Grizzly bears removed for livestock depredations. Two grizzly bears were removed last month due to cattle depredations in southwestern Montana.
One bear was killed in the Gravelly Mountains after several instances of sheep depredation. These conflicts happened despite multiple attempts to avoid them, including guard dogs, moving sheep to new areas, and hazing the bear.
The second bear was killed on private land in the Paradise Valley south of Livingston after chronic cattle depredations. The landowner moved cows twice, but conflicts continued.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services removed both bears on Aug. 21 in consultation with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks.
Specialists with FWP and Wildlife Services work to help landowners, producers and communities avoid bear conflicts. Promptly reporting bear conflicts can make a difference for the health of the bear and the safety of communities. Some corrective management efforts, when applied early, can be effective in discouraging bears from being close to humans and livestock and reduce future conflicts.
To report bear conflicts, contact your local bear specialist at the phone number listed on FWP’s website: https://fwp.mt.gov/conservation/wildlife-management/bear/contact.
FWP Guidance for Livestock Owners, Homeowners and the General Public
“Grizzly bears are listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). As such, harassing, harming, pursuing, hunting, shooting, wounding, killing, trapping, capturing, or collecting grizzly bears is not permitted except for self-defense or in defense of others, as authorized by the grizzly bear 4(d) rule. Harass in the definition of “take” in the ESA means an intentional or negligent act or omission which creates the likelihood of injury to wildlife by annoying it to such an extent as to significantly disrupt normal behavioral patterns which include, but are not limited to, breeding, feeding, or sheltering.”
“Grizzly bears can pose a threat to human safety and should be discouraged from using areas near homes and other human-occupied areas. Hazing discourages undesirable behavior in wildlife, and when properly conducted, does not create a likelihood of injury to grizzly bears to such an extent as to significantly disrupt normal behavioral patterns.” — FWP Guidance Report
sourced – Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks – Sep 11, 2024
New misinformation bill cited as chilling assault on free speech
New misinformation bill cited as chilling assault on free speech. The Australian government has recently introduced the Communications Legislation Amendment (Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation) Bill 2024, aiming to address the spread of misinformation and disinformation online.
“The Albanese government was forced to abandon a previous draft version of the laws after they were widely condemned by everyone from media organisations and tech companies to civil liberties groups and even the Australian Human Rights Commission.” — Sky News
Read the entire bill
The primary purpose of the bill seeks to empower the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) with new capabilities to combat seriously harmful misinformation and disinformation online. This includes the ability to require digital platforms to keep records, enforce industry codes, or set standards for managing misinformation.
Under the bill, if passed, it says that social media platforms could face significant fines, up to 5% of their global revenue, if they fail to comply with the regulations set forth by ACMA regarding the removal or management of misinformation.
This particular legislation includes a broad definition of what might constitute harm, including harm to public health, the economy, or public confidence in institutions like the banking system, and it has raised some serious concerns about what could be labeled as misinformation.
Freedom of speech advocates, including some politicians argue that the bill represents an attack on free speech. They fear it could be used to censor legitimate opinions or discussions, particularly those critical of government policies or actions. There’s concern over the bill’s potential to create a scenario akin to a Ministry of Truth.
What’s interesting about the bill is that it seems to exclude professional news content, and there’s criticism that it might not hold mainstream media to the same standards. There’s also a mention that the bill could impact discussions around significant public issues, like referendum proposals, by potentially classifying certain viewpoints as misinformation.
There’s been considerable backlash on social media platforms cross the board with regard to this bill, with users and some politicians highlighting the risks to freedom of expression. Critics argue that the definitions within the bill are too vague or broad, potentially allowing for overreach by the regulatory body.
The Australian government, through statements by Communications Minister Michelle Rowland, emphasizes that the bill aims to keep Australians safe from seriously harmful content without intending to stifle free speech. They argue it’s about ensuring digital platforms take responsibility for the content they host.
This bill reflects a global trend where governments are grappling with how to manage misinformation while balancing freedom of speech, with Australia’s approach being one of the more contentious examples due to its potential implications for online discourse.
The initial bill received so much backlash that Australian lawmakers had to table it … for now.
Eric Arthur Blair under the pen name George Orwell summed the society of today up quite nicely when he wrote “War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.”
Eric Arthur Blair wasn’t a prophet by any stretch. He couldn’t see into the future any more than we can see. What Eric Arthur Blair did know was his history.
All of this misinformation nonsense has been tried before. In Roman times you could be fed to the lions for saying the wrong thing. In Nazi Germany you could be sent to the camps for saying the wrong thing.
If you think that this just might be an Australian problem, then I might suggest you watch the video below where Vice President Harris gives her views on the matter: