Free Republic

Giant Pythons Could Spread Quickly Across South Monday , May 12, 2008 By Katie Tweed As if killer bees and kudzu weren't enough, the southern United States may soon have another invasive species to contend with — giant Burmese pythons capable of swallowing deer and alligators whole. Approximately 30,000 of the big snakes, which can reach 30 feet and 200 pounds, already live wild in Florida's Everglades, thanks to thick-headed pet owners who've released them into the swamps when they've grown too large to keep at home. But now the U.S. Geological Survey says Florida is not the only place...

Hundreds of Americorps members will join forces with the Natural Resources Foundation and the state DNR to attack invasive plant species in Sauk County on Wednesday, May 14. "From what we can tell, this is going to be the largest single largest one-day volunteer event to combat invasive species in Wisconsin history," said Kelly Kearns, plant conservation manager for the Department of Natural Resources. "Invasive species don't just threaten the beauty of Wisconsin's lands and waters, they also cost us millions of dollars each year," she said. The invasive plants to be combated on May 14 include garlic mustard, buckthorn...

Nybass.com is an anglers Web site typically trafficked for its tips on hidden watering holes and the best bait to use. But fishing enthusiasts logging onto the message boards last week proved they have a thing or two to say about First Amendment religious freedom, as well. Veering from the usual bait-and-tackle discussions to a debate about whether a group of immigrant Buddhists should be allowed to perform an ancient ritual is not as far a leap as one might expect. It all began Aug. 12 when a little-known Buddhist group from New York released a colony of eels, frogs...

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Summer is settling onto Missionary Ridge overlooking this southeast Tennessee city. Swallows glide on the warm breeze rustling the hackberry trees, kudzu vines sprout along the hillside and the goats are back at work. Chattanooga’s goats have become unofficial city mascots since the Public Works Department decided last year to let them roam a city-owned section of the ridge to nibble the kudzu, the fast-growing vine that throttles the Southern landscape. The Missionary Ridge goats and the project’s tragicomic turns have created headlines, inspired a folk ballad and invoked more than their share of goat-themed chuckles. “Usually,...

Legislation designed to control and eradicate tamarisk was signed into law by President Bush Wednesday night, U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., announced Thursday... creating funding for a large-scale effort to control tamarisk, also known as salt cedar... "The tamarisk is causing severe problems throughout Colorado and the West," said Allard. "The President's signing of this legislation marks a major milestone in the ongoing effort by Congress and this administration to provide critical resources for the removal of this destructive and invasive species." The tamarisk has invaded the margins of streams, lakes and wetlands throughout the Western United States. An individual...

Henry Wojtaszek is probably the only GOP candidate from the Niagara region in recent years who unabashedly plays to the party's conservative heartbeat. He is plainly pro-life, pro-gun and anti-tax. WASHINGTON - Results of recent special and primary elections, some of them obscure, could lift the campaign prospects of Henry F. Wojtaszek from the category of "improbable" to "to be determined." Henry who? Henry F. Wojtaszek, 39, (pronounced wo-TA-sek) is the Republican candidate picked to unseat powerful Democratic congressional incumbent Louise M. Slaughter of the Rochester suburb of Fairport. Besides being the only person who lives west of the Genesee...