Casper Star-Tribune from Casper, Wyoming • 12

Tuesday, May 13, 2003 82 Casper Star-Tribune PLAN: Wyo will allow shooting wolves Hearings may decide fate of Albin school Continued from HI Wyoming must have lederally approved woll management plans in plac prioi to the sul-missiun of a delisting petition Idaho has finalized its woll management plan, voniing is sued a draft plan last year and is writing its final plan, and Friday was the final day for public comments on Montana's draft plan Wyoming's plan calls for changing the animal's current predatory animal classification to a dual status The dual status would mean that wolves in Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, as well as in designated wilderness areas around the parks, would be classified as a trophy game species that could be hunted through Game and Pish Commission regulations. Wolves would Ix1 considered a predator subject to unregulated killing everywhere else In the state. Montana's draft plan seeks to manage wolves in a manner similar to the way the state manages mountain lions and black bears, based on habitat requirements and public acceptance. The plan allows for the regulated harvest of wolves and the delense ol property Irnin wolves attacking, killing or threatening livestock, similar to other large predators under state management. Vincent said he sees a lot of similarities between the Wyoming and Montana man agement plans.

"The difference between the two is the Montana plan on the surface looks better but In some ways it's an insidious plan," he said. "Wyoming's plan is blatant they want to kill wolves anywhere outside of the park and they've laid their cards on the table," Vincent said. "Montana, on the other hand, is trying to dress this up in all sorts of bows and ribbons to make it sound palatable to the public, but essentially they're going to kill wolves as well," he said. "But at least you can say Wyoming is being honest they don't like wolves and they're going to kill them." The latest 2002 counts show there are approximately 183 wolves In Montana, approximately 260 wolves In Idaho and there are about 218 wolves In Wyoming. Vincent said Montana's plan will eventually lead to the sport hunting and trapping of wolves, will grant broad discretion to agencies and residents to manage livestockwolf conflicts, and fails to protect habitat corridors between distinct wolf populations.

The latest 2002 counts show there are approximately 183 wolves In Montana, approximately 260 wolves In Idaho and there are about 218 wolves in Wyoming, including packs both inside and outside Yellowstone, according to state figures. pened so far, my goodness, they close the school without the basis to do it," he said. They turned down the charter without even considering it in a hypertechnlcaUty," In the meantime, district leaders are deciding how to proceed in the fall. Asay said he has instructed Interim Superintendent Howard Craton to move slowly regarding plans for Albin Junior-Senior High. "We need to wait until we see the new decision (from the judge)," Asay said.

The State Board of Education public hearing on the charter school application will begin at 3 p.m. Wednesday at the Pine Bluffs Community Center at 708 Lawson St. The board will then meet at the LCSD2 board room, 311 Eighth Street, immediately after the hearing. The LCSD2 board will hold its hearing at 5 p.m. at the community center.

ALBIN (AP) Two public hearings Wednesday will help decide the fate ol Albin Junior-Senior High School. Trustees of Laramie County School District 2 want to close it to help ease a budget crunch Residents of the small southeast Wyoming town are seeking to keep the school open through two avenues: either by overturning the school board's decision or creating a charter school, or possibly both. During one meeting, the state Board of Education will consider an appeal filed by the Albin Creative Academic Teaching Strategies of the district trusiees' decision to deny their application for a charter school. The second hearing will be held by trustees because of a judicial order. Eighth District Judge John C.

Brooks reversed a September decision by the local board to shut down the school. Brooks said the district had not con- sidered the needs of Albin and neighboring communities in its decision and ordered the district to review it. He put a final decision on hold until he can consider new Information provided by the board. The board can review the information it gathers from Wednesday 's hearing and sub mit it to the judge, said Bruce Asay, attorney for the district "I believe the judge is very aware of our situation" and will consider the evidence quickly, Asay said. Lawyer Hank Bailey represents the Albin Educational Foundation, which asked Brooks to overturn the school district's decision.

He said he's not optimistic the LCSD2 trust-ess will "truly reconsider their position" at Wednesday's hearing. Bailey said he does not want to be part of a "sham" hearing. "Judging by what has hap ROCK RIVER: Students beat odds Counties seek more time on Preble's mouse plan On the Net: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: http:www.fws.gov The crowd chuckled when Gov. Dave Freudenthal said he lived in the Lincoln Hotel in Rock River in the '70s while working highway construction in his college days.

State Treasurer Cynthia Lummis was a student teacher at Rock River in 1977, and one of her students then is a teacher at the school now, she said. Sixth-grader Kristy Bowers was honored by state Superintendent of Public Instruction Trent Blankenship, who presented her a plaque for her perfect attendance record from kindergarten through sixth grade. State Treasurer Max Max-field said voting is so important that people die all over the world for that right. "Everyone of us is humbled by somebody taking an interest In democracy, voting and learning all about it," he said. Secretary of State Joe Meyer said it was encouraging to see young people learn about democracy because nationwide younger people generally participate the least in politics and voting.

