Weekly News Roundup – December 9, 2011

Want to know what National Wildlife Federation was up to this week? Here is a recap of the week’s NWF news:

After 150 Years, Tribes to Welcome Home Wild Bison

December 9 – Nearly 70 Yellowstone bison, part of North America’s last free-ranging wild herd, are headed to their ancestral home on the Great Plains after Montana state officials’ approval Friday of relocating the animals to the Fort Peck and Fort Belknap Reservations.

After a century and a half, genetically pure, wild bison once again will roam Indian lands in Montana. The Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission voted to transfer 68 bison that have been quarantined and found free of brucellosis, a disease that ranchers fear can be spread to domestic livestock.

“We’ve been waiting a long time for the return of the bison,” said Mike Fox, a Fort Belknap tribal council member.

New Hampshire Audubon Announces Partnership with National Wildlife Federation

December 8 – New Hampshire Audubon announced today it was honored to be chosen as the New Hampshire affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation. These two organizations will be independent collaborators on conservation, education, and policy concerns that will strengthen New Hampshire’s unique natural resources.

“As a lifelong resident, fisherman and career U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service public servant, I know that Granite State residents and our native wildlife will be the biggest winners in our affiliation with the National Wildlife Federation,” said Michael J. Bartlett, New Hampshire Audubon President. “Our organizations will share expertise and resources to ensure that New Hampshire’s wildlife and open spaces can be enjoyed for generations to come.”

President Obama Issues Veto Threat on Tar Sands Riders

Credit: Sarah Chieffo
December 8 – Today, President Barack Obama pledged to “reject” poison-pill legislation to shortcut environmental review of the controversial Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. The statement comes as House leaders threaten to attach a Keystone XL pro-polluter rider to tax legislation.

Larry Schweiger, NWF President and CEO said:

President Obama’s veto threat sends a clear message to oil companies to stop messing with priority legislation for their own profit. The Keystone XL pipeline is Big Oil’s dangerous plan to lock America into a long-lasting addiction to Canadian tar sands oil, the dirtiest source of oil on the planet. We applaud President Obama for promising to veto bills that are hijacked by Big Oil and other special interests.”

House Committee Praised for Holding Hearing on Gulf Restoration

December 7 – Groups supporting restoration of the Gulf Coast today thanked House leaders on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for drawing attention to the benefits of the RESTORE Gulf Coast States Act of 2011 by holding a committee hearing on the bill today at 10am. The RESTORE Act would ensure that fines paid by BP and the other parties responsible for last year’s Gulf oil spill are used to support both environmental and economic restoration in the region, instead of going to unrelated federal spending.

Debating Deforestation at Durban: Can We Feed the World’s Growing Population, Address Climate Change and Stop Deforestation?

December 5 – Reducing deforestation, addressing climate change and feeding the world’s growing population are three of the biggest challenges facing the planet. Addressing these problems equally, without sacrificing one for the other, is perhaps the greatest challenge facing negotiators this week at the United Nations international climate change summit in Durban.

To help answer the question of how to produce 70 percent more food by 2050 without destroying the planet, National Wildlife Federation has released a new report titled The Food, Forest and Carbon Challenge.

And here are highlights from NWF in the News:

For more, visit www.nwf.org/News