Oklahoma senator leads charge to reauthorize NAWCA

A group of Oklahoma Senators are working to reauthorize the North American Wetlands Conservation Act. The bill is scheduled to be heard on April 24 by the Environment and Public Works Committee along side of several other conservation bills. A conservation group, Ducks Unlimited, is further reaching out in search of further support of this bill. NAWCA directly conserves waterfowl in North America, it also has many benefits to wildlife and fish, and economic benefits as well. NAWCA is supported by parterships between the government and other organizations. Every dollar given in support by the Federal government must be matched by a non-governmental organization. It has been shown that local level funding triples or even quadruples that which the federal government provides. In the past, NAWCA has contributed to the conservation of 25 million acres of habitat.

I think that this bill should have no trouble being reintroduced as long as it is presented in a proper manner. The amount of local support that contributes to this conservation movement is outrageous. To have such large statistics and support, I see no reason for the government to go against this bill.

Marietta Bassmasters Improving Fishery on Lake Allatoona

Fisheries Biologists led up a conservation effort at Victoria Landing on Lake Allatoona. Several Concrete anchor points were poured several years ago with the idea to attach recycled Christmas trees to them. The trees would create underwater fish habitat. A drop off location was created at the boat landing and Bassmaster conservationists teamed up to sink all of the trees off shore. The trees will remain 6-12 feet deep during the spring season. Over 250 trees were submerged successfully.

I think that small contributions such as this are an excellent way for local users can give back to what they so readily take advantage of. Volunteer work drives the majority of recreational hunting and fishing which makes it greatly appreciated amongst the population. Enhancing underwater structure for fish increases their ability to thrive.

US House Passes E-duck Stamp Bill

Each fall as hunters prepare for duck season, they purchase a duck stamp. This gives each individual the right to pursue waterfowl species during permitted hunting seasons. Many researchers and habitat restorers promote the idea of each hunter buying two stamps in order to increase the annual funds for conserving waterfowl. The ability to buy a duck stamp has previously, only been available locally in retail stores. The US House of Representatives recently passed a bill allowing the stamps to be bought online throughout all fifty
(50) states. Upon this bill being passed by the Senate, hunters will be faced with a major convenience for buying multiple stamps. In the past, post offices and sporting goods retailers were succeptible to running out of stamps which puts rural hunters in a bad position. Since its creation, the Federal Duck Stamp has generated an excess of $800 million.

I agree with this bill one hundred percent. I have been to several post offices and sporting good stores and been told that they had no duck stamps left or that they were not selling stamps that year. Having the option of going online and have the stamp be mailed to my home residence would save the hassle of inconvenient and uncooperative retailers. I look forward to the US Senate passing this bill.

Fighting Crimes Against Biodiversity: How to Catch a Killer Weed

Invasive species are now the world's second highest driver of biodiversity loss. In areas that are high in crime, investigators will take crime locations and to try and pinpoint the suspects main residence. This same philosophy is going to be used when focusing on putting an end to several invasive species. With invasive species on the rise, global change is slowly occuring. A popular method for beginning this research is looking at historical data concerning various species and placing it into computer simulation models. The geographic profiling method has outperformed other methods in hunting down these invesives and their primary location. Geographic profiling is especially helpful when there are more than one dominant location of the invasive and can identify a location more quickly than other methods.

I find this article very interesting in that we are now beginning to look at invasive species as criminals, which they are. Putting a magnifying glass over invasive species and grasping hold to them more quickly will allow for prolonged native species richness. I feel that this method will be quickly modified, as funds are available, and can be used very effectivley against unwanted species.

Beyond Control

The primary issue of concern is oil and gas drills operating very close to resident buildings. Many people in two particular counties in Colorado, Arapaho and El Paso, are very unhappy. The state argues that when getting caught up in the 21st century, whatever is written in the law is what regulates their decision. There are several acts that regulate oil and gas conservation as well as how the land under government jurisdiction may be used. Upset home owners have gone as far as to accuse oil and gas companies of drilling in states where the local government has little to no power, so they can do what they want.
I would not want a drilling operation going on right outside of my home window, but it comes down to money and space. Everything effects individuals in different ways, so making a population happy is very difficult no matter how many regualtions are in place. Joint cooperation between business and residence will allow for a smoother future in these two counties.

The Poisoned Politics of Keystone XL

Some people just have a hard time being told no. Keystone XL is a prime example of one of these people. Since the US has told them no, they are now going to China and trying to stir up more trouble. We are, depending on how you look at it, protecting our natural resources by denying Keystone XL access across our nation. The oil business is in high demand but the risk is not worth taking. There are many pros and many cons that can be weighed and argued over but one spill could ruin the future of the Ogallala aquifer for many many years in the future. With our country in an election year, the decision making within each party is biased and purposes to make each look better than the other. This is very unfortunate for our country because unity is most important when trying to reach a common goal. The goal is to maximize the potential of our Nation, which has been thrown under the bus many times over the years out of political selfishness. In the end, it doesn't matter what Canada has to offer with the oil sands if it doesn't benefit us. Being put in a bad spot for another's success is not exactly what I think should happen.

Tar sands oil and Keystone XL's dirty secret

Politics run everything in the world. All of the publicity from Keystone XL is saying that the tar sands oil does not require extensive money to be cleaned up in the instance of a spill. One spill in particular has proven this false by what happened. The oil sands spill in the Kalamazoo River completely destroyed the river and cost $700 million to clean. The contractor for environmental risks is also biased in that he is strictly working for Keystone XL in Canada. The pipeline that is proposed to run from Canada to the Gulf Coast crosses the Ogallala aquifer, which provides water to many farmers and residents in the mid west of the United States. The oil that will travel through these pipelines is heavily corrosive and bound to cause problems. The gas line will allow for exports of oil out of the United States but would raise oil prices within the Nation. It seems that every piece of information that is revealed points further and further away from allowing this pipeline to go under construction.