Utah Wildlife Action Plan Approved

Utah's most at-risk wildlife species and the places they live will receive help through an action plan approved recently by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The plan will help ensure Utah continues receiving federal money to help this wildlife. It will also provide biologists and others with important information and direction to help them with their on-the-ground work.

Utah is one of the first states in the nation to have its plan approved by the USFWS.

More details are available in the pasted and attached DWR news release. Mr. Dana Dolsen also is available to answer any questions you have about the plan and about the next steps that will be taken to help this wildlife in Utah. He's available today at 538-4790 ( office ) or 550-9623 ( cell phone ).

Plan Approved to Help Utah’s Sensitive Wildlife and Natural Landscapes

A plan to help at-risk wildlife and the places they live in Utah has been approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Division of Wildlife Resources announced Sept. 23.

The Utah Wildlife Action Plan (also known as the Utah Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy) is the result of more than two years of work by scientists, conservationists (including sportsmen and nongovernmental groups) and other members of the community, including ranchers and farmers.

Utah is one of the first states in the nation to have its plan approved by the USFWS. The plan the DWR submitted to the USFWS is available for review at the DWR’s Web site (wildlife.utah.gov). After being reviewed by the USFWS, a couple of minor changes are being made to the plan. The final version of the plan will be available at the Web site on Sept. 30.

“Fish and wildlife in Utah will benefit from the strategic and science-based planning that went into this plan, which is one of the first wildlife action plans to be approved in the nation,” said Ralph Morgenweck, director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Mountain-Prairie Region.

“We look forward to working in partnership with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources to help prevent Utah’s diverse wildlife from becoming threatened or endangered in the future,” he said.

A Proactive Approach

“If we invest in conserving wildlife habitat now, we can protect these areas for future generations of Utahns and their families,” said Dana Dolsen, wildlife planning manager for the DWR and the person who coordinated Utah’s planning effort.

“A pro-active approach benefits the health of all wildlife and people, and conserves at-risk wildlife and their habitat before they become more rare and more costly to protect,” he said.

The health of wildlife is often an early indicator of disease and pollution that affect people too. The Utah Wildlife Action Plan conserves at-risk wildlife and natural places by helping protect clean water and air * making both wildlife and people healthier.

Partnerships Are the Key

Now that the plan has been approved, the DWR will rely on partnerships to carry it out. “The plan recommends certain actions to benefit at-risk species and their habitats,” Dolsen said. “We need all of our partners to agree on these actions so we can implement them and follow through.”

Dolsen says ongoing watershed and rangeland restoration efforts by the Utah Partners for Conservation and Development, a partnership of state and federal agencies and conservation groups, is integral to the plan’s success. Actions will be taken over the next 10 years to address the problems at-risk wildlife species face due to threats from a variety of sources, both human and natural. “The outcome of the work will benefit Utah’s wildlife, lands and waters, as well as people across the state,” he said.

More Advantages

DWR Director Jim Karpowitz says another benefit to the plan is that it’s cost-effective because it’s a cooperative effort involving many partners. “It also helps conserve the places that bring peace and relaxation to our daily lives,” he said. “And it shows us how to cooperatively conserve the wildlife and natural places that are important to many of the family traditions we have in Utah.

“Utahns need to come together now to invest money and practice stewardship of our wildlife and natural areas.”

Contact:

Dana Dolsen, DWR Wildlife Planning Manager (801) 538-4790

Mark Hadley, DWR Conservation Outreach Specialist (801) 538-4737

MAJOR VICTORY FOR FIREARMS OWNERS AND FREEDOM IN LOUISIANA

On Thursday, NRA filed a motion in United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana seeking a temporary restraining order to block authorities from confiscating law-abiding citizens' firearms in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Today, we are happy to report, the Court sided with NRA and issued a restraining order to bar further gun confiscations from peaceable, law-abiding victims of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.

Federal Judge Jay Zainey granted NRA's motion for an indefinite temporary restraining order and ordered those in power to cease and desist gun seizures. The authorities were also ordered to return guns seized by them or their agents to anyone "...who lawfully possessed them, upon presentation of identification and execution of a receipt therefore."

Commenting on the ruling, NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre said, "This is a significant victory for freedom and for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The court's ruling is instant relief for the victims who now have an effective means of defending themselves from the robbers and rapists that seek to further exploit the remnants of their shattered lives."

Joining LaPierre in hailing the U.S. District Court decision was NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris W. Cox. "This is an important victory. But the battle is not over. The NRA will remedy state emergency statutes in all 50 states, if needed, to ensure that this injustice does not happen again."

The controversy erupted when The New York Times reported that the New Orleans superintendent of police directed that no civilians in New Orleans will be allowed to have guns and that "only law enforcement are allowed to have weapons." ABC News quoted New Orleans' deputy police chief, saying, "No one will be able to be armed. We are going to take all the weapons."

NRA also pledges that it will continue its work to ensure that every single firearm arbitrarily and unlawfully seized under this directive is returned to its rightful law-abiding owner.

Although this is great victory, we still need to hear from members who have been a victim of this gun confiscation initiative. If you have personally had a gun confiscated in Louisiana since Hurricane Katrina hit, please call (888) 414-6333. Be prepared to leave only your name and immediate contact information so we can get back to you. Once again, we are seeking contact information from actual victims of gun confiscation in Louisiana only.

For additional information, please visit www.NRAILA.org, or e-mail us at ila-contact@nrahq.org.