Several speakers thanked Michael Walden-Newman, director of the Wyoming Taxpayers' Association, who spearheaded Wyoming's 2002 mock election efforts; his assistant, Denise Byrd; and Albany County Treasurer Jackie Gonzales. Continued from Bl Reluctantly, we agreed." She said students were nervous giving their speeches, trying to forget they were not only being watched but also being filmed. "Never in our wildest dreams did we think it would go this far," she said. Riedesel alluded to the many prominent officials in the room, including the five statewide elected officials, the town's two legislative representatives, and county, town, and school district officials. "At least this time, they're the ones giving the speeches," she said.

Michael Mackenzie, who teaches the civics class, said the students came up with the idea for the "Presentation of the Candidates" after he gave them guidelines for the project. At the assembly Monday, Mackenzie said he couldn't resist teaching the audience a lesson, and he urged those in attendance not to despair when the odds are against them. There were more than 3,000 schools eligible for the prize the Rock River School won, he said, and the ninth-grade class accounted for 14 of the several million students In the country participating in the mock election. "I believe it's fair to say the odds were against them. Nonetheless, these kids took on a challenge, they took on Wyoming, they took on America, and they won," Mackenzie said.

"Whenever you have doubts, whenever you have second thoughts, think back on today. Odds can be overcome." Rock River School is about a quarter-mile drive along a dirt road off of U.S. Highway 30-287 in a town of 235 residents about 40 miles northwest of Laramie, population Still, of the school's 120 students, about 40 percent come from Laramie, according to Mackenzie. He said some reasons students make the commute are that they get more one-on-one time with teachers and more opportunities in sports and other extracurricular activities than they might in Laramie. Sen.

Bill Vasey, R-Rawlins, who represents the town in the Legislature, said the mix of rural children with those from the state's third largest town is intriguing. It is neat to discuss water law with a student from a ranch wearing cowboy boots and his friend who has spiked hair, Vasey said. The five statewide officials all congratulated the freshmen, the school and the community for their accomplishment, and some recalled experiences they have had in tiny Rock River. Fish and Wildlife Service estimated the critical habitat designation would cost Wyoming between $74 and $172 million over the next decade. But Paul Kruse, a consultant representing the counties, said preliminary analysis from the study indicates that estimate is significantly lower than the actual cost.

"The counties are confident the data will show that the costs to our local economies clearly outweigh the benefit to any population of the Preble's mouse that may or may not be in Wyoming." Kruse said. The Preble's meadow jumping mouse, found only in Colorado and Wyoming, is federally protected because of its declining numbers. The Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed declaring 19 parcels of land as critical habitat for the mouse, which might require land-use restrictions. CHEYENNE (AP) Five Wyoming counties asked the federal government Monday to delay a decision that would designate critical habitat for the Preble's meadow jumping mouse in Colorado and Wyoming. In a letter to Interior Secretary Gale Norton, commissioners in Platte, Albany, Converse, Goshen and Laramie counties asked Norton to extend a June 4 deadline so they could review new economic information.

The counties last year commissioned a University of Wyoming study to research the direct and indirect economic impacts of designating 57,446 acres along Colorado's Front Range and in eastern Wyoming as critical habitat for the mouse. The study is scheduled for release within the next several weeks. Earlier this year, the U.S. The land that would be affected Is along rivers and Streams. The parcels are in Albany, Converse, Laramie and Platte counties in Wyoming.

About 22 percent of that is state or federal land. The Colorado parcels are in Boulder, Douglas, El Paso, Jefferson, Larimer, Teller and Weld counties, 48 percent of which is on state or federal land. The mouse is listed as a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act. However, many officials in Wyoming believe the 1998 listing was premature and say there is a lack of evidence confirming the rodent is a separate subspecies. Wyo police academy seeks homeland security grant COOL: Resource Councils back labels FREE HEARING TESTS SET FOR CASPER FREE Electronic hearing tests will be given at the BELTONE HEARING AID CENTER, 833 South Center Street WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, THURSDAY, MAY 15th, FRIDAY, MAY 16th at 10 a.m.

to 3 p.m. by Cheryl Vanatta, Board Certified in Hearing Instrument Sciences. Anyone who has trouble hearing is welcome to come in for a hearing test using modem electronic equipment to find out if a tiny modem hearing aid may help. Diagrams showing how the ear works and some of the causes of hearing loss will be available. Everyone should have a by," Zivkovich said.

Representatives from Wyoming fire departments, law enforcement, emergency medical units and state and federal government would be involved in program development, which would take about a year. Experts would be brought in from around the country, and training would take place at regional sites, not just at the academy. The $250,000 grant Is part of about $4.7 million the state is receiving from the federal government to help administer homeland security programs. Larry Majerus. coordinator for the Wyoming Emergency Management Agency, said proposals will be assessed by WE-MA before being presented to Gov.

Dave Freudenthal, who will make the final decisions, probably in June. Zivkovich said he is hopeful that if the grant is approved and the homeland security program moves forward, the legislature will realize the need for a larger academy DOUGLAS (AP) The Wyoming Law Enforcement Academy has applied for a $250,000 federal grant to become a training center for homeland security. The grant would allow the academy to develop a training program for emergency personnel, government officials and the public so they can better handle and guard against terrorism. The academy would then coordinate administration of the program throughout the state. "There are literally thousands of people that need to receive this training." academy Director Dan Zivkovich told the Douglas Budget.

