pack hierarchy, and considering the odds 217 00:13:02,720 --> 00:13:05,800 Speaker 2: of her making it that long, she's probably earned a 218 00:13:05,840 --> 00:13:10,320 Speaker 2: little R and R. Moving on to the public lands desk, 219 00:13:12,200 --> 00:13:14,920 Speaker 2: the Department of the Interior has proposed a new rule 220 00:13:14,960 --> 00:13:18,760 Speaker 2: that would significantly change how national wildlife refuges are managed. 221 00:13:19,040 --> 00:13:21,800 Speaker 2: The rule would impose a top down framework on refuge 222 00:13:21,840 --> 00:13:25,959 Speaker 2: management and restrict practices like agriculture leasing and predator control 223 00:13:26,120 --> 00:13:28,880 Speaker 2: that hunters support. The rule is being opposed by a 224 00:13:28,880 --> 00:13:31,600 Speaker 2: who's who of hunting and conservation groups such as the 225 00:13:31,640 --> 00:13:36,120 Speaker 2: Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, and backcountry Hunters and Anglers. 226 00:13:36,640 --> 00:13:40,240 Speaker 2: Under the current regime, wildlife refuges can operate based on 227 00:13:40,400 --> 00:13:43,200 Speaker 2: their own local needs. This gives them the freedom to 228 00:13:43,200 --> 00:13:45,959 Speaker 2: do things like lease land for agriculture, which can be 229 00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:49,120 Speaker 2: a big draw for migrating birds, and by extension, bird 230 00:13:49,200 --> 00:13:52,240 Speaker 2: hunters who pay for hunting licenses and duck stamps. But 231 00:13:52,360 --> 00:13:55,560 Speaker 2: this new rule would upend that local control structure by 232 00:13:55,559 --> 00:13:59,880 Speaker 2: imposing a quote natural processes paradigm. According to meat Eater 233 00:14:00,040 --> 00:14:04,760 Speaker 2: contributor Eli Fournier that includes quote prohibiting the use of 234 00:14:04,880 --> 00:14:09,440 Speaker 2: predator control, agricultural practices, mosquito control, and the use of 235 00:14:09,520 --> 00:14:14,800 Speaker 2: GMO crops and organisms unless deemed essential to fulfilling refuge purposes. 236 00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:19,320 Speaker 2: In short, the regulations set a no action baseline against 237 00:14:19,360 --> 00:14:23,359 Speaker 2: which management practices need to be assessed and approved individually. 238 00:14:23,880 --> 00:14:26,800 Speaker 2: Should the rules be approved and codified, they would represent 239 00:14:26,880 --> 00:14:30,360 Speaker 2: a major paradigm change in the way refuges are managed. 240 00:14:30,880 --> 00:14:34,120 Speaker 2: The US Fish and Wildlife Service justifies the proposal by 241 00:14:34,240 --> 00:14:37,320 Speaker 2: arguing that it addresses threats from the climate change and 242 00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:43,040 Speaker 2: biodiversity loss by deferring to natural ecosystem processes. The proposed regulations, 243 00:14:43,160 --> 00:14:46,960 Speaker 2: the Service rights would prioritize deference to natural processes and 244 00:14:47,040 --> 00:14:51,200 Speaker 2: support ecological connectivity as a means of achieving refuge habitat 245 00:14:51,240 --> 00:14:55,320 Speaker 2: objectives and landscape planning goals. But hunt fish groups are 246 00:14:55,360 --> 00:14:58,240 Speaker 2: less than pleased. Thirty two of them signed on to 247 00:14:58,360 --> 00:15:01,280 Speaker 2: an official comment opposing the rule, and they say they 248 00:15:01,320 --> 00:15:05,400 Speaker 2: weren't included in the planning process. Federal politicians have also 249 00:15:05,440 --> 00:15:08,600 Speaker 2: gotten involved. Members of the House Natural Resources Committee have 250 00:15:08,640 --> 00:15:12,720 Speaker 2: slammed the proposal. In Wisconsin, Congressman Glenn Grotham has introduced 251 00:15:12,720 --> 00:15:15,040 Speaker 2: a bill that would prohibit the rule from taking effect. 