Friday, December 11, 2015

Making Bison the National Mammal

A bison calf rests near sagebrush and its mother
The bison is the largest land mammal in North America. Bulls are more massive in appearance than cows, and more bearded. For their size, bison are agile and quick, capable of speeds in excess of 30 mph. Each year, bison injure park visitors who approach too closely.


This bill adopts the North American bison as the national mammal of the United States.

Thursday, December 10, 2015

Hunting Range & Quotas/ Grizzly Bears


Grizzly bear at Glacier National Park. Photo credit: Erwin and Peggy Bauer, USFWS

Photo credit: Erwin and Peggy Bauer, USFWS


Bozeman Chronicle: USFWS letter indicates grizzly bear delisting proposal coming soon 
 Montana Grizzlies on the Road to Recovery
“The species has recovered to more than 1,700 wild bears in the U.S., despite naturally low reproductive rates. Today, grizzlies occur in five populations spread across Wyoming, Washington, Idaho, and Montana. Of these areas, the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem, located in northwestern Montana, is home to the largest number of grizzlies. The Northern Continental Divide grizzlies are thriving—growing approximately three percent each year. Grizzlies here have even begun to move outside the designated recovery zone.”

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Syrian Refugees/ Education Bill

Missoulian: Syrian refugees welcomed by agencies despite states' fight
U.S. Plans To Lead in Resettling Syrian Refugees
“Imagine losing practically everything – your loved ones, your home, your profession, and your dignity. Imagine the frustration of languishing for years, unable to work or send children to school, exhausting your resources and relying on handouts. Imagine fearing that this situation is never going to end.
For Syrians and for other victims of violence and persecution – resettlement offers not just an escape, but a chance to start over.”

S.1177 - Every Child Achieves Act of 2015
“This bill reauthorizes and amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). The bill addresses issues such as accountability and testing requirements, distribution and requirements for grants, fiscal accountability requirements, and the evaluation of teachers.
The bill provides states with increased flexibility and responsibility for developing accountability systems, deciding how federally required tests should be weighed, selecting additional measures of student and school performance, and implementing teacher evaluation systems.

It includes grants for providing language instruction educational programs, improving low-performing schools, and developing programs for American Indian and Alaska Native students. The bill provides rural school districts with increased flexibility in using federal funding. It also revises the Impact Aid formula.”

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Walleye in Swan Lake

Male Walleye photo.

Walleye
“Walleyes are found across much of Montana, but most common in some of the large reservoirs in the eastern and central parts of the state. Although there is no record of walleyes being native to Montana, they were found in the Missouri River downstream from what is now Montana.”

Monday, December 7, 2015

Largest Navy Destroyer/ Pearl Harbor/ DOJ Investigates Chicago Police



Missoulian: Surviving Pearl Harbor: Anaconda veteran recalls safer times
New National Archives Video Short Gives Fresh Look at Pearl Harbor Attack
“The story of what FDR called “a date which will live in infamy” has been told many times in print and on film. A new “Inside the Vaults” video short “Pearl Harbor: In Their Own Words” (2:42) from the National Archives highlights a source that chronicles the events of December 7, 1941, from the point of view of the men on board the ships in the harbor. Watch the video on the National Archives YouTube channel here: http://tiny.cc/PearlHarbor.”


Missoulian: US Justice Department to investigate Chicago police
Justice Department Opens Pattern or Practice Investigation into the Chicago Police Department
“Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch announced today that the Justice Department has opened a civil pattern or practice investigation into Chicago Police Department (CPD), pursuant to the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994.  The department’s investigation of CPD will seek to determine whether there are systemic violations of the Constitution or federal law by officers of CPD.  The investigation will focus on CPD’s use of force, including racial, ethnic and other disparities in use of force, and its systems of accountability.”