The Ashton, Idaho-based Smart Growth Coalition will be holding four forums beginning tomorrow night (August 27) on how to balance growth in Fremont county with the habitat needs of wildlife. The meetings will be held in the SGC’s headquarters at 512 main street in Ashton. From 6:30 to 7:00 p.m., light refreshments will be served and you will have an opportunity to mingle with the experts in this field.

If you value Fremont County wildlife and would like to be a force for making sure there is always wildlife here to enjoy, be sure to attend. While the SGC isn’t a governmental or legislative body, they will be making recommendations that are likely to be implemented by county commissioners. Therefore, if you’re the type of person who wants to be heard before any new laws are voted into being, you’d better come listen, question and / or comment. On the other hand, if you’re the type of person who doesn’t care to get involved, please don’t complain after the fact.

See you there!

Something happened Friday afternoon in Island Park that almost defies description. About 3:00 p.m. on a very hot and humid (for Island Park) afternoon a bear stepped out of the forest and into the river for a drink and to cool off. This all occurred about 75 yards upstream from The Landing Restaurant at Macks Inn. By some accounts the bear was a big black bear. By other accounts it was a grizz. But that’s not important.

What’s important is that while most people headed into the restaurant or over to their vehicles to watch from the relative safety these provide, one woman, half dragging half carrying her child ran directly at the bear, to be able to “see it better.” Now, I’m no wildlife biologist, but I have enough experience in the wild to know that if you “charge” a bear, it’s going to take that as an aggressive move. Bears fight, they don’t flee. You charge a big bear (or even a small one) and it’s going to charge back. Unless you’re packing some significant firepower, you’re going to lose — every time.

I never cease to be amazed at the stupidity of some people. I’ve seen those “darwin awards” emails that have circulated, and I thought, “nobody could possibly be that stupid.” But after seeing this woman risk her life and the life of her child to be able to “see better” I have to agree there is no limit to some peoples’ stupidity.

The bottom line is this: bears are predators. They are at (or very near) the top of the food chain. They are predators. They are carnivores. They will hurt you if you don’t respect them. And it’s not just bears. Moose, wolves, elk, bison, can and will inflict serious bodily damage if you don’t allow them their space.

These animals are majestic beyond belief. They are beautiful to watch in their native habitat. But as one man on the Landing deck noted, these aren’t the “tame bears from Yellowstone, these are wild bears.” I would reply this way: “No, there aren’t any tame bears in Yellowstone. Yes these are wild bears. Yes, they will hurt you if you don’t give them the respect they demand and deserve.”

Please come and enjoy our wildlife. But please do so in a safe and responsible manner. This situation on Friday wasn’t tourists from Japan who knew no better. This woman was from an adjoining state. She should have known better. Please be safe. The life you save may just be your own.

I read with interest (and some frustration) the article in the Island Park News about the plight of the grizzly bear in America. It seems that they haven’t been introduced and / or haven’t flourished over the years. They don’t do well around people or civilization, and they apparently need some good, old-fashioned, peace and quiet (like me on a Saturday morning.)

While it’s easy to get caught up in worrying about the poor grizzly bear, I think several things need to be kept in mind. First, when the grizzly bears flourished here, people didn’t really populate this area. Sure, there were a few Indians (native Americans if you’re left handed,) but by and large, there wasn’t a population base to speak of. When the people came, the bears dwindled. So if you’re going to have a bear population you have to get rid of the humans.

How do you do that? By designating wilderness areas, etc. I know some of the best country for ATV’ing and snowmobiling is up on black canyon. But they shut that down to motorized vehicles to give the grizzly bears a place to be. Yes, you can hike there, but nobody does. Really, who wants to go hike in a place infested with grizzly bears? So the land is, in effect, useless to humans. We don’t use the resources, we don’t enjoy the beauty, we don’t go there and photograph it — nada.

And when you get right down to it, that’s true of most of Idaho. Our last real democrat senator, Frank Church (of the Panama Canal giveaway fame,) somehow designated much of Idaho as “wilderness area.” Wilderness area means no motorized vehicles, no development, etc. What this does is effectively shut down this area. For what? To have a place where people can go to see how things were 200 years ago.

I like that idea — intellectually. Isn’t that great? We were told it was being done for the common good. Now there is a place where everyone can go and see how things used to be. That’s a great and very noble intent. The problem is, nobody does. To get into that country you have to float, walk or ride a horse. Floating doesn’t really get you “into” the country, you’re really just passing through. So you have to walk or ride a horse. (NOTE: There are a few airstrips they haven’t closed yet, but they are not widely used.)

So what percentage of the population has even seen this area? If you mean the population of Idaho, it’s a tiny percentage. If you mean the population of the USA (which people are the “owners” of the land,) the number is so small as to be ridiculous.

