1 00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:14,239 Speaker 1: From Meat Eaters World News headquarters in Bozeman, Montana. This 2 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:19,480 Speaker 1: is Col's Week in Review with Ryan cal Callahan. Here's Cal, 3 00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:24,160 Speaker 1: A thirty seven year old The Austrian man has been 4 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:27,400 Speaker 1: convicted of mayanslaughter after leaving his thirty three year old 5 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:30,680 Speaker 1: girlfriend near the peak of Austria's highest mountain, where she 6 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:34,080 Speaker 1: froze to death. Because he was the more experienced climber, 7 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:37,839 Speaker 1: prosecutors charged that he was responsible for the decisions that 8 00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:40,440 Speaker 1: led to the woman's death. I think most of us 9 00:00:40,479 --> 00:00:42,920 Speaker 1: who head into the back country have struggled with the 10 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:46,040 Speaker 1: decision about turning back when things get hairy, but this 11 00:00:46,159 --> 00:00:49,520 Speaker 1: couple really didn't know when to quit. The pair, known 12 00:00:49,680 --> 00:00:52,320 Speaker 1: in the press only as Thomas P. And Kirsten G, 13 00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:56,800 Speaker 1: started climbing the gross Glockner Mountain in the Austrian Alps 14 00:00:56,800 --> 00:00:59,800 Speaker 1: on the morning of January eighteen last year, but strong 15 00:00:59,840 --> 00:01:03,560 Speaker 1: win and falling temperatures delayed them. A police helicopter flew 16 00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:06,720 Speaker 1: overhead in the late afternoon, but the climbers didn't signal 17 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:09,559 Speaker 1: to it, indicating that they needed help. They still weren't 18 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:12,040 Speaker 1: close to the peak by nightfall, but they kept moving 19 00:01:12,160 --> 00:01:16,240 Speaker 1: uphill into the dark. Soon it got down to fifteen 20 00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:20,000 Speaker 1: degrees fahrenheit with wind chilled down to minus four. You know, 21 00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:23,440 Speaker 1: because this is a euro story, I'm valiantly doing the 22 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:27,039 Speaker 1: math here on the temperature from you know, fahrenheit's centigrade 23 00:01:27,080 --> 00:01:30,320 Speaker 1: and you know centigrade fahrenheit. It's math, gang, It's a 24 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:34,360 Speaker 1: big deal. Anyway, the couple kept going, even though they 25 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:37,920 Speaker 1: didn't have any shelter and Kirsten was only wearing snowboarding boots. 26 00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:40,760 Speaker 1: Webcam footage shows that even at nine PM, the pair 27 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:44,480 Speaker 1: were still climbing. Finally, at two am, Thomas began a 28 00:01:44,520 --> 00:01:47,920 Speaker 1: descent to get help, leaving Kirsten fifty meters below the 29 00:01:47,920 --> 00:01:52,320 Speaker 1: peak where she succumbed to exposure. Crosskeeters were seeking three 30 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:55,280 Speaker 1: years of prison time for Thomas, but the sentencing judge 31 00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:58,840 Speaker 1: was convinced of his bad judgment but good intentions, giving 32 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:02,000 Speaker 1: him only a five month suspended sentence in a fine 33 00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:07,760 Speaker 1: of eleven three hundred dollars, again translating euros to dollars. 34 00:02:08,480 --> 00:02:11,520 Speaker 1: Dying to know, no pun intended. What you all think 35 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:15,440 Speaker 1: of this story? Your team out there takes two to tango, 36 00:02:15,480 --> 00:02:18,880 Speaker 1: as they say, and it's kind of like a is 37 00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:22,920 Speaker 1: ignorance Bliss type of argument. We should have a general 38 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:27,880 Speaker 1: idea what you're getting into, and if you don't, does 39 00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:30,520 Speaker 1: that make somebody else in the group liable? For you 40 00:02:31,440 --> 00:02:34,280 Speaker 1: being able to make a call as far as like 41 00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:37,680 Speaker 1: when to call it quits, that's a skill for sure. 42 00:02:38,560 --> 00:02:41,880 Speaker 1: Sometimes the most dangerous thing out there in the wilderness 43 00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:49,840 Speaker 1: is your pride. Pride only hurts, it never helps. This week, 44 00:02:49,919 --> 00:02:53,120 Speaker 1: we've got the crime desk, affordable housing, government acronyms, and 45 00:02:53,200 --> 00:02:54,720 Speaker 1: so much more. But first I'm going to tell you 46 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:57,040 Speaker 1: about my week, and my week is moving right along. 