Best of our wild blogs: 25 Dec 10

Christmas eve with the Big Sister
from wonderful creation and Singapore Nature and wild shores of singapore with joyous fishes

From UPR to USR
from Beauty of Fauna and Flora in Nature

Snakes in MacRitchie
from Urban Forest

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If you see this chicken, please don't cook it

Undergrad studies rare red junglefowl after spotting them in wild
Grace Chua Straits Times 25 Dec 10;


PHOTO: SUBARAJ RAJATHURAI

UNDERGRADUATE Amanda Tan spent half of this year counting chickens.

Miss Tan, 21, had spotted some odd- looking wild chickens in her Bukit Batok neighbourhood, and realised they were red junglefowl, listed as endangered in Singapore.

Red junglefowl (Gallus gallus) are considered the wild ancestors of domestic chickens, and are native to South-east Asia and much of East Asia.

In Singapore, there are no records of red junglefowl until the 1980s, when bird-watchers began spotting them on Pulau Ubin and speculated they had flown in from Malaysia.

Today, they are seen in far eastern and western Singapore, in Changi and Lim Chu Kang. But the Bukit Batok sightings were new.

So in May, Miss Tan decided to do a research project to track them down, as part of her biology studies at the National University of Singapore.

She counted six red junglefowl in her neighbourhood - but nowhere else in the area - and observed their behaviour. She set up a website asking the public to recount their sightings at tinyurl.com/habitatnews-records.

The work is a feather in Miss Tan's cap, and she is considering extending her red junglefowl research to an honours thesis next year.

But to a layman, the differences between the red junglefowl and a domestic rooster can be hard to spot.

For one thing, a farmyard chicken is meatier.

The red junglefowl's call is strangled at the end, whereas a rooster's is longer and trails off - as Miss Tan obligingly demonstrated.

A male junglefowl has white ear patches and a whitish rump above its tail, while a rooster has none; the former has grey legs while the latter's are buff or pink.

And unlike its domestic relatives, it can take to the air.

'These chickens don't have to cross the road,' said veteran nature guide Subaraj Rajathurai, who advised Miss Tan in her search. 'They can just fly across.'

In fact, just last month, he spotted one strolling calmly through Tanjong Pagar, and speculated it could be an escapee or a released bird.

The shy fowl have been spotted in central areas from Thomson to Commonwealth, according to unconfirmed reports.

While they are listed here as endangered, they are common in South-east Asia, and are likely to spread around Singapore, Mr Rajathurai said.

The wild birds are likely to be spreading around the island through green spaces and corridors, as they live at forest edges and adapt well to various environments.

That is a good thing, said Mr Rajathurai, as red junglefowl here would fill an important ecological niche.

'They feed on invertebrates and grain or seeds from grasses, and would be able to control the population of bugs that would have few ground-dwelling predators,' he explained.

The major threat to wild red junglefowl, in fact, is genetic pollution - they can breed with free-ranging domestic chickens and roosters.

But that is not a concern now - free-ranging chickens were culled some years ago to prevent bird-flu outbreaks.

Rare and endangered species in Singapore

THE red junglefowl is listed as 'endangered' in Singapore. There are fewer than 250 mature birds but there is no evidence of decline. In fact, their numbers could be on the rise.

Critically endangered species are those with fewer than 50 mature individuals islandwide.

Endangered and critically endangered species in the country include:

# The banded leaf monkey (Presbytis femoralis): Lives in the forests of the Central Catchment Nature Reserve. Earlier this year, National University of Singapore researchers found more here than previously thought.

# The saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus): Occasionally seen basking in estuaries and reservoirs. It is listed as critically endangered.

# The berus mata buaya mangrove (Bruguiera hainesii): Named for the crocodile eye-like protrusions on its trunk. It is one of the world's rarest mangrove species, with only a handful in Singapore.

# The Singapore freshwater crab (Johora singaporensis): Found only in Singapore - in Bukit Timah and Bukit Batok. It is listed as critically endangered.

