Photo of the Exxon Oil Spill on the Yellowstone River. Photo by Alexis Bonogofsky

A facebook page dedicated to asking Exxon to pay its fine was started gathering over 340 likes in just a few days of existence. “Exxon, Pay Your Yellowstone Oil Spill Fine” can be found at www.facebook.com/PayYourFineExxon.

Screenshot of the Exxon, Pay Your Fine Facebook Page.

“I believe that PHMSA’s proposed fine in the case of the Yellowstone River spill is fair,” said Eileen Morris of Yellowstone Valley Citizens Council.  ”Exxon should be held accountable and fulfill their obligations.”

In a letter sent today, citizens are asking Senators Baucus, Tester and Representative Daines to support PHMSA’s fine against Exxon Mobil Corporation. PHMSA found that Exxon failed to address known seasonal flooding risks to the safety of its pipeline system, including excessive river scour and erosion, and to implement measures that would have mitigated the spill into the Yellowstone River putting thousands of people in danger and damaging the ecosystem. In addition, Exxon failed to establish written procedures for its staff to take prompt and effective action to protect the Silvertip pipeline from floods and other natural disasters, and to minimize the volume of oil released from any section along the pipeline’s system.

“Exxon failed to address known safety problems with the Silvertip Pipeline putting thousands of people at risk, damaging private property and killing fish and wildlife in the Yellowstone. PHMSA’s investigation into these issues was thorough and comprehensive. Exxon needs to take responsibility and pay their fine,” said Debra Bonogofsky, local landowner impacted by the spill.

“It is in the best interest of all Montanans and the American public to ensure that our pipeline systems are as safe as possible. Operators, in this case Exxon, must be held accountable if they do not adhere to federal safety standards. We believe that PHMSA’s proposed fine in the case of the Yellowstone River spill is appropriate, defensible and necessary,” said Alexis Bonogofsky of the National Wildlife Federation.

The Pipeline Safety, Regulatory Certainty, and Job Creation Act of 2011, signed into law last year by President Obama, doubled the maximum civil penalty amount PHMSA can issue to pipeline operators for violating pipeline safety regulations from $100,000 to $200,000 for each violation, and from $1,000,000 to $2,000,000 for a related series of violations.  The fine imposed by PHMSA easily falls within these regulations and justifications for the fines are comprehensive.

On July 17, a hearing will be held in Washington D.C. with PHMSA to address Exxon’s protests of the fine.

One of the world’s most widely recognized predators, a great white shark cruises the waters off Mexico.

A Top Sea Predator

The white shark is perhaps the ocean’s most widely recognized predator, but it is still a creature experts know little about. However, new research is unlocking some of the mysteries of white shark behavior.

A growing body of evidence suggests that the world’s white shark population is broken into three units, one centered off South Africa, another off New Zealand, and a third, the northeastern Pacific population, that ranges between California and Hawaii.

A great white shark breaks the surface off South Africa, a prime feeding ground where white sharks prey on seals and sea lions.

A Killing Machine?

Studies off New Zealand indicate that white sharks are not born killers. The jaws of young sharks less than nine feet long are not strong enough for attacking large prey. Biologists working off California have found that the white shark’s diet changes with age, the animals often shifting from fish to mammals as they mature, but even that pattern is flexible—individual sharks tend to specialize in particular types of prey from a selection that includes seals, sea lions, dolphins, fish and squid.

Studies off South Africa and California reveal that sharks seek deeper waters when hunting. The dark upper body of the shark blends in with darker waters and ocean floors in coastal areas, allowing the hunter to lurk in spots frequented by seals and seal lions.

A white shark plies the clear waters off Isla Guadalupe, Mexico. The dark upper body and white underbelly help the shark conceal itself from prey.

A white shark rockets from False Bay, South Africa. Hunting sharks move deep in the water and look for a seal or sea lion sihouetted against the surface. When they find one, they attack so fast that they fling themselves from the sea.

A hunting great white shark crashes back into the sea at False Bay, South Africa.

