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DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250515T000000
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UID:18215-1747267200-1750031940@phas-wsd.org
SUMMARY:Climate Watch Spring Season
DESCRIPTION:Climate Watch Spring Season \nClimate Watch is sponsored by the National Audubon Society (NAS) & takes place during two distinct seasons—winter (January 15-February 15) and summer (May 15-June 15). Below is the alert for any season (winter or summer) . \nLike the Christmas bird count this is a chance to help create “citizen science” for birds. Climate Watch focuses on these target species: Eastern Bluebird\, Mountain Bluebird\, Western Bluebird\, White-breasted Nuthatch\, Red-breasted Nuthatch\, Brown-headed Nuthatch\, Pygmy Nuthatch\, American Goldfinch\, Lesser Goldfinch\, Painted Bunting\, Eastern Towhee\, and Spotted Towhee. \nThese birds are easy to identify\, have an enthusiastic constituency\, and Audubon’s climate models for these species offer strong predictions for range shifts for us to test. In future years\, Climate Watch may include additional target species threatened by climate change. We believe that western bluebird and painted bunting are not normally in SD. All the other birds occur in all or parts of SD. \nVisit this page to see where these birds are in SD\, and which are near you: \nhttps://www.sdakotabirds.com/species_main.htm\nLocation Climate Watch focuses on areas of predicted change for these 12 species at each location across the continent. Audubon provides volunteers with online mapping tools with a grid of 10 km x 10 km squares showing species-specific predictions for each square based on the climate models. A Climate Watch Coordinator can help select your location and survey square. If you are participating on your own\, use the online maps to decide in which square to do your surveys. You will be able to see which squares are already “claimed”. \nHow to count Volunteers should first make sure to read through all of the materials including the full protocol manual. The Climate Watch protocol is different than any other birding program. Then using the planning done with the online maps\, volunteers survey appropriate habitat for the target species within a square and conduct 12 point counts of five minutes each within one morning\, then record the number and species of all birds seen or heard within 100 meters. Participants send the data to the National Audubon Society. \nHow data will be used  Audubon’s 2019 climate change report\, ‘Survival By Degrees\, – https://www.audubon.org/climate/survivalbydegrees – reveals that up to two-thirds of North American birds are vulnerable to extinction due to climate change. For example\, the beautiful Mountain Bluebird is vulnerable because in the vast majority of its summer range\, the climate conditions that this bird needs—temperature\, amount of rainfall\, and other environmental factors—will shift northward and eastward. This bird may be able to move into new areas over time\, or it may struggle to adapt. To test the report’s predictions\, Audubon has developed Climate Watch\, which aims to document species’ responses to climate change and test Audubon’s climate models by having volunteers in the field look for birds where Audubon’s climate models predict they will be in the 2020s. This information helps Audubon target our conservation work to protect birds. See the Climate Watch results page here to see our early reports and results from the data received by Climate Watch volunteers so far! \nLink to the Climate-watch program on the National Audubon Society web page \nhttps://www.audubon.org/conservation/climate-watch \nClimate watch instructions for participants \nhttps://www.audubon.org/news/participant-resources-climate-watch\nClimate watch for beginners webinar\, – this has much of the same info as our November meeting \nhttps://audubon.zoom.us/rec/share/xe9NAZTe6WVOf7fz2kbRAYAQMI66eaa8hCFL_fNZn0k3a8uNjHkvp4-EZzq7vlq_?startTime=1588186808000\n\n\nOur web page on community science efforts: \n https://phas-wsd.org/citizen-science/ \n 
URL:https://phas-wsd.org/event/climate-watch-spring-season/
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250610T165000
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DTSTAMP:20260417T083656
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UID:18887-1749574200-1749574740@phas-wsd.org
