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<br />The last dam ...
<br />
<br />""""'"""ft'Ooo_/HOge
<br />tribe m lISe Ihat WIder. Of Ihe 65,700 aae-
<br />feetciwattllObe dclivm:d to farmers in
<br />Phase I, only 2,600 acre-feet will reach
<br />SodbomlJ1e_
<br />The rest of tbe Southern Ute's
<br />waIa', 26.soo aae-feet of municiJlll1 and
<br />industrial snpplie.s. and all of the Ute
<br />Mountain Ute's 32.400 acre-feet, will be
<br />useless unle" Phase II is built. Frost
<br />cileS a memo from David Walker. direc-
<br />toroftbc Colorado WaterConservati.on
<br />Board. warning that the $154 million
<br />PhascIlwillnevttgetfunded.
<br />In shon. Frose fears Animas.La
<br />Platacoold bWe the tribes wilb a lot of
<br />expensive water sitting in a Il!scrvoir
<br />miles from where it's needed. wiib no
<br />way 10 move it and no legal authority 10
<br />leasc it downsRam.
<br />"Why is il caHod an Indian project if
<br />it does not help the Southern Utes'" asks
<br />Frost. Maynes.. tbeAnglo walel'districts
<br />and Ben Campbell hoodwinked
<br />Congress., says Frost bitlelly, while at
<br />home Leonad Burch "sold us a bili of
<br />goods."
<br />
<br />Perhaps because of Frost's cam-
<br />paign. a record number of tribal mem-
<br />bers showed at the Bureau of Reclama-
<br />tion bearings in Durango last December
<br />to protest the project Many said they
<br />want Congress and !he non-Indian com-
<br />munity to know mat not all members
<br />suppMtheidca.
<br />"It's not an Indian project," says
<br />Dedm Militch, a young tqlOl1er for the
<br />Southern Ute DTJIM and one of several
<br />Sootbem Utes who have joined 1be Four
<br />Comers Action Coalition. "Our lawyeR
<br />are reany playmg 00. Ibis guilt trip lDDOO-
<br />Indians feel lite ifJhey cwooe tbe project
<br />tbeyRdoiDg1am101Ile1ndians."
<br />Militch and others compere Animas.-
<br />La Pia1a 10 the Navajo Project. the Dobcs
<br />Project and the Cerural Utah Project-
<br />tlm:eBureauolRcl;:llmationdamsllDldlO
<br />Congress in part because lhey brought
<br />water to Indian reservations. But in all
<br />-........_"...I'Oicc1S"'"
<br />served the reservations were eitber
<br />_comly_y"'"
<br />Other people on the reservation,
<br />including many elders, say they would
<br />
<br />have opposed ALP before but never
<br />understood it because the tribll radio sta-
<br />tioo and newspaper are censcml 0Ihcrs
<br />question why Leonard Burch refuged to
<br />hold public bearings on lhc water settle-
<br />mall back in 1988, CI" let tribal members
<br />vOleootbctreaty.
<br />"The Siena Oub is doing CVCl}'body
<br />justice," says Ray Frost. ''The ooIy thing
<br />is, the Sierra Club needs to come talk to
<br />the peaplc of tbc Southern DIe Reserva--
<br />tioo instead of just speaking 10 our elect-
<br />ed officials and laywers. They Deed 10
<br />ta1ktolhepooplc."
<br />Delays
<br />
<br />The next JOUDd in the war over ALP
<br />is likely to take place in Washington,
<br />D.C. The Fotr Comers Action Coaiition
<br />reccntlysentadelegationtotheClioIon
<br />adminisuation, asking them to block
<br />funding for ALP in 1994; BDd instead to
<br />help negotiate an ahcmative.
<br />At tbc same time, CampbeU says he
<br />and the rest of the Collndo delegation
<br />wiUpush 10 scelha1ALPSlayson traCk.
<br />Mtaowhilc. Robnd _. bead
<br />of DuRee', Upper Colorado Region,
<br />says he ook:Ied the Durango field office
<br />to put everything on hold until the
<br />
<br />administration can review the project.
<br />But with few appoioleCs in place, he
<br />doesn't expect an answer from Clinton
<br />or Interior Secretary Bruce Babbiu for
<br />several months. Robinson says that if a
<br />decision is made 10 continue, there are so
<br />many problems it may lake BnRee a year
<br />or more to produce a final EIS - and
<br />that's without any lawsuits.
<br />Delays work for oppooents. Every
<br />year raises the cost by $40 million and
<br />brings it one step closer to the Jan. I,
<br />2000, deadline. In addition, Sam Maynes
<br />is said to be ill Should thatfurce him 10
<br />retire. or even 10 significandy slacken his
<br />JllICC, DO CIIC knows wbo would be able 10
<br />repiacehimMtheheadoflbeooalition.
