Agriculture Secretary Perdue Details Response to Recent Wildfires
Forests and Grasslands in Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies Affected
(Washington. D.C., August 21, 2017) - U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today outlined the U.S. Forest Service’s assets and responses to a recent outbreak of extreme wildfires over large parts of the Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies. The fires, affecting forests and grasslands, are burning across Western Montana, Idaho, Northern California, Oregon, and Washington.
“Our courageous USFS firefighters do an outstanding job and are able to catch 98 percent of all fires before they become large fires,” Perdue said. “To help them, we will make sure firefighters have all the necessary tools at their disposal in order to save lives, property, and our forests. We will also work hand-in-hand with our federal partners, particularly the Department of Interior, during this aggressive fire season.”
Many different types of equipment and firefighting resources are available to fire managers. As of August 21, 2017, the resources available for wildland fire suppression included:
Wildland firefighting is a partnership among federal agencies, state agencies, and local fire departments, with the U.S. Forest Service taking on an important leadership and coordination role. Federal resources are provided for fires across the country, whether fires are on federal, state, tribal, or private lands. So far this season, firefighting agencies have responded to about 42,809 fires across about 6.4 million acres. The Forest Service, in partnership with state and local agencies, will continue to vigorously respond to wildfires with an array of assets. The National Interagency Fire Center is constantly reviewing fire conditions in order to position available resources to ensure the fastest response possible.
Perdue has announced that long-time Forest Service employee Tony Tooke will become the new Chief of the agency on September 1, 2017. Tooke replaces Tom Tidwell, whose time as Forest Service Chief capped a 40-year career with the agency. The selection of Tooke will ensure that there is continuity of leadership as the Forest Service continues its vital mission.
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Jonathan Carey "Champion for the Disabled" Born September 12,1993 Killed by caregivers on February 15,2007
Desperate and despicable attempts by the Cuomo administration to silence and damage the reputation of well known New York Times whistle-blower
I am requesting whistle-blower protection and a Federal investigation into the abuse of power within the Cuomo administration.”
— Jeffrey Monsour - New York Times Whistle-Blower
ALBANY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES, August 21, 2017 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Here is the letter sent by Jeffrey Monsour to his State and federal representatives seeking immediate assistance to protect the disabled in grave danger.
Dear: NYS Senator Little, NYS Assemblyman Dan Stec and Congresswoman Elise Stefanik,
The NYS Justice Center/OPWDD [Office Of People With Developmental Disabilities] & The Cuomo administration are now using a level 3 registered sex offender to silence me from speaking up about abuse, neglect, waste, false claims, mismanagement etc. A level 3 child molester made a false allegation against me, while I was officially on NYS OPWDD duty, supervising him in a Burger King, alleging that I called him names. The Level 3 registered sex offender later recanted and said that staff at an OPWDD group home had coerced him into making the false allegation. (fyi, the child molester is currently back in jail again, this time for parole violation.) Which begs the question, how does an individual who is deemed mentally competent to be incarcerated in prison/jail qualify for federally funded NYS OPWDD services to begin with?!? (possible false claim? or loophole?) How many qualified children and adults with disabilities are being denied Federally funded services in America?
The Cuomo administration has full knowledge of this, yet continues to pursue me, wasting valuable Taxpayer dollars and resources, including once unnecessarily sending the NYS Bureau of Criminal Investigation to my home in an attempt to intimidate me. Meanwhile, the NYS Justice Center fails to properly investigate maggots in a individuals breathing tube/ tracheotomy, Individual to Individual abuse, suspicious deaths of individuals, Neglect etc! Disgraceful and illegal!!! (see below links)
I am requesting whistle-blower protection and a Federal investigation into the abuse of power within the Cuomo administration.
I am respectfully requesting that you do SOMETHING!
Sincerely,
Jeff Monsour
(518) 696-5025
Cuomo Administration Caught Trying to Silence Whistleblower http://menrec.com/cuomo-administration-caught-trying-to-silence-whistleblower/ AP Maggot Story Further Exposes Gov. Cuomo’s Corrupt ... http://www.todayinnewyork.com/2017/08/11/ap-maggot-story-further-exposes-gov-cuomos-corrupt-justice-center-scheme/ Agency sent reports of suspicious deaths to ... - AP News https://apnews.com/27b17232ed3c41d1b79db9c444e0e484 State worker gets visit by police http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/State-worker-gets-visit-by-police-5529808.php - Times Union 9 deaths, no charges raise questions about ... - AP News https://apnews.com/34c9c059196a4b70bc8ded92d2fbe4b7 AP Exclusive: Maggot case gives rare look at neglect probes https://apnews.com/42be9732bf4b49989969310e400cd758
New York Times “Abused and Used” series - nytimes.com http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/nyregion/abused-and-used-series-page.html Lawmaker seeks probe after AP reveals maggots in NY facility http://www.apnewsarchive.com/2017/AP-Exclusive-A-New-York-state-lawmaker-is-seeking-a-federal-investigation-into-facilities-for-the-disabled-after-an-Associated-Press-story-revealed-that-a-man-was-infested-with-maggots-/id-695e9706121140bf9b025a0a273f4703 Cuomo Administration Continues to Pursue Case Against ... http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/22/nyregion/cuomo-administration-continues-to-pursue-case-against-jeffrey-monsour.html Glens Falls man sues state over whistleblower retaliation ... http://poststar.com/news/local/glens-falls-man-sues-state-over-whistleblower-retaliation/article_a610a5de-9659-11e2-9c25-001a4bcf887a.html
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HEADS-IN-HELMETS ACROSS UTAH
Interview Charity Founder Howard Spiva
for FREE Helmets & Important Bike Safety Info
Summer and Fall is a prime time for biking in Utah. Over the next few months, cyclists will casually ride with friends or participate in one of the many formal races scheduled across the state.
While formal races often require participants to wear helmets, hundreds of cyclists are killed each year in traffic accidents because they were not wearing a helmet.
As of now, 22 states, including the District of Columbia, have statewide laws regarding mandatory helmet use by minors.
Yet there is no law in Utah requiring the use of helmets at any age! (Source)
Heads in Helmets is a charity giving away FREE helmets to kids and their families all across America.
Interview Heads-in-Helmets founder, Howard Spiva
for important safety information every cyclist and driver should know.
"Our main goal is for kids to know that helmets are cool,“ says Spiva.
Spiva has seen hundreds of accidents in his 30 years of practicing law and knows the lifelong struggle of individuals who suffer with traumatic brain injuries after not wearing a helmet. In his new book, Winning Your Case, Spiva describes the importance of protecting children & adults from traumatic brain injuries and how a simple helmet can mean the difference between life and death. " We can't afford to be complacent about this issue."
Heads in Helmets & Spiva are on a crusade to protect children from fatalities and bring this knowledge to the masses.
ABOUT HEADS IN HELMETS
Heads in Helmets is a charity dedicated to preventing traumatic brain injuries in children. Founded in 1999 by Howard Spiva, the charity gives away 1000s of helmets each year to kids and their families across America. Their mission is to spread awareness of traumatic brain injury and promote bike safety. "Our main goal is for kids to know that Helmets are cool!“ The foundation teams up with community and business leaders throughout the year to host events and to give away helmets. The local police, fire department, military and local physicians' offices all join in to help the worthy cause.
ABOUT HOWARD SPIVA
Founder of the charity Heads in Helmets, attorney Howard E. Spiva has been known as the “kids lawyer” with a mission to prevent traumatic brain injuries in children. He is the author of “Winning Your Case,” the former host of the radio show “Never Settle For Less,” and he has been interviewed on countless TV/Radio shows. As an attorney, Spiva served as past president of the Southern Trial Lawyers Association and his firm, Spiva Law Group has a long history of winning personal injury verdicts and negotiating settlement claims involving children, brain injuries, premises liability, truck wrecks, and wrongful death.
Visit: http://spivalaw.com and https://www.facebook.com/ HeadsInHelmets
===============================Court Mandates Endangered Species Act Regulation of Utah Prairie Dogs on Non-Federal Lands
Contacts:
Ryan Moehring, ryan_moehring@fws.gov; 303-236-0345 (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
Jessica Van Woeart, jessicavan@utah.gov; 435-691-5700 (Utah Division of Wildlife Resources)
DENVER – The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a mandate yesterday, which reinstates Endangered Species Act (ESA) regulation of the threatened Utah prairie dog on non-federal lands. The decision overturns a 2014 U.S. District Court for the District of Utah decision that removed federal ESA protection for the species on non-federal lands and transferred management to the State of Utah. The species is now regulated under the ESA across all land ownerships.
“Our focus now,” said Larry Crist, Field Supervisor for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Utah Ecological Services Field Office, “is to work cooperatively with our partners at the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, local counties, and landowners to continue conservation of the Utah prairie dog in a flexible and collaborative manner.”
Kevin Bunnell, Southern Region Supervisor for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, stated, “We are working collaboratively with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to carry forward many of the successful principles in the State’s management plan as we transition to federal management. We will also continue working closely with the Service to conserve and manage Utah prairie dog populations, while striving to minimize their impacts on residents and business owners.”
“We believe that the Endangered Species Act process works best when we build strong partnerships between the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, states, and local communities, rather than through litigation and court mandates,” said Greg Sheehan, Principle Deputy Director of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. “We appreciate the state’s management planning efforts for the species and hope to use many of those approaches as a conservation model moving forward."
One of the management tools reinstated upon issuance of the mandate is the 1998 Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) for Iron County, which was designed to authorize take of Utah prairie dogs in some circumstances. The majority of requests for incidental take of Utah prairie dogs are from Iron County.
In addition to the 1998 HCP, the Service is also reinstating a 4(d) rule, which is a range-wide tool to help reduce conflicts for private landowners. The 4(d) rule authorizes lethal take of Utah prairie dogs where they cause conflicts with agricultural uses or human health and safety.
The Service is also working with the State of Utah, counties, and other partners to prepare a General Conservation Plan (GCP) that integrates the State’s management plan, meets the ESA legal framework, and provides a streamlined process for developers or landowners to obtain take permits for development projects. While the GCP is designed to meet near-term needs, the overall long-term goal is to replace the GCP with a locally-driven conservation strategy for the Utah prairie dog.
The Utah prairie dog was listed as endangered in 1973 and down-listed to threatened in 1984. Utah prairie dogs occur in Iron, Beaver, Garfield, Kane, Piute, Sevier, and Wayne Counties in central and southwestern Utah. Recent Utah prairie dog population trends are stable to increasing, but the species remains vulnerable to habitat loss and plague.
Learn more about the species: https://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/es/utahPrairieDog.php.
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals, and commitment to public service.
For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/. Connect with our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/USFWSMountainPrairie, follow our tweets at http://twitter.com/USFWSMtnPrairie, watch our YouTube Channel at http://www.youtube.com/usfws and download photos from our Flickr page at http://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwsmtnprairie/.