The Shark-Human Connection

Although great whites are coastal hunters, attacks on humans are relatively rare. In 2012, about seventy people were attacked by sharks of all kinds worldwide, with seven fatalities. About sixty percent of these attacks were on people lying on surfboards with hands and feet in the water—from the water below, they would resemble a seal. Often, after a first attack on a surfer, white sharks seem to realize their error and move on without a second attack.

Most sharks are harmless to humans. About half of the worlds’ approximately 360 shark species are less than 3 feet long; only 4 percent exceed 12 feet, and three of those feed on plankton, including the world’s largest, the whale shark—which at 30 feet long and about 5 tons is the largest animal in the world that isn’t a whale (the smallest shark is the pygmy ribbontail catshark, which grows to about 6 inches long).

A whale shark glides through the sea off Darwin Island in the Galapagos. Despite a mouth that might be 5 feet wide, this largest of shark species feeds on tiny things, such as fish eggs.

Loss of sharks can have far reaching ecological and economic effects. Destruction of sharks in recent years along the U.S. Atlantic coast allowed cow-nosed rays to stage a population explosion; heavy feeding by the rays later caused a collapse in bay scallop fisheries. 

National Wildlife Photo Contest entrant Gary Moore was boating off Kona, Hawaii, when this whale shark came up to the vessel and followed it for 5 or 10 minutes. Whale sharks are among the species harmless to humans.

Photo Contest

The 43^nd annual National Wildlife Photo Contest is accepting this year’s entries through July 15. The contest is open to all photographers 13 years old and up and all levels of skill. The Grand Prize is a trip for two to Churchill, Manitoba, Canada to photograph polar bears,l in addition to which the contest offers $6,000 in other prizes.

June 13- National Wildlife Federation, whose mission is to inspire Americans to protect wildlife for our children’s future, is pleased to announce a new partnership with FamilyFun magazine, a trusted, go-to source for travel recommendations and family activities for more than 20 years.

FamilyFun magazine has released a special “Get Outdoors” themed issue this month to help families spend more time in nature. The “Let’s Get Outdoors!” feature story appears in the June/July issue of the magazine, on newsstands June 5, and includes dozens of ideas ranging from mapping the neighborhood’s natural wonders to going on a photo safari.

Learn more about NWF’s outdoor programs for kids!

Tar Balls Cannot Be the ‘New Normal’

June 11- BP announced on Monday that the U.S. Coast Guard is ending active cleanup operations in Mississippi, Alabama and Florida and that the three states are expected to complete the transition back to the National Response Center (NRC) reporting system by mid-June 2013.

David White, director of the National Wildlife Federation’s Gulf of Mexico Restoration Campaign, said in response:

“As much as one million barrels of oil from the disaster remains unaccounted for, and tar mats and tar balls from the spill continue to wash up on the coast. Regardless of how our shorelines are monitored, BP must be held accountable for the cleanup. We cannot just accept oiled material on our beaches and in our marshes as the ‘new normal.’ In particular, we need be sure that there is a rapid and proactive assessment and cleanup of our shorelines in the aftermath of storms.”

Take action and demand justice for Gulf wildlife.

Senate Poised to Pass a Strong Farm Bill

June 10- National Wildlife Federation applauds the final Farm bill and the leadership of Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Ranking Member Thad Cochran (R-MS), for crafting a bill that maintains adequate funding for conservation, includes a national Sodsaver provision, and re-links conservation compliance provision to crop insurance premium subsidies. The bill also authorizes funding for an innovative regional partnership program which would target conservation funding to as many as eight priority conservation regions.

“We are very pleased with the Senate’s version of the farm bill and congratulate the Senate Agriculture Committee and Senate leadership for all their hard work,” said Julie Sibbing, director of Agriculture and Forestry Programs for National Wildlife Federation. “In the present climate of kicking the can down the road and paralyzing lack of compromise in Congress, it is refreshing to see members on both sides of the aisle roll up their sleeves and pass a balanced farm bill that ensures a robust safety net for farmers and for natural resources. The House should follow the example.”

For more information visit our Farm Bill webpage.

And now here are highlights from NWF in the news:

• CNN.com: Coast Guard, BP end Gulf cleanup in 3 states
• Baltimore Sun : Program gets kids off the couch and into the tent
• New York Times:  Debate on environment grows as drought tests Texas rivers
• Politico.com: Obama climate rollout may come in July
• The Food Channel: Great American Backyard Campout
• Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Butterfly enthusiasts fear few Monarch sightings
• Seattle’s Child: Old-Fashioned Fun at the Great American Backyard Campout
• Yahoo!News: Proposed Legislation Would Strengthen Protections Against Invasive Animal Species
• Dr. Green.com: What is this Great American Backyard Campout?

For more visit www.nwf.org/news

Go to David’s site at www.nwf.org/naturegeek to learn more about NWF’s wildlife conservation programs. Also, remember NWF’s Great American Backyard Campout  is on June 22. So sign up and enjoy the great outdoors with friends and family!

Check out the fun segment where Wendy gets up close and personal with a few wildlife ambassadors!

Click here to view the embedded video.

May 28- National Wildlife Federation (NWF) is pleased to work with Animal Planet to promote the series, North America, premiering on May 28 at 9 pm ET. The seven-part series reveals the intimate stories of animals struggling to survive in unforgiving weather and rugged terrain, helping viewers rediscover North America as they have never seen it before.

Throughout the series, Animal Planet will encourage viewers to sign up with the National Wildlife Federation to learn more about the amazing wildlife featured on the show. From sea turtles to bison to backyard wildlife, National Wildlife Federation’s conservation and education work protects many of the animals highlighted in each episode.

“We are excited to work with Animal Planet on this important series that offers a rare, in-depth look at our natural, wild environment in North America – our home,” said Maureen Smith, NWF Vice President of Marketing and Communications. “By highlighting the everyday struggles and triumphs of wildlife, we hope to inspire viewers to join our efforts to keep the wild alive in North America.”

The series, which is currently airing first on Discovery Channel, will receive a second airing on Animal Planet, from May 28th – June 18th. To learn more, please visit: AnimalPlanet.com/NorthAmerica.

David Mizejewski on Wendy Williams

May 22- David Mizejewski, NWF’s naturalist and media personality, appeared on the Wendy Williams Show to showcase some fun and interesting desert animals including a fennec fox, a camel calf, a red kangaroo joey and more! Check out his fun appearance at this link !

And now here are highlights from NWF in the news:

• CNN: Camping: Horror or Bliss?
• York Daily Record: Masterful Gardening: Be kind to nature in your backyard
• UPI.com: US Northwest coal export terminals to get more scrutiny
• Houston Chronicle: Butterflies tell UT climatologist about climate
• The Hill: First 100,000 Keystone comments reveal intensity of fight over oil sands pipeline
• Parents.com: Get Outdoors
• Green Child Magazine: Great American Backyard Campout
• Parksandrecreation.com: Really? We Want Kids to Use Technology Now?

For more visit www.nwf.org/news

Audubon Photo by FWS

The few weeks in April and May when turkey hunting is open is undeniably my favorite time of year.  The quiet chill of winter is finally giving way to sunshine and hints of green.  Birds are finding their voices again.  The insufferable clouds of mosquitoes haven’t developed just yet, and it’s the perfect time to sit quietly against a tree and watch the world come back to life.

Don’t get me wrong – getting out of bed at 3:30 in the morning is painful.  Every early morning I have the same thought:  why do I do this to myself?  It doesn’t take much, however—only that first pre-dawn gobble of a big tom turkey from his roost somewhere in the trees—before I remember why.  Only a lucky few know what it’s like before the forest wakes up on a spring morning, when the only sounds are a few chuck-will’s-widows calling out and the crunch of last fall’s leaves beneath your boots.