47 00:02:58,600 --> 00:03:02,480 Speaker 1: We got to see the HJ one aka the Boundary 48 00:03:02,480 --> 00:03:05,480 Speaker 1: Waters vote kicked down the road for another week, which 49 00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:07,400 Speaker 1: is great. And we got to watch the hearing of 50 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:10,720 Speaker 1: Steve Pierce for Director of the BLM. Now, the hearing 51 00:03:10,840 --> 00:03:13,760 Speaker 1: was interesting. I'll tell you, Pierce could have done a 52 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:18,120 Speaker 1: better job in my opinion, of just answering straightforward questions, 53 00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:22,120 Speaker 1: which is something I value and job applicants. But Jim 54 00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:25,720 Speaker 1: Rish Idaho did a great job of asking tough questions. 55 00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:29,920 Speaker 1: Big thank you to Senator Rish and his staff for 56 00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:33,839 Speaker 1: lining those questions up for states that have just been 57 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:36,760 Speaker 1: tied up in the public land sell off battle that 58 00:03:36,840 --> 00:03:40,240 Speaker 1: went down through budget reconciliation and quite honestly, is still 59 00:03:40,280 --> 00:03:44,880 Speaker 1: going on right now. You saw firsthand how unpopular the 60 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:49,120 Speaker 1: idea of selling off and privatizing our American freedoms are. 61 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:53,520 Speaker 1: So to put a candidate in there who has a 62 00:03:53,640 --> 00:03:56,800 Speaker 1: track record of saying that they are in support of 63 00:03:56,880 --> 00:04:02,800 Speaker 1: selling off public lands not own, is unappealing, but seems 64 00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:05,280 Speaker 1: like a giant pan in the butt, right. So I 65 00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:07,760 Speaker 1: think it's great that Rish made him work for it 66 00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:11,200 Speaker 1: a little bit, you know, and all the senators up 67 00:04:11,240 --> 00:04:14,040 Speaker 1: there had a couple of points. But for what it's worth, 68 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:17,640 Speaker 1: Jim rish Idaho stuck out to me, so good one 69 00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:21,400 Speaker 1: to look up and go through. You know. Paying attention 70 00:04:21,839 --> 00:04:24,840 Speaker 1: is part of the accountability game, right Like we got 71 00:04:24,880 --> 00:04:28,040 Speaker 1: to watch what's going on in order to hold folks 72 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:31,520 Speaker 1: feet to the fire. A couple of highlights, to be 73 00:04:31,640 --> 00:04:35,600 Speaker 1: fair of mister Pierce, he made a couple of clear 74 00:04:35,920 --> 00:04:41,479 Speaker 1: personal connections with public lands, referenced backpacking California after returning 75 00:04:41,480 --> 00:04:46,000 Speaker 1: from the Vietnam War and acknowledging that public lands were 76 00:04:46,040 --> 00:04:50,000 Speaker 1: the vacation spot for his low income family when he 77 00:04:50,080 --> 00:04:53,400 Speaker 1: was growing up. Those are solid connections and something that 78 00:04:53,800 --> 00:04:57,880 Speaker 1: mister Pierce needs to be reminded that those are the 79 00:04:57,920 --> 00:05:01,200 Speaker 1: same types of connections and experience answers that people are 80 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:03,960 Speaker 1: seeking right now. It's not just a thing of the past. 81 00:05:04,520 --> 00:05:08,360 Speaker 1: Should he get the job. These public lands provide the 82 00:05:08,360 --> 00:05:11,880 Speaker 1: same benefits right now as they did in the seventies 83 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:16,240 Speaker 1: and long before that. What else, so much more, so 84 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:19,520 Speaker 1: much more, But it's time to get on with the news. 85 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:24,160 Speaker 1: We're going to start off at the crime desk. The 86 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:28,120 Speaker 1: Sheriff's office in Rutherford County, North Carolina received a breaking 87 00:05:28,279 --> 00:05:30,440 Speaker 1: and entering call last week that turned