# The fluted giant clam (Tridacna squamosa): A reef dweller, among the largest of all bivalve molluscs. It is endangered because of habitat loss and its use as food.

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Gardens by the Sentosa bay

To open on Jan 29, the boardwalk linking VivoCity and Sentosa will have five themed plots
tay suan chiang Straits Times 25 Dec 10;

A leisurely stroll along the new 700m boardwalk linking VivoCity and Sentosa should take about 20 minutes but visitors can expect to linger a little longer. That is because the $70- million boardwalk is packed with green spaces, rest stops and great views.

Designed by architectural firm Aedas, the bridge will open on Jan 29.

Pedestrians can look out onto the waters separating Sentosa from the mainland, with Resorts World Sentosa on the right and VivoCity on the left.

There are also five themed gardens, which feature tropical landscapes that are indigenous to Singapore, for visitors to discover. They are the mangrove, rock garden, terrain and hill, coastal flora and rainforest gardens.

To create the landscapes, more than 130 plant species and 40,700 plants are being planted on the bridge, which has sitting areas for people to enjoy the surroundings.

In the middle of the walkway is a 6m-high lookout point at the Promontory area where visitors can get unblocked views of cruise ships docking in the area.

There will also be two retail and four F&B outlets along the way for those who want to shop or enjoy desserts. Before the bridge is open to the public, visitors can reach Sentosa only by car, bus, cable car or the Sentosa Express rail.

While the boardwalk offers visitors plenty of greenery, it also has green features that are less visible. It is made of 28,900 planks of timber board, each weighing 21kg and measuring 5m in length. The material is made from recycled hardwood and resin so it is more environment-friendly than real timber. It costs 20 per cent more than real timber but does not rot or warp like timber.

Also, under the boardwalk is a specially constructed water catchment tank where rainwater can be collected. The tank can store three days' worth of water for irrigating plants.

While the walk is likely to be a hit with families, the elderly and handicapped can also enjoy it. There are travellators on the boardwalk and a covered walkway lets visitors get to the island on foot even on rainy days. Mr Kwoh Kok Kiong, Sentosa Leisure Group's planning and development director, says the bridge is designed to take 8,000 visitors an hour each way.

To encourage more people to walk to Sentosa, the entrance fee to the island for those on foot will be lower than those taking the bus or monorail.

Currently, visitors pay $3 to enter Sentosa if they take the Sentosa Express and $2 if they are on the Sentosa Bus.

Visitors on foot can buy island entry tickets at a booth near the end of the bridge. The price will be announced on Jan 29. But on Jan 29 and 30, Sentosa is offering free island admission for visitors who choose to walk. 'The boardwalk will become a destination in itself,' says Mr Kwoh.

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275,000 rare plants under Sheares Bridge

Evelyn Lam Channel NewsAsia 24 Dec 10;

SINGAPORE : The first phase of Singapore's new "Gardens by the Bay" will include a specially-designed cool observatory, which will be completed by the end of next year.

In the meantime, more than 275,000 plants from at least 8,000 species have been brought in, including an olive tree from the Mediterranean area which is 1,000 years old!

The plants are now kept under the Benjamin Sheares Bridge in an area that covers about 25 hectares.

The trees are being cared for by about 80 people, 20 of whom are horticulturists.

Despite their efforts, they could not save some trees which did not survive the month-long journey by sea to Singapore when they were kept in containers.

But all is not lost. Some trees have unique shapes and the National Parks Board (NParks) selected such tree trunks to be used as decorations, particularly those from withered olive trees.

If there are signs of life in some trunks, NParks officers immediately try to save them.

More trees will be brought into Singapore and when they arrive, they will be kept in Marina South, Marina East and Lim Chu Kang.

As the trees are used to a dry climate rather than Singapore's humid climate, they will be given special attention.

Christopher Dalzell, assistant director, Gardens Operations, Gardens by the Bay, National Parks Board, said: "We ensure that we don't give them too much water, so the feeding programme has to be correct.

