The GNLCC issued a Connectivity Pilot Project Preliminary Report in 2015. Page 12 specifically lists Hwy 87 and US 20 "corridors", meaning transportation, for mitigation activity, meaning wildlife, as a short term strategy by the High Divide from the GYE to Idaho. The long term strategy aimed to "conserve private lands and connect public lands". In addition, the long term strategy included annexing the Henry's Fork and Island Park from the GBLCC to the GNLCC to "protect connectivity for multiple species". Rob Ament, Renee Seidler, Gregg Servheen, Gary Tabor, and Michael Whitfield were all participants in this project. Initially meeting in 2014, the Steering Committee "...selected connectivity as a priority shared landscape objective...to support this Ecological Connectivity Prioritization Pilot Project". Henry's Fork and Island Park were identified in the crosshairs by these individuals for their agenda.
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This GNLCC power point outlines their specific goal to address wildlife vehicle collisions (WVC) with the intention of building overpasses, which will lead to the creation of wildlife corridors. That in turn will assist them in moving towards "ecological connectivity". Their intent also involves the Federal Highway Administration and state Departments of Transportation. This is what we are seeing at Targhee Pass, the involvement of individuals from Yellowstone to Yukon (Kim Trotter) when in fact, Y2Y is a partnering initiative of the GNLCC "to retain connectivity of wildlife habitat". It isn't about Elk, it is about implementing an agenda for connectivity. They are all working on the same agenda.
This is where it all began. The Obama administration issued a memorandum in 2010, part of which was to create landscape conservation cooperatives. In summary it states:
Section 1. Establishment (C) (ii) ...creating corridors and connectivity across these outdoor spaces, and for enhancing neighborhood parks; and determine how the Federal Government can best advance those priorities through public private partnerships and locally supported conservation strategies. (iii) Use science-based management practices to restore and protect our lands and waters for future generations. Section 2. Functions (b) Interagency Coordination (vi) the Department of Transportation However, the Department of Interior (DOI) Secretary, Ken Salazar, had already put this memorandum in action by issuing DOI Order 3289 in September, 2009. Part of this order states, Section 3 (c) Landscape Conservation Cooperatives "...management responses...must be coordinated on a landscape level basis." "...wildlife migration and related needs for new wildlife corridors..." "Interior bureaus and agencies must work with...other federal, state, local governments...to develop landscape level strategies..." and "...work to stimulate the development of a network of collaborative "Landscape Conservation Cooperatives". This is how "Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCCs)" came to exist. No federal legislation. This is why they have no authority for any activity, and why Secretary Zinke issued "Order 3349",,,which "then revoked Order 3330..." that was issued by Secretary Jewell in 2013. This effectively ends all current LCC activity to "set in motion a review of the Agency Actions taken pursuant to Order 3330 for “possible reconsideration, modification or rescission”. As yet, it does not appear these LCCs have stopped their activity. As information becomes available on this it will be posted. |