Yeah, so, like, East Idaho News conducted an interview with the newly hired Henry's Fork Wildlife Alliance (HFWA) program coordinator. Originally from Connecticut, she spent time in Vermont growing up, and moved to Idaho in June of this year.
Prior to her acceptance of the program coordinator position, Ms. Cubells stated she originally came out west for a one year "internship". What she failed to mention is that internship was with Yellowstone to Yukon (Y2Y). Although Ms. Cubells states she loves Island Park, she instead chooses to live 74 miles away in Victor, perhaps to be in the safe space of her comrades from Y2Y and the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. She was quite complimentary about Island Park and the abundance of wildlife. Now for belonging to groups that want to conserve wildlife, why is it that Island Park, without engaging in wildlife conservation, has such an abundance for her to enjoy? Ms. Cubells is excited to be part of HFWA because it is a "grassroots" organization, comprised of local people who came together. Not true Ms. Cubells, the Island Park Safe Wildlife Passage Initiative (IPSWPI) was created by Kim Trotter from Y2Y and was comprised of a few Island Park citizens, many who did not live there as residents, and still don't. Its sole purpose was for wildlife overpasses along Hwy 20. When that group failed in its objectives for overpasses it was turned over to IWF with a new name, HFWA. When asked about the wildlife overpass issue Ms. Cubells tenuously went through an explanation of the issue, as if making sure a newly crafted message was delivered. She stated the local concern was actually about human-wildlife conflict and safe "crossings", not necessarily overpasses. Not once did IPSWPI ever promote anything but overpasses. It was also Y2Y having a relationship with the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD), being aware of upcoming transportation projects, and creating IPSWPI as the vehicle to promote wildlife overpasses. She stated her father's family hunted and HFWA and its affiliate, Idaho Wildlife Federation (IWF), supported hunting. But she failed to also mention that IWF supports wildlife overpasses, highly regulated public land use, keeping Idaho land in federal government hands, wildlife corridors, and locking up land with wilderness area designations. Ms. Cubells admitted to not being a hunter, nor does she fly fish, but "loves being outdoors", without identifying what exactly it is that she does outdoors except hiking. Ms. Cubells also claimed HFWA was formed out of the conflict regarding wildlife overpasses and that everyone shares concern about wildlife. Again Ms. Cubells, the conflict was about individuals and groups coming into the Island Park community with intentions to change it, including lofty goals of connectivity. Surely she is aware of this. As usual, there was no mention of this in her talk, a continued avoidance of what the issue is really about. There will never be any common ground Ms. Cubells. There are no solutions to a falsely created narrative of human-wildlife conflicts. Y2Y created the conflict problem and is unwilling to acknowledge and respect Island Park citizens right to manage their own community. That does not include any Y2Y vision for connectivity. The amount of money flowing into these groups must be pretty hefty with all of the advertising about Ms. Cubells but it can't offset what is right.
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In March, 2019 the Idaho Chapter of the Wildlife Society (ICTWS) held a conference, "Leaping Into Leadership: Creating Conservation's Future.” This conference again confirms that Idaho Fish & Game (IDFG) not only pals around with non-governmental organizations (NGO) but also supports them and holds the same beliefs. IDFG was one of the "Gold" sponsors of this conference for somewhere between $1,200-$1,999 dollars. The Idaho Department of Lands was a "Bronze" sponsor for somewhere between $100-499 dollars. It's nice to know how our tax dollars are being spent, or rather wasted. IDFG employees JJ Teare and Shane Roberts apparently are members of ICTWS, serving on the Elections/Nominations Committee. Rita Dixon, IDFG State Wildlife Action Plan Coordinator, and IDFG Biologist, Bill Doering, are listed as co-chairs of the ICTWS Idaho Bat Working Group. Toby Boudreau, IDFG Bureau Chief of Wildlife, also gave brief talk. There were also other IDFG employees present who support wildlife overpasses. Hilary Turner, an assistant to Renee Seidler, both of whom have worked together for the ICTWS attended. Ms. Turner spoke on Citizen Science and Road Ecology Intersect: Inspiring Local Passion for Roadkill Data Collection. The IDFG Idaho Master Naturalists are considered the "citizen science". Gregg Servheen, IDFG Wildlife Program Coordinator, and Ms. Seidler spoke on the Management of Wildlife Migration and Movement in Idaho: Keeping the Path Clear. Wildlife overpasses were most likely part of that talk. It is appalling that our tax dollar continues to be used for IDFG support of NGOs, rather than Idahoans. These are alliances that must be stopped by our legislature, and the out of control IDFG needs to be monitored better and its activities scrutinized. It seems the Henrys Fork Wildlife Alliance (HFWA) has "hired" themselves a program coordinator, Sarah Cubells, the money coming from Island Park "locals" and Fremont County. Taxpayers from Fremont County are footing this cost, who authorized that? Perhaps an inquiry should be made to the county as to how much money is contributing to this position. This gal isn't even from Idaho originally having just moved here, and doesn't even live in Island Park, but rather lives in an area that is closely associated with large non-governmental associations. Her background is exotic animals in another country, not wildlife native to Island Park. Lots of money to advertise this around, who else is footing this bill? Interestingly, this announcement isn't on the HFWA website as of today,
However, Ms. Cubells assignment is described as HFWA administrative support for communications and outreach, and working with the Idaho Wildlife Federation (IWF) to bring local members to Boise to meet with legislators. Sounds like lobbying, is HFWA allowed to do that as a non-profit? Or is this a way around the rules? It is also known that IWF is notorious for alerting their members to legislative hearings, wearing the same colored shirts to identify themselves, giving a false impression that their majority rules. One IRS definition on non-profit lobbying includes, "An organization will be regarded as attempting to influence legislation if it contacts, or urges the public to contact, members or employees of a legislative body for the purpose of proposing, supporting, or opposing legislation, or if the organization advocates the adoption or rejection of legislation." Does carting local people off to Boise to meet with legislators meet that definition? While HFWA continues to espouse they are a grassroots organization, many of whom are residents in other states only coming to Island Park as a summer vacation spot, and are the only ones who care about wildlife, the truth is prior to their arrival in Island Park it was the residents of Island Park that ensured the protection of wildlife and the area that prompted them to fall in love with it. That was all done without agendas, overpasses, fencing, lobbyists, or other nefarious activity such as questionable relationships with larger non-governmental organizations or state employees. It is befuddling as to why these groups don't understand that individuals and groups from outside the area, who don't live or have any history with it, believe it is within their right to come into the area and start dictating how the area is managed. Perhaps a campaign should start with Island Park residents traveling to these other hometowns and start interfering with how their towns are run. The Henry's Fork Wildlife Alliance (HFWA) is an affiliate of the Idaho Wildlife Federation (IWF) which in turn is a National Wildlife Federation (NWF) affiliate. Now the NWF has quite the support from corporate sponsors and partners such as Bank of America, General Motors, eDemocracy.us LLC, and Subaru to just name a few. One of purposes of these partnerships is to "support meaningful conservation programs". The NFW website lists their mission and strategic plan as:
Perhaps little known is the fact that the NWF was "a founding member of IUCN back in 1948". Interesting that this isn't mentioned in the NWF history. The IUCN stands for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature which historically has included a partnership with the United Nations (UN). There are several themes the IUCN focuses on, one of which is protected areas. NWF continues to be a member of the IUCN which can be found by typing their name in the search box, along with Yellowstone to Yukon. Just this year, NFW recognized the IUCN declaration of needing more action on wildlife conservation and are supporting the Recovering America's Wildlife Act, along with the IWF. This bill would provide funding for species of greatest conservation need (SGCN) conservation that is administered by state wildlife action plans such as through Idaho Fish & Game, which by the way was a federally required program for all states. The IUCN goal is protecting half of the earth for nature. Harvey Locke, co-founder of Yellowstone to Yukon and IUCN member, is promoting this goal through his work as strategic advisor to Yellowstone to Yukon, and their related partners such as NWF. It is difficult to understand the dichotomy between what IWF claims it supports such as hunting when everything they support is conservation related such as wildlife overpasses, keeping public lands with the federal government, even the designation of wilderness areas. Other than wanting to conserve and protect everything, where is the description of how these activities support hunting, it just references increasing wildlife numbers. Conserved and protected areas such as Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) prohibit hunting or any other recreational activity. Just this year IWF recommended protection of chukar habitat, pronghorn, and a mule deer winter range in the Bureau of Land Management Four Rivers draft resource management plan. How does protection support hunting? In case of any legal entanglement, IWF has the financial backing and legal assistance of Advocates for the West, which defends land conservation. Idaho Fish & Game has a program, Access Yes!, that identifies access to public land, yet IWF supports trespassing over private property and a snitch program. Idaho has a trespass law that outlines protection of private property rights, yet IWF doesn't seem to understand those rights. It is not unreasonable for a private property owner to request their rights are protected. The issue doesn't seem to be about supporting hunting, but rather a attack on private property rights. Each of these organizations partner together because they hold the same beliefs. Protect, conserve, connectivity, support government control, and save wildlife for "future generations", all the while leaving our right to elected representation out of the formula. HFWA is associated with these groups and their objectives, and this is what they want for Island Park. |
Making Sense of It All
This blog will help you make sense out of all the information on the website, how it affects IP, our history, and how efforts continue to put IP into various forms of conservation status. Archives
May 2023
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