The headline in the Albuquerque Journal for Thursday, July 27, says: "Falcons set for Return to Wild". But the subtitle adds "Lack of Protection Angers Activists".
As many as 150 individual Aplomado falcons will be released this year in NM under a hack program not unlike the one that restored the Peregrine. But because they will be designated an experimental population (which is what they ARE) ranchers will be allowed to go on ranching and mineral exploration will continue. This upsets such "conservation" groups as the Forest Guardians and five other organizations (modern reporting-- no others are named though I'd guess one of the others is the notorious Southwest Center for Biological Diversity, far more devoted to social engineering than conservation, by even their own statements), who are-- you can't make this up-- suing to stop the reintroduction.
This is madness. Every time there is a chance at compromise in the land use wars of the West, idiots like these attempt to torpedo it. They would rather attempt to bring down the "western paradigm"-- I'm just quoting other SWCBD spokesmen here-- than allow ranchers and falcons to co-exist.
Oh and-- another note to the reporter--it is by no means clear or even likely that "pesticides" had any effect on the Aplomado. Although you beat the Arizona Star reporter, who thinks pesticides made the eggs "hatch too early".
Is there an alternative? Well, yes. Check out these people. And then give them some money if you can.
1 comment:
The last time I visited the Archives of Falconry, I noticed Tom Cade sitting with a mountain of journals. He was gathering the evidence to disprove those trying to derail the reintroduction.
Tom remains a voice of reason in these debates, and you can count on him to back all his opinions with science. He spoke with the activist groups here against a very flawed "study" that found that predators were the primary reason for sage grouse decline due to nest predation.
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