Montana Gold Claims

Bear Spray vs. Bullets

What is your experience? Personally, I carry bear spray as I am not confident of my ability with a weapon. In over 25 years of working my claims, I have never had an encounter with a bear, although I have seen several around camp. I believe in being aware, making a lot of noise and keeping a clean camp.  

Bear Spray vs. Bullets 

Which offers better protection?

 

At first glance, this question may seem like a no-brainer. After all, aren’t guns made to kill, while pepper spray (so-called “bear spray,” when it comes in big cans) does not? Unlike an attack by a human assailant, who may be able to use your own weapon against you, that safety/survival argument for using pepper spray doesn’t apply to a human-bear encounter... or does it? 

 

When it comes to self defense against grizzly bears, the answer is not as obvious as it may seem. In fact, experienced hunters are surprised to find that despite the use of firearms against a charging bear, they were attacked and badly hurt. Evidence of human-bear encounters even suggests that shooting a bear can escalate the seriousness of an attack, while encounters where firearms are not used are less likely to result in injury or death of the human or the bear. While firearms can kill a bear, can a bullet kill quickly enough -- and can the shooter be accurate enough -- to prevent a dangerous, even fatal, attack? 

 

The question is not one of marksmanship or clear thinking in the face of a growling bear, for even a skilled marksman with steady nerves may have a slim chance of deterring a bear attack with a gun. Law enforcement agents for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have experience that supports this reality -- based on their investigations of human-bear encounters since 1992, persons encountering grizzlies and defending themselves with firearms suffer injury about 50% of the time. During the same period, persons defending themselves with pepper spray escaped injury most of the time, and those that were injured experienced shorter duration attacks and less severe injuries. Canadian bear biologist Dr. Stephen Herrero reached similar conclusions based on his own research -- a person’s chance of incurring serious injury from a charging grizzly doubles when bullets are fired versus when bear spray is used. 

 

Awareness of bear behavior is the key to mitigating potential danger. Detecting signs of a bear and avoiding interaction, or understanding defensive bear behaviors, like bluff charges, are the best ways of escaping injury. The Service supports the pepper spray policy of the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee, which states that bear spray is not a substitute for following proper bear avoidance safety techniques, and that bear spray should be used as a deterrent only in an aggressive or attacking confrontation with a bear.

 

Like seatbelts, bear spray saves lives. But just as seatbelts don’t make driving off a bridge safe, bear spray is not a shield against deliberately seeking out or attracting a grizzly bear. No deterrent is 100% effective, but compared to all others, including firearms, proper use of bear spray has proven to be the best method for fending off threatening and attacking bears, and for preventing injury to the person and animal involved. 

 

Because the grizzly bear is federally protected in the Lower 48 States as a threatened species, it is a violation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to shoot one, except in self defense and defense of others during an imminent attack. 

 

Penalties under the ESA include up to 6 months in prison and a $100,000 fine. Additional penalties may also apply to violations of state law. For more information about bear spray and its effectiveness, see: 

 

http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/wildlife/igbc

Courtesy: US Fish and Wildli

 

Bear pepper spray is no substitute for appropriate conduct in bear country. It should only be relied on as a last resort and if you are typical of the vast majority of outdoor enthusiasts, you will never need to rely on it to resolve a bear-human encounter.

Panning Principles and Practice

First published in 1969, this BLM publication covers the basics for those new to gold prospecting.

 

 

 

 

Placer Examination - Principles and Practice
Technical Bulletin 4 Bureau of Land Management 1969

1. PANNING

• a. Preparation: After filling the pan approximately level full, carefully submerge it in quiet water, preferably resting it on the bottom of a shallow pool or tub with the top of the pan just below the water surface. After the material has become thoroughly wet, work over the contents with both hands and break up any lumps. If clay is present, knead and stir the material until the clay is dissolved and floated away. It is important that all clay be eliminated before actual panning begins. Wash off and throw out all large rocks. In this first step, the eye and hands substitute for a screen.

