Wolves present in CO for the first time since the 1940’s
A genetic test has confirmed that four scat samples collected near a scavenged elk carcass in Moffat County, CO came from wolves. It is the first official documentation of a pack of wolves in the state since the 1940’s. Testing indicated that three of the wolves are female and the other is male. The test also determined that the wolves are related, likely as full siblings.
“The DNA doesn’t tell us age,” said Colorado Parks and Wildlife Species Conservation Program Manager Eric Odell. “We don’t know where or when they were born. We can’t say. But that they are closely related wolves is a pretty significant finding.”
Read the story here: http://outdoornewsdaily.com/genetics-tests-confirm-presence-of-wolves-in-colorado/
Public hearing on closure plans for coal ash impoundments at Roxboro Power Station to be held Feb. 19
The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) will hold a public hearing for public comment about the plan to excavate coal ash at Duke Energy’s Roxboro Power Station on Wednesday, Feb. 19, beginning at 6 p.m., according to a DEQ press release.
The public session will start with a meeting to provide information and answer questions immediately followed by a public hearing to record public comments. All comments received by March 11, 2020 will be considered in determining whether the plan will be approved by the state. The meeting will be held at North Elementary School in Roxboro, NC. More details about Duke’s closure plans can be found on the DEQ website.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park seeks Adopt-A-Plot volunteers
Rangers at Great Smoky Mountains National Park are recruiting volunteers to adopt small plots of land within the park to track seasonal biological data. Volunteers will be asked to monitor their plots at least twice a month from the first bloom in spring until the trees lose their leaves in the fall.
Two training dates have been scheduled for those interested in volunteering. The first will be held at the Oconaluftee Visitors Center on Feb. 29 and the other at the Sugarlands Visitors Center on March 7. Both sessions will run from 10 a.m.- 1 p.m.
Read the story here: https://wlos.com/news/local/volunteers-to-record-impacts-of-changing-weather-patterns-on-plants-trees-in-smokies
