Free Republic

A little bird could become a big hold up for important upgrades on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. A path on the upper deck will enable bike riders to get across in both directions and a third traffic lane on the lower deck will ease congestion for drivers heading eastbound. The backhoes are waiting — the safety barriers are lined to go up — but thanks to a little winged friend, work on a key part of the $70 million Richmond-San Rafael Bridge Bridge re-do has been put on hold. Randy Rentschler, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission said, “In this particular case...

Eighteen states have filed a lawsuit against the federal government over Final Rules that expand the definition of “critical habitat” to include areas that are currently unoccupied by any threatened or endangered species. The Final Rules, Listing Endangered and Threatened Species and Designating Critical Habitat, which were published in the Federal Register on February 11 and went into effect March 14, expand the definition of “critical habitat” to include areas in which “species presence or habitats are ephemeral in nature, [or] species presence is difficult to establish through surveys (e.g. when a plant’s ‘presence’ is sometimes limited to a seed...

Since Florida’s frontier days when cattlemen drove their herds through the state’s vast fields and forests, ranchers and native panthers have been natural enemies. The ranchers seek to nurture and protect their calves, while the panthers see them as prey. Human development won the battle, driving the large, tawny, cats to the brink of extinction before successful efforts to restore them began decades ago. But with Florida’s panther population recovering, some farmers complain the protected 6-to-7-foot long predators are once again killing their calves. …

The fate of a chicken-size bird carries huge economic and political stakes across the West. The sage grouse, long a threat to the thriving energy sector, is also a threat to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. The ground-dwelling bird, which has habitat across Nevada and 10 other states, could be listed as a threatened or endangered species as soon as next year. Such a designation would place burdensome restrictions on the use of tens of millions of acres by ranchers, farmers, and oil and natural gas producers. Environmental organizations that want a halt to ranching and fossil fuel development are...

South Africa's crime problem has taken a new twist. A gang of baboons is being blamed for a series of break-ins. The chacma baboons, which live wild in the Cape peninsula, have been raiding people's homes for food and causing thousands of pounds in damage.

Sexual Assaults Took Place In August 2005A gunman who sexually assaulted two transsexuals and a transvestite last summer was sentenced on Friday afternoon to 206 years to life in prison. In April, a judge found Joel Kuechmann guilty of multiple charges, including rape by a foreign object, forced oral copulation and possession of a firearm. He will also be sentenced for dissuading a witness from reporting a crime. Prosecutor Dwayne Moring said he was satistifed with the verdict. "I'm pleased with the verdict, because in this case, the defendant preyed upon individuals who he believed would be too frightened to...

Jumping Mouse Loses Federal Protection Sat Jan 29,12:44 AM ET By JOHN HEILPRIN, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON - The Preble's meadow jumping mouse, once seen as a costly impediment to development, is now viewed by the government as a critter that never really existed — and is no longer in need of federal protection under the Endangered Species Act. AP Photo The Interior Department said Friday that new DNA research shows the 9-inch mouse, which can launch itself a foot and a half into the air and switch direction in mid-flight, is probably identical to another variety of mouse common...