• b. Suspension and stratification: Commence this stage by grasping the pan with hands-on opposite sides and while holding the submerged pan level, twist it back and forth (clockwise and counterclockwise) with sufficient vigor to keep the contents loose. This allows the heavier minerals to migrate to the bottom of the pan and is similar to the action in a jig in which heavy mineral grains are separated from lighter grains by their ability to sink through a semi-fluid bed. If this second step is properly executed, the smallest and heaviest grains will migrate toward the bottom and the larger and lightest to the top. This will allow many of the pebble-sized rocks to be manually removed by raking them out of the pan with the fingers.

• c. Washing: The third step is one which, depending on the nature of the material being washed, may take on many variations. It is like Step 2 in that the entire contents of the pan are kept in motion, but as stratification of the bed develops, the lighter particles are allowed to escape over the rim of the pan. To do this, raise the pan partially above water and move the hands slightly back of center (allowing the pan to tip forward with the low side away from the panner) and change from the twisting motion of Step 2 to a flat circular motion. While keeping the pan partially submerged and its contents lose, gradually work the lighter-weight material over the low side of the pan. The rate of discharge is regulated by raising or lowering the pan rim and by using a side to side motion along with the flat circular motion. Alternate Steps 2 and 3 and wash until the bed begins to pack or until heavy minerals begin to crowd to the surface.

• d. Cleaning: The fourth step involves selectively washing away surface grains and, in effect, it can be compared to the action of wash water on a concentrating table. To prepare the now partially concentrated material for this step, the pan is given a short, quick side to side motion of sufficient vigor to thoroughly loosen the bed and further stratify the material. During this shaking phase, the pan is tipped gradually forward until the surface of the mineral bed becomes flush with the lip. At this point, the shaking is stopped and the mineral bed allowed to settle. Next, a thin layer of the lighter material is removed by carefully dipping and raising the pan with a forward-and-back motion which will wash off the surface grains a few at a time. The washing can be effectively controlled by use of a so, somewhat circular motion as well as the forward-and-back dipping motion. When the panner decides that further washing would cause a loss of values, the bed is re-stratified and more light material brought to the surface by repeating the vigorous side-to-side motion. Repeat the washing and shaking operations until the heavy-mineral concentrate is clean or until it is reduced to a volume small enough to permit inspection or removal of the gold. During the finishing steps, the panner can save time by raking any remaining pebbles out of the pan with his fingers and flicking out smaller particles with his thumb. These and other tricks come with practice.

• e. Inspection and estimating: At the end of the panning operation the original material will normally have been reduced to a small quantity of concentrate consisting mostly of black sand minerals. After putting a little clear water in the pan, the experienced panner will fan out the concentrate on the bottom of the pan and by "tailing" the gold he can inspect or count the colors. At this point, he can estimate the tenor of the sample. There are perhaps as many ways of tailing the gold as there are panners but this is usually accomplished by moving the pan in a way that causes the water to gently swirl around the trough formed at the intersection of the bottom and side of the pan. This swirl of water carries the lighter particles ahead of those which are heavier or finer and with careful manipulation, brings the gold colors into view at the tail of the slowly moving fan of concentrate.

• f. Removing the gold: Final separation of the gold from other heavy minerals can be made in a number of ways. Larger pieces can be picked out with tweezers or the point of the knife and small colors or specks can be picked up by pressing down on them with the end of a wooden match or a dry fingertip. Remove the gold by placing the fingertip over a vial of water and washing it off with a splash of water.
  
  A small globule of clean quicksilver (mercury), if rolled around in the pan, will pick up the gold providing it is untarnished and free of oil or grease. Tarnished gold can be brightened by rubbing it in the pan.
  