I guess my question is, what good is a place that everyone can go if nobody goes? What have we accomplished? We’ve created a place where a teeny tiny percentage of the population (the “elitists”) can enjoy. The rest of us get no benefit from it whatsoever.

It’s also interesting to me that these things happen in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Alaska, and not in New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, etc. There used to be wolves, grizzlies, cougars, etc., there that were pushed out by humanity. Why are the people from those states so hell-bent on re-introducing them here? Why do they want us to bear the brunt of “the benefit of all?” Why are they not “blooming where they’re planted?” Why do they not push their people aside for the benefit of the animals (endangered and otherwise) whose well being they so jealously protect?

More than half the state of Idaho is “public” land. Meaning it’s “locked up” to the point the average person will never use it. How much of those above-mentioned New England states are taken up in “public” land? Or what percentage of their states is designated wilderness area? That all used to be wilderness. I think we should put some of it back into wilderness and re-introduce wolves and grizzly bears and see how well they like that. I’d be really curious to see if they still feel the same way.

The bottom line of this whole discussion is, if you want to see grizzlies flourish, you’re going to have to do so at the expense of humans. Most liberals have no problem with that (especially if it’s not in their back yard.) Most conservatives think the rights / needs / activities of humans trump those of the animals. Neither side is going to be convinced by the other.

As far as the grizzlies, let’s see Washington, Oregon, Northern California, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado and others do their part then I’m ready to take the next step here. If we’re all going to do it, great. If I’m the only one doing things for “the benefit of all” then count me out. Thus far this has been a give and take relationship — we give they take. . . . not exactly what I would have proposed.

Well, ’tis the season. The road construction season, that is. Road repair crews are popping up all over Island Park and there is serious expansion of the road (new passing lanes, etc.) in several locations.

While I’m normally a complainer toward road construction delays (especially where there is no alternate route to avoid the construction) this is important work. Island Park has seen a marked increase in traffic over the last few years and much of that traffic consists of RV’s, motor homes, big rigs, vehicles with trailers full of toys behind, etc., all of which slow things down.

The biggest danger of an accident here in Island Park is from some impatient soul who can’t wait to be ahead of a long line of slower traffic. As these people push the envelope, we’re all at risk. For that reason, I applaud the state of Idaho in their efforts to make our highways safer.

Delays have been short up to this point — about 10 – 12 minutes max. Flag crews have been good to keep things moving and not let things get out of hand. And look at it this way: if you have to be stuck in traffic somewhere, there is no better place than Island Park to do so.

So be patient and don’t let the delay get to you. Oh, and by the way, if you feel inspired to offer a cold one to the flagger, don’t be shy. I’ve never see one turn down anything cold and wet. It might not help you get through the construction any faster, but it will sure make his / her day!

Our oh so liberal friends in the Department of the Interior in their infinite (but twisted) wisdom have decided to lower the cap on the number of snowmobiles allowed each day in Yellowstone National Park to 318 sleds. Note that’s not 315 or 320. It’s a very scientifically derived 318. Apparently that’s the precise number of sleds that match the noise and pollution levels of the more than 10,000 cars full of flatlanders that visit the park each day in the summer. How they arrived at that very scientific conclusion is one of the great mysteries of the universe.

If you want my opinion of why it’s okay to effectively “close” the park in the winter and not in the summer, it’s financial. It cost the National Park Service more than $1 million a day to give free access to visitors this summer. In the winter they’re certainly not making any money. So in my estimations they’re thinking “hey, we’re not making any money here anyway in the winter, let’s push to restrict access. If that flies, we’ll start on restricting summer access.” Now I know it’s very dangerous to try and try and get into the mindset of the American liberal, and I don’t recommend you try this at home as this is something that should be left to the experts, but there seems to be no other way to explain the apparent absurdity of this rule.

I guess the buffalo and elk in Yellowstone have an extreme sensitivity to the smell of snowmobile exhaust (not to be confused with automobile exhaust, which they apparently thrive on.) Even worse, after years of breeding in this environment of semi-captivity, they’ve developed such acute hearing that the noise of a snowmobile passing by at 25 miles and hour is offensive to them (however the noise made by Harley Davidsons roaring by at 55 mph is music to their ears.) Praise be to the gods that we have people here in America smart enough to figure all this out. Who knows what would happen if they left it all up to the rest of us “unwashed” people?

For the silver-lining group among you, there is one bright side: if you happen to win the lottery and get to putt along at a snails pace through the park, you likely won’t see anyone else. With the hundreds of miles of roads in the park, and the shamefully low number of sleds, you’ll likely have the park to yourself. You gotta love that!

If you are a member of the Fall River Electric Coop (and you are if you have a cabin that has electricity in Island Park,) you are eligible to submit photos to Fall River electric for their annual photo contest.