252 00:15:15,520 --> 00:15:18,760 Speaker 2: We've covered some tortured acronyms before on this podcast, but 253 00:15:18,840 --> 00:15:21,440 Speaker 2: I gotta say this is one of the best or 254 00:15:21,440 --> 00:15:24,840 Speaker 2: worst we've ever seen. The bill is called and hang 255 00:15:24,880 --> 00:15:29,800 Speaker 2: in here the Biodiversity Oversight Scaled Back and Fully Erased Act. 256 00:15:30,320 --> 00:15:34,359 Speaker 2: If you take scaled back as a hyphenated word and capitalized, 257 00:15:34,520 --> 00:15:40,080 Speaker 2: and that spells Biosafe Act. The Biosafe Act would require 258 00:15:40,080 --> 00:15:42,960 Speaker 2: the Secretary of the Interior to withdraw the new rule, 259 00:15:43,120 --> 00:15:45,640 Speaker 2: though it's unclear right now how it would prevent similar 260 00:15:45,680 --> 00:15:48,760 Speaker 2: rules from being proposed again in the future. The comment 261 00:15:48,800 --> 00:15:51,640 Speaker 2: period on this rule has already passed, but it received 262 00:15:51,680 --> 00:15:54,960 Speaker 2: nearly two hundred thousand comments after the Fish and Wildlife 263 00:15:55,000 --> 00:15:59,240 Speaker 2: Service extended the comment period earlier this year. Agency officials 264 00:15:59,280 --> 00:16:01,920 Speaker 2: will spend the next few months reviewing that feedback, and 265 00:16:01,960 --> 00:16:05,800 Speaker 2: we'll see if they decide to change course. Moving on 266 00:16:05,880 --> 00:16:10,400 Speaker 2: to the crime desk, a Pennsylvania man has been charged 267 00:16:10,400 --> 00:16:14,080 Speaker 2: with two misdemeanors after mistaking another hunter for a coyote 268 00:16:14,080 --> 00:16:17,240 Speaker 2: and shooting him in the shoulder. Official say thirty two 269 00:16:17,320 --> 00:16:20,600 Speaker 2: year old Cody Ostrowski was using a thermal optic to 270 00:16:20,600 --> 00:16:23,120 Speaker 2: look for coyotes when he spied something and took a shot, 271 00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:26,640 Speaker 2: but rather than a coyote, Ostrowski had actually seen another 272 00:16:26,720 --> 00:16:28,920 Speaker 2: hunter who had walked to the edge of the field 273 00:16:29,040 --> 00:16:32,720 Speaker 2: after hearing rifle shots. Ostrowski hit the man in the shoulder, 274 00:16:32,840 --> 00:16:36,080 Speaker 2: but mistook the man's screams for a coyotes howls. He 275 00:16:36,120 --> 00:16:40,600 Speaker 2: shot again and fortunately didn't connect. Ostrowski ran to help 276 00:16:40,640 --> 00:16:43,120 Speaker 2: the wounded man after realizing his mistake, and he was 277 00:16:43,120 --> 00:16:47,560 Speaker 2: taken to the hospital and survived. A Florida man was 278 00:16:47,600 --> 00:16:50,600 Speaker 2: hit with a citation last week, not the vehicle or 279 00:16:50,640 --> 00:16:53,960 Speaker 2: the plane, but you know the paper thing after official 280 00:16:54,040 --> 00:16:57,760 Speaker 2: say he landed his helicopter in a sensitive shorebird nesting site. 281 00:16:58,120 --> 00:17:01,440 Speaker 2: Ernesto Cordero was seen on video landing as helicopter on 282 00:17:01,480 --> 00:17:04,920 Speaker 2: the south tip of Egmont Key so his female passenger 283 00:17:04,960 --> 00:17:07,240 Speaker 2: could run out and take better photos of the birds. 284 00:17:07,720 --> 00:17:11,960 Speaker 2: Unfortunately for Cordero, that strip of beach contained federally endangered 285 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:15,000 Speaker 2: and threatened species, and it's also illegal to land an 286 00:17:15,040 --> 00:17:17,840 Speaker 2: aircraft in a state park. He claims he needed to 287 00:17:17,920 --> 00:17:20,160 Speaker 2: land to check a fuel ye, but he never declared 288 00:17:20,160 --> 00:17:23,359 Speaker 2: an emergency with air traffic Control. He was cited for 289 00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:26,720 Speaker 2: entering a closed area, landing an aircraft in the state park, 290 00:17:26,920 --> 00:17:33,480 