Wildlife

No one in the cadre of national environmental activists seemed much surprised to learn last week that Vice President Dick Cheney is orchestrating the rollback in federal protections that marks the Bush administration's stewardship of America's natural resources. Most stunning about The Washington Post's revealing peek into Mr. Cheney's behind-the-scenes machinations was the depth and breadth of his involvement in a policy area not regarded as a key part of his portfolio. His many years in Washington - serving in three administrations as well as Congress - gave Mr. Cheney an intimate knowledge of how the place works, allowing him to put the government in service to his ideological and political goals.

When a 300-pound black bear breaks into your mountain cabin, eats your cookies and raids your refrigerator, you have several options.You could call state wildlife authorities and ask them to please come pick up the errant bear and carry him away to the real wilderness. Or, you could demand that they blast the burglarious bruin into the next life.But increasingly, wildlife managers and police officials are trying a third option -- turning the bear's visit into such a waking nightmare that it will forever after link people with fear, not food.

Gov. Parris N. Glendening has appointed E. Joseph Lamp, a professor at Anne Arundel Community College, and Robert Gregory Jr., a Baltimore businessman, to the Wildlife Advisory Commission.The nine-person commission advises the Department of Natural Resources on wildlife management issues.Lamp is a former hunter and vice president of the Anne Arundel County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.Gregory is an avid outdoorsman and hunter and is the only African- American on the commission.

Since 1985, the federal Conservation Reserve Program has allowed more than 36 million acres of marginal agricultural lands to be restored to grasses and trees that provide cover for wildlife.As of March last year, 19,294 acres in Maryland were enrolled in the CRP, and the state has started its own land conservation program with a goal of enrolling 100,000 acres of environmentally sensitive lands statewide by 2002."The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program is a super opportunity," said Joshua Sandt, deputy director of DNR's Wildlife and Heritage Division.

Sandy Point State Park seeks panel to develop planSandy Point State Park is seeking members for a committee that will review and help develop a plan for the park.The committee will evaluate management practices within the park and develop an ecosystem management plan.Issues to be considered include maintenance of facilities, forestry, wildlife management (including white-tailed deer), wildlife enhancement opportunities and maintenance of biodiversity and water quality.Recreational issues include boating, swimming, picnicking, nature appreciation and fishing.

The other evening, while starting Trapper, a mischievous, year-old black Labrador, for a walk in the three-acre wood beyond the back fence, a deer popped its head around the corner of a vine-covered blow-down 30 yards away.Trapper, intent on the comings and goings of cardinals and sparrows flitting through the brush, did not notice, so -- luckier still -- did not give chase.If he had, he would have startled not one deer, but five feeding along the greening edges of a large patch of bramble, which through most of the day is open to sunlight, but in the early evening falls into shadow and moistening.

CHESTERTOWN -- Two young bald eagles watched from the branches of dead trees yesterday as a sudden shower swept a pond on DuPont's Chesapeake Farms property on Millstone Point.The rain, or the approach of humans, stirred a great blue heron from its hiding place in weeds at the water's edge. George Fahrman, 44, who has worked on the 3,300-acre preserve for more than 20 years, rolled his van to a stop."This is the middle of nowhere," he said. "On foot, it is probably a mile in any direction before you find civilization."

What group has 77 million members and spent $104 billion on its activities last year?According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, that 40-some percent of the U.S. population consists of people 16 and older who participate in recreational activities relating to fish and other wildlife.In the preliminary findings of the 1996 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, the USFWS says more than 39 million people fished and hunted in 1996. On average, each sportsman spent $1,828 last year on food, lodging, transportation, gear, land leases, licenses, group memberships and user fees.

By December, the sale of fishing and hunting licenses at 400 sport shops will be handled through a computer system called COINS (Customer Oriented Information Network).The Board of Public Works recently approved $2.7 million over the next five years to purchase the system, which is expected to eliminate paperwork now required for each and some 900,000 license and boat registrations issued each year.COINS will produce wallet-sized, waterproof licenses, up-to-date changes in hunting and fishing opportunities and allow the Department of Natural Resources to more closely follow hunting and fishing trends statewide.

C According to a nationwide survey taken for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, nearly 40 percent of adults enjoyed wildlife-related recreation last year and spent $101 billion in the process.The National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation was conducted last year by the U.S. Census Bureau for the USFWS.The survey has been taken every five years since 1955.The survey also showed the number of hunters and fishermen remains relatively unchanged from the 1991 report:There were 35.2 million fishermen (35.6 million in 1991)

Almost everyone likes animals at least a little, but there's that handful who are born "animal people." So says Jennifer Keats Curtis. They pull over for wounded pigeons. They take in orphaned cats. They're the ones the neighbors stop by to visit if a stray mutt comes calling. It doesn't mean they know what they're doing. "So many people want to help animals, but honestly, a good heart isn't enough," says Curtis, a veteran journalist and children's author whose fourth illustrated book, "Baby Owl's Rescue," debuts under the Sylvan Dell insignia next month.