This wild turkey struts across the field. black_throated_green_warbler/Flickr

A window into a wild world

It’s also an indescribable experience to call to a gobbler as if you were a lonely hen, and to have him respond with gusto.  They’re incredible birds.  To me, they always resemble something prehistoric, carefully picking a quiet path through the trees with their long, scaly legs and tiny, white golf ball heads—until the toms display full strut, with tail fanned and chest feathers puffed out.  Then they look like Thanksgiving walking through the woods.

To them, everything incites curiosity, and watching them explore decaying logs or empty ditches is like a window into another world. This spring, on one special morning, we called in three jakes (juvenile males), and we watched them chase grasshoppers and play turkey tag for several minutes until interest in a squirrel drew them further into the woods.  They had been entirely unaware of our presence, and I felt pretty lucky to get to watch them behave as they have for millennia.  Several years ago, when turkeys were nearly gone from many places around the country, we would not have been so fortunate.  Extraordinary conservation efforts—thanks to dedicated men and women everywhere—have gone into rebuilding wild turkey populations and protecting their forest habitats.

Family Traditions

Hunting during turkey season with my father. NWF Photo by Rachel Dawson

Indeed, this season was successful.  Our family harvested three toms, plenty for us.  But it’s clearly not always about the hunt.  There is so much more that comes with pursuing game:  a chance to experience the wild in a unique way, an important time together as family, and a deeper understanding of the importance of giving back to ensure that our sportsmen’s (and women’s) traditions persist for future generations.  So while I might be disappointed to see another turkey season in the books, I know I can look forward to seeing those jakes return as toms next spring…and there is plenty of summer fishing to come in the meantime!

What harm would fracking do to that precious commodity — beer? Flickr: Mezzoblue

Pure Rocky Mountain Spring Water?

The governor, however, has not always been as strong an advocate for Colorado’s surface and ground waters as he has been for quality beer. Perhaps the most prominent example is his oft-debunked claim to drinking “frack fluid.” “Frack fluid” refers to the host of chemical cocktails injected  at high pressure into hydrocarbon-bearing geological formations, along with sand and water, to release the oil and gas fueling our latest drilling boom. Yet the brew the governor sampled is an expensive, experimental plant-based variety not actually in commercial use in the state. Real frack fluid contains a soup of chemicals toxic to humans and wildlife. I think this episode displays an unfounded assurance that fracking, and oil and gas development, is risk-free, and that the oil and gas industry can and will self-regulate to ensure that our state’s waters don’t suffer contamination from the rush to extract natural gas.

Germany’s Fracking Brew-Ha-Ha

I couldn’t help but wonder, then, whether the governor might not be persuaded otherwise at last by a new controversy “brewing” in, of all places, Germany. According to an article in Der Spiegel, German breweries have complained that hydraulic fracturing threatens to contaminate drinking water and violate “the beer purity law, or Reinheitsgebot, of 1516.” I was disappointed when research revealed that Colorado has no beer purity law of 1516. The German rule mandates that “German beer still may only be made from malt, hops, yeast and water.” Presumably, carcinogenic frack fluid constituents like benzene and 1,2-Dichloroethane don’t meet that definition.

Trucks line up at a fracking site in western Colorado. Photo by Judith Kohler

May 16- Late last evening, the House Committee on Agriculture passed its version of the 2013 farm bill.

“We commend Chairman Frank Lucas (R-OK) and Ranking Member Collin Peterson (D-MN) for crafting a bipartisan reauthorization of the farm bill,” said Julie Sibbing, director of Agriculture and Forestry Programs, National Wildlife Federation. “While we appreciate the difficult task of drafting a bill to achieve deficit reductions, the committee missed important opportunities to save taxpayer dollars through commonsense conservation measures for soil, water and wildlife.”

Notably absent in the House Committee bill was a provision included in the Senate committee bill that would link soil and wetlands protection to crop insurance premium subsidies. Major agricultural and conservation groups recently joined with Senate lawmakers to support reasonable soil and wetland protection requirements crafted to work better for producers.

