Northwind April 28, 2016

President Sharon called the meeting to order and led us in the Pledge of Allegiance.  Your editor provided the invocation.

Returning Rotarians included Dale’s recent trip to care for his Dad after a recent fall.

Anniversaries/Birthdays:  Jim Blaney joined Rotary 36 years ago this week.

Announcements:  Star Park work party June 4^th.

The club’s annual Induction of New Officers Picnic at Hovander Park will be 6/23, get working on your favorite potluck recipes.

The Youth Services Awards will be 5/26 at Northwood Hall and to cover the cost of meals for the students, parents and counselors, each member will receive a special assessment of $40 to fund the event.

The Slate of Officers for Rotary Year 2016-17 was proposed:

 

The motion was made, seconded and passed unanimous by a vote of the membership.

Happy Bucks:  Bill was happy about his Optometrist who just happens to be the first female member of the Mt. Baker Rotary Club.  Jake was happy that his grandson was doing better after a nasty bout of pneumonia.  Your editor was happy about the upcoming North Cascades Concert Band concert at Blaine HS.  Stan had a confused dollar for not knowing that Greg was today’s Fine Master.  Laurie was $5 happy about the Mariners recent success.  Ken was happy his Phillies were above 500 and his daughter’s Red Wood Tree Picture.  Jim was happy that his wife’s sisters were converging on Bham for a Sewing Sisters Convention.

Fine Master:  Greg showed no mercy today.  No Pin, you paid a buck. Since Greg had to scramble to be fine master at the last minute there was a $2 fine for Marlene and Rocky, not sure why but mostly because they are related.  If hadn’t sold any duck tickets yet, you were fined $2.       

Banners:  Arbor Day along with a special panel of banners for Jim Blaney. Today was the day Germany was split into East and West.

Program:  The Ferndale High School FAA Debate team made their presentation in preparation for the District Competition coming up later this month.  They will square off against other schools form Whatcom/Skagit and Snohomish counties.

The team was split into two groups:  The Ranchers and the Environmentalist and the subject of the debate was the re-introduction of Wolves into Yellowstone National Park and their expansion into Montana, Washington, Oregon and California.

In 1995, wildlife managers started to reintroduce wolves to Yellowstone National Park and Idaho. Despite the good intentions of conservationists and advocates, there are also people from different sectors who vehemently oppose the recovery programs of these carnivorous animals.

What Is Wolf Reintroduction?

This is a program to reintroduce wolves in their natural habitat like forests and national parks. Reintroduction of wolves would only be done in areas where there is enough space for endangered wolves to populate and sustain themselves.

In 1966, biologists had noticed an impending problem on the growing population of elks in Yellowstone since the extinction of wolves in the area. This resulted to an imbalance in the ecosystem and overgrazing on vegetation.

There was apprehension from some groups while others find the recovery program necessary for local economy and tourism.   Thus, the debate whether the bringing back of these wolves in the wilderness is necessary or not is still ongoing. The views of people are divided and it is best to have a broader understanding of this issue and what they have to say can help in determining which side is worth considering.

List of the Pros of Wolf Reintroduction

1. It is a great way to bring back balance in the local ecosystem.
Since wolves were eradicated in the Yellowstone National Park, the populations of elks and deer rose dramatically over the years. The negative effect was felt when the area was overpopulated by herds of elks which grazed on the meadows in order to survive

2. It is good for ecotourism.
Proponents of wolf reintroduction posit that bringing back wolves will encourage more tourists to come visit these areas.

3. Wolves can be controlled to keep them from preying livestock.
On the issue of wolves being predators, supporters claim that with technology and science, this can be minimized, if not totally controlled. Nowadays, people overseeing the program can have GPS devices attached to wolves to monitor their movements and keep them from hunting sheep and other farm animals.

1. It can harm livelihood.
Opponents of the program, including ranchers and livestock raisers, are concerned the loss of their livelihood with the presence of wolves. Even the hunters are not in favor of wolf reintroduction since the population of deer will be divided between them and the wolves. Farmers and ranchers fear that these wolves will attack the sheep and other animals in their lands.

2. There are already wolves in these areas.
Some conservationists also oppose the wolf recovery program because they say that there are already wolves that have migrated and their number is already enough to keep them from extinction.

3. This is an expense using taxpayer’s money.
Some critics express their views about taxpayers having to spend for wolf reintroduction. Figures show that it costs between $200,000 to $1 million dollars to reintroduce a wolf back to the natural habitat and this is not practical. They also argue that ranchers are to be compensated for the loss of their sheep from wolf attacks and this can also be expensive.

A very good presentation by some bright and articulate student from Ferndale High School.

Drawing:  Bill won the door prize of a Smore’s Kit and Stan drew the 6 of Hearts, therefore, the Pot continues to grow.