  Where there is a considerable amount of black sand, particularly if it is fine and densely packed, it may be easier to separate the gold by blowing. This is done by first drying the concentrate and then removing the magnetite with a common horseshoe magnet, and finally, by blowing the non-magnetic black sand residue away from the gold. To do this, place the non-magnetic residue in a dry gold pan or on a suitable sheet of stiff paper and holding it level, blow gently across its surface while tapping the pan or paper. This takes some practice but with care, a clean separation can be made in a surprisingly short time.

2. GENERAL NOTES ON PANNING WITH SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVING TECHNIQUE

• a. New pan - preparation for use: The film of grease or other rust preventative found on a new pan must be removed before use. This is best done by passing the pan over a gas stove burner or another suitable flame until the metal turns blue. Although this process is sometimes called "burning", care should be taken to avoid excessive heat. Blueing a pan not only frees it of grease but equally important, the resulting dark color. makes fine specks of gold much easier to see in the pan. The "burning" process should be repeated as often as necessary to keep the pan free of body oil films which accumulate on a pan in normal use.

• b. Pan factor: Gold pans are made in a variety of sizes but the size generally referred to as "standard" has a diameter of 16 inches at the top, 10 inches at the bottom and a depth of 2 1/2 inches. A typical pan will hold 336 cubic inches or 0.0072 cubic yard. The number of pans representing a cubic yard of material in place (bank-measure) is called the pan factor. Pan factors vary according to the size and shape of the pan, the swell of the ground when excavated, and the amount of heaping when filling the pan. In practice, factors for a 16-inch pan range from 150 to 200 but an approximate figure of 180 is often used. This is based on a struck pan (i.e., level full) and an assumed 20 to 25 percent gravel swell.

• 
  c. Recommended pan size: The average panner should not use a 16-inch pan but instead should use the so-called "half-size" pan which has a top diameter of 12 inches, a bottom diameter of 7 1/2 inches and a depth of 2 inches. The half-size pan level-full weighs approximately 9 pounds compared to about 20 pounds for the standard 16-inch pan. Halving the sample weight by use of the smaller pan not only reduces fatigue, particularly when much panning is to be done, but the fact that it is much easier to carry in the field and to use in a small stream or tub is an important consideration. The pan factor for a 12 x 7 1/2 x 2-inch pan is about 400, assuming a 20 to 25 percent gravel swell. Experience has shown that two half-size pans can usually be washed in less time than one full-size pan.

• d. Use of perforated pan: Panning, at best, is a tedious, back-breaking job and anything done to speed the operation or improve working conditions will be repaid many times over in the form of more reliable results. The beginner and experienced panner alike can profit by use of a sieve (sometimes referred to as a "grizzly" pan) made by drilling 1/4-inch holes in the bottom of a pan of the same size and shape as the one used for panning. To use the sieve, place it inside of the regular pan and then fill with gravel and submerge in water in the usual way. When the material is thoroughly wetted, lift the sieve slightly and twist it back and forth (under water) until all minus 1/4-inch material has passed into the regular pan. The plus 1/4-inch-material is discarded and the fines which dropped into the regular pan are washed in the usual way. Aside from speeding the overall panning operation, the use of a sieve enables the engineer to conveniently inspect the plus 1/4-inch rocks and to estimate the proportion of coarse material.

• e. Use of safety pan: Allowing the pan tailings to fall into a second pan generally referred to as a "safety" pan will guard against losing the sample by accident and will greatly expedite re-panning where this is called for.

• f. Panning large samples: When a large multi-pan sample is to be washed, rather than complete each successive pan, it is best to reduce them only to a rough concentrate. The rough concentrates are accumulated and are eventually combined for finishing in the usual manner.

• g. Stage panning: Where a large amount of heavy black sand is encountered, a stage-panning procedure can be used to advantage. This is done by panning and re-panning to successive high-grade concentrates without attempting to make a complete saving of black sand or values at any one stage. As the proportion of heavy minerals decreases with each successive re-pan, it becomes progressively easier to make a high-grade concentrate with a low-grade tailing. Usually, two or three re-pannings will make an acceptably clean tailing.