out to be 88 00:05:30,520 --> 00:05:33,960 Speaker 1: more of a bacon and entering situation. A pig had 89 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:36,440 Speaker 1: found its way inside someone's house, and, according to a 90 00:05:36,440 --> 00:05:39,840 Speaker 1: Facebook post from the sheriff's office, was intent on adding 91 00:05:39,880 --> 00:05:43,920 Speaker 1: some variety to its usual diet quote. The unexpected guests 92 00:05:43,960 --> 00:05:47,680 Speaker 1: showed zero fear, maximum confidence, and the motive seemed to 93 00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:51,440 Speaker 1: be finding snacks. After a short standoff involving a pack 94 00:05:51,480 --> 00:05:56,840 Speaker 1: of crackers and some highly questionable negotiations, deputies successfully convinced 95 00:05:56,839 --> 00:06:01,640 Speaker 1: the suspicuous individual to surrender. She was taken into custody 96 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:04,880 Speaker 1: without further incident, transported to our good friends at Rutherford 97 00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:08,359 Speaker 1: County Animal control services. A hardy Ada boy goes to 98 00:06:08,400 --> 00:06:10,960 Speaker 1: the responding deputy, who had to carry the pig from 99 00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:13,000 Speaker 1: the home and deposit her in the back of his 100 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:16,160 Speaker 1: squad car. The swine, whose name turned out to be Penny, 101 00:06:16,480 --> 00:06:21,240 Speaker 1: was returned home a few days later. An idaho An 102 00:06:21,520 --> 00:06:24,279 Speaker 1: pled guilty last week to poaching deer from an elementary 103 00:06:24,279 --> 00:06:28,600 Speaker 1: school parking lot. Nighttime surveillance footage showed Lars Nelson pull 104 00:06:28,720 --> 00:06:31,080 Speaker 1: up to a bus loading zone and a blue pickup 105 00:06:31,120 --> 00:06:33,440 Speaker 1: truck shot a whitetail buck that was standing on the 106 00:06:33,440 --> 00:06:36,680 Speaker 1: school lawn and drove away. His pickup was seen on 107 00:06:36,880 --> 00:06:39,600 Speaker 1: other surveillance cameras in the area until he returned to 108 00:06:39,680 --> 00:06:42,320 Speaker 1: the school about two hours later and loaded the deer 109 00:06:42,360 --> 00:06:45,160 Speaker 1: into the bed. This happened all the way back on 110 00:06:45,240 --> 00:06:49,520 Speaker 1: November twenty six, twenty twenty four. Sometime later, investigators identified 111 00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:53,120 Speaker 1: Nelson and executed a search warrant at his home. They 112 00:06:53,160 --> 00:06:56,640 Speaker 1: seized his truck, clothing, and some deer parts. The antlers 113 00:06:56,640 --> 00:06:59,640 Speaker 1: and meat from the poast deer were never recovered. Fortunately, 114 00:06:59,680 --> 00:07:02,599 Speaker 1: blood found at the school matched blood found in Nelson's home, 115 00:07:02,960 --> 00:07:05,919 Speaker 1: so game wardens knew they had the right guy. Nelson 116 00:07:05,920 --> 00:07:08,559 Speaker 1: pled guilty to a single count of taking deer during 117 00:07:08,560 --> 00:07:12,240 Speaker 1: a close season in exchange for having his other charges dismissed. 118 00:07:12,600 --> 00:07:15,000 Speaker 1: Nelson was sentenced to pay a five hundred dollars fine, 119 00:07:15,080 --> 00:07:17,280 Speaker 1: one hundred and sixty five dollars court fees, and a 120 00:07:17,320 --> 00:07:20,920 Speaker 1: four hundred dollars civil penalty, and a seventy five dollars 121 00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:25,040 Speaker 1: processing fee that's not game processing, by the way. He 122 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:28,000 Speaker 1: must serve two forty eight hour weekends in the Clearwater 123 00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:31,960 Speaker 1: County jail, complete two years of unsupervised probation, and faces 124 00:07:32,000 --> 00:07:35,080 Speaker 1: a five year revocation of hunting privileges. I'm a little 125 00:07:35,080 --> 00:07:38,280 Speaker 1: surprised he didn't face any charges for discharging weapon at 126 00:07:38,320 --> 00:07:41,040 Speaker 1: an elementary school, but I guess the fact that no 127 00:07:41,200 --> 00:07:44,239 Speaker 1: children were present at the time saved him from facing 128 00:07:44,320 --> 00:07:50,640 Speaker 1: much more serious penalties. The competitive fishing community is sounding 129 00:07:50,640 --> 00:07:53,600 Speaker 1: the alarm over what some say is the biggest scam 130 00:07:53,920 --> 00:07:57,280 Speaker 1: in the sports history. A new fishing league called Dual 131 00:07:57,360 --> 00:08:00,480 Speaker 1: Threat Fishing had claimed to offer the highest paying team 132 00:08:00,560 --> 00:08:03,960 Speaker 1: phishing events in the nation. They were supposed to hold 133 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:06,760 Speaker 1: six events in twenty twenty six, but so far they've 134 00:08:06,760 --> 00:08:09,720 Speaker 1: only held two and none of the winners have been 135 00:08:09,760 --> 00:08:13,800 Speaker 1: paid competitors say the league's organizer, a man who claimed 136 00:08:13,800 --> 00:08:17,160 Speaker 1: to be named Ethan Phillips, asked teams to pay a 137 00:08:17,280 --> 00:08:21,200 Speaker 1: five thousand dollars entry fee to fish all six tournaments. 