Newsletter of the Sierra Club Palouse Group Spring 2017Serving SE Washington and Central Idaho

Conserving pollinators and biodiversityContributed by Timothy D. Hatten, PhDExComm Palouse Group Sierra Club

Plants contribute significantly to biological diversity, with 22% of the earth’s biota comprised of plants(excluding algae, microbes and fungi). Of the plants, the majority are flowering plants (angiosperms) and these “fix”, or make available, 90% of the energy in terrestrial systems that most animals rely on. A major factor contributing to the success of flowering plants is their mutualistic relationship with animal pollinators. Birds, bats, mammals and insects are these pollinators, and of these, insects pollinate two-thirds of all flowering plants. Sadly, a number of studies indicate that pollinators are in trouble around the world, and this means that the flowering plants dependent on them are in jeopardy too. A number of factors have been implicated in pollinator decline including: loss of habitat, deterioration (think invasive species) and fragmentation. Fragmentation of habitat is the reduction of large into small pieces of land, which for migrating species like hummingbirds, bats or monarchs, makes food and resting places much more difficult to find. Other factors include diseases (fungal gut pathogens among many), wild and managed pollinators (honey bees, leafcutters, mason bees), along with the use of pesticides, and climate change. The genetic diversity of pollinators is lessened as well in isolated or reduced populations. In short, a suite of threats is hammering our pollinators. There are things we can do to help protect pollinators, namely by helping to slow or reverse the factors above. Climate change is a big deal and needs to be fought on every level, but it’s not the most immediate threat for pollinators. That dubious distinction goes to habitat loss and deterioration. This means that the most important thing we can do to help protect pollinators and their flowering plants is to preserve their habitat: wildlands, parklands, forests, grasslands, deserts, riparian areas, diverse (as opposed to mono-cropped) agricultural systems, local green belts, urban gardens and backyard planters. Every space that we can make safe for pollinators is a step towards recovery. Every existing and future piece of legislation, every policy and management decision taken by our city councils, planning commissions, and county representatives is a de facto step to protect pollinators. Let’s help them to make the right decisions by calling for conservation-oriented policies. Private lands are of great importance too, including farm and ranch land, and every action we take to help the USDA or state agencies to provide conservation or cost-share incentives is a decisive action to conserving pollinators. Contact your congressman/woman now and let them know that USDA conservation programs are critical for pollinators and diverse plant communities.

The 2017 Lolo Pass AdventureAl Poplawsky

I’m not sure what my first clue was. It may have been having to drive 35 mph in the dark through slush, snow and ice for over 2 hrs on “curvy road for 99 miles”before finally reaching Lochsa Lodge late Friday evening. Or perhaps it was the abrupt snap of the old Subaru’s windshield wiper linkage that couldn’t handle the 6 inches of heavy, wet snow on the windshield Saturday morning. Whatever the case, by the time we eventually got to the pass and discovered that the ski trail groomer had broken before the start of the current winter storm, it was obvious that this year’s joint Sierra Club/FOC winter outing was going to be a little more “interesting” than usual.Shortly after noon, outing participants gathered at the Lolo Pass Visitor Center. Some of us had driven up Friday evening, slept in, and then enjoyed a leisurely,

(See Lolo Page 2)

Palouse News Finally, at the local level we all need to work on planting native plants for pollinators and providing overwintering habitat for them. Native plants are most adapted to local conditions and provide the most food for them. Think about planting three native varieties each of spring, summer and fall food sources. Plant them in bunches; this makes them more attractive to pollinators. Over-wintering habitat free of pesticides and contaminants is also critical for pollinators. It doesn’t have to be much; just a few patches of ground that haven’t been tilled, mulched or treated with pesticides. A little free water is also important for pollinators, be it a bird bath or a water-filled pan placed in the garden or flower bed.

(See Pollinators Page 3)

Lolo outing participants ready to set off in the falling snow

here), and the newcomers have now impacted the native gene pool.The drive back along the Lochsa with soaring eagles and water rushing between snow covered boulders was beautiful and relatively uneventful, if not a bit rainy. If your windshield wiper linkage ever breaks, it turns out that two slightly cracked front windows, a seven foot length of parachute cord (thanks Scotty) with one end tied to each wiper, and a strong-armed person in the passenger seat make pretty good substitutes for the wiper linkage and motor.

LOLO (Continued from Page 1) scrumptious brunch at the lodge. Others had arisen (very) early on the Palouse and managed to make it to the Pass by noon. We sorted ourselves into two groups. The first, of about nine relative conformists was willing to sign the Sierra Club waivers and agree to abide by Sierra Club outing rules while skiing through a foot of fresh, heavy, wet snow on an eight mile ungroomed, loop trail. This was the “official” outing. The second more rebellious group split up into even smaller groups of 1-3 people that confidently disappeared into the rough terrain on either snowshoes or backcountry skis – in falling snow heavy enough to obscure your tracks in the dim light after a few hours.The larger ski outing group was lucky to have three 16-year old, young men with them who by virtue of their youth and need to be first, were excellent at breaking trail through the heavy wet stuff. Even so, we decided at the halfway point of the loop to turn around and take advantage of our set track to sail back to the visitor center long before dark. Gliding through the falling snowflakes in the snow-laden forests and meadows was quite beautiful and peaceful. When we returned some of the smaller group participants were already back from their forays with a few groups still out. As the light waned, the visitor center closed and the clock struck 4:30, we realized that something was probably not quite right with the two small groups who had not yet returned. Soon one lone backcountry skier showed up and sheepishly admitted to having been “sort of lost”. However, at 5:15 with almost complete darkness upon us, a group of two on snowshoes had still notreturned. We huddled for warmth in the women’s bathroom and discussed our options. Should we form our own search party (bad idea in the dark), or should we have the ITD avalanche guy sitting in his vehicle outside call in search and rescue? Just as we were making a difficult decision, we heard relieved yells and screams in the parking lot. The two explorers had “got turned around” but ended up making it back safely - albeit a bit winded and quite late. This might be a good time to remind all backcountry enthusiasts to always take along a compass and topo map or GPS on all outings. Even in relatively familiar territory, conditions can change and add to the challenge of safely finding your way back.Saturday evening’s program was presented by a quickly recovered, but at first somewhat reluctant Brett Haver-stick