[MCaver]

Looks like we've got a new local endangered species. According to the article, the outlook isn't good.

[Larry]

What a shame. I heard somewhere (maybe I'm dreaming, the number seems high) that there are an average of 15 species of some kind of flora/fauna going extinct every day. Gosh, if that's true...wow. Anyone know if this is the case? I was talking to a friend who stayed with a couple who have a home out on Duk Point (near Lake Ozette - a private piece of land within the Olympic National Park). They have been observing wildlife over the past 30 years out there, and have seen a significant decline, especially in the past 10 years. They said the birds and otters have REALLY declined, as well as the tide pool benthos and invertebrates. Hope that's not attributable to some kind of pollution that affects their food or directly affects their population. Seems like you can rule out migrations for the birds and mammals, since the population was pretty stable for the first 20 years that couple stayed at the Duk Point cabin.

[Alan Bauer]

Thanks for bringing this one up Michael. I've been waiting for 3 years wondering if this would ever finally happen and agree now it likely is too late. I've hiked around in the Sagebrush Flat Wildlife Area a few times and was lucky enough to meet a biologist working there who showed me a burrow...but no sightings. Back then they had 45 confirmed rabbits in there. They have tried so hard to buy land from neighboring farmers or buy grazing rights to those that let the cattle stomp in on surrounding areas, ruining the habitat needed, but it was just too hard to control the cattle issue in time. At least the acquisition of this and the Chester Butte area will hold out promise to strengthen the Sage Grouse population in our state if nothing else, even if we lose the pygmy rabbits. There are a couple of dozen known mating pairs of sage grouse in the Chester Butte region. Haven't seen any of them yet either! But I've photographed some nice Gray Partridges in that region.