138 00:08:21,560 --> 00:08:24,920 Speaker 1: The first was held on Lake Okechobee in January, and 139 00:08:24,960 --> 00:08:28,360 Speaker 1: the winners were promised fifty thousand dollars a piece, but 140 00:08:28,480 --> 00:08:31,320 Speaker 1: even though they received those giant novelty checks at the 141 00:08:31,400 --> 00:08:34,880 Speaker 1: end of the tournament, their actual checks still have not cleared. 142 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:37,719 Speaker 1: The same story played out over the second tournament, at 143 00:08:37,720 --> 00:08:41,679 Speaker 1: which point Phillips stopped responding to calls and messages. As 144 00:08:41,679 --> 00:08:44,480 Speaker 1: of this recording, no one knows where Phillips is, and 145 00:08:44,559 --> 00:08:46,960 Speaker 1: some anglers are claiming that's not even his real name. 146 00:08:47,559 --> 00:08:50,080 Speaker 1: Those who participated in the first two tournaments but paid 147 00:08:50,080 --> 00:08:52,920 Speaker 1: to fish in all six say their deposits have not 148 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:55,960 Speaker 1: been returned. They've also lost all the money they spent 149 00:08:56,080 --> 00:08:58,800 Speaker 1: on travel and lodging, not to mention the time they 150 00:08:58,840 --> 00:09:02,280 Speaker 1: took off work. No one is guaranteed to recoup those expenses, 151 00:09:02,559 --> 00:09:04,440 Speaker 1: but most are happy to pay them in the hope 152 00:09:04,480 --> 00:09:07,360 Speaker 1: that they can win some prize money. If there was 153 00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:11,080 Speaker 1: never any prize money to win, They understandably feel like 154 00:09:11,160 --> 00:09:14,839 Speaker 1: they've been cheated. Dak Collins over at Outdoor Life has 155 00:09:14,840 --> 00:09:16,920 Speaker 1: the full rite up if you want more details, and 156 00:09:16,960 --> 00:09:20,240 Speaker 1: we'll continue following the story as it progresses, But for now, 157 00:09:20,600 --> 00:09:22,400 Speaker 1: I think it's safe to say that if something seems 158 00:09:22,440 --> 00:09:27,200 Speaker 1: too good to be true, it is. A California hunter 159 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:29,720 Speaker 1: will spend six months in the federal slammer for attempting 160 00:09:29,760 --> 00:09:32,840 Speaker 1: to smuggle an endangered wild sheep into the United States. 161 00:09:32,960 --> 00:09:36,840 Speaker 1: Jason Keith Bruce paid fifty thousand dollars in twenty seventeen 162 00:09:37,240 --> 00:09:39,559 Speaker 1: to travel to Pakistan to hunt a type of sheep 163 00:09:39,640 --> 00:09:44,439 Speaker 1: called a uriel. Many uriel are not protected and can 164 00:09:44,480 --> 00:09:47,920 Speaker 1: be legally hunted, but the Justice Department says Bruce conspired 165 00:09:47,960 --> 00:09:52,360 Speaker 1: with a Pakistani outfitter named Peer Danish Ali to kill 166 00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:56,079 Speaker 1: a ledc uriel. Court documents say that Bruce was aware 167 00:09:56,120 --> 00:09:59,440 Speaker 1: the local population of La doc Ural numbered only about 168 00:09:59,480 --> 00:10:02,839 Speaker 1: one hundred, but he shot one anyway and traveled home 169 00:10:02,960 --> 00:10:06,280 Speaker 1: that year without the sheep. Then the next year he 170 00:10:06,400 --> 00:10:09,319 Speaker 1: went back to Pakistan and returned with eight sheep in tow, 171 00:10:09,760 --> 00:10:12,520 Speaker 1: one of which was the Ledac. The plan was to 172 00:10:12,559 --> 00:10:16,280 Speaker 1: try to hide the endangered sheep among the non endangered trophies, 173 00:10:16,520 --> 00:10:19,040 Speaker 1: But shortly after arriving at the airport in San fran 174 00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:22,280 Speaker 1: Bruce realized the problem with his strategy. He sent Ali 175 00:10:22,320 --> 00:10:25,840 Speaker 1: a Facebook message expressing his concern that Fish and Wildlife 176 00:10:25,840 --> 00:10:28,800 Speaker 1: would become suspicious about the large number of animals he 177 00:10:28,840 --> 00:10:32,080 Speaker 1: was bringing with him. Ali replied with the next plot 178 00:10:32,120 --> 00:10:35,400 Speaker 1: if that kind of sounds like fudge, followed by we 179 00:10:35,440 --> 00:10:39,920 Speaker 1: should have thought of that. He then recommended that Bruce 180 00:10:39,960 --> 00:10:43,199 Speaker 1: tele officials he did shoot all of those animals because 181 00:10:43,240 --> 00:10:47,160 Speaker 1: he was shooting into a herd. That excuse didn't pan out, 182 00:10:47,480 --> 00:10:51,520 Speaker 1: and Fish and Wildlife officials seized Bruce's sheep for further investigation. 