SUMMARY:Comment deadlines June 10th Wyoming Game & Fish changes to Mt Lion and Wolf hunting seasons
DESCRIPTION:CHEYENNE — The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has opened a comment period to gather public input on the following regulations: \nLIST OF REGULATIONS BEING CHANGED/REVIEWED AT JULY COMMISSION MEETING \n\n\n    Chapter 22\, Watercraft Regulation. \n\n\n    Chapter 42\, Mountain Lion Hunting Seasons. \nhttps://wgfd.wyo.gov/media/32271/download?inline \nhttps://wgfapps.wyo.gov/WGFD_WebSurvey/CommentOnly.aspx \n\n\n\n    Chapter 44\, Regulation for Issuance of Licenses\, Permits\, Stamps\, Tags\, Preference Points and Competitive Raffle Chances. \n\n\n    Chapter 46\, Fishing Regulations. \n\n\n\nChapter 47\, Gray Wolf Hunting Seasons. \nhttps://wgfd.wyo.gov/media/32274/download?inline \nhttps://wgfapps.wyo.gov/WGFD_WebSurvey/CommentOnly.aspx \n\nFor more information visit: https://wgfd.wyo.gov/get-involved/public-meetings \nHOW TO COMMENT\nTo Comment on-line by COB on Tuesday June 10th\n1. Follow this link to the WGFD Public Input Page https://wgfd.wyo.gov/get-involved/public-input \n2. Scroll to Chapter 42: Mountain Lion Hunting Seasons and/or Chapter 47 Grey Wolf\n\n3. Click “Comment”\n\n4. Submit comment\n\n\n\n  \nGREY WOLVES TROPHY SEASON \n              We (PHAS) have yet to fully study the proposed changes to wolf regulations to have our own opinion on them – we instead give you Wyoming’s Untrapped talking points that reviews the issue. What we want with respect to wolves in Wyoming requires legislative change\, which is outside the Commission’s purview. We want rules and objectives in the predator area – which area abuts SD – changed. \n         However they are proposing an increased harvest limit of 38 to 44 wolves\, because population estimate is 3 wolves above WGF Departments stable population’s  objective (160 wolves). In some subsets the harvest limit is raised & in other subsets reduced\, but cumulatively 6 extra wolves can be killed in the trophy game areas. We are not sure when wolf season will be revisited by Commission.. Here is a newspaper article on increases to wolf & cougar harvests:  https://mountainjournal.org/wyoming-looks-to-increase-wolf-and-mountain-lion-kills \n              The wolf habitat in Wyoming is divided into an area with basically unlimited hunting and areas with limited hunting. The only sections that come up for review by the Commission are in the subsets that have limited hunting.  The unlimited hunting is set by the legislature and can only be changed there (most of Wyoming – including the Black Hills – is in this section).  Here is a link to map of Wyomings wolf hunting areas https://wgfd.wyo.gov/media/31129/download?inline  or \nhttps://wgfd.wyo.gov/wyoming-wildlife/large-carnivore/wolves-wyoming \nHere is a link to Wyoming Untrapped’s talking points for use in commenting on the wolf and mt lion hunting proposals \nhttps://phas-wsd.org/wp-content/uploads/Wyoming-Untrapped-on-WolvesMt-Lion25.pdf \n==== \nCOUGARS SEASON – TRIENNIAL REVIEW \n\nWyoming only changes its’ mountain lion hunting season every 3 years. \nHere is a link to Wyoming Game and Fish Mortality report on cougars for 2022-2024 (Black Hills in in the NE section- units 1\, 30 & 32 –  and the Pine Ridge Ecosystem in the SE section – unit 25) \nhttps://wgfd.wyo.gov/media/32512/download?inline \n\nPHAS comment letter on Wyoming Mt lion triennial review : https://phas-wsd.org/wp-content/uploads/PHAS-Wyomings-mt-lion-comments.pdf \n\nALERTS: \nHere attached is Penny Maldonado of Cougar Fund’s review of what is happening with Mt Lion management summer 2025 in Wyoming: \nhttps://phas-wsd.org/wp-content/uploads/Wyomings-Cougars-need-your-May-2025.pdf \nA link to a  Cougar Fund PDF of their alert (new\, corrected version): \nhttps://phas-wsd.org/wp-content/uploads/2025-Cougar-Fund-WY-comment-ask-public-1.pdf \nHere is a link to Wyoming Untrapped’s talking points for use in commenting on the wolf and mt lion hunting proposals \nhttps://phas-wsd.org/wp-content/uploads/Wyoming-Untrapped-on-WolvesMt-Lion25.pdf \nDISCUSSION BY PHAS: \n          We focus on the hunting season in NE Wyoming near the Black Hills and western SD.  Three fifths of the Black Hills habitat is in SD and two fifths in Wyoming.  Harvest limits for both states are very similar\, SD’s being 60 lions either sex and Wyoming’s 60  lions either sex.   Thus if you care about cougars in the Black Hills\, you  need to watch both States seasons. \n\nWyoming proposes no changes to harvest limits for the 3 areas that overlap the Black Hills (60 cougars is the cumulative limit). It proposes  no changes to limits to prairie area to the west of the Black Hills (unlimited Sept-May 31st).  It does propose changes in the prairie area to the SW of the Black Hills\, down by Lusk\, Hartville\, Guernsey.   This is the area that continues the Pine Ridge Ecosystem into Wyoming. That ecosystem exists in 3 states (SD\, NE & WYO. and across Tribal/non-tribal boundaries). They would be changing a harvest limit from 12 cougars to unlimited from Sept 1st to March 31st. This is thus relevant to 3 states and 2 tribes. \n\nNorth East Wyoming lions killed last year were mostly subadults\, hunters had a hard time finding them. Few adults killed!\nNo emigration from Wyo. to SD. Only immigration coming from SD keeps the population going.\nBlack Hills functionally managed as a sink\, but the Mt. Lion Management Plan (MLMP) objective is source-stable. MLMP was commission approved\nPressure on mt. lions needs to be reduced\, not increased.  Advances in science show positive results\, being replicated across multiple studies\, supporting the important role of lions in prey’s disease management.\nArea 25\, abutting Nebraska is proposed to become unlimited harvest (unlimited harvest replaces a 12 lions harvest cap)- very few lions are killed there\,  so no reason for the new designation\, please object to it.\nAreas 30\, 32 and 1. Object to harvest limits as too high and needing to be reduced so this area is managed as a stable population\,\,not a sink.\n=========\nThus >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.OBJECT TO THE HARVEST LIMIT CAP IN AREAS 1\, 30 and 32 and the UNLIMITED HARVEST CAP in AREA 24 & 25.  Express a desire for more mountain lions in the Black Hills (exists in 2 states) and the Pine Ridge Ecosystem (which exists in 3 states\, 2 reservations)\n\nVarious states further\, to the west of us are having some more extreme cougar seasons – changes such as unlimited statewide killing or  increases to harvest limits are recent occurrences. \n=============== \nPROCESS \n Wyo. Game and Fish will host public meetings throughout the state to present and discuss these regulation proposals. Online comments for the regulations are also being accepted through 5 p.m. June 10\, you can submit on-line. \n\n\nGame and Fish biologists and game wardens will be available to answer questions and discuss the regulation proposals during these meetings. Link to meetings schedule :  https://wgfd.wyo.gov/media/32280/download?inline \n\n\nThere was a virtual meeting on May 19th at 3 pm. The Sheridan meeting was at  5 p.m. May 19 at Sheridan Game and Fish Regional Office\, located at 700 Valley View Drive in Sheridan\, and cover Chapters 42\, 44 and 47.  There is also meetings in Wheatland\, May 28th  and Casper June 3rd\, These are meetings likely closest to SD \n\n\nThe Wyoming Game and Fish Commission will hold a final discussion and make a decision on approval during its July 15-16 meeting in Evanston.  Go to that date on calendar for more info on that meeting.  You can testify by Zoom if you ask for permission about a week in advance. There is an approximate time slot for discussion of each item\, offered on the agenda. \nSome of the links that were operating earlier in the month have changed on June 10th \nTo Comment on-line\n1. Follow this link to the WGFD Public Input Page https://wgfd.wyo.gov/get-involved/public-input \n2. Scroll to Chapter 42: Mountain Lion Hunting Seasons and/or Chapter 47 Grey Wolf\n\n3. Click “Comment”\n\n4. Submit comment\n\n\nMAPS/Aerial photos\nAerial photo showing bi-state habitat area north of Gillette\n\nhttps://phas-wsd.org/wp-admin/upload.php?item=19145\nAerial photo showing the Pine Ridge 3 state and tribal/non-tribal ecosystem\nhttps://phas-wsd.org/wp-admin/upload.php?item=19141\nWyoming’s map of hunted areas imposed on a topographical map\nhttps://phas-wsd.org/wp-admin/upload.php?item=19140\nWyoming’s map of hunted areas imposed on a street map\nhttps://phas-wsd.org/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2025-05-30-at-11.26.06-AM-3.png\nNebraska’s map of its’ hunted areas:\nhttps://phas-wsd.org/wp-admin/upload.php?item=19001
URL:https://phas-wsd.org/event/comment-deadlines-june-10th-wyoming-game-fish-changes-to-mt-lion-and-wolf-hunting-seasons/
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