"And also to maintain (them) ... if we see a bit of dead growth on the plant, ... we will start doing a bit of pruning to ensure that we don't (have) any fungal problems."

- CNA/al

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Dolphinarium opening sparks protest in Armenia

Yahoo News 24 Dec 10;

YEREVAN (AFP) – Environmentalists on Friday staged a protest against alleged cruelty to animals as Armenia's first dolphinarium opened in the capital.

Protesters representing an alliance of 50 Armenian environmental groups and animal-welfare organisations gathered outside the new dolphinarium in Yerevan's Komitas Park holding placards that read: "Don't use dolphins for entertainment!"

The campaigners believe that keeping dolphins in confined spaces is cruel and could cause them to become psychologically disturbed.

They also argue that the climate in Yerevan -- where winter temperatures can plunge to minus 10 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit) -- is not suitable.

"Summer is too dry and winter is too severe, which is harmful for dolphins and other sea mammals," said Ruben Khachatrian, director of the Fund for Wildlife Protection.

But the Ukrainian company that built the new tourist attraction -- home to four dolphins and two fur seals -- has said that suitable conditions will be guaranteed and a glass dome will ensure protection from bad weather.

"I don't understand this protest -- we are giving children an opportunity to interact with these beautiful animals," said dolphin trainer Dmitry Uryvsky.

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Brunei: Clamp Down On Illegal Turtle Eggs Trade

Catharine Goh Brunei Direct 25 Dec 10;

Bandar Seri Begawan - The Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) it collaboration with the General Operations Fore( (GOF) from the Police Department, swept through Serikin and Pasar Lacau recently, confiscating over 1,200 turtles eggs and some totally protected an protected animals including python, tortoise, soft shell turtles and squirrels.

These joint operations consist of three officers from Sarawak Forestry Corporation's enforcement team and being assisted by six GOF members from 11th Battalion, Batu Kawa Kuching.

The recent operations were carried out at Serikin Market near Bau and Pasar Lacau near Sri Aman respectively.

Datu Haji Len Talif Salleh, the Controller of Wild Life, commended the bravery of the joint team for the success of the operations.

"I applaud the efforts by Sarawak Forestry Corporation and the Police Department, especially as the seizure of 1,200 turtle eggs in Serikin is the second largest seizure in the history of Sarawak Forestry Corporation," he said, adding that SFC would continue to work with Police Department and other relevant agencies to curb illegal wildlife trade in Sarawak.

"This will be an ongoing exercise and we are aware of these illegal activity `hotspots' which we are continually monitoring. Our policy is to pro-act rather than react," added Len Talif, who is also the Managing Director and CEO of Sarawak Forestry.

He warned the illegal wildlife traders that the government will not condone any wildlife violation.

"We are going to enforce the laws strictly to ensure the survival of our wildlife for our future generations," he stressed.

Len Talif also assured that several approaches are being studied to protect the State's natural resources, especially along the borders.

"Sarawak Forestry Corporation is multiplying the efforts to combat these illicit acts by irresponsible traders and perpetrators," added Len Talif.

Len also called on the public to assist Sarawak Forestry Corporation in its efforts to protect and conserve Sarawak's biodiversity wealth. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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Malaysia: Sun bear attacks 'rare'

Suganthi Suparmaniam New Straits Times 25 Dec 10;

KUALA LUMPUR: It was the first time in his 15 years of service with the Kelantan Wildlife and National Parks Department that director Pazil Abdul Fatah had heard of a sun bear attacking a human.

A sun bear, he said, would run away when it saw humans.

"It does not want any conflict unless it is provoked or startled, or has a young to protect."

A 35-year-old rubber smallholder suffered deep cuts on the right foot when he was bitten by a sun bear in Kuala Balah, Jeli, Kelantan, last week.

The one-metre tall bear, which weighed about 50kg, ran off after the smallholder used a parang and struck it on the head in the 4pm incident.

The sun bear or Helarctos Malayanus is a totally protected species under the Wildlife Act 1972. It is usually found in the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia.


Pazil said sun bears could be found all over the country.

"The bears can be found in jungles in Johor, Pahang, Terengganu, Kelantan, Perak and Selangor.

"In Selangor, they can be found in areas like Kuala Kubu Baru and near Gombak."


According to Wikipedia, the sun bear stands at 1.2m tall and is the smallest in the bear family. It has sickle-shaped claws and large paws with naked soles. Its inward-turned feet make the bear's walk pigeon toed, but it is an excellent climber.

The sun bear also has a long slender tongue, ranging between 20cm and 25 cm in length. It is used to extract honey from beehives. Sun bears are born blind and an adult has poor eyesight. Smell is their most important sense.

Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) said it was difficult to determine the population of sun bears in the country, but added that it was declining. With a world population estimated at between 600 and 1,000, the sun bear is one of the rarest animals on earth.

It is on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's red-list of endangered species.

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Tiger team marks 20 years of conflict resolution

Victoria Gill BBC News 24 Dec 10;

Living within the habitat of a dangerous animal is not easy. But it is particularly challenging when that animal is the critically endangered Amur tiger.

If a tiger wanders into a remote Russian village it poses a threat, but also raises a difficult quandary: how can people protect themselves without resorting to killing a creature that is on very the brink of extinction?

A special Tiger Response Team in Russia has sought to solve that problem.

The World Conservation Society (WCS) and an anti-poaching patrol dubbed Inspection Tiger are working closely with the team.

It was set up by the government in 1999 to help resolve "human- tiger conflict".

Amur tigers live in the mosaic of forests in Russia's Far East - an expanse of more than 150,000 sq km of tiger habitat that is dotted with small human settlements.

"There's a grey area where both tigers and humans co-exist," explains Dale Miquelle, director of the WCS Russia Programme.

"So, even though the tigers are incredibly scarce, they do pass through or close to villages on a regular basis."

When a tiger does come too close, it might prey on a domestic animal - most commonly a pet dog or a cow.

Much more rarely it might attack a human.

Danger signal

In the past 10 years, Amur tigers have killed at least 254 domestic animals, 160 of which were dogs.

Official records show 19 attacks on humans, resulting in 11 injuries and two deaths.

And this is where the response team's very hands-on approach comes in.

When someone sees a tiger or discovers an animal that has clearly been mauled by one, they can alert the local authorities, who then contact the team.

"The local authorities assess the situation and, if necessary, a team is despatched," explained Dr Miquelle.

"But we're dealing with a vast area, so it can take several days to reach the village."

Once there, the response team has a number of options.

The most straightforward is to scare the tiger away, using rockets or flares. But sometimes it is necessary to capture the animal.

"We do that quite often," says Dr Miquelle. "What we do once we capture it depends on the situation.

"Sometimes we'll put a radio collar on it and put it back where it is.

"Sometimes we'll move it to another location - if we think that will reduce the likelihood of it [returning to the village]."

But if a tiger is wounded, the situation is more complicated.

John Goodrich, a conservationist and wildlife photographer, has worked with the team during some of their tiger rescue missions.

He says most tigers that attack people in Russia have been shot by poachers or injured by traps.

And these injuries change the tigers' behaviour - driving the animals into human populations to pick on domesticated prey, if they are incapacitated and unable to hunt.

According to Dr Goodrich, wounds from from botched poaching attempts are a leading cause of Amur tiger attacks on people.

Tiger rehabilitation

Injured tigers can sometimes be rehabilitated and released into the forest.

But when one is too badly hurt or too dangerous, the team has to remove it from the wild altogether - for its own safety, as well as to protect humans.

Dr Goodrich followed the rehabilitation of one young male tiger called Volya, which was shot in the face by poachers.

"The bullet broke three canines and shattered his lower jaw," he recalled.

Vets at the Utyos Wildlife Rehabilitation Center wired it together as best they could: "But the injury condemned Volya to a life in captivity".

Dr Goodrich and his colleagues are now attempting to survey the prevalence of infectious diseases in the Amur tiger population, which might also affect their behaviour and make them more aggressive to humans.

Counting tigers

It is tricky to quantify exactly how many tigers the team's efforts have saved; but at this stage, every individual counts.

The latest survey estimated that there were just 350 Amur tigers remaining in the wild.

"There's some indication that we've been able to reduce the number of tiger losses associated with conflicts," said Dr Miquelle.

He says there is definitely room for improvement. Efforts to scare animals away from human-dominated areas have not been as successful as hoped.

"But with so few tigers remaining, we know we have to turn that declining trend around," he tells BBC News.

"And we do see human caused mortality as a really important component of that - 20 years ago, the main intervention was a bullet."

In such isolated communities, the response team hopes to give local people a signal that there is a group that cares about their welfare.

"It really can be extremely threatening when an animal the size of a tiger walks into you neighbourhood," says Dr Miquelle.

"So having a team that can deal with that is really important."

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Shark attacks: Egypt lifts diving ban, denies cull

Leana Hosea BBC News 23 Dec 10;

The Egyptian authorities have lifted all diving restrictions in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh following the shark attacks earlier this month.

But the tourism ministry said a ban on swimming and snorkelling was still in place along a 3km (2-mile) stretch of beach in the main resort area.

Meanwhile, an environmental group has accused officials of "indiscriminately" killing at least 10 sharks.

The South Sinai deputy governor has denied any large-scale shark cull.

"We don't kill sharks," the Deputy Governor for South Sinai, Ahmed Saleh, told the BBC.

"Only one, or maybe two or three sharks have been caught, but not killed. Maybe they died after they were caught," he added.

Earlier, the director of the Hurghada Environmental Protection Agency (Hepca), Amr Ali, told the BBC that he had received photographs of 10 sharks killed by the authorities.

The group accused Egyptian officials of attempting to "wipe out local shark populations", but said the killing appeared to have stopped in recent days.

In early December, the authorities released photos of two sharks they captured which they believed were responsible for the spate of attacks.

Sharm el-Sheikh is one of the world's top diving destinations and there are fears the shark attacks could hurt Egypt's lucrative tourism trade.
Swimming ban

Deputy Governor Ahmed Saleh said that 23km (14 miles) of coastline was safe for all watersports.

But he said swimming and snorkelling were still banned in the 3km from North Naama, Sharm el-Sheikh's main centre, to the resort's second busiest hub, Ras Nasrani, pending further investigation by scientists.

A 70-year-old German woman was killed and four other tourists injured in a highly unusual series of attacks earlier this month.

At least two species of sharks carried out the attacks, experts said, suggesting that environmental factors were likely to blame.

The Egyptian government is keen to protect the tourism industry, which generated revenues of $11.6bn (£7.3bn) in 2009.

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U.S. Bat cull 'will not stop white-nose syndrome spreading'

Mark Kinver BBC News 24 Dec 10;

Culling will not halt the spread of a disease that has killed a million bats in the US since 2006, a study says.

Researchers reached their conclusion by modelling how white-nose syndrome (WNS) is passed from bat to bat.

Writing in Conservation Biology, they add that a cull would not work because the source of the fungal pathogen is believed to occur in the environment.

Earlier studies have warned that WNS could wipe out bat populations in the north-east of the US within 20 years.

Carrying out a cull of bats in areas where the disease is known to be present is one of the options available in an attempt to contain the spread of the killer fungus.

"We developed a model taking into account the complexity of the bat life history, looking at the roosts and the areas where there are large contacts between the bats," said co-author Thomas Hallam from the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Tennessee.

"Given the dispersal aspect of the problem and the complexity of hibernating bat ecology, it was a case that these things together certainly meant that culling would not work in the case of bats."

WNS, described by some as the worst wildlife health crisis in the US in living memory, is named after a white fungus that appears on the muzzle and/or wings of infected animals.