NWF: McCarthy Deserves Clean Vote

May 16- Gina McCarthy’s nomination as Environmental Protection Agency administrator now moves to the full Senate after the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee today approved her. Larry Schweiger, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, said today:

“Gina McCarthy has already been approved once by the Senate and since then has only strengthened her record as a non-partisan voice for sensible reductions in pollution to protect America’s wildlife, clean air and water, and public health. The full Senate should give her a clean vote as soon as possible. We’ve already wasted enough time watching polluter allies play political games with her confirmation process.

• Take action and tell your senators you support Gina McCarthy to serve as America’s next Environmental Protection Agency administrator.

Shortsighted Senate Water Bill Will Damage Rivers and Wildlife, Fleece Taxpayers

May 15-  Today, the Senate voted 83-14 to pass the Water Resources Development Act of 2013, S.601.

Larry Schweiger, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, said in response:

“This shortsighted bill will leave Americans at greater risk of flooding, damage our rivers and wildlife, and fleece taxpayers. Apparently, all it takes is a classic Washington pig roast to break the gridlock in the Senate.

It would cost an estimated $60 billion to build all the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects currently on the books. Today, the Senate has added to the backlog while undermining the process that identifies which projects provide real value. Time and time again, commonsense environmental reviews have shed light on expensive, damaging proposals that are not in our national interest.The Water Resources Development Act is vital for helping to restore national treasures like the Everglades and the Mississippi River Delta. Unfortunately, language in this bill undermines the bedrock environmental principle that the federal government should look before it leaps. For example, this bill will allow the Army Corps to fine other federal agencies up to $20,000 a week if they aren’t able to meet the new rushed deadlines for environmental review.”

• Read more about the Water Resources Development Act and how it effects wildlife.

National Wildlife Federation’s Be Out There Movement Announces Partnership With The American Camp Association

May 14- NWF  is pleased to announce a new partnership with the American Camp Association (ACA). Through this partnership, NWF and ACA will promote the importance of reconnecting families with the outdoors, particularly through Be Out There’s Great American Backyard Campout, which encourages families across the nation to gather outdoors and camp on June 22, 2013.

“NWF and ACA are committed to getting millions more children to play outdoors on a regular basis. This relationship is a win for American kids, because together we will help families raise healthier and happier children who have a lifelong commitment to protecting wildlife and the natural world,” said Meri-Margaret Deoudes, vice president of Be Out There at NWF. “Through this new partnership, ACA will help NWF’s Be Out There movement share resources that inspire parents to make nature a part of their family’s everyday lives.”

Senate Farm Bill Protects Soil, Water, Wildlife

May 14-The National Wildlife Federation commends Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Ranking Member Thad Cochran (R-MS) for their leadership in crafting and moving out of committee a strong, bipartisan reauthorization of the farm bill.

“The Senate farm bill includes an historic agreement between agriculture and conservation organizations to ensure that basic soil and wetland protection requirements were extended to apply to crop insurance premium subsidies,” said Julie Sibbing, director of Agriculture and Forestry Programs, National Wildlife Federation.

“NWF thanks the Committee members for their support of the agreement, especially Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), who successfully offered an amendment to attach these provisions to crop insurance on the Senate floor last year and who stood up for the agreement in committee today.”

• Take action and ensure that worthy Farm Bill conservation programs are reauthorized at appropriate levels, structured to achieve maximum wildlife and environmental benefits, and fully funded during the annual appropriations process.

Senate Water Bill Expensive, Damaging

May 13- On Monday, spokespeople representing three very different backgrounds and perspectives offered up their opinions of the Water Resources Development Act (S.601).

• Download the audio of the telepresser here.

 And now here are highlights from NWF in the news:

• Los Angeles Times- Senate approves bill that would benefit L.A. port
• Parents Magazine- Raise a Nature Lover
• Politico- Morning Transportation: Senate passes WRDA
• Miami Herald- Senate overwhelmingly approves water infrastructure bill
• Florida Today- Senate authorizes Port Canaveral widening
• Billings Gazette- Guest opinion: Good FWP planning can help resolve bison battles
• The Shreveport Times- Vitter says water bill will help Louisiana
• CNBC.com- Wind farms get pass on eagle deaths

For more visit www.nwf.org/news

Late last evening, the House Committee on Agriculture passed its version of the 2013 farm bill.

