Bird range uses fought
Timber covets
Snake River
bird reserve
By RICHARD WAGONER
Of the Emerald
One of the world’s densest
populations of birds of prey
could be lost if Congress
reverses an executive order that
set aside some 400,000 acres of
wild lands in Idaho’s Snake
River Canyon.
That’s the warning Mark Hil
liard of the Bureau of Land
Management brought to the
University Thursday during a
presentation about the Birds of
Prey Natural Area.
The area was set aside by
former interior secretary Cecil
Andrus to protect scarce and
endangered predatory birds
that nest on the steep canyon
cliffs during the spring and
summer.
The canyon and desert plains
stretching north and south are
the home and feeding grounds
of dense populations of pere
grine falcons, owls, golden ea
gles, osprey and a variety of
hawks, Hilliard said.
Hilliard, who brought to the
presentation a prairie falcon ta
ken from the area, said about
600 pairs of birds representing
15 species nest in the area.
Some of the nests are only 200
to 300 yards apart, he said.
The reserve is in danger of
being reduced by Sen. James
McClure, R-ldaho, who plans to
hold hearings later this year to
discuss cutting its acreage for
timber harvest.
But Hilliard, who has been
researching predatory birds in
the area since it was set aside,
claims a reduction in acreage
could spell disaster for the
creatures that nest there.
The natural area, located in
southwestern Idaho, was first
mmm
Photo by Steve Dykes
An Idaho prarie falcon named Tawny receives meat from Mark
Hilliard of the BLM. Hilliard brought the bird as part of a presenta
tion on the Birds of Prey Natural Area.
established in 1971 as a small
strip along the river. But re
search indicated that many of
the birds were flying as far as 16
miles north of the river to prey
on the Townsend ground squir
rels that thrive there.
After three congressional bills
to increase the size of the area
died in the lame duck session
last year, Andrus expanded the
restricted area by executive
withdrawal, Hilliard said.
The withdrawal protects the
raptors’ and squirrels’ habitat
from agricultural encroachment
on the plains, and will protect
the area for 20 years unless
Congress decides to overturn it.
“This land is highly sought for
agriculture — monoculture ir
rigated agriculture,’’ Hilliard
said. "But this amount of land is
necessary to provide prey so
that in lean years — drought
years — (the birds) can
recover.”
BLM now proposes to make
the canyon and feeding
grounds a national conserva
tion area, which would require
an act of Congress.
“The national conservation
proposal won’t lock up the
land," Hilliard said. “It allows for
multiple-use activities.”
Current area use includes hy
dropower generation, livestock
grazing, small-scale oil and gas
drilling, geothermal develop
ment, recreation and even mili
tary maneuvers.
All of these uses are compati
ble with the birds of prey, Hil
liard said, and in some cases —
such as with military war games
— even improve the birds’ habi
tat.
Hilliard said tanks and other
heavy equipment operating on
the plains churn up the soil,
promoting the growth of grass.
The grass is prime habitat for
the ground squirrels, and more
ground squirrels mean more
food for the birds, he said.
The national conservation
proposal would not lock out the
current uses of the river area,
Hilliard said. It would only
prevent agriculture and other
uses that could damage the
squirrels’ habitat.
"These birds of prey are a
resource that can’t be found
anywhere else,” he said. "Once
they are gone they can’t be re
placed."
FBI arrests former Oregon official
PORTLAND (AP) - A former
Oregon Democratic National
Committee member was arrest
ed in Washington on two felony
warrants from Tillamook County
and Portland, an FBI agent said
here Saturday.
Franklin P. Lamb, 37, was ar
rested at his home Friday, said
Robert H. Gast, head of the
Portland FBI office.
The agent said the Tillamook
warrant charged Lamb with the
burglary of a house near Pacific
City several months ago. The
warrant said Lamb took several
personal items, including some
letters.
Tillamook County District At
torney Robert Wasson said
Lamb was part owner of the
house, but a Lincoln City
policeman was living in it at the
time.
The Portland warrant ac
cused Lamb of leaving the state
to avoid prosecution.
Lamb currently works as as
sistant counsel to the crime
subcommittee of the U S. House
Judiciary Committee.
He appeared in a Washington
federal court Friday and was
ordered to appear in U S. Dis
trict Court in Portland April 24.
The former Portland commit
tee member also was indicted in
Multnomah County in February
with three counts of making
telephone calls and charging
them to other numbers
Last October, he was con
victed of stealing a socket and
sawblade from a Portland
department store.
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