183 00:10:52,040 --> 00:10:55,040 Speaker 1: Court documents showed that text messages between the pair of 184 00:10:55,120 --> 00:10:58,560 Speaker 1: conspirators got more and more frantic over the next few months. 185 00:10:58,760 --> 00:11:02,680 Speaker 1: At one point, asked Ali to have someone fake call 186 00:11:02,920 --> 00:11:05,880 Speaker 1: Fish and Wildlife officials and claimed to be from Pakistan's 187 00:11:05,920 --> 00:11:09,640 Speaker 1: Game department, to which Ali replied, yes, I can certainly 188 00:11:09,640 --> 00:11:12,680 Speaker 1: do that. The following month, Ali said that if Fish 189 00:11:12,679 --> 00:11:16,079 Speaker 1: and Wildlife conducted a DNA test on the ladoc Uriel, 190 00:11:16,440 --> 00:11:21,000 Speaker 1: he will get fudged. Bruce then told Ali, dude, delete 191 00:11:21,040 --> 00:11:24,560 Speaker 1: all messages, emails and WhatsApps. We have sent each other. 192 00:11:25,160 --> 00:11:27,720 Speaker 1: In May twenty eighteen, Ali told Bruce that he would 193 00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:32,040 Speaker 1: create a counterfeit ladoc Uril carcass and give it to 194 00:11:32,120 --> 00:11:34,880 Speaker 1: the local government so it would appear that the trophy 195 00:11:34,920 --> 00:11:38,200 Speaker 1: had not been exported. None of this fooled Fish and 196 00:11:38,200 --> 00:11:41,920 Speaker 1: Wildlife who prosecuted and convicted Bruce in January of last year, 197 00:11:42,240 --> 00:11:45,040 Speaker 1: as the judge considered what sentenced to hand down, Bruce 198 00:11:45,080 --> 00:11:47,560 Speaker 1: submitted a letter explaining that he should be given a 199 00:11:47,640 --> 00:11:52,679 Speaker 1: lighter punishment because he has a quote deep compulsion about hunting. 200 00:11:53,240 --> 00:11:55,760 Speaker 1: When I hear the word addiction, it seems to refer 201 00:11:55,800 --> 00:11:58,960 Speaker 1: to drugs, alcohol or gambling, he wrote, But I have 202 00:11:59,120 --> 00:12:03,000 Speaker 1: definitely felt it deep compulsion about hunting so much that 203 00:12:03,080 --> 00:12:06,400 Speaker 1: I see it clouds my decisions. Along with his six 204 00:12:06,440 --> 00:12:09,440 Speaker 1: month prison term, Bruce will serve two years of supervised 205 00:12:09,480 --> 00:12:12,760 Speaker 1: release and paying eighty five thousand dollars fine. It's unclear 206 00:12:12,800 --> 00:12:15,960 Speaker 1: whether Pakistan will prosecute Ali, but if I was him, 207 00:12:16,679 --> 00:12:19,560 Speaker 1: it probably wouldn't take a vacation to the US anytime soon. 208 00:12:21,760 --> 00:12:26,360 Speaker 1: Moving on to the bear hunting desk, the Washington State 209 00:12:26,400 --> 00:12:29,199 Speaker 1: Fish and Wildlife Commission has approved a new game management 210 00:12:29,240 --> 00:12:31,600 Speaker 1: plan that some worry will open the door to even 211 00:12:31,679 --> 00:12:35,199 Speaker 1: further restricting bear hunting in the state. You may remember 212 00:12:35,200 --> 00:12:38,079 Speaker 1: back in twenty twenty two when the same commission voted 213 00:12:38,120 --> 00:12:40,680 Speaker 1: to end the spring bear hunt. They said at the 214 00:12:40,720 --> 00:12:43,840 Speaker 1: time that more research on the bear population was needed 215 00:12:43,880 --> 00:12:47,520 Speaker 1: before reinstating the hunt, but three years later, hunting bears 216 00:12:47,600 --> 00:12:51,520 Speaker 1: in the spring remains banned now. This management plan includes 217 00:12:51,640 --> 00:12:53,720 Speaker 1: language that might start to chip away at the fall 218 00:12:53,840 --> 00:12:57,120 Speaker 1: hunt as well. In a section highlighting black bear management 219 00:12:57,160 --> 00:13:00,960 Speaker 1: objectives and strategies that could be used to accomplish those objectives, 220 00:13:01,200 --> 00:13:04,959 Speaker 1: the plan suggests delaying the fall hunt quote in areas 221 00:13:04,960 --> 00:13:08,520 Speaker 1: where black bear viewing is popular and conflict between user 222 00:13:08,559 --> 00:13:12,120 Speaker 1: groups is likely to occur to balance competing uses. This 223 00:13:12,160 --> 00:13:15,320 Speaker 1: is one of the three ideas the Commission recommends that 224 00:13:15,360 --> 00:13:21,880 Speaker 1: will quote highlight the diverse values of black bears, including ecological, cultural, educational, 225 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:26,600 Speaker 1: and esthetic values. Hunters generally support highlighting the critical role 226 00:13:26,679 --> 00:13:29,559 Speaker 1: game animals play in the ecosystem, but it's clear from 227 00:13:29,600 --> 00:13:33,440 Speaker 1: this document that the Washington State Commission considers wildlife viewing 228 00:13:33,720 --> 00:13:37,440 Speaker 1: as on an equal footing with hunting, since those two 229 00:13:37,480 --> 00:13:41,040 Speaker 1: forms of recreation are generally in conflict. In a way 230 00:13:41,440 --> 00:13:44,679 Speaker 1: I mean, I do a lot more wildlife watching than 231 00:13:44,720 --> 00:13:48,320 Speaker 1: I do shooting when I'm hunting. But there's an argument 232 00:13:48,400 --> 00:13:51,960 Speaker 