However, bats with WNS do not always have the characteristic visual symptoms, but may display abnormal behaviour around their hibernacula (caves and mines where bats hibernate during winter months).

These behaviours include flying outside during the day (when their insect prey is not available) in sub-zero temperatures, or clustering near the entrance to the hibernaculum.

Professor Hallam explained that there was a high degree of bat-to-bat interaction, which has been identified as the main way the disease is transmitted, during the course of a year.

In autumn, the mating season brings together large numbers of males and females.

This occurs shortly before colonies enter hibernacula, some of which are large enough to house in the region of half-a-million bats.

In the spring, females head to a maternity roost to have their young. Again, this brings bats into contact with members of different colonies.

Since WNS was first recorded in February 2006 in a commercial cave in New York, it has spread to at least 14 states. Cases have also been recorded in a number of Canadian provinces.

Researchers say the fungus associated with the disease, Geomyces destructans, thrives in the dark, damp conditions - such as caves and mines.
Out of control

In their paper, Professor Hallam and co-author Gary McCracken write: "Because the disease is highly virulent, our model results support the hypothesis that transmission occurs in all contact arenas."

They add: "Our simulations indicated culling will not control WNS in bats primarily because contact rates are high among colonial bats, contact occurs in multiple arenas, and periodic movement between arenas occurs."

Jeremy Coleman, the national white-nose syndrome co-ordinator for the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), said that culling was a potential tool available to agencies attempting to curb the spread of the disease.

"The spread has been very rapid and very alarming," he told BBC News.

"The initial comment that spawned all of the ideas of culling was that if we had known what would happen, then we would have gone in and killed every bat and we would not be facing this problem.

"That had a real resonance among researchers and land managers," Dr Coleman recalled. But he added: "Most people, I would say, feel it is too late for any culling to be effective."

He explained that the final decision on whether to cull would rest with state or federal agencies.

It is believed that the fungus associated with WNS arrived in the US after it was somehow transported from Europe or possibly Asia.

"It was possibly brought over via 'human-assisted spread' of some sort - like on somebody's boots," Dr Coleman suggested.

"Another possibility is that a bat was somehow transported to North America, perhaps by a cargo plane or freight container, and mixed with bats in New York State."

A team of European researchers followed up unconfirmed reports in Europe that bats had white fungal growths appearing to match the symptoms of WNS.

In a paper in the Emerging Infectious Diseases journal, they suggested that the Geomyces destructans fungus was present throughout Europe.

However, they added, it seemed as if species of bats in Europe were possibly more immunologically or behaviourally resistant to the fungus than North American species, as it did not increase mortality.
No magic bullet

European bats may be resistant to the disease because they are generally bigger than comparable species in the US. Also, European colonies tend to be not as large as ones found on the other side of the Atlantic.

"What we hope to learn, through genetic means, is the similarities and differences between the North American strains and the European strains," explained Dr Coleman, who is overseeing the formation of a national management plan that hopes to bring together the efforts of state and federal agencies under one umbrella.

US researchers based at MIT recently sequenced the genome of the US strain of G. destructans and made the data publicly available in a hope that it would "jumpstart work on this problem, to help devise ways to track and combat this fungus".

"There are a lot of questions where some answers could potentially could give us some hope," observed Dr Coleman.

Professor Hallam said it was difficult to know if anything could be done to prevent the current outbreak from spreading further and wiping out millions more US bats.

"We have a lot of chemical agents that will get rid of the fungus," he told BBC News.

"The difficulty is the complexity of bats' life histories; it is almost impossible to treat enough bats to make it worthwhile.

"I don't see any easy solution on the horizon."

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New 'Wild Lands' Designation Established to Protect American Wilderness

Environment News Service 23 Dec 10;

DENVER, Colorado, December 23, 2010 (ENS) - Today the Obama administration restored protections for the wild public lands under the jurisdication of the Bureau of Land Management by creating a new classification known as "Wild Lands."

In Denver, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar signed a Secretarial Order directing the Bureau of Land Management to designate areas with wilderness characteristics as "Wild Lands" and to manage them to protect their wilderness values.

The new Wild Lands designations will be based on the input of the public and local communities through the BLM's existing land management planning process, said Secretary Salazar, who grew up farming and ranching in Colorado.

For the last seven years, the BLM, which manages 245 million acres - more land than any other federal agency - has not had a comprehensive national wilderness policy, Salazar explained.

"That is because the wilderness management guidance in the agency's handbook was revoked in 2003 as part of a controversial out-of-court settlement between then-Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton, the State of Utah, and other parties," he said.

"But the fact is," said Salazar, "Americans love the wild places where they hunt, fish, hike and get away from it all, and they expect these lands to be protected wisely on their behalf."

Salazar held the signing event at an REI store. The retailer sells outdoor equipment and clothing and will benefit from the new federal government policy, the secretary said.

"The wild backcountry here in Colorado, and across the West, is also a huge economic engine for local communities," he said. "Outfitters, guides, hotels, restaurants, and retailers like this one all have a stake in the protection of America's great outdoors. Wise stewardship isn't just the right thing to do, it's good for business and it's good for jobs."

With this secretarial order, I am directing the Bureau of Land Management, based on the input of the public and local communities through its existing land management planning process, to designate appropriate areas with wilderness characteristics under its jurisdiction as "Wild Lands" and to manage them to protect their wilderness values.

Salazar also directed the BLM to maintain a current inventory of public lands with wilderness characteristics. He said the inventory will "contribute to the agency's ability to make balanced, informed land management decisions, consistent with its multiple-use mission."

This Secretarial Order "does not lock up western lands from other uses, as I am sure some people will claim," Salazar stressed. "If an area is designated as a Wild Land through the public land management planning process, that designation can be modified later based on a new public planning process."

This policy has no effect on lands that are not under BLM's jurisdiction, nor does it change the management of existing Wilderness Study Areas pending before Congress or congressionally designated Wilderness Areas.

BLM may still develop recommendations, with public involvement, regarding possible Congressional designation of lands into the National Wilderness Preservation System.

"The important thing about this secretarial order is that it provides a clear policy for the management of public lands with wilderness characteristics, and it gives local communities a strong voice in that process," Salazar said.

BLM Director Bob Abbey said, "On the public lands, we oversee outdoor recreation, oil and gas development, livestock grazing, cultural and historic preservation, and - more and more - a renewable energy frontier that is springing to life under the Obama administration."

"Our goal is to strike the right balance in our management so that we sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations," Abbey said. "Today's secretarial order will help the BLM take a giant step toward meeting its goal of balanced stewardship."

But Utah Governor Gary Herbert says the new designation "could undermine efforts made in Utah to protect the land."

"The timing of this decision is suspect, coming the day before Christmas Eve," Governor Herbert said. "State officials were not notified of the Department's intent, nor were we offered an opportunity to discuss it with Interior officials beforehand, which strikes me as political posturing."

The Governor's Balanced Resource Council, led by Governor Herbert's environmental advisor Ted Wilson, has been working with local governments, environmental groups, concerned citizens and others on wilderness designation throughout the state, which has three million acres of wilderness study areas.

"This decision may unintentionally damage all of the good will that we have worked so hard to build between the state, local governments, the environmental community and federal officials," Governor Herbert said.

"The ironic fallout of this decision is that it could stifle our ability to resolve wilderness issues through cooperation and compromise, like we saw in Washington County and are beginning to see throughout the State," Governor Herbert said.

Wilderness was recently designated in Washington County, Utah after a lengthy effort involving residents, local government and environmental groups. Similar efforts are underway in San Juan, Emery, Piute and Beaver counties.

The governor said a Washington DC-based BLM based process of designating Wild Lands may "undercut the trust necessary to successfully conclude these tough negotiations."

The governor expressed his concerns on a phone call with Abbey today and invited the BLM director to visit Utah in January to explain the federal agency's intent for the new designation and its potential consequences.

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