Almost everyone likes animals at least a little, but there's that handful who are born "animal people." So says Jennifer Keats Curtis. They pull over for wounded pigeons. They take in orphaned cats. They're the ones the neighbors stop by to visit if a stray mutt comes calling. It doesn't mean they know what they're doing. "So many people want to help animals, but honestly, a good heart isn't enough," says Curtis, a veteran journalist and children's author whose fourth illustrated book, "Baby Owl's Rescue," debuts under the Sylvan Dell insignia next month.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will hold the second in a series of planning meetings for the Patuxent Research Refuge to help develop a plan for improvements in transportation for the refuge. Comments from members of the community are being sought to help with planning. The meeting will be held from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Thursday at the National Wildlife Visitor Center, 10901 Scarlet Tanager Loop, near Laurel. brad_knudsen@fws.gov. Youth corps The Patuxent Research Refuge will be host to a Youth Conservation Corps program this summer.

An opportunity lost Gov. Martin O'Malley's decision to legally define as beer those sweet-flavored, popular-with-teens alcoholic beverages known as "alcopops" will keep them as cheap and widely available as possible. This is not going to win him a Profile in Courage Award. Never mind that he's allowing legislation to become law without his signature. He may think that signals his intention to revisit the issue next year. What it actually indicates is that he didn't have the stomach to do the right thing and veto the measure.

Gerda Deterer is missing the crisp day outside, missing the mellow sunlight softly inching over the 17 rolling acres outside her Hampstead home. Instead, the veteran wildlife rehabilitator is hidden away in her basement, bent over the brown-and-gray dappled head of a barred owl, gently prying its yellow beak open to feed it with a pair of forceps. The owl is docile and weak because of a head injury and a broken collarbone suffered after it rammed into the windshield of a car. "How ya doin', child?"

No one in the cadre of national environmental activists seemed much surprised to learn last week that Vice President Dick Cheney is orchestrating the rollback in federal protections that marks the Bush administration's stewardship of America's natural resources. Most stunning about The Washington Post's revealing peek into Mr. Cheney's behind-the-scenes machinations was the depth and breadth of his involvement in a policy area not regarded as a key part of his portfolio. His many years in Washington - serving in three administrations as well as Congress - gave Mr. Cheney an intimate knowledge of how the place works, allowing him to put the government in service to his ideological and political goals.

Maryland waterfowl hunters can buy the 2007 federal duck stamp today, a day earlier than most of the rest of the country. To boost sales of the $15 stamp, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has allowed Bass Pro Shop at Arundel Mills to roll out the stamp at 10 a.m., and the Postal Service will issue first-day cancellations. Revenue from U.S. sales, about $25 million annually, is used to buy wetlands for the National Wildlife Refuge System. Maryland has three refuges on the Eastern Shore and two on the Western Shore.

DEAL ISLAND -- A team of federal trappers that killed 10,000 nutria in the sprawling Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge has a new mission: Ridding the rest of the Eastern Shore of the invasive herbivore. The South American rodents destroyed 8,000 acres of delicate marshland in the 24,000-acre Blackwater refuge before government hunters wiped them out. Then nutria were targeted in the Fishing Bay Wildlife Management Area and other publicly owned tracts in Dorchester County. Now the trappers are moving south, stalking smaller pockets of nutria on both public and private land here in this remote corner of Somerset County and other parts of Lower Eastern Shore.

Herbert Run cleanup slated for Jan. 27 Friends of the Patapsco Valley & Heritage Greenway will conduct its first stream cleanup of the year along Herbert Run in the Patapsco Valley region near Arbutus, off Route 1, at Hollins Ferry Road. Participants should wear comfortable long pants and shirts and shoes, as well as hats, scarves and work gloves. Those willing to go into the water should wear appropriate clothing and boots. Insect repellent and sunscreen are recommended. Shovels are needed to dislodge embedded trash near the stream beds.

On December 3, 2006 BETSY BRACK in San Diego, CA after battling pancreatic cancer with her usual determination, grace and humor. Beloved mother of Maia Maltas, also of San Diego; free-spirited and loving sister of William C. Brack, of Monkton, MD. Daughter of Annabelle and Bernard Brack, who were prominent in Baltimore medical, nursing and symphony affairs from the 1930's to the 1970's, Betsy graduated from the Friends School of Baltimore in 1952, and...