“We commend Chairman Frank Lucas (R-OK) and Ranking Member Collin Peterson (D-MN) for crafting a bipartisan reauthorization of the farm bill,” said Julie Sibbing, director of Agriculture and Forestry Programs, National Wildlife Federation. “While we appreciate the difficult task of drafting a bill to achieve deficit reductions, the committee missed important opportunities to save taxpayer dollars through commonsense conservation measures for soil, water and wildlife.” 

Notably absent in the House Committee bill was a provision included in the Senate committee bill that would link soil and wetlands protection to crop insurance premium subsidies. Major agricultural and conservation groups recently joined with Senate lawmakers to support reasonable soil and wetland protection requirements crafted to work better for producers.

“We are very disappointed that Chairman Lucas chose to leave out this important provision supported by a broad coalition of conservation, agricultural and crop insurance interests,” Sibbing said. “Failure to link these longstanding requirements to crop insurance premium subsidies could destroy more than a million wetlands in the Northern Great Plains, putting at risk North America’s most important waterfowl breeding habitat.”

Furthermore, the House bill included a weak, geographically limited version of Sodsaver, which protects native grasslands by limiting federal subsidies for producers who convert previously unplowed prairie lands. The House version of Sodsaver is unfairly limited to parts of 5 states in the Northern Great Plains.

“We need to stop senselessly destroying what’s left of America’s remaining native grasslands,” Sibbing added. “We thank Representatives Noem (R-SD) and Walz (D-MN) for introducing the ‘Protect our Prairies Act’ and urge it to be included in the final farm bill.”

Other attempts to improve the farm bill for wildlife were also suppressed. Representative Ann Kuster (D-NH) offered and withdrew two amendments to maintain adequate investments for wildlife practices within the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). “We commend Representative Kuster for strongly supporting wildlife conservation in the farm bill, and regret that lack of support from House Committee leadership, which forced her to withdraw amendments that would help farmers and ranchers create and enhance wildlife habitat on working lands.”

While it is very important that a five-year farm bill passes this year, critical improvements are needed when the House version comes up for a full floor vote, including:

• sensible requirements for farmers to refrain from draining wetlands and practice conservation on highly erodible land in exchange for taxpayer subsidies,
• a national Sodsaver provision to protect native prairies, and
• adequate levels of funding to help farmers and ranchers protect wildlife.

  Ensure that worthy Farm Bill conservation programs are reauthorized at appropriate levels, structured to achieve maximum wildlife and environmental benefits, and fully funded during the annual appropriations process.

Larry Schweiger, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, said in response:

This shortsighted bill will leave Americans at greater risk of flooding, damage our rivers and wildlife, and fleece taxpayers. Apparently, all it takes is a classic Washington pig roast to break the gridlock in the Senate.

It would cost an estimated $60 billion to build all the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects currently on the books. Today, the Senate has added to the backlog while undermining the process that identifies which projects provide real value. Time and time again, commonsense environmental reviews have shed light on expensive, damaging proposals that are not in our national interest.The Water Resources Development Act is vital for helping to restore national treasures like the Everglades and the Mississippi River Delta. Unfortunately, language in this bill undermines the bedrock environmental principle that the federal government should look before it leaps. For example, this bill will allow the Army Corps to fine other federal agencies up to $20,000 a week if they aren’t able to meet the new rushed deadlines for environmental review.

Now the debate moves to the House. We look forward to working with our representatives to protect the integrity of the environmental review process, and to enact meaningful reforms that will prioritize low impact solutions and modernize the management of existing projects. This bill must be fixed before the President signs it into law.

Read more about the Water Resources Development Act:

• Will Senate Water Down Environmental Protections While the Midwest Floods?
• Black Bears and Wetlands and the Water Resources Development Act…Oh, My!
• Five Ways the Water Resources Development Act Harms Wildlife
• Congress and Water Projects in America: The Latest on the Water Resources Development Act