Speaker 2: and threatening federally designated endangered and threatened species. An anonymous 291 00:17:33,480 --> 00:17:37,120 Speaker 2: tip to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission has resulted 292 00:17:37,119 --> 00:17:39,480 Speaker 2: in the arrest of two individuals who have been found 293 00:17:39,520 --> 00:17:43,000 Speaker 2: guilty on fifteen counts of unlawfully taking deer at night 294 00:17:43,200 --> 00:17:46,520 Speaker 2: using an artificial light. Thanks to listener John Sabars for 295 00:17:46,560 --> 00:17:49,320 Speaker 2: sending this one in. In November of last year, the 296 00:17:49,359 --> 00:17:52,720 Speaker 2: Commission received a photo of a fella named Nicholas Rackley 297 00:17:52,920 --> 00:17:57,119 Speaker 2: posing with fifteen antlerless whitetail deer. The tip claimed Rackley 298 00:17:57,280 --> 00:17:59,880 Speaker 2: had shot all the deer in one night, and officials 299 00:18:00,080 --> 00:18:03,800 Speaker 2: launched an investigation. Rackley eventually admitted to shooting the deer 300 00:18:03,800 --> 00:18:06,359 Speaker 2: with the help of another man named Dylan Scott. The 301 00:18:06,440 --> 00:18:09,119 Speaker 2: pair was ordered to pay nine thou thirty dollars in 302 00:18:09,240 --> 00:18:13,080 Speaker 2: replacement costs. Scott was fined one five hundred dollars and 303 00:18:13,119 --> 00:18:16,480 Speaker 2: his hunting license revoked for ten years, and he will 304 00:18:16,520 --> 00:18:20,680 Speaker 2: serve five years of supervised probation. Rackley was ordered to 305 00:18:20,720 --> 00:18:23,320 Speaker 2: pay seven hundred and fifty dollars and had his hunting 306 00:18:23,359 --> 00:18:27,040 Speaker 2: license revoked for five years. If there's one silver lining 307 00:18:27,080 --> 00:18:29,960 Speaker 2: to this story, it's that this dynamic duo took the 308 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:32,639 Speaker 2: deer home and processed them, and that's a lot of work. 309 00:18:33,200 --> 00:18:36,159 Speaker 2: Investigators found four coolers full of deer meat, so at 310 00:18:36,240 --> 00:18:40,720 Speaker 2: least they didn't let the animals go to waste. Last 311 00:18:40,720 --> 00:18:43,640 Speaker 2: one for you. A Wyoming duck hunter is facing felony 312 00:18:43,720 --> 00:18:47,399 Speaker 2: charges after unintentionally shooting his hunting partner in a duck blind. 313 00:18:47,760 --> 00:18:50,760 Speaker 2: The Cowboys State Daily reports that twenty year old Gage 314 00:18:50,840 --> 00:18:53,119 Speaker 2: Zuck was hunting with two friends in January on the 315 00:18:53,119 --> 00:18:56,760 Speaker 2: Platte River when the incident took place. Zuk shotgun failed 316 00:18:56,760 --> 00:18:58,439 Speaker 2: to fire as he swung on a duck, so he 317 00:18:58,480 --> 00:19:00,600 Speaker 2: asked one of his buddies if he could borrow his. 318 00:19:01,359 --> 00:19:03,720 Speaker 2: Zuck missed with his friend's gun too, so he picked 319 00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:06,119 Speaker 2: up his own gun, which he had leaned against a tree. 320 00:19:06,440 --> 00:19:08,399 Speaker 2: He tried to inspect his gun to see why it 321 00:19:08,480 --> 00:19:11,359 Speaker 2: wasn't firing, and he pointed the muzzle toward his friend, 322 00:19:11,440 --> 00:19:16,040 Speaker 2: a nineteen year old named Marizio Justiniano. Zuck pulled the 323 00:19:16,080 --> 00:19:19,000 Speaker 2: trigger at the worst possible time, and it hit Justiniano 324 00:19:19,080 --> 00:19:21,720 Speaker 2: in his left abdominal area. They called nine to one 325 00:19:21,720 --> 00:19:23,240 Speaker 2: one and tried to help their friend, but it was 326 00:19:23,280 --> 00:19:26,159 Speaker 2: too late. Justiniano died at the scene, and Zuck has 327 00:19:26,200 --> 00:19:30,280 Speaker 2: been charged with felony manslaughter. He faces a maximum sentence 328 00:19:30,359 --> 00:19:33,679 Speaker 2: of twenty years