March 10, 2017

New Interior Secretary Signals Support for Hunting, Fishing
By JR Sullivan/Field & Stream
Photo by Anthony Quintano/flickr
A day   after receiving Senate approval   for his position as head of Department of the Interior, Secretary Ryan Zinke signed two secretarial orders that sportsmen's groups are hailing as positive signs for his support of hunting, fishing, and outdoors interests.

The first order,  No. 3346 , overturned highly contentious lead ammo and fishing-tackle bans on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service properties and waters. The second order,  No. 3347 , directs bureaus and agencies to identify areas where recreation and fishing opportunities can be expanded on federal land. Moreover, the order instructs the Department of the Interior-which oversees the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Park Service-to seek recommendations from the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council and the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council for expanding and enhancing hunting and fishing opportunities on federal public land.

Ducks Unlimited CEO Dale Hall said that he considered the orders a clear indication that Zinke will be a voice for sportsmen in the Department of the Interior. "Providing places for all Americans to hunt, fish, and recreate is vitally important," said Hall, "as hunters and anglers are North America's greatest conservationists."
What's the Environmental Impact of Your Morning Toast?
By Emma Bryce/Anthropocene
Photo by Josh May/flickr
When it comes to food, few things are more universal than a loaf of bread. Wholemeal, white, or seeded, we consume billions of loaves annually, all over the world. But despite its clear culinary impact, it's less obvious what the environmental effects are of all this carbohydrate consumption.

That comes down to the complexities of the food system: between field and fork, the processes that eventually give rise to a food product each have varied and unique environmental impacts that can be difficult to measure. Now, in a first-time effort to quantify those impacts for bread, researchers from the University of Sheffield in the UK tracked the processes that go into producing a standard 800g loaf of whole grain. Writing  in Nature Plants , they discovered that fertilizers are by far the biggest cause of environmental damage-accounting for almost half of the greenhouse gases generated by the average bread loaf.
Big Predators Disappearing from Coral Reefs
By Darryl Fears/The Washington Post
Photo by Allan Lee/flickr
The coral reef formations of the deep sea are huge rocklike structures with thousands of nooks and crannies that little fish call home. John Bruno, a University of North Carolina marine biologist, has seen them up close while diving.

But a trip to a reef isn't satisfying if big predators - sharks, barracuda, grouper and such - aren't lurking there, looking to snack on some pretty little thing that ventures from its hole. Bruno says he hasn't been satisfied in a long time, and his newest research shows why: Up to 90 percent of reef predators have been removed from the Caribbean because of overfishing.

"Reefs are largely devoid of anything big," he said during an interview.
All Farm Bills Are Unique. The Last One was a Doozy.
By Sara Wyant/Agri-Pulse
Photo by Stephen Drake/flickr
The process for writing what was expected to be the 2012 farm bill started in a fairly routine way: staff discussions, member meetings and hearings to gather input from farmers and consumers.

Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., chaired the House Agriculture Committee at the time and kicked off a series of field hearings on April 23, 2010, in Pennsylvania, listening to farmers and agribusiness leaders with a primary focus on one of his favorite topics: dairy policy.
Ranking Member Frank Lucas, R-Okla., described that hearing as "two-and-a-half hours to kick off two-and-a-half years."

If only it had been so simple and so quick.
The Splash Chronicles, Chapter 3: The Moment of Truth
By Kerry Luft
McGraw photo by Stephen Rosasco
Over the years, I have been lucky enough to go hunting many times, and to shoot many thousands of clay targets.  Yet the other day, I was as nervous as the day of my first bird hunt many years ago.  When the moment arrived, would I make the shot?

It was graduation day for "Splash," the Labrador retriever puppy I brought home in August and turned over to the McGraw Kennel in December in preparation for the training that would make him a member of the McGraw string of hunting dogs.

Stephen Rosasco, McGraw's kennel manager, took over at that point.  He is a firm believer in socializing a puppy from the outset - that's why Splash spent his first few months at home with my family, playing with my daughters and learning how to be a good citizen.  This foundation makes subsequent training easier on the dog as well as the trainer. 
 
"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole."