Weyerhaeuser’s Post

You've probably heard that #SCOTUS did away with "Chevron deference" last week. We cover that for you today on WorkersCompensation.com. In a nutshell, the Court's majority, in an opinion written by Chief Justice Roberts, said: 👨⚖️ The Aministrative Procedure Act requires courts to exercise their independent judgment in deciding whether an agency has acted within its statutory authority, and courts may not defer to an agency interpretation of the law simply because a statute is ambiguous. 👨⚖️ The Chevron doctrine was "nothing more than a distraction from the question that matters: Does the statute authorize the challenged agency action?" The dissenters in the case, led by Justice Kagan, had concerns that courts won't have the knowledge that agencies have to make decisions. For example: 👩⚖️ Under the Endangered Species Act, the Fish and Wildlife Service must designate endangered “vertebrate fish or wildlife” species, including “distinct population segment[s]” of those species. 16 U.S.C. § 1532(16); see § 1533. What makes one population segment “distinct” from another? Must the Service treat the Washington State population of western gray squirrels as “distinct” because it is geographically separated from other western gray squirrels? Or can the Service take into account that the genetic makeup of the Washington population does not differ markedly from the rest? See Northwest Ecosystem Alliance v. United States Fish and Wildlife Serv., 475 F.3d 1136, 1140–1145, 1149 (9th Cir. 2007).

Week 9 is a celebration 🎉 week as I’ve passed the halfway mark of the 1000 km goal. I am also making good headway on the catchup distances from the early weeks when I didn’t have a good system in place for hitting the goal; 543 km down, 457 km remaining. Sturgeon info this week is from US Fish and Wildlife Service and is on similar species to the Atlantic Sturgeon: The Gulf sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi) is a sub-species of Atlantic sturgeon that ranges from Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana to the Suwanee River in Florida. Gulf sturgeon can grow to be 6 to 8 feet in length and exhibit similar life history traits to Atlantic sturgeon. Shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) are smaller bodied than Atlantic sturgeon and spend more of their lives in freshwater and brackish water, though some populations have been shown to make marine migrations between coastal rivers. Gulf and shortnose sturgeon have also been impacted by dams, habitat degradation, overfishing and other human impacts, which resulted in their listing under the Endangered Species Act. Gulf sturgeon were listed as threatened in 1991 and shortnose sturgeon were listed as endangered in 1967. Here is a link to a video about the work several folks in Virginia were doing on Atlantic Sturgeon a decade ago, but its still great information. Enjoy! https://lnkd.in/eZBZq-nX #HappyFish #WFMD2024 #KathyForWFMD2024

🐾Crossing into some possibly Exciting news! Conservationists are Big Cat chattering with reports of a new mountain lion sighted in Griffith Park. The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area biologists are investigating but reliable sources say this time it’s a She Cat, unlike the dearly missed male, world famous P-22. For many of us that live local to Griffith Park, our friend and biggest fan of P22 Mountain Lion of Hollywood, Beth Pratt reminds to: “Please give the cat space if you see him-we are trying to avoid for now people trying to photograph him -lights and sounds from cameras could impact this cat’s behavior as we don’t know if he is as comfortable in front of the cameras as P-22. And even P-22 would avoid some cameras as well. If you do see him, please let us know as this will help the researchers. He is not collared. If this cat is confirmed and becomes part of the study, the National Park Service is at the point in their numbering system that he could be named P-122! Very exciting to contemplate another mountain lion may be calling Griffith Park home! Long live P-22!” At minimum - with a huge effort underway to advocate for more Wildlife Bridges in the largest state in the union but with the lowest number of Wildlife bridges, a sad fact in a state so rich in resources, please join our Zoom with Caltrans HQ hopefully this newest visiting Puma will propel the state to start building more safe passages for our wondering native species. See ZOOM info below. 🐆🛣️ 🦌 Big Cat Caltrans HQ Webinar time here’s a pouncing calendar reminder! Conservation-Talks Episode 9: Wildlife Crossings with Caltrans Environmental Scientists 📌 Thursday, May 23 • noon Learn more about Caltrans' wildlife crossings and how they're saving lives! Don't miss out on discovering how these crossings are crucial for preserving wildlife populations and reducing collisions. ▶️Register now: https://lnkd.in/gzNUd8Pw #CaliforniaTransportationFoundation National Geographic Caltrans #CaltransCulture #CTTalks #NationalGeographic #CaliforniaMountainLionProject #conservationmatters #insidenatgeo #sanctuarylife

California Mountain Lion Population Is Thousands Fewer Than Previously Estimated The first large-scale study of mountain lion numbers in California has been completed by scientists from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW); the nonprofits Audubon Canyon Ranch and the Institute for Wildlife Studies; University of California, Santa Cruz; and University of California, Davis. The population estimate of between 3,200 and 4,500 cougars is […] The post California Mountain Lion Population Is Thousands Fewer Than Previously Estimated appeared first on EcoWatch .

California Mountain Lion Population Is Thousands Fewer Than Previously Estimated The first large-scale study of mountain lion numbers in California has been completed by scientists from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW); the nonprofits Audubon Canyon Ranch and the Institute for Wildlife Studies; University of California, Santa Cruz; and University of California, Davis. The population estimate of between 3,200 and 4,500 cougars is […] The post California Mountain Lion Population Is Thousands Fewer Than Previously Estimated appeared first on EcoWatch .

California Mountain Lion Population Is Thousands Fewer Than Previously Estimated The first large-scale study of mountain lion numbers in California has been completed by scientists from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW); the nonprofits Audubon Canyon Ranch and the Institute for Wildlife Studies; University of California, Santa Cruz; and University of California, Davis. The population estimate of between 3,200 and 4,500 cougars is […] The post California Mountain Lion Population Is Thousands Fewer Than Previously Estimated appeared first on EcoWatch .

Spring is here and so is the sensitive timing periods for a variety of wildlife. In BC, most native birds and their nests are protected under the provincial Wildlife Act and federal Migratory Birds Convention Act – some all year round, and most only when active and occupied by a bird or its egg. In the Lower Mainland, the nesting period is generally between March 1 and August 31; however, for some birds, such as the Bald Eagle, Osprey, Great Blue Heron, and Pileated Woodpecker nests are protected year-round. Bird nest surveys can be an effective tool to reduce the risk of harming actively nesting birds if vegetation clearing for your project is required during the bird nesting window. Our professional biologists and Qualified Environmental Professionals (QEPs) can help identify active nests before vegetation is cleared. Read more about Bird Nesting Season on our website and to connect with one of our biologists. https://lnkd.in/gB88uhNA #EnvironmentalConsulting #BirdNestingSeason #BiologicalServices #TechnicalExperts

Want to know more about human-wildlife coexistence around protected areas? Then do we have an article for you! Dr. Leandra Merz and her colleagues studied human perceptions of wildlife in eastern #Zambia and found some really interesting results. The relationships between people and wildlife can vary greatly, even within the same communities. Interestingly, the tolerance of local wildlife is rarely studied. They used interviews & structured sampling to understand what people thought of the local wildlife. In one of their surveys, they gave participants cards with pictures of wildlife and asked them to sort them into piles of animals they wanted/didn't want in their community. The results? A very complex relationship! For example, elephants were seen as the most liked, disliked, beneficial, AND harmful. 🐘 This underscores just how complicated it can be to understand people's tolerance to wildlife, and why we need more #HumanDimensions research. You can read the full paper in @StacksJournal. It's #openaccess and went through their new collaborative process of peer review. https://lnkd.in/gNtWD7ef

How well do you know your tracks? Our wolverine program works with the Cascades Wolverine Project (CWP) in Washington State. CWP uses track photos submitted by the public to understand wolverine distribution in the Cascades mountain range. But how good are these data? These photos of wildlife tracks are used to test wildlife professionals, such as those at CWP, on their ability to identify the species associated with tracks. Take the track quiz ➡️ https://loom.ly/EJYqpLI

“Conservation Dogs: A Bumblebee’s Best Friend” Webinar with Laura Holder 🐶 June 19, 2024 @ 6pm 🌐 We all know how nosey dogs are, but did you know dogs are being utilized for their sniffing superpowers to locate endangered and invasive species of plants, animals, and insects? Join Laura Holder of Conservation Dogs Collective for an informative presentation about how their Finders (the superhero sniffer dogs!) are lending a high-capable nose in locating bumblebee nests to assist with species preservation and protection. Driven by her boundless curiosity about how dogs think, learn and detect scent, Laura has been nose-deep in the professional fields of scent-detection, nose work and dog training since 2009. Her lifelong fascination with canines, especially their unique ability to work alongside humans, inspires her every day in her work. Her passion lies in leading and deploying the Finder-Keeper teams of Conservation Dogs Collective to support clients in their critical conservation efforts, and especially loves working alongside her two Finders, Ernie and Betty White. You can register for this webinar at https://lnkd.in/gVyvaGdb 🔗 #wolfpark #wolves #foxes #bison #wolf #conservation #visitindiana #visitlafayette #explorepage #explore