Show CIO — The Herald Journal Logan Utah Friday February 6 2004 CARSON CITY Nev (AP) — For thousands of years American Indians carefully tended stands of pi non pines in Nevada The Washoe people would gather nuts in the Pine Nut Mountains and use them throughout the year to toast and make powder stews ' (4 hundreds of pinons the state tree of Nevada “People are starting to very much watch these patterns of mortality” said Connie Millar research geneticist at the Institute of Forest Genetics for the US Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest Research Station “We’re looking at a regionwide phenomenon” In one grove south of : and salves Surviving climate changes stands of the trees with twisting branches and stiff1 needles spread through the West But a recent phenomenon has scientists Gard-nervii- le odd-looki- along U S 39S as many as 20 percent of the trees have died in the past few years' concerned A few years agb researchers in several Western states started noticing shorter needles on the pines and substances around them v Then the trees started dying “When you see those start dying they're beyond just dry” said Kelly Redmond climatologist with the Western Regional Climate Center in Reno “They belong here They're adapted to dry conditions When they start showing stress they 'te telling you there's more stress than black-powde- Scientists investigating the ' tree deaths are focusing on the effects of a four-yedrought that has gripped northern Nevada and neighboring states With a decent snow- pack and recent wet storms the area could finally see some relief this year experts ' say “We’re off to a good start here” said Douglas LeCoihte ' drought specialist with the National Oceanic and Atmos- pheric Association Climate Prediction Center in Washington DC “If it continues it will make a significant differ- ar ry : - cnee” read- Snow the mountains in around ings watersheds the Carson-Walk- usual'" : water-conte- Tree experts are trying to determine what is killing off : " nt er pomin pomes dlyoirog are showing 125 percent to 150 percent of normal LeComte said The area could still take a turn and end up like the past four years though with wanner weather and below-norm- al precipitation predicted for the next few weeks The region has seen the same pattern in the past few easyears with decent-stormthe to be ing drought only thwarted by the heat and dry- ness of late spring and sum- mer The pinon pine population also has fluctuated because of human and climatic conditions Scientists can track the tree’s presence in central Nevada as far back as 5000 years Research indicates it reached its northernmost limit at Pyramid Lake only 200 years ago Ideal climate conditions of summer moisture and warmer winters allowed the climate-sensitipinons to flourish in the dry rocky soils of the northern parts of the state for 200 years Eighty-fiv- e percent of the trees iii this area began growing from 1825 to 1850 researchers in Reno estimate Scientists with the LfS For-est Service in Reno will moni- - ! A ve AP photo lone pinon pine tree defines the landscape at sunset in Carson City Nev A few years ago researchers states started noticing shorter needles on the pines and substances in several Western black-powde- tor pirions south of Card- nerville to determine the longterm effects of changes in climate' on tree mortality of both single-need- le pinon and Utah junipers 7 Peter Wigarid a professor of geography and researcher in Reno' saidlhe tree deaths might be cyclical for a species still trying to establish itself in the north One of the problems is finding out whether global warming is adding to tne problems Wigand said “What we’re seeing with all ry this die-o-ff is cyclical adjustment” he said “We’re looking at a species at its northernmost boundary We could turn around the summer should get wetter and wanner With that it could just as easily Wasting disease on the move in the West ' AP photo Colorado Division of Wildlife technician Sarah Ayres removes tissue frpm the head of a hunted elk at the chronic site in 'wasting disease testing' drop-of- f Craig Colo Oct 16 2002 DENVER (AP) — Tests on deer and elk killed by hunters show chronic wasting disease hasn't moved into new parts of Colorado1 but it is cropping up in new places within Wyoming wildlife officials said Tuesday The fatal brain ailment is found in northeastern arid northwestern Colorado but hasn’t turned up ip the southern or central-we- st parts of the state Division of Wildlife ' spokesman Todd Malmsbury said In Wyoming recent tests revealed cases in new places: hear the Colorado line and hear Worland in the north-centr- al part of the state The ailment until now has been concentrated in southeast Wyoming It was first found in the state in the esirly 1980s Most wildlife experts believe the' bunched together in a tent By 1 1 pm the starry skyscape ' gave way to the rising moon ' bright enough to read by and set- Continued from Cl ting aglow the white wilderness A few more days in the moun- ' At Camp sunset lit up the sky tains would have been ideal bpt ' with a pinkish hue cast against the this was a quick two-da- y trip Our dark mountains Night fell with the three-mil-e hike back down to the rise of Venus a giant glowing ball V trailhead was much less strenuous tackled in about two hours: 7 dominating the darkness followed ': On our hawks cir-- "' by the tiny red speck of Mars up above cled in the sky Their prey pan be ' ' V By 8 pmour camp became a sparse this time of year but park Deb Schweizer planetarium the sky illuminated explained ranger with millions of tiny stars bunched that another world of life exists in ' together in constellations only a ' 7 ' what’s called the subnivean space few of which we could name: which forms between the ground Snow camping beckons a differ- and the underside of the snow- ' V- ent breed of outdoor enthusiast' 77' pack ' ' low the into where That’s Temperatures dropped gophers arid moles - eke out a subsistence on 20s and a brisk wind howled — plant roots and seeds 7 through the tree tops on this mild ' ' winter night “Lots of people talk about it But thesky seems dearer in being winter and it being dead but ' there’s a lot that lives out there this winter' the air crisper and seem- time of year” Schweizer said ingly easier to breathe than in the hot summer months Snow camp- " If You Go 7 ing is not as challenging as it f YOSEMITE NATIONAL sounds a simple plastic tarp laid ' PARK: The park is open year-- " between the tent and snowy round but some trails do close (fair- -: ground keeps things dry "I haven't camped since I was a' ing winter' Tioga Road across the ' high-- : park's vehicle-accessib- le Boy Scout'' remarked my 45- ' friend as the four of us year-ol- d country closes with the first snow Weekly Skiie j Knitting Looms Wider More Than Look Has Changed! ! 