in prison. I gotta tell you I 329 00:19:33,800 --> 00:19:38,840 Speaker 2: see bad firearm practices. I would say most commonly when 330 00:19:39,119 --> 00:19:43,760 Speaker 2: we're trying to address a situation with the gun and 331 00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:47,199 Speaker 2: we just lose track of where that gun's pointing, because 332 00:19:47,240 --> 00:19:51,000 Speaker 2: I think like mentally we're thinking that it's like out 333 00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:54,240 Speaker 2: of the game, it's out of action. So whatever you 334 00:19:54,320 --> 00:19:57,800 Speaker 2: gotta do, you got to talk with yourself and your 335 00:19:57,840 --> 00:20:02,680 Speaker 2: friends about Hey, if you're not in a ready shooting position, 336 00:20:03,280 --> 00:20:08,080 Speaker 2: you're making sure that gun is safe by not having 337 00:20:08,160 --> 00:20:12,679 Speaker 2: ammunition in the chamber at minimum. Be even better if 338 00:20:12,720 --> 00:20:16,520 Speaker 2: there's just no ammunition in that gun. It's just practice. 339 00:20:16,520 --> 00:20:16,680 Speaker 1: Man. 340 00:20:16,880 --> 00:20:21,040 Speaker 2: Got to practice safety like we practice good shooting. Moving 341 00:20:21,080 --> 00:20:25,679 Speaker 2: on to the mail bag desk. In an interview episode 342 00:20:25,680 --> 00:20:27,840 Speaker 2: a few weeks ago, we spoke with Kip Adams of 343 00:20:27,880 --> 00:20:31,320 Speaker 2: the National Deer Association about a new program in Oklahoma 344 00:20:31,440 --> 00:20:34,400 Speaker 2: that would release pen raise deer into the wild. These 345 00:20:34,440 --> 00:20:37,800 Speaker 2: deer have a CWD resistant gene which should be in 346 00:20:37,920 --> 00:20:40,040 Speaker 2: quotes we talked about that. Go back and listen to 347 00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:42,800 Speaker 2: that episode, and the idea is that they would breed 348 00:20:42,840 --> 00:20:45,840 Speaker 2: with wild deer and decrease the prevalence of the disease. 349 00:20:46,440 --> 00:20:48,280 Speaker 2: There are tons of reasons that this is just a 350 00:20:48,400 --> 00:20:52,280 Speaker 2: terrible idea, And I wondered whether states surrounding Oklahoma could 351 00:20:52,359 --> 00:20:56,080 Speaker 2: sue for damages resulting from captive bread deer wandering across 352 00:20:56,119 --> 00:21:00,359 Speaker 2: the border. It seems to me like Texas, Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri, Colorado, 353 00:21:00,400 --> 00:21:03,320 Speaker 2: and New Mexico have good reason to not want these 354 00:21:03,440 --> 00:21:07,639 Speaker 2: experimental deer in their wild populations. I wondered whether a 355 00:21:07,720 --> 00:21:10,520 Speaker 2: lawsuit like that would be possible, And of course, one 356 00:21:10,560 --> 00:21:13,320 Speaker 2: of you wrote in to help. The listener is Matthew 357 00:21:13,440 --> 00:21:16,080 Speaker 2: and he's a lawyer who does work for his state's environmental, 358 00:21:16,119 --> 00:21:20,040 Speaker 2: fish and game agencies. Here's what he said. The most 359 00:21:20,080 --> 00:21:23,960 Speaker 2: probable theory of liability Oklahoma could incur is from neighboring 360 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:28,440 Speaker 2: states who sue Oklahoma in federal court seeking an injunction. 361 00:21:28,880 --> 00:21:32,800 Speaker 2: In other words, this is myself speaking. Neighboring states could 362 00:21:32,840 --> 00:21:35,919 Speaker 2: sue the sooner state in federal court and ask that 363 00:21:35,960 --> 00:21:38,840 Speaker 2: the program be halted. This is the way our system 364 00:21:38,880 --> 00:21:40,840 Speaker 2: was set up. If the states have a conflict, they 365 00:21:40,880 --> 00:21:44,040 Speaker 2: can appeal to the federal government and ultimately the Supreme Court. 