• h. Supplemental data: When panning a sample the experienced engineer will note a variety of things among which are: Its amenability to washing, particularly where clay or cementing materials are present; the proportion of coarse to fine material; any evidence of unusual muddy water problems; the composition and angularity of rocks; the relative ease of concentration; the quantity and composition of black sand; indications of valuable or potentially valuable accessory minerals; the size, shape and other physical characteristics of the gold including "rust", tarnish or other factors which would affect its amalgamation. Any of the foregoing could he important factors in a placer mining operation.

• i. Use as a geologic tool: Although the miners' pan is normally associated with gold deposits, it can be profitably employed when investigating a variety of heavy minerals such as monazite, scheelite, magnetite, ilmenite, cassiterite, chromite, cinnabar, etc. In general, it should be borne in mind that with few exceptions the pan can be employed in the study of either lode or detrital-type deposits containing finely divided minerals of relatively high specific gravity. The use of a miners' pan as a geologic tool has been studied and reported in detail by Mertie (1954) and by Theobald (1957).

 

1910 Forest Fire - A Glimpse Within The Gates Of Hades

A reminder that fire season looms as the spring grasses grow and the woods dry out. Let's all be extra careful with seasonal burning. 

 

By: Marlene Affeld

 

The 1910 Fire was the largest forest fire in American history, perhaps in the history of the world. Now, almost one hundred years later, the blackened ghosts of giant cedars stand in silent witness to the devastation and death that rode the wild winds of August.

 

In just over 48 horrific hours, starting in the late afternoon of Saturday, August 20th, the raging inferno devoured more than 8 billion board feet of virgin timber on 3 million acres in western Montana and northern Idaho, caused the deaths of 78 firefighters and 8 civilians and decimated 13.5 million dollars of personal property. Other forest fires have been more deadly, but none moved as savagely or swiftly across such a vast timbered wilderness as did the massive fire of 1910.

 

 

Continue Reading 1910 Forest Fire - A Glimpse Within The Gates Of Hades

 

Give the Gift of Life this year...

My Mountain Garden

The spring gardening catalogs are arriving in the mail - I am enjoying planning new additions to my gardens. I love butterflies and delight in watching them in nature. This year I plan to introduce a few new plantings to attract these intriguing visitors. The Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis Antiopa) is Montana's State Butterfly. I would like to be able to find them in my garden.

I have established lemon thyme and several varieties of mint at the base of my fruit trees. I have noticed an increased number of bumble bees but not as many butterflies as I would welcome. 

What do you do to attract butterflies, birds and wildlife to your garden? Please share your suggestions and experiences. Are you interested in exchanging plant seeds? I look forward to hearing from you, in the mean time, here are some resources to brighten these dark Winter days and have you thinking of Spring. 

Creating a Butterfly Garden (the basics to get started)

Butterfly Nectar Plants (plants adult butterflies like)

Butterfly Host Plants (plants caterpillars like)

Butterfly Gardening by Area (what butterflies live in your area)

Butterfly Garden Plans (the layout and design)

Butterfly Behavior To Watch in the Garden (feeding, basking, etc)

Sprucing Up Your Butterfly Garden (spruce up your existing garden)

Raise Butterflies & Build Them a Home (add butterflies to your garden)

