Uncommon Knowledge
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GRAND FORKS – Roger Furstenau was searching snow geese west of Edmore, North Dakota, not too long ago when he seen a number of of the usually cautious birds simply weren’t appearing proper.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has provided a spring hunt – formally referred to as a “conservation order” in government-speak – for the previous 20 years as a part of a continental effort to cut back overabundant populations of snow geese, that are damaging the delicate Arctic ecosystem the place they breed.
North Dakota’s spring hunt, which opened Feb. 19 and continues via Could 15, is timed to coincide with the interval when hundreds of thousands of the sunshine geese migrate via the state in big flocks en path to their breeding grounds alongside the Hudson Bay shoreline.
“Anyplace the place you’d see these huge flocks (of snow geese) sit for any time period, there’d be some birds that simply couldn’t rise up to go,” Furstenau, of Cavalier, North Dakota, mentioned.
Some snow geese had been already lifeless, Furstenau says, and in a single case, he and his searching companions had been capable of stroll proper as much as three birds strolling among the many decoys.
One other chicken they noticed was having what gave the impression to be a seizure, he says. The variety of sick or lifeless snow geese they encountered was unsettling.
“Only a horrible sight,” Furstenau mentioned. “After we noticed what it seemed like, you might inform, ‘Right here comes one other sick chicken.’
“It was fairly alarming – sort of unhappy.”
The sick or lifeless snow geese Furstenau and others have seen this spring anyplace alongside the birds’ migration hall in North Dakota are casualties of the lethal H5N1 Extremely Pathogenic Avian Influenza that has been ravaging home poultry flocks in Minnesota and North Dakota.
Amongst wild birds in North Dakota, snow geese and raptors have been hardest-hit, mentioned Dr. Charlie Bahnson, wildlife veterinarian for the North Dakota Recreation and Fish Division in Bismarck.
Snow geese began displaying up in North Dakota on March 18, Bahnson says, and the reviews of sick or lifeless snow geese started trickling in that very same day.
Based mostly on what they’d been listening to from different states, the reviews weren’t surprising, Bahnson says.
“Shortly after we began getting snow goose reviews, we began getting raptor reviews,” Bahnson mentioned. Almost the entire raptors examined had been testing constructive for avian influenza, he says.
The listing contains “fairly a number of” bald eagles, red-tailed hawks, great-horned owls, snowy owls and vultures.
“Just about each chicken that scavenges off a snow goose, we’re getting a few of them,” Bahnson mentioned. “Title your scavenging chicken, and a few of them appear to be dying in North Dakota.”
It’s tough to estimate what number of snow geese have died from the illness in North Dakota, but it surely’s seemingly within the 1000’s. Raptors, by comparability, have suffered “dozens” of casualties up to now, Bahnson says.
“When it comes to gauging severity, it’s sort of laborious to say (with snow geese) as a result of we’re speaking like 20 to 30 (sick or lifeless birds in a flock), and that first slug of snow geese that got here via was like 4 million,” Bahnson mentioned. “The last word proportion might be not excessive, but it surely’s nonetheless there.
“It definitely is having an impact.”
Contributed / North Dakota Recreation and Fish Division
Recreation and Fish has labored with USDA Wildlife Providers personnel to check about 200 birds of a dozen species, Bahnson says, amassing samples which can be despatched to a federal lab for testing. It’s to the purpose, he says, the place they’re not amassing snow geese for testing, and are testing fewer red-tailed hawks and bald eagles, as nicely.
Now, except it’s a much less widespread species, they’re primarily recording the placement to maintain monitor of the place die-offs are occurring, he says.
Thus far, the division has obtained nearly 300 reviews of sick or lifeless birds from the general public via an
on-line Wildlife Mortality Report kind
on the Recreation and Fish web site, Bahnson says.
“It’s been a extremely useful manner for folks to be our eyes and ears on the market,” Bahnson mentioned. “If the general public sees a sick or lifeless chicken, we ask that they simply tell us, after which we are able to decide from there.”
Mark Fisher, wildlife biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Devils Lake, mentioned there have been a few websites in Ramsey County the place they’ve discovered as much as 80 lifeless snow geese. As with the Recreation and Fish Division, they’re not choosing up carcasses for testing or disposal, Fisher says.
Brad Dokken / Grand Forks Herald
It’s not unusual to drive down a prairie highway and discover “a number of lifeless ones on this area and three or 4 in that area,” Fisher says, after which see a number of extra lifeless or sick snow geese a number of miles down the highway.
Waterfowl die-offs up to now, no less than within the Lake Area, have been restricted to snow geese, Fisher says.
“Snow geese are so apparent,” he mentioned. “It’s not laborious to seek out snow geese on the panorama. Every time we’d discover any giant numbers, we’d actually drill down and search for floating geese, floating Canada geese, no matter.
“We didn’t see any.”
The Recreation and Fish Division has gotten a number of reviews of lifeless Canada geese, however this time of yr, they’re not congregated in giant flocks like snow geese, Bahnson says. As an alternative, Canada geese are paired up for breeding and spaced throughout the countryside.
The division additionally has obtained “a few reviews” of lifeless pheasants and turkeys, however Bahnson mentioned he hadn’t seen any check outcomes as of Thursday.
“Based mostly on what we all know concerning the virus, these species are in all probability fairly delicate. It’s only a matter of publicity,” he mentioned. “Pheasants and turkeys aren’t going to commingle with snow geese fairly often.”
Even when they did, any outbreak seemingly can be localized, Bahnson mentioned. The virus acts shortly, usually killing chickens and turkeys inside hours, a sample that’s not conducive to circulating throughout the panorama, he mentioned.
“One slough that’s bought some pheasants, you would possibly lose them however as a result of they don’t congregate en masse, I sort of doubt that we’re going to look at widespread mortality like that,” Bahnson mentioned. “In the end, it’s not on the prime of my issues.”
In current days, Bahnson says the division has gotten “fairly a number of” reviews of lifeless robins, meadowlarks and mourning doves. These birds, he says, almost definitely died through the blizzards and snowstorms which have pummeled elements of North Dakota the previous couple of weeks.
“We’re going to check a number of to rule (avian influenza) out, however sadly, wherever you’re within the state proper now, it’s sort of a tough time to be a chicken,” Bahnson mentioned.
Some organizations, resembling The Raptor Heart within the Twin Cities, have suggested a halt to yard chicken feeding, however the Recreation and Fish Division, just like the Minnesota Division of Pure Sources, merely recommends that individuals hold their chicken feeders and feeding websites clear, Bahnson says.
“Proper now, we haven’t any proof to point that songbirds or birds that will be at a chicken feeder are contributing” to the outbreak, he mentioned. “That being mentioned, we do know that quite a lot of ailments that may be deadly to songbirds might be transmitted via chicken feeders so we’d say that, total – this spring or every other spring – we’d at all times actually encourage good chicken feeder hygiene.”
Often cleansing feeders with a ten% bleach resolution and shifting feeders to totally different locations within the yard to keep away from buildup of feces can decrease potential dangers, Bahnson says. Anybody who sees a sick or lifeless chicken ought to take down the feeder for 2 weeks to let any potential pathogens break down.
The avian influenza now ravaging poultry and wild birds emerged within the late Nineteen Nineties and early 2000s in Eurasia, the place it has been circulating ever since, Bahnson says. The present variant, he says, represents the subsequent chapter in a narrative that started with a flare-up in 2014 throughout North America that fizzled out after the summer time of 2015.
“That was type of a special scenario the place there wasn’t almost the identical stage of mortality in wild birds,” Bahnson mentioned. “This time, in fact, the mortality in wild birds is kind of much more dramatic.
“I believe it would actually stay to be seen whether or not this virus goes to develop into established in our wild birds because it has in Eurasia, or if it would fizzle out prefer it did the final time in 2014-15. We’re actually, really sort of in uncharted territory with this explicit scenario.”
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service affords these common security tips for hunters dealing with wildlife and their tissues throughout an avian influenza outbreak:
– Herald employees report
WASHINGTON (KMOT) – The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded more than $28 million to West Fargo, Spirit Lake Tribe and the Three Affiliated Tribes.
The majority of the funds went to West Fargo for the installation of a road-rail separation with pedestrian, bike and ADA accommodations.
The Tribes were given partial of the funds to design road maintenance and address drainage issues, road widening, and parking accessibility for all.
The money comes from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity, or RAISE, grant program.
Copyright 2024 KFYR. All rights reserved.
BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – North Dakota University System Chancellor Mark Hagerott will be moving to other job opportunities.
The chancellor released this statement about his work for the state: “It has been wonderful to be the chancellor and lead the North Dakota system for almost a decade. I am proud of the work we have done as a system during my tenure. I look forward to ensuring the continued success of the students we serve by assisting the Board during the upcoming legislative session.”
Hagerott said he will continue to serve the state of North Dakota as a professor of artificial intelligence and human security.
State Board of Higher Education Chair Tim Mihalick said the State Board of Higher Education is thankful for his leadership: “He has provided a systemwide vision to higher education that is student-centric and fiscally responsible. We look forward to continuing our work together through the next year and a half, to include the upcoming legislative session, and persisting in our shared systemwide higher education goals.”
He said his transition to teaching will be beneficial to the state in the future.
Copyright 2024 KFYR. All rights reserved.
Analysts think Doug Burgum could be named as former President Donald Trump’s running mate, sparking widespread interest in the North Dakota governor’s life, career, background and finances.
The 67-year-old has governed the state since 2016, but before entering politics he was a well-known businessman and led a software company that was acquired by Microsoft for more than $1 billion. Other business interests boosted his bank balance too; he spent millions on his own White House bid last year, briefly trying to run against Trump before dropping his plans and throwing his weight behind the former president.
Now Burgum’s name has been cited by several political commentators compiling lists about who may be chosen as Trump’s for Republican vice presidential candidate and bookmakers have said the odds are firmly in his favor. Being awarded the role would automatically create a favorite for the 2028 Republican nominee for president if Trump were to win and complete his second allowed term.
Steven Ferdman/Getty Images
With just weeks to go until the GOP convention, political news outlet The Hill said Burgum was in the top three “most likely” contenders, along with senators J.D. Vance of Ohio and Marco Rubio of Florida.
Business magazine Forbes estimated last November that Burgum is a worth $100 million “at least.” The magazine said he is worth much more than his financial disclosures would suggest, though, because some of his riches are likely to have been disbursed in trusts for his three grown children.
The governor had relatively humble beginnings, working in his family’s grain elevator business through school and college at North Dakota State University, then becoming a chimney sweep before entering an MBA program at Stanford University.
Following the $1.1 billion sale of Great Plains Software in 2001 to the tech giant, Burgum became a senior vice president at Microsoft and was awarded more than 1.7 million Microsoft shares, which then were worth roughly $100 million, according to Forbes. He later left the firm and over the coming decades sold stock regularly as well as undergoing a costly divorce from his first wife, meaning that today the Microsoft stock is just a tiny fraction of his overall portfolio and is worth up to a $1 million.
But Burgum branched out into a string of other business ventures. He has also worked in real estate development and venture capital.
Some analysts have said money is a key factor playing to Burgum’s advantage because he appears to have been modeled in Trump’s own image. He has “two things Trump wants: a fat wallet and thick hair,” Bloomberg columnist and former political reporter Patricia Lopez joked in an opinion piece on Sunday.
While the Associated Press said: “Trump likes rich people. North Dakota’s two-term governor is most definitely rich.” Burgum and his wife, Kathryn, who are said to be extremely friendly with Trump and his team, would bring “money and rich friends to the table.”
Burgum has remained tight-lipped about the VP situation, but he has been a regular face on TV screens as he campaigns for Trump.
Trump told reporters in Philadelphia this weekend that he had chosen who he wanted to join him on the Republican ticket for November’s election but added that he had not yet revealed his choice to anyone.
Newsweek has reached out to Burgum via the governor’s office seeking further information and comment.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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