366 00:21:44,480 --> 00:21:47,440 Speaker 2: But there's a potential problem with that. According to Matthew, 367 00:21:47,600 --> 00:21:50,680 Speaker 2: the states might have trouble proving that they have standing 368 00:21:50,920 --> 00:21:53,879 Speaker 2: to sue. When you sue someone, you first have to 369 00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:57,800 Speaker 2: prove that you're suffering an actual or imminent injury. The 370 00:21:57,840 --> 00:22:01,000 Speaker 2: states surrounding Oklahoma might have trouble proving to a federal 371 00:22:01,119 --> 00:22:04,960 Speaker 2: judge that they're being actually harmed by these deer. Matthew 372 00:22:04,960 --> 00:22:07,760 Speaker 2: thinks the best argument is that states are trustees and 373 00:22:07,800 --> 00:22:11,000 Speaker 2: stewards of their wildlife, and they also have a responsibility 374 00:22:11,040 --> 00:22:14,360 Speaker 2: to protect the health and welfare of the public. This 375 00:22:14,440 --> 00:22:18,359 Speaker 2: program could put both in jeopardy. Other plaintiffs could sue 376 00:22:18,359 --> 00:22:22,000 Speaker 2: as well, such as Oklahoma based livestock ranching, farming, or 377 00:22:22,080 --> 00:22:25,399 Speaker 2: hunting groups. Ultimately, Matthew thinks the strongest challenge would be 378 00:22:25,400 --> 00:22:28,959 Speaker 2: from a constellation of other states as well as Oklahoma 379 00:22:29,080 --> 00:22:32,399 Speaker 2: based entities. Big thanks for Matthew for writing in and 380 00:22:32,440 --> 00:22:35,000 Speaker 2: helping us with that. Sounds like this kind of lawsuit 381 00:22:35,080 --> 00:22:37,160 Speaker 2: might be a long shot, but it's always worth writing 382 00:22:37,200 --> 00:22:40,000 Speaker 2: into your elected officials and telling them what you think. 383 00:22:40,240 --> 00:22:41,800 Speaker 2: If you live in one of those states and don't 384 00:22:41,800 --> 00:22:44,840 Speaker 2: want to see Oklahoma move forward with this program, the 385 00:22:44,880 --> 00:22:47,840 Speaker 2: person to tell you is your state's attorney general. Most 386 00:22:47,880 --> 00:22:50,920 Speaker 2: will have a contact information listed online that you can 387 00:22:50,960 --> 00:22:54,960 Speaker 2: find on the Google machine. It's part of your slash, 388 00:22:55,000 --> 00:22:59,280 Speaker 2: our responsibility to keep our elected officials in line, which 389 00:22:59,320 --> 00:23:02,119 Speaker 2: is something you got to keep telling yourself as we 390 00:23:02,640 --> 00:23:07,639 Speaker 2: head into our election year on both you know, state 391 00:23:07,720 --> 00:23:10,239 Speaker 2: and federal levels. I know a lot of folks are 392 00:23:10,359 --> 00:23:13,440 Speaker 2: chatting right now about who they're going to vote for, 393 00:23:14,080 --> 00:23:16,920 Speaker 2: more often who they're not going to vote for. No 394 00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:20,760 Speaker 2: matter what, there's about fifty percent of this country who's 395 00:23:20,760 --> 00:23:23,119 Speaker 2: not going to get what they want. And that doesn't 396 00:23:23,200 --> 00:23:25,400 Speaker 2: mean you get to throw your hands up and quit. 397 00:23:25,640 --> 00:23:28,720 Speaker 2: That just means that you've got to be more invested 398 00:23:29,080 --> 00:23:33,360 Speaker 2: by keeping that politician in line with what you want. 399 00:23:33,560 --> 00:23:36,240 Speaker 2: That's the way the system works. Thanks again, I'll talk 400 00:23:36,240 --> 00:23:38,280 Speaker 2: to you next week. Wait, we can't sign off like that. 401 00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:42,800 Speaker 2: Remember to write in to ask c Al that's an 402 00:23:42,800 --> 00:23:44,879 Speaker 2: ascal at the Meat Eater dot com, and let me 403 00:23:44,920 --> 00:23:46,520 Speaker 2: know what's going on in your neck of the woods. 404 00:23:46,840 --> 00:23:49,359 Speaker 2: You know, I appreciate it. Thanks again. We'll talk to 405 00:23:49,400 --> 00:23:50,000 Speaker 2: you next week.