<br />00......._...1"""'_
<br />rnentCIIII'taItowlbcimp8Stle IollUlDdcr
<br />the projc:ctsimplylOdie. DozensdNative
<br />American tribes in !be West have lIgRlCd 10
<br />ncgotiaIetheirWlla'rigb&s,t&tcdinpllt
<br />onthe~tlysuccessfulALPseu1e-
<br />ment. unaess the fcdea:aI govcmment aad
<br />Westtm stales wall 10 be t:IeIu8ed by wafa'
<br />Ii&igadoo, CJinaon aodBabbitt musteilbcl'
<br />canota 10 Animas-La PlaIa, m' fiDd a bet-
<br />reralternMNe. .
<br />
<br />Steve Hinclunan is staff Jtptm:r few
<br />the High ColUItTJ News.
<br />
<br />~ ~
<br />Tbe invisible Yellowstone wolves
<br />
<br />by George GrueD
<br />
<br />As a f(K'dlCl wikllife biologist 00 the Bridger.
<br />Teton Natiooal Forest, 1 have been following
<br />with pWcuIar inlaeSl the cum:oI wolf recovery
<br />dcbBIe. Wbc:n IarrivcdoolbeTelmfortstin 1967,itWII
<br />widcIy acceped. that Ihae were DO wolves in oortbwes..
<br />ern Wyoming. Articles in the PiMdolt RowuiJlp pub-
<br />lished between 1901,. 1911 described in detail efforts
<br />by Ihe Bi01ogicai SlXVCy 10 extc:nninaae wolves in
<br />Ihe GlUlD Ri_Va1Ieyby means oflI8ppiDg,1Jcn..
<br />..... sI100Unfl OK! ouyduUne poisOO.
<br />This campaign and cootrol efforts elsewhere
<br />were believed to have exterminated wolves in
<br />IUIhwesaem Wyoming.
<br />BmIa:casionBIIyrea:ivcdacm6dedial.rqm
<br />cLwdfsigltBgs,a woIfboMing<<1nlcb. Onerqm
<br />W8SofawoH'\tJlIbadlxlmsldDDe)'C8l3~in
<br />!be Tetm wikbnea by a JDHeSidltttuntt.
<br />Mael'CJU1lootbeJmJmCCoflargecaninc:s
<br />began kllllrfac(:in 1971. That ytJIlReid Moulton, a
<br />rancher moning caUle in the Shadow Mountain
<br />regiooofJacbxI HoIe,IOld mc he...... cooviJx:ed a
<br />wolf or wolves were 00 his allotmc:nL On several
<br />~hcheardawolfhowlandob8c:rwdlarge
<br />tracks. Likewise, Roy Martin, Sen. Clifford
<br />Hansen's mose rider, beard wolves bowl and
<br />obsr.tvcdll'aCtsintheupperGrosV~1hinage.
<br />During ehe next several years, I solicited
<br />reports of large canines believed to be wolves.
<br />Tboae reports that appeared 10 be ~liable were
<br />documented. In April 1976, I attended a Wolf
<br />Recovery Team meeting 10 Bozeman, Mont.,
<br />where I infoni1ed the groop of my flDdings.
<br />lsugpced tbatthe pOOfenuion of woHRpOr1S
<br />_.............""""""""'l'*1po;_
<br />sooinl972.1bispoisonhadbccnused<<)dcstroy
<br />predaton on livestock ranges in the West which, of
<br />ooune, included alIounents adjacent <<) Y dlowstone Pm.
<br />I reasoned lhat the removal of compound 1080 had
<br />allowed wolves to frequent IlUIgcs they couldn't use
<br />_"""""""_liuIe_
<br />The ban op use of compound 1080 poison Wti lift-
<br />ed in 1981 by President Reapn. Since that time, it has
<br />appateody been resIrictcd 10 occasional use by a few
<br />SUlCkmcD. The U.s. F"ash and Wildlife Service hM not
<br />DllCldOOlllpJUDlll(MOsiDCC1972.
<br />Wbot_~..._b"'_
<br />"wdl_cIoIq ... 19'1Os'I Some _ .... it
<br />WMeihrrlheldUkman.__.ol1 . In:&e.ebyapi...
<br />
<br />14 - Htgh CountIy News - March 22, 1993
<br />
<br />JWlY or by YellOWltonC Part persOnnet. On occasion,
<br />___in_..........
<br />10 0c:I0ber 1976,1 sent an itemized JistofawzSO
<br />~tqXldI kl the WoIfRcoovcry Team and 10 the be-
<br />moumain Faat S<<vice RegjonaI Of&::e in Ogdea, UIab.
<br />An upJarcd list was filed mlbe wildlife bioIogiI.'s cdi<<,
<br />Bridgcr-1'tton NalionaI Fcnst, wben I transfrmd m tbe
<br />spingat 1978 lOart3C8ldlposilim in MlDIana.
<br />People reporting wolves mc1uded OIIlfiDelS, stcclr.-
<br />
<br />. c..'' 1 f ~'_,~'~~
<br />" ....l.!of,_ ','" ____ ">!_,;"..:.>>..
<br />~ "', " ~ ~,~,."
<br />: ~-......, to"".:\, ~" -l~';
<br />~~""-Gl '. ", ,-... ,.