1: to be made that if you're into just wildlife watching, 233 00:13:52,480 --> 00:13:55,760 Speaker 1: you could sit on you know, I ninety row your 234 00:13:55,800 --> 00:13:59,319 Speaker 1: window down and look at wildlife if folks weren't chased 235 00:13:59,360 --> 00:14:03,280 Speaker 1: them around. Kelsey Ross at the Conservation Coalition of Washington 236 00:14:03,320 --> 00:14:06,920 Speaker 1: told commissioners during public comment that the provision was quote 237 00:14:07,080 --> 00:14:10,680 Speaker 1: not only ridiculous, but signals to many the traditional uses 238 00:14:10,679 --> 00:14:13,320 Speaker 1: of our public lands are being weighed against a likely 239 00:14:13,400 --> 00:14:18,040 Speaker 1: made up recreational preference and treats legal hunting as conflict 240 00:14:18,120 --> 00:14:21,640 Speaker 1: instead of a normal use of public land. Well said 241 00:14:21,640 --> 00:14:25,880 Speaker 1: there Kells. By itself, this management plan doesn't change hunting 242 00:14:25,920 --> 00:14:29,800 Speaker 1: regulations or policy, but it is supposed to guide future 243 00:14:29,920 --> 00:14:33,600 Speaker 1: management decisions. So I think Washington State hunters are right 244 00:14:33,680 --> 00:14:35,880 Speaker 1: to be worried. We'll stay on top of the story 245 00:14:35,920 --> 00:14:39,080 Speaker 1: as it progresses. But to borrow a famous misquote of 246 00:14:39,120 --> 00:14:43,720 Speaker 1: Thomas Jefferson, eternal vigilance is the price of bear hunting 247 00:14:43,720 --> 00:14:47,520 Speaker 1: in Washington State. Some of these commissioners have close ties 248 00:14:47,520 --> 00:14:50,120 Speaker 1: to groups that would like to see bear hunting band outright. 249 00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:53,160 Speaker 1: That's not acceptable and we need to make sure the 250 00:14:53,200 --> 00:14:56,880 Speaker 1: other commissioners know it. Keep writing, keep showing up, and 251 00:14:56,920 --> 00:14:59,280 Speaker 1: don't let them chip away your right to hunt, fish 252 00:15:00,200 --> 00:15:04,200 Speaker 1: and left to defend. Moving on to the EPA desk, 253 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:08,840 Speaker 1: the Trump administration is keeping up its pace of undoing 254 00:15:08,960 --> 00:15:13,080 Speaker 1: environmental regulations. Two weeks ago, the Trump EPA rescinded the 255 00:15:13,200 --> 00:15:17,720 Speaker 1: quote unquote two thousand and nine endangerment Finding, which determined 256 00:15:17,720 --> 00:15:20,640 Speaker 1: that emissions from vehicles are a threat to the health 257 00:15:20,720 --> 00:15:24,240 Speaker 1: and welfare of Americans and could be regulated under the 258 00:15:24,320 --> 00:15:28,400 Speaker 1: Clean Air Act. With that finding voided, the administration would 259 00:15:28,440 --> 00:15:32,640 Speaker 1: be free to unwind all regulations on pollution from cartailpipes, trucks, 260 00:15:32,680 --> 00:15:36,200 Speaker 1: power plants, pipelines, and drilling sites. The motivation here is 261 00:15:36,240 --> 00:15:40,440 Speaker 1: aimed at rules on greenhouse gases. The endangerment finding was 262 00:15:40,480 --> 00:15:44,960 Speaker 1: the justification for all federal climate regulation. The administration has 263 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:48,240 Speaker 1: repeatedly called climate change a hoax and has forbidden the 264 00:15:48,360 --> 00:15:51,960 Speaker 1: use of the words climate change on any government websites. 265 00:15:52,400 --> 00:15:55,280 Speaker 1: They're really asking us to believe them instead of our 266 00:15:55,320 --> 00:15:59,680 Speaker 1: own eyes at this point, or knowses. Perhaps if you 267 00:15:59,720 --> 00:16:03,480 Speaker 1: will tell you what, you don't fly into Salt Lake 268 00:16:03,520 --> 00:16:06,880 Speaker 1: City in the winter. With that inversion and go oh 269 00:16:07,240 --> 00:16:10,920 Speaker 1: emissions don't do anything. Across the West this season, the 270 00:16:10,960 --> 00:16:15,800 Speaker 1: snowfall has been disastrously light. The National Integrated Drought Information 271 00:16:15,960 --> 00:16:19,720 Speaker 1: System or NIDIS, shows that the snow cover across the 272 00:16:19,720 --> 00:16:22,880 Speaker 1: West on February one was just one hundred and thirty 273 00:16:22,920 --> 00:16:26,320 Speaker 1: nine three hundred and twenty two square miles, the lowest 274 00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:29,840 Speaker 1: extent as of that date in the satellite record, which 275 00:16:29,880 --> 00:16:31,720 Speaker 1: goes all the way back to two thousand and one. 276 00:16:32,360 --> 00:16:35,960 Speaker 1: Colorado farmer Mark Ernish told the Farm Journal that he 277 00:16:36,040 --> 00:16:38,480 Speaker 1: might have to leave as much as seventy five percent 278 00:16:38,520 --> 00:16:41,560 Speaker 1: of his acreage IDOL this year, saying, quote, we haven't 279 00:16:41,560 --> 00:16:45,280 Speaker 1: had any measurable moisture on our farm since early October, 280 00:16:45,520 --> 00:16:47,920 Speaker 1: and so we're really struggling on what it's going to 281 00:16:47,960 --> 00:16:50,000 Speaker 1: look like to put a crop out there in the field. 