7:7-72- Check Out These Great off j vital FHt ':20 Gj5 off Dance evelrY Finding ' v I —0 Class Beads A f TRENDS I off 7 : - too-“Ar- ly nt - - ng -- snow-tubin- Cross-count- ry ' ' m 372-843- v Outlet Store : French D) ors-ma- - m4r’ 2j99b : MRcast $a29b PtiyStoak TikBy Breast New off Omega - Salabt Prime Hb oil (A Green Girbnd : Lewer Foods Inc --i Paiet' Printed Pillow Just Our ease -- : UTAH Hundreds of wild and captive deer and elk were killed to try to stem the ' disease’s spread in Colorado Wisconsin reported the first cases dis1 believe the Experts east of the Mississippi River the is spreading and '! same year The disease has also been in Minnesota New Mexico the found dropped requirement saying research hqpe ongoing do Montana KansiaS Oklahoit Nebraska enough people willyoluntarily can pinpoint how it is ma-Utah so they can continue to track the disand Canada ease 7 transmitted Slightly more than 200 of the Chronic wasting disease attacks 15424 deer and elk checked last the brains' and nervous systems of year in Colorado tested positive for disease is spreading in Wyoming and elk deer and moose Scientists say chronic wasting disease The number there is no evidence the disease can hope ongoing research can pinpoint of heads submitted was down from how it is transmitted said Michelle be transmitted to humans and live-24652 in 2002 because hunters didZitek spokeswoman for the stock For decades the malady was n’t kill as many animals ' found only in northeastern Colorado Wypming Game and Fish Depart- -' Malmsbury of the Colorado Divi:ment and southeastern Wyoming The first sion of Wildlife said the overall rate Cases were also found late last known cases west of the Continental of chronic wasting disease is roughly 5 percent in deer and 1 percent in Divide were found in 2002 on an elk year in the Black Hills National Forest something Zitek said biologisLs in in wild ranch and the near Craig elk The ailment hasn't been found in had expected The forest straddles' moosenorthwestern Colorado 6) -- SMlTHFIELD ' Wyoming and South Dakota which first reported cases in 2001 In Wyoming hunters were asked last year to voluntarily submit deer and elk heads for testing The Col- - V orado Wildlife Commission has skiing that day he’d been away from the slopes the longest but was making ' jump turns on the steeps like he was a teen- - ager again At one point though 7 Continued from Cl after stopping to admire the ease with which he had returned to the sport I 7 ' Of course I was the one who ended noticed Blainer’s nose didn’t look quite up fiddling with the screwdriver arid the right arid the rest of his face was kind of bindings which somehow made it my weird fault when Eldo’s first turn on the you all right?” I shouted down slopes in who knows how many years the mountain 7 resulted in the helmet the Good Doctor “I think so” came the reply! had loaned him being stuffed to the hilt GENERAL INFORMATION: But when I approached him I could with Utah’s famously dry champagne 7 see Visitors driving into the park dur- something was obviously wrong winter may be required to powder-' entire face wasblack and a Blainer's ' ' athleticism and ' shadow line on the bridge of his nose carry chains in case road Condi- - ' ' Eldo's natural-bor- n tions become icy It is advised to years of physical training however-savemade it appear as though he was either his sinuses from being perma-nentcheckwith the park in advance crisis and had suffering a mid-lif-e Pets are allowed in the park but damaged but the Face-plaresolved to become a coal miner or had must be leashed and are not per- -' Episode taught us a valuable and impor-7 wrapped his septum around a tree tant lesson: the days of the young agile on mitted unpaved trails' It only took a second though to real-- 7 careless ski bums of years past were 7777 ize that the foam around Blainer’s 20- INTERACTIVITIES: Snow- ice' ' clearly over It was a concept reinforced' shoeing year qld goggles had disintegrated by the fact that between the pockets of skating and wildlife viewing Bad(probably when he had begun to sweat) our three paritas Eldo suddenly had v-' ger Pus Ski Area is also located in and that anytime three old guys can the park for downhill skiing' acceu'b a veritable emergency 'room drop everything and negotiate internamedicine closet which included but g snowboarding and tional time lines and schedules to enjoy ' skis and sriowshoes V was not limited to three wheelbarrows a day of skiing there truly can be “No ' can be rented on site 'full of ibuprofen some steroidal worries” V' inhalers various antacids and an For more information on Badger Pass visit their web site at unopened sample of Viagra the Good Jared Thayne's ckJmn appears tha first Dexitw must have tucked away to wwwyosemiterentalscombad-gerhtFriday of each month on the Outdoors 0 An remind Eldo to return all the gear or call (209) page Ha welcomes mail at PO Box 6682 ice skating rink is located at Curry Of course Good Buddy Blainer had ii at North Logan Utah 84341 his Episodes as well Of the three of us Village in the valley jar8dthayneOhotmailcom - : ‘ storm and opens when avalanche ' danger no longer exists For direcr lions daily weather tours shuttle bus access information where to stay and other planning advice visit wwwhpsgovyose or call (209)372-020- 0 The Yosemite Association (wwwyosemiteorg or in the park border town of El Portal offers tours and: can also provide advice for the planning a trip way-dow- CT CBAFT — -- 66 Jerky: Advertise b ($35014 Bring Ad in for with usl - off your purchase j Sinclair Gasoline v? 10 Deals! 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