Photos must be high-resolution and must be submitted by September 30, 2009. The top twelve photos will be used for the annual calendar that is distributed all over the valley (and of course photo credits are given,) and the best of the rest will be used for inclusion in the newsletter and other publications.

If you would like to submit your photos, log on to www.fallriverelectric.com and follow the links. This could be your chance at fame and fortune ($100 for first place.) Don’t let this one get away.

It seems there’s a big black bear hanging around cabins in the Macks Inn area of Island Park lately. The bear has lost his natural fear of humans and is starting to make a nuisance of himself.

In the last few days (a week or two) the bear has been seen on several decks in the area, making it obvious that someone has been feeding him. I have heard people talking, saying, “I like it when the bears come around. I even like it when they’re up on my deck, because I can sit safely inside and snap a few photos. What does it hurt if I leave a little something to encourage the bear to come to my place so I can do that?”

The answer is simple. If the bear starts to become a nuisance, he may be relocated at a great cost to the taxpayers. If he becomes aggressive after not finding food, he’ll most likely be put down (that’s euthanized — killed — for those not from around here.) Bears that are “human habituated” and not deemed able to be rehabilitated are always put down.

So the long and short is, feeding bears may well take their lives. These are not cuddly lap animals. They are big, very strong, and can be unstoppable once they’re spun up. Be wise about leaving food out. Keeping your deck and other areas around your cabin or campsites clean may well save the life of an unwitting bear. That’s conservation at its most basic if you ask me.

It’s not often I come down on the same side of an issue as the tree huggers. But this time I have to admit they’re right on. If you’ve been in Harriman State Park you know there is a serious thistle problem. You’ve seen them. They are tall, bushy, with big purple flowers and are absolutely horrible to walk through. They afflict fishermen, hikers, bikers, photographers and anyone else who visits the area. But since I collect medicinal herbs in the area, the last thing I want to see is herbicides sprayed indiscriminately in Island Park.

The Henry’s Fork Foundation (HFF) has come up with a perfect solution: death by bugs. They got a grant for $3,000 from the state of Idaho to release 2,500 small gall flies which, working with stem mining weevils to be released a short time later, will kill the thistles without the use of herbicides. Granted it would have been infinitely cheaper to get a gallon of broad-leaf herbicide and git ‘er done, but this is a very responsible way to accomplish the same thing in a way that doesn’t threaten the rest of the local environment in any way.

If you would like more information on how to get rid of thistles in your area without using herbicides, contact the Henry’s Fork Foundation and they can tell you how it’s done.

The Sierra Club, et al, are seeking a “re-listing” as it were of grizzly bears (which were taken off the endangered species list May 1, 2007.) They think that grizzlies aren’t protected enough and that only they can save them.

The things I find interesting about this situation include the fact that none of those groups seem to live where grizzlies do. They sit back in Washington, file their spurious lawsuits and try to intimidate lawmakers into doing something that has no need of doing.

Another thing I find interesting is that they somehow have the misguided idea that bears (or whatever other endangered group) is more important than the people. I find that remarkably similar to the misguided idea some people have that the “right” to medical treatment of an illegal alien is somehow more important than the “right” of one who is legal (and has paid into the system for years.)

With a host of other things about this that range from reasonable to absurd, I’m going to stop. The courts will decide how this should go — not the people who are elected, who live and work here, who have some important input — the courts. Those people who know the least about this whole thing will decide how it should be for everyone. You gotta give one thing to liberals: they know how to work the system.

A citizens group in Montana is seeking support from Island Park residents on pressuring legislators to curb (or drastically reduce) the number of long-haul trucks that come through Island Park and then on through the Madison River Valley to Ennis.

Research in Island Park shows that during the day, a long-haul truck will pass by and average of every three minutes. Many use “jake” brakes to slow down, destroying the serenity many of our visitors come here to find.

But there is something almost un-American to tell truckers they have to go around. The difference in going from Idaho Falls to Bozeman through Island Park and Ennis is significantly shorter than going north to Butte on I-15 and then East to Bozeman.

I find it hard to decide where I stand. I find it interesting that the people who complain most about the trucks are often the ones who complain most about the cost of everything the trucks bring. They are also, I’m generalizing here, the ones who complain most about pollution, the un-green nature of our society and the way we’re damaging our environment.

In a lot of ways, it’s the standard NIMBY (not in my backyard) problem. We all agree coal-fired power plants, prisons, gravel pits, youth centers, skateboard parks, etc., etc., etc. are necessary, but I don’t want them built where I am. I’d much rather they build where you are.

The truck debate will continue to rage and I suppose eventually there will be enough support to force them to go around. How that squares with product pricing, fuel waste and environmental damage is beyond my ability to calculate. If you feel strongly, let us know.