The academy currently provides basic aitd advanced training for Wyoming's law enforcement officers. With the grant, the academy would create a system to train emergency personnel to look for clues of pending terrorist attacks and collect evidence if necessary. "If they don't know what they're looking for. it could slip Continued from Bl indicate a high willingness to pay for labeling of country of origin. The USDA cost estimate assumed a labor cost of $25 an hour, to justify a $1 billion total cost.

The meat-packing companies projected a COOL compliance cost of $2 billion. Labeling reduces the risk and cost of food-safety problems that would make food recall efforts easier to track and identify. U.S. food producers need not lie burdened by COOL if US-DA tracks imports and assumes all other commodities are grown in the U.S. "Opponents had deeply flawed assumptions in their studies," Vance said.

"Who gets $25 an hour in the ranching industry?" an assumption the USDA made in calculating COOL costs. Vance said she believes the USDA and the packers want to make COOL look bad so as to weaken and ultimately defeat it. U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi, was one of the original sponsors of the COOL legislation and defeated will be big meatpacking corporations and big food stores who want us to buy cheaper, imported foods," said Gillian Malone of Big Horse, and a PRBRC member.

"Their profits go up at the expense of Americans eating food from who knows where." The Economic Research Service of the USDA issued a critique of country of origin labeling in 2000, which derided the idea that consumers wanted the labeling or would be willing to pay for it. A Tyson Foods spokesman did not respond to an e-mailed request for comment Monday. Vance said Wyoming is one of the states where a USDA public listening meeting on COOL will be held. The meeting will be on June 4 at 1 p.m. in Cody, at the Holiday Inn.

The report, "Country of Origin Labeling: A Legal and Economic Analysis," was published by the International Agricultural Trade and Policy Center at the University of Florida. It may also be accessed via a link at www.americans forlabeling.org. wants it implemented, said spokesman Coy Knobel. "Last February, he was one of several senators who wrote to the USDA and complained that their cost estimates for COOL were 'indefensible Coy added. The Western Organization of Resource Councils (WORC), of which PRBRC is a member, found examples of USDA inflating COOL costs In Florida.

That state has required country of origin labeling on fruits and vegetables for years, according to WORC. The cost per store is approximately $5 or $10 per week less than a tenth of initial USDA estimates. COOL is part of the 2002 Farm Bill and requires food stores to identify meat, fish, peanuts, fresh fruits and fresh vegetables so the consumer can tell if produce was imported from other countries or grown in the U.S. Last October, the USDA issued temporary guidelines on how to label foods, with labeling rules scheduled to become mandatory by September 2004. The only winners if COOL is hearing test at least once a year if they have any trouble at all hearing clearly.

Even people now wearing a hearing aid or those who have been told an aid wont help should have a hearing test and find out about the current hearing aids. The free hearing tests will be held at Beltone Hearing Aid Center, 833 South Center Street WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, THURSDAY, MAY 15th, FRIDAY, MAY 16 at 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. by Calling 237-7894 for an appointment. Serving the hearing-impaired for over 50 years.

a xar ti Don't Forgetl PROGRAM: Lamb subsidy would cost $20 million Send in jour $eume Waot MMm BacawHc CoiverMian ADVERTISEMENT graduation Photo for the Wgh School graduation Special Section! (Sir- to submit with graduation photos art available through the Casper Star-Tribune calling 2M-0555. i Outside lasptr Call I-8M-44249I6. ext 555.) Pictures must be received by 5:00 p.m., Wednesday. May 14, 2001 Publishes: Friday, May 30 in the StaNIYibiine senators on both sides of the aisle to provide them with the assistance they need." Gilbert credited Baucus with spearheading the effort. Baucus.

whose family has a large sheep operation outside Helena, addressed the American Sheep Industry Association at its meeting earlier this year in Washington. At the meeting he told them he had "sheep in his blood." In order to qualify for the program a ewe must not older than 18 months, not produced an offspring, must be enrolled in the federal scrapie program and not possess parrot mouth or foot rot Continued from Bl hardest by the drought have experienced overall declines An extension of assistance will help lamb producers complete the task of recovery. The program, which was originally supposed to end on July 31. 2001. has already been extended for two years and because of tight budgets a second extension may be a hard sale.

Gilbert estimated that the cost of an additional one-year extension would be $20 million The Agriculture Department spent $37 3 million on the program during the past two years. There is no question that the availability of funds is the main stumbling block," Gilbert said. If Veneman chooses not to use her authority to extend the program, the senators could force her hand by including money for the program and instructions to extend it in the department's spending bill "This assistance is critical to Montana's lamb producers," Sen. Max Baucus. said.

"Our farmers and ranchers have suffered a lot from the drought over the past few years. They deserve all the assistance possible I'm committed to working together with The Casper Star-Tribune Classified Advertising reaches Wyoming's largest audience. To place your ad please call 307-266-0555 Graduation.