Interior Secretary

[BHK Okie]

Ted who ? Is he that old guy with long hair ??

[MaxTexan]

REI is not the same entity as when I joined in 1975. However, the company has and continues to have a commitment to natural resource conservation.

[Butch Crain]

thought Lincoln was a better candidate based on the fact that she had experience governing from a resource rich state AND generally good comments from a friend that is also her friend, that last thing not really a good marker to use maybe

looking at her record, I see it's a mixed bag, more so at the end of her tenure when she was desperately trying to be reelected - maybe a little slack from the left would have created a different outcome

still think Jewell is a questionable choice - natural resource management is a dynamic & iterative process - it ain't restocking warehouses & recreational outings

[okieboater]

I can only imagine what spirited discussions would go on in the cabinet meetings with ole Ted N there to make his opinions known. A real test of the President's ability to herd cats!

[FarPastGone]

Ted Nugent is a complete idiot. Watch this video.

http://www.deeranddeerhunting.com/featu ... lks-wolves" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I have spent the last three summers working for the USFS in Idaho which is the epicenter of the wolf debate. I have become infatuated with the science, politics, and management of wolves as a consequence. That has driven me to spend considerable time reading what books I can find, reviewing the academic literature, and taking the time to spend several days in the field with the USFWS Idaho wolf biologist tracking wolves. Everything he said in that video is patently false or an outright lie, I don't know Ted so I can't say with certainty.

- Matt

[Butch Crain]

yeah Ted should stick to Wang Banga Lang...

probably not his wheelhouse either but at least he may (doth he proclaim too much?) have a little experience there

[okieboater]

For what it is worth, I think giving the wolf population a chance in wild areas like many parts of Idaho is good for the deer, elk, moose population therin. The elk herd up in Jackson Hole comes to mind as over eating their habitat. Wolves are natures way of controlling over population. So flame away on this.

Being a farm boy way back when, I can also understand why the ranchers and farmers who live in areas adjoining these re introduced wolf populations feel the way many do. I understand lifestock wolf kills are pretty rare and are paid for by the federales. Over all I hope it has been worked out for the wolves and the ranchers.

Reading the post about Idaho Wolf introduction brings to mind an afternoon I spent in the Salmon ID "international" airport many years ago. I got off the Middle Fork from a commercial trip and along with a gent I met on the trip, caught a ride to Salmon. The bush pilot I had talked to about a charter back to Boise, got a emergency delivery to some remote site and it took most of the after noon for him to do his deal.

So we sat around drinking coffee (it was a pretty decent coffee setup and several locals were drinking java and discussing everything local - it was great as it reminded me of what barber shops used to be in my youth). One of the federal wolf guys with the radio search antenna in back of his truck came in looking to see if he could find a pilot to fly him around to search for a wolf pack. Not sure of the conversation from the guy behind the counter but from the look on the federale's face as he left, he was not happy. Then the locals started giving their opinions on that deal. They were not happy about it and the talk got pretty tough as by then we were accepted as one of the sources of income from "crazy flat landers who float down the river" who paid into the local economy and were just setting there listening. Don't know how the Wolf re introduction is thought of now, but back in that time frame's conversation, I would not want to be the person sent out from Washington DC to deal with the locals.

On the good side, pilot showed up. Apologized gassed up the plane and took us on a low and slow trip back to Boise Airport. He got down to just above tree tops, we saw deer out the yeng yang and one bear. The pilot was a jewel. Grew up in the ID boonies. His Dad being a pilot so was he. Spent his entire life living in ID and flying airplanes. His stories never stopped. We get to the airport and he had some old classic 4 door monster car parked there and took us to the motel as he was staying there as well. We offered to buy his dinner and he took us up on it. It was a continuation of the flight stories and one of the best ever memories I have of the middle fork and Idaho.

Not trying to hijack the thread, but it reminded me of a fun time loosely connected to the topic so I started typing.
Maybe cut down on the flame throwing as well!!!!

[FarPastGone]

I couldn't think of a nicer state to spend the afternoon sitting around just talking to locals. The wolf topic is so extremely polarized there it is not worth bringing up because everyone has pretty strong feelings about it. I certainly understand the viewpoint of the locals, but I also understand that science is not opinion. Unfortunately the environmental balance of wolves/elks has been so altered (elks almost being killed off in Idaho then being supported federally in the early-1900s to the population until recently and wolves being extirpated from most of the US Rockies until reintroduction) that we will never be able to perfectly imitate the natural populations pre-extirpation/settler encroachment (unless the whole Pleistocene Rewilding thing goes down, which it won't). Either way I love that place and the day I saw my first wolf on the way to my first time paddling my favorite river in the world, East Fork of the South Fork Salmon, was about my favorite day of paddling ever.

Can't wait to go back this summer and pretty excited about the July 8th MF launch I am on!

Okay, feel free to take this topic back.

- Matt

[okieboater]

Enjoy!

Middle Fork launch July 8 should be ok water and blue sky days with cool sleeping nights under the stars.

Heck I would rather read Middle Fork and Wolf / Elk stories than Washington DC cabinet wanta be's any way.

[SteveGabbard]

I guess I'll be the first to say I wish it would rain!

[Shark Attack]

You guys have such easy chains to yank!