Butterflies Found In Montana

Brush-footed Butterflies (Nymphalidae) Admirals and Relatives (Limenitidinae) 'Astyanax' Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax) Lorquin's Admiral (Limenitis lorquini) Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis) Viceroy (Limenitis archippus) Weidemeyer's Admiral (Limenitis weidemeyerii) White Admiral (Limenitis arthemis arthemis) Longwings (Heliconiinae) Alberta Fritillary (Boloria alberta) Aphrodite Fritillary (Speyeria aphrodite) Arctic Fritillary (Boloria chariclea) Astarte Fritillary (Boloria astarte) Bog Fritillary (Boloria eunomia) Callippe Fritillary (Speyeria callippe) Coronis Fritillary (Speyeria coronis) Edwards' Fritillary (Speyeria edwardsii) Freija Fritillary (Boloria freija) Frigga Fritillary (Boloria frigga) Great Basin Fritillary (Speyeria egleis) Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) Hydaspe Fritillary (Speyeria hydaspe) Meadow Fritillary (Boloria bellona) Mormon Fritillary (Speyeria mormonia) Northwestern Fritillary (Speyeria hesperis) Pacific Fritillary (Boloria epithore) Regal Fritillary (Speyeria idalia) Relict Fritillary (Boloria kriemhild) Silver-bordered Fritillary (Boloria selene) Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia) Zerene Fritillary (Speyeria zerene) Milkweed Butterflies (Danainae) Monarch (Danaus plexippus) True Brushfoots (Nymphalinae) American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis) California Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis californica) Compton Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis vaualbum) Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma) Edith's Checkerspot (Euphydryas editha) Field Crescent (Phyciodes pulchellus) Gillette's Checkerspot (Euphydryas gillettii) Gorgone Checkerspot (Chlosyne gorgone) Gray Comma (Polygonia progne) Green Comma (Polygonia faunus) Hoary Comma (Polygonia gracilis) Milbert's Tortoiseshell (Aglais milberti) Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) Mylitta Crescent (Phyciodes mylitta) Northern Checkerspot (Chlosyne palla) Northern Crescent (Phyciodes cocyta) Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) Pale Crescent (Phyciodes pallida) Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos) Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) Rockslide Checkerspot (Chlosyne whitneyi) Sagebrush Checkerspot (Chlosyne acastus) Satyr Comma (Polygonia satyrus) Silvery Checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis) Tawny Crescent (Phyciodes batesii) Variable Checkerspot (Euphydryas chalcedona) West Coast Lady (Vanessa annabella) Metalmarks (Riodinidae) Mormon Metalmark (Apodemia mormo) Parnassians and Swallowtails (Papilionidae) Parnassians (Parnassiinae) Clodius Parnassian (Parnassius clodius) Rocky Mountain Parnassian (Parnassius smintheus) Swallowtails (Papilioninae) Anise Swallowtail (Papilio zelicaon) Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) Canadian Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio canadensis) Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) Indra Swallowtail (Papilio indra) Old World Swallowtail (Papilio machaon) Pale Swallowtail (Papilio eurymedon) Two-tailed Swallowtail (Papilio multicaudata) Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus)

Courtesy of: Opler, Paul A., Harry Pavulaan, Ray E. Stanford, Michael Pogue, coordinators. 2006. 
Butterflies and Moths of North America. Bozeman, MT: Mountain Prairie Information Node.

 

 

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Pack It In - Pack It Out

Spring has arrived and it is time to get outdoors and enjoy nature in the high country. Prospectors respect the environment. Please set a good example. When you take a ride in the woods, take a few trash bags with you. Please help pick up the litter that scars our land.

 

"When you defile the pleasant streams and the wild bird's abiding place, you massacre a million dreams and cast your spittle in God's face." ~ John Drinkwater

By: Marlene Affeld

 

I am continually amazed by the disrespect of Mother Nature that many people exhibit. I am angry!

Last season, a prospecting buddy and I went up to the high country. As always, we had our shovels and gold pans. We intended to try our luck on a narrow drainage we had noticed on a previous trip. Our adventure was also a wonderful opportunity to enjoy NW Montana’s incredible fall foliage and hopefully view some wildlife. The journey to Barber Gulch on Oregon Creek was spectacular; the tamaracks were in full glory, their needles shimmering in the sun like molten gold against a cloudless cobalt sky. A perfect day to enjoy the woods, or so we thought.