282 00:16:50,640 --> 00:16:54,000 Speaker 1: Of course, late season snowfall could counteract some small part 283 00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:56,040 Speaker 1: of this, but water levels for the rest of the 284 00:16:56,080 --> 00:16:58,680 Speaker 1: year depend on these months when snow should be steady 285 00:16:58,760 --> 00:17:01,440 Speaker 1: and piling up. I'm not going to go into all 286 00:17:01,480 --> 00:17:04,280 Speaker 1: the other consequences of historic drought, but let's just say 287 00:17:04,320 --> 00:17:07,040 Speaker 1: it looks like it could be a rough summer and 288 00:17:07,160 --> 00:17:10,000 Speaker 1: nasty fall. We hunters who are out in the woods 289 00:17:10,040 --> 00:17:12,399 Speaker 1: and mountains are off in the first to notice incremental 290 00:17:12,480 --> 00:17:15,560 Speaker 1: changes in seasonal weather patterns. But it doesn't take a 291 00:17:15,640 --> 00:17:18,399 Speaker 1: hunter to look at what's happening with the snowpack and 292 00:17:18,520 --> 00:17:22,119 Speaker 1: aquafer recharge the situation that we have going on here 293 00:17:22,760 --> 00:17:26,720 Speaker 1: in the West. So the recision of the endangerment finding 294 00:17:27,119 --> 00:17:30,880 Speaker 1: may not be as noticeable on our palettes because we're 295 00:17:30,920 --> 00:17:33,680 Speaker 1: just going to be smelling smoke this summer instead of smog. 296 00:17:34,560 --> 00:17:37,800 Speaker 1: Last week, the Department of the Interior also dramatically rolled 297 00:17:37,800 --> 00:17:41,280 Speaker 1: back the National Environmental Protection Act, also known as NIPA. 298 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:44,520 Speaker 1: We're sending more than eighty percent of the act's regulations. 299 00:17:44,560 --> 00:17:47,720 Speaker 1: Passed unanimously by the Senate and signed by Richard Nixon 300 00:17:47,760 --> 00:17:51,080 Speaker 1: in nineteen seventy, NIPA requires the federal government to conduct 301 00:17:51,200 --> 00:17:55,400 Speaker 1: a detailed study of how infrastructure projects will affect their 302 00:17:55,440 --> 00:17:59,399 Speaker 1: surroundings before they're approved and built. The Trump administration argues 303 00:17:59,400 --> 00:18:03,320 Speaker 1: that NEPA view has hamstrung development of energy projects, and 304 00:18:03,359 --> 00:18:06,080 Speaker 1: you'll find people all over the political spectrum who think 305 00:18:06,200 --> 00:18:10,439 Speaker 1: environmental impact studies and other NEPA processes have become two 306 00:18:10,520 --> 00:18:15,080 Speaker 1: cumbersome over the past decades and need reform, but scrapping 307 00:18:15,160 --> 00:18:18,440 Speaker 1: NEPA to this extent would let developers cut corners while 308 00:18:18,440 --> 00:18:21,520 Speaker 1: building their projects and then escape the consequences if those 309 00:18:21,520 --> 00:18:24,680 Speaker 1: projects do go wrong. It also puts muzzle on all 310 00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:28,160 Speaker 1: of US citizens raising objections to risky projects and uses 311 00:18:28,200 --> 00:18:31,720 Speaker 1: of public lands that we disagree with. And just a 312 00:18:31,800 --> 00:18:36,720 Speaker 1: reminder of where we were when NEPA was drafted. The 313 00:18:36,800 --> 00:18:41,640 Speaker 1: Cuyahoga River burst into flames due to pollution and contamination, 314 00:18:42,440 --> 00:18:45,840 Speaker 1: and we had one hundred thousand gallons of crude oil 315 00:18:46,200 --> 00:18:49,760 Speaker 1: break loose off of Santa Barbara. Now I think we 316 00:18:49,800 --> 00:18:54,959 Speaker 1: can think progressively about the environment. We don't need or 317 00:18:55,119 --> 00:18:58,800 Speaker 1: want massive issues like those to spur us into action. 318 00:18:59,720 --> 00:19:03,760 Speaker 1: To finish up the rollback roundup, Interior also issued a 319 00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:06,600 Speaker 1: directive to revoke Public Lands Order fifty one fifty to 320 00:19:06,720 --> 00:19:09,560 Speaker 1: fifty one eighty, which would allow the BLM to transfer 321 00:19:09,640 --> 00:19:12,600 Speaker 1: control of two point one million acres of public land 322 00:19:12,640 --> 00:19:15,920 Speaker 1: to the State of Alaska along the proposed Ambler Road 323 00:19:16,040 --> 00:19:19,720 Speaker 1: development corridor. These protections north of the Yukon River have 324 00:19:19,800 --> 00:19:23,160 Speaker 1: been in place since the nineteen seventies, and undoing them 325 00:19:23,280 --> 00:19:25,720 Speaker 1: would allow the state to open the land mining drilling 326 00:19:25,800 --> 00:19:29,360 Speaker 1: and the huge amount of infrastructure necessary to get resources 327 00:19:29,359 --> 00:19:33,359 Speaker 1: out not a surprise. We've covered Ambler Rode a bunch, 328 00:19:33,680 --> 00:19:36,240 Speaker 1: but the news is just confirmation that the people going 329 00:19:36,359 --> 00:19:39,320 Speaker 1: after our public lands mean business and they'll do whatever 330 00:19:39,320 --> 00:19:42,119 Speaker 1: they have to in order to get their way. So 331 00:19:42,520 --> 00:19:46,760 Speaker 1: a reminder for everybody midterm elections just about nine months away. 332 00:19:47,400 --> 00:19:53,320 Speaker 1: I'd be begging and pleading and asking, always politely, your 333 00:19:53,359 --> 00:19:57,440 Speaker 1: elected officials right now to represent your interests or you 334 00:19:57,520 --> 00:20:00,480 Speaker 1: might be able to find somebody who will come in terms. 335 00:20:01,880 --> 00:20:07,679 Speaker 1: Moving on to the housing desk, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, that 336 00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:10,920 Speaker 1: is is an extreme example of a problem all over 337 00:20:10,920 --> 00:20:14,320 Speaker 1: the West. The average home there sells for five million bucks, 338 00:20:14,800 --> 00:20:18,480 Speaker 1: which is okay if you know you got twenty million bucks, 339 00:20:18,920 --> 00:20:20,959 Speaker 1: but doesn't work so well if you're a cook at 340 00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:25,200 Speaker 1: the local restaurant or somebody wrenching on chair lifts. Over 341 00:20:25,200 --> 00:20:28,440 Speaker 1: the weekend, seven and a half acres of the Bridger 342 00:20:28,520 --> 00:20:32,320 Speaker 1: Teton National Forest in Jackson was designated for quote unquote 343 00:20:32,320 --> 00:20:35,840 Speaker 1: administrative use over a decade ago. That means that the 344 00:20:35,840 --> 00:20:39,520 Speaker 1: Forest Service could have built some staff offices or storage 345 00:20:39,560 --> 00:20:43,160 Speaker 1: sheds there, but the nonprofit Jackson Hole Community Housing Trust 346 00:20:43,200 --> 00:20:46,880 Speaker 1: started working with Bridger Teton to build fourteen buildings containing 347 00:20:46,920 --> 00:20:50,480 Speaker 1: thirty six units there instead, which is enough housing to 348 00:20:50,520 --> 00:20:54,199 Speaker 1: house seventy people. The town of Jackson is chipping in 349 00:20:54,359 --> 00:20:57,119 Speaker 1: four point one million dollars in the trust is working 350 00:20:57,160 --> 00:21:01,000 Speaker 1: to raise the other twenty or so that's million. Instead 351 00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:03,199 Speaker 1: of the land being sold off, it will remain the 352 00:21:03,240 --> 00:21:05,679 Speaker 1: property of the Forest Service and the housing will be 353 00:21:05,720 --> 00:21:09,000 Speaker 1: built under a so called special use permit, the same 354 00:21:09,119 --> 00:21:11,680 Speaker 1: kind of arrangement that allows a ski resort to build 355 00:21:11,720 --> 00:21:15,320 Speaker 1: on public land. Nelson Drive, as the project is known as, 356 00:21:15,520 --> 00:21:18,919 Speaker 1: scheduled to break around this spring. This is an example 357 00:21:19,160 --> 00:21:23,560 Speaker 1: of public land being used for public housing. It was 358 00:21:23,760 --> 00:21:27,199 Speaker 1: set aside for administrative use, so it was designated for 359 00:21:27,320 --> 00:21:31,000 Speaker 1: some sort of development, could have been a parking lot. 360 00:21:31,160 --> 00:21:36,680 Speaker 1: Even the rub here is we don't know if the 361 00:21:36,720 --> 00:21:42,520 Speaker 1: public housing component will be maintained for actual public housing, 362 00:21:43,400 --> 00:21:46,760 Speaker 1: or if it goes the way of darn near everything 363 00:21:46,920 --> 00:21:50,240 Speaker 1: in a boomtown in the West such as Jackson Hole 364 00:21:50,840 --> 00:21:55,880 Speaker 1: where they just turn into vrbos, or they get monopolized 365 00:21:56,240 --> 00:21:59,920 Speaker 1: by somebody with deep pockets and they start renting amount 366 00:22:00,240 --> 00:22:04,400 Speaker 1: at high rates. Whatever it is, it's an experiment. Would 367 00:22:04,440 --> 00:22:06,800 Speaker 1: love to hear your thoughts on this one, so right 368 00:22:06,840 --> 00:22:10,240 Speaker 1: in to ask C. A. L. That's askcal at themeeater 369 00:22:10,280 --> 00:22:13,240 Speaker 1: dot com. Gang. That's all I got for you this week. 370 00:22:13,480 --> 00:22:16,119 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for listening right in let me 371 00:22:16,160 --> 00:22:17,840 Speaker 1: know what's going on in your neck of the woods. 372 00:22:18,040 --> 00:22:21,640 Speaker 1: You know, I appreciate it. For everybody who wrote in 373 00:22:22,119 --> 00:22:25,840 Speaker 1: and you know, said hi and thank you and well 374 00:22:25,880 --> 00:22:29,879 Speaker 1: wishes on old Doc Callahan, I really appreciate it. Just 375 00:22:29,920 --> 00:22:33,280 Speaker 1: got back from the old codger's funeral. Things went well, 376 00:22:33,359 --> 00:22:36,440 Speaker 1: kids did great. I think we sent the old fella 377 00:22:36,600 --> 00:22:40,200 Speaker 1: off in the right way. So I wish the best 378 00:22:40,240 --> 00:22:43,320 Speaker 1: for you and yours too. Thanks again, We'll talk to 379 00:22:43,320 --> 00:22:51,800 Speaker 1: you next week.