<br />fiY.,1~'-':/". ',-,,;, '~:;,
<br />',. ~"y.' ,', """<<
<br />~'.y. .' ,J.:.: t<. ,-,r ~ ~-:"";~., "-
<br />\.:,- ',:. r:',,~~ .,''t ' '~. ....':;1
<br />r.J'.' , '., ~''''.., .~. ,,,o'. r";\~,
<br />\., ''''' " '. "~'..,'
<br />,." ~ "'..... .. ,- - . :-.'
<br />~t . r ~ ' , , \.... "~
<br />';1~'J .~I.\.~'1'
<br />'liT':,\ .t<-'.'\,;~.
<br />'~'C<:" I ~ \:'\~ ~~~
<br />;'/~~of .. ~~:~. \'~.....~
<br />:"/'.tJ;,,,/I \. ': i",_,,- 'f..:
<br />rf'r,",~,,' /'~'I,.' , ;"~~.,
<br />.' ....u;", ,(: ~.\;. .:..... '
<br />'. ~ 'I',~ - _'" ". . - .. \
<br />/-"<1;.:. ~ , ,
<br />If ,. '. . , ~ _ _ _;_:~
<br />) ,;/'/, L ~ l..", .' \
<br />..I '_'~; .,:,/" ", ,
<br />
<br />..........
<br />
<br />meD, fc:deAl and stale agency personnel, recrea1ioDisls mI
<br />privMefuraters. Sanefcaredril:lQle. "Ihaven'tsaidany.
<br />rima 10 odIeft because dIey would think I was aazy _
<br />everybodyknowslbercareo't~wdvesinWyaning."
<br />Common sense told me thai. many of Ihe reportS
<br />had lobe taten seriously.
<br />. Several vocalizalion Rports came from individu-
<br />als who had heard wolves in Minnesota, Alaska or
<br />Canada. On one oa:asion, a group of us riding bono-
<br />bKk ill tbe SIaIe Creek tributary of tbe Oros VenIrC
<br />Rivet bed a wolf howl periodically for a period of
<br />ahoat l' miIluIea. Rna Supcrviu Reid Jacboo and
<br />a Oms Vcotre District RaDger bad Ibis Cltperieace on
<br />
<br />the CrystalCrcck In"bularyoftbeGros Venue River.
<br />. Some repoos were of a 1arp, bJ8ct, wolf-lib
<br />animal-a colormdy, if ever, clupIicauld by coyocca.
<br />. Other repmts included four..iDch tracts - one
<br />preserved in p1aster of Pari&.
<br />.AfewMptJtsa1lowedlbedlBwlr<<)~a
<br />size difference. Elk lnmIerson the Buffalo Fad:: River
<br />-........ftia!1Io>lWo_...,_dk
<br />cauils.OnlDllhcroc:calim,W)'(lIUIgGameaadFisb
<br />pc:noMeI 00 SOOW IDldmcs sopbcd two wolves at
<br />cIoIcqun:nontbeGlOlVC'IIlIe~
<br />. GooloP:a1....,. _ _ r...
<br />IaIp caninca from a hciicopIer while smveyiDg .
<br />tributary of the 1bttofm: River. Upon landing,
<br />large tracka were observed, That night, wbil8
<br />camped....... miJes from ......ue. --.,...
<br />group was saartled by nealby wolf bowls.
<br />From...iaJe 1970s _... nrid-19BQs, 1
<br />periodically asbd Bridger.Tetoo NaIional Fmat
<br />penonnel about the status of wolf reportS. I was
<br />told tbat tbce were few reporIS and DO coafirmed
<br />sighlings. This seemed iDconsisteDt since reportS
<br />at wolves were smfacing in east-oenttalldabo _
<br />a region supporting mucb less biomass upon
<br />which woIvcs cou1d subsist.
<br />The Jackson Hole GlUth of Dec, 16, 1992,
<br />cplIeIaU.s.FisbandWiklifewolfspccia1istasay-
<br />ing," think it's extremt.Iy WIlikeIy that wolves !me
<br />...- ... q" I ........ The =ading ,,92
<br />wolf rqots in Wyoming in 1992 by Ihe U.s. Fish
<br />and Wildlife Savice is teIIq III somedI.ing.
<br />I believe the evidence is convincing that a
<br />few wolves survived within tbe eeosysaem. com.
<br />prising Yellowslone Park, the Teton Wildcmeou
<br />and adjacent remote regions of Wyoming and
<br />Idaho.
<br />Until I see evidence k> the CODm.y, I'm COD-
<br />vinced that U.s. Fish aod Wildlife Service peJ50IIDCl
<br />will continue 10 discount tbe presence of wolves. Once
<br />an agmcy is commiaed 10 a C8tIIe, it is exttanely diffi.
<br />cwt to steer a newCODlSC. You don'tquestiooestab-
<br />tishcdpoticy.
<br />Afft'Z all, pa'SCIlnel of yellowstone PIWk and che
<br />Fish and Wildlife Service have been IClling III fDr' the
<br />past 20 Yeln that the ooly way 10 "ve woIvta is k>>
<br />reintroduce them. .
<br />
<br />Gcmge GrueU is retired from Ibe Forest &nice
<br />and lives in Canon City, N8YadL His eua). IIppelRd
<br />in1beJDCboIlHoI4GlIlde.
<br />
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