 

Continue Reading Pack It In - Pack It Out

 

Celebrate Earth Day! Plant a tree!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Color In Your Pan

How To Bear Proof Your Property

Saw fresh bear sign this morning. Thought it would be a good idea to re-post this article. 

Information from a pamphlet produced by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee, the Wyoming Game and Fish Dept., and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

 

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'Bear-proof' your property.  No matter where we live in Bear Country we're never too far from bears, spectacular animals that, unfortunately can get into trouble with humans. Homeowners, remember that bears have an extremely good sense of smell and will check out anything that smells like food. They also have good memories - once "rewarded" with food, a bear will return with regularity to sites where they once got a free meal. The best approach is to 'bear-proof' your property by storing food, garbage and other attractants away from bears.

 

 

 

  Stored garbage often attracts bears.   Once a bear uses human garbage as food, it is very difficult to persuade the bear to leave the area. Bears that are drawn to stored garbage but are unable to obtain feed will usually leave and not return.

Some Garbage Care Tips

•   To decrease odors, store garbage in tightly tied or heavy duty bags.
•   Store garbage in 'bear-resistant' dumpsters or garbage cans.
•   If a bear-proof container is not available, store the garbage inside until it can be taken to a refuse site.
•   Take advantage of regular trash pickup services. Don't stockpile your garbage - it will begin to smell and may attract a bear.
• Store extra smelly items like fish parts and meat bones in a freezer until they can be taken to a refuse site.

 

Bears are intelligent creatures. It doesn't take long for a bear to realize that improperly stored garbage is an easy source of food. The pattern of events is predictable: A bear feeds on garbage and people enjoy the spectacle. After a few visits, the bear loses its fear of humans because the lure of garbage is greater than its natural tendency to avoid people. When the bear no longer fears humans, someone usually gets hurt and the bear is destroyed. 

'Garbage bears' are often killed because it is the only practical option available. Transported bears often return from great distances to their home territory, and those that don't return take their raiding habits with them to new areas. The adage that "A Fed Bear Is A Dead Bear!" is usually true.
Bears are very opportunistic and eat basically everything that humans and their pets and livestock do.

 

 

The following is a breakdown of typical bear attractants and what you can do to avoid inviting a bear to your home:

•   Bird Feeders  - Only place as much bird feed in the feeder as birds can consume in a few hours. There will be less spillage on the ground and less waste.
•   Hummingbird feeders  - Bring in at night.
•   Dog food  - It is always best to feed dogs inside. Feed only that amount that your dog can consume at one time.
• Horse grain and cubes - Store all grain and cubes in bear-resistant containers, sheds or structures. When feeding, feed only that amount that your horse can consume at one time.
• BBQ's - Keep clean and in a garage or shed when not in use.
• Orchards - Clean up fallen fruit immediately - don't allow fruit to rot on the ground.
• Compost piles - Composting of anything other than grass or leaves is not recommended.
• Gardens - Avoid growing aromatic vegetables, fruits or herbs. Root crops are best but can still attract the interest of a hungry bear.

 

 

 

 

Electric fences (the more strands the better) have been used successfully in a variety of circumstances where bears are attempting to access human foods or garbage. Properly constructed fences can deter bears from attractants including garbage storing facilities, beehives, orchards, gardens and even sewage lagoons. Electric fences are relatively inexpensive to install but take regular maintenance. It is not recommended that electric fences be used around human dwellings, as some bears have been known to jump or push their way through an electric fence when startled by the electric shock.

Chain link has been used to successfully keep bears out of landfills, sewage treatment areas, and trash collection centers. Chain link fence alone has been used successfully in areas of low bear concentrations and where bears have not been exposed to food sources. Occasionally, bears have dug under or climbed over fences to reach food sources. It is recommended that the chain link fence be buried 3 feet in the ground. A concrete pad under the gate may be necessary.

Shed construction should consist of a material strong enough to prevent the bear from chewing through it, and be fitted snug enough to prevent the bear from getting their claws underneath the material. Bears are very strong and have been known to tear siding off when they have been able to get their claws under it. Good bets for wall materials are concrete block, bricks, steel siding, or heavy wooden siding.

         

Litter Is Ugly!

 

By:Marlene Affeld

The next time you head out to enjoy nature, take a careful look around. You may be surprised at how many cans, plastic bottles and cigarette butts you notice. Litter surveys show that annually over 350 pounds of trash and 3,000 cigarette butts are picked up per mile of interstate highway. That is disgusting! These figures do not include all the garbage dumped on state highway and rural roads.

Now think about all the trash and toxins that make their way into our streams, rivers, lakes and oceans.

So what, some may ask; why worry about litter? Because it harms us all! Litter is ugly!The natural beauty of our world is diminished by thoughtlessly tossed out trash, it pollutes our land and injures wildlife. Trash pollution degrades our lives. The amount of litter in this country is a shameful reflection of our society.

"Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together." ~ Chief Seattle 1855

Cigarettes are the most littered item in America, carelessly tossed, one cigarette at a time to defile our beaches, parks, nature trails and other public areas. The materials used in cigarette filters do not degrade and go away. However, the greatest danger from flicked cigarettes is that they start fires. Every year millions of acres of our forest and grasslands are destroyed by fires started by a mindless disposal of cigarettes.

Littering is dangerous. Trash and debris that blows or falls off a vehicle can cause auto accidents, often resulting in serious injury or death. The majority of these types of accidents could be prevented by tying down or covering loads.

Please do not be a part of the problem. In the United States each one of us produces almost five pounds of trash each day. That is over a ton per year. Be responsible for the trash you produce and dispose of it properly.

Earth Hour

Earth Hour is an annual international event created by the WWF (World Wildlife Fund), held on the last Saturday of March, that asks households and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights and electrical appliances for one hour to raise awareness towards the need to take action on climate change. Based on an idea successfully executed in Thailand in 2005, it was pioneered by WWF Australia and the Sydney Morning Hearld in 2007 and achieved worldwide participation in 2008.

Earth Hour will next take place on Saturday, March 28, 2009 at 8:30 pm, local time.

All’s set for Earth Hour on March 28

FOR one hour this Saturday night, at 8:30 o’clock, businesses, homes and even national landmarks in the Philippines will join more than 377 great cities of the world across 74 countries in turning off their lights as a reminder of the urgent need to curb our energy consumption and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions to save the earth, so far the only known inhabited and habitable body in the universe.

Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes said Philippine participation in Earth Hour this year is a simple powerful message about the need for action on global warming. “Turning off the lights for an hour sends a very powerful message to the world leaders that people want policies and regulations put in place that can achieve meaningful emission reduction to help fight climate change.”  

Reyes said that last year, the country ranked ninth in the world in terms of number of people that responded to the Earth Hour calls over the Internet.

The “lights out” initiative by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), which began in Sydney in 2007 as a one-city environmental campaign, has evolved into a grassroots action that has captured the attention of
the citizens of the world. In 2008, 371 cities across 35 countries turned their lights out in a united call for action on climate change.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon has called Earth Hour “a way for the citizens of the world to send a clear message. They want action on climate change.”

“It promises to be the largest demonstration of public concern about climate change ever attempted. People will be telling their representatives to seal a deal in Copenhagen, a deal at the climate-change talks that will protect people and the planet,” he added.

Ban said the deal that emerges from Copenhagen must be ambitious, fair and effective, and based on sound science. “We are on a dangerous path. Our planet is warming. We must change our ways. We need green growth that benefits all communities. We need sustainable energy for a more climate-friendly, prosperous world. This is the path of the future. We must walk it together.”

Earth Hour occurs the day before the first round of crucial United Nations negotiations of 2009 on the new climate-change agreement takes place in Bonn, Germany.  

Aside from Manila and other cities in the the Philippines, the list of cities confirming their participation in Earth Hour 2009 are London, Beijing, Rome, Moscow, Los Angeles, Rio de Janeiro, Hong Kong, Dubai, Singapore, Athens, Buenos Aires, Toronto, Sydney, Mexico City, Istanbul, Copenhagen, Las Vegas, Brussels, Cape Town, Helsinki, among others.

Earth Hour will also see the lights go out on some of the most recognized landmarks on the planet, including Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Table Mountain in Cape Town, Merlion in Singapore, Sydney Opera House, CN Tower in Toronto, Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, and the world’s tallest constructed building, Taipei 101.

Courtesy: Business Mirror

Scientists Gather in Washington to Discuss Rainforest's Future

By Zulima Palacio - Voice Of America News Washington 23 January 2009

In Washington, scientists gathered to debate the present and future of the world's tropical rainforests. 

Tropical rainforests around the globe have the greatest concentration of species and the most bio-diversity on our planet. But now large areas of rainforest have been cleared and many species have disappeared or are on their way to extinction. And scientists are discussing the chances for survival and the future of the rainforest.

"About 25 percent of the known living species of mammals are considered to be in danger of extinction, most of these in tropical rainforest areas," says Cristian Samper, director of the National Museum of Natural History, and organizer of the event. 

He says at least one fourth of the world's rainforest has been lost over the last 150 years. 

"The most worrisome part is that when you look at the next 50 years, we estimate we may lose another 25 percent," he said. 

Samper and other scientists agree that the loss is due to a combination of factors but deforestation, for timber and agriculture, is the most important. 

Additional threats include over-population, pollution and climate change, invasive species, and hunting.  The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama is the world's oldest and largest research center for tropical biology. 

Eldredge Bermingham is the director. He says the rainforest in some regions are in critical condition. "The biggest worry right now in terms of extinction is South East Asia," Bermingham said.

Nigel Stork is a scientist at the University of Melbourne in Australia. He says most of the species lost are insects, and they play a key role.  

He explained what happened when cattle were introduced to Australia decades ago. "There were no native organisms to break down cow dung and thousands of hectares of land were getting covered with cow dung which instead of breaking down in 3 months as it does down here (in the United States)," Stork explained. "It takes 7 years in Australia. And there were lots of flies."

Elizabeth Bennett at the Hunting and Wildlife Trade Program of the Wildlife Conservation Society, says commercial hunting is now a global business, supplying developed countries with exotic meats, pets, furs and trophies like elephant tusks and lion heads.  "In the year 2000, Sumatra was exporting 25 tons of turtles per week to China," she added. 

Bennett says logging companies have built roads into remote areas, making them vulnerable to hunters. But the most horrific prospect is the "empty forest syndrome". "The empty forest syndrome is a phenomenon where you have a pretty intact forest. So if you are looking from a satellite picture or airplane, it looks like a really nice forest," she said. "But it has been very heavily hunted and so it has fallen silent."

Many scientists agree that while the rainforest could survive in one form or another, many species of large animals may not. And, in the end, we might only be left with vegetation in a world that has lost its balance.

Western Red Cedar

By: Marlene Affeld

The Tree of Life - Western Red Cedar (Thuya plicata) is a major species which flourishes in northwestern Montana and because of its exceptional durability has become known as arbour-vitae 'The Tree of Life'. Of Montana's total land area (93 million acres), 17 coniferous tree species cover about 22.5 million acres. Of these 17 species, the Western Red Cedar stands out as the largest, oldest and perhaps the best of the many trees that grace Montana.

During winter in the high country of the Bitterroot Mountains, many feet of heavy snow blanket the land in white silence. Snow accumulations often exceed 20 feet. In years of heavy snow seasons, the spring melt is impressive. Creeks and streams are rapidly moving torrents that often undermine the roots and sometimes topple the giant forest trees. Western Red Cedars grow on hillsides in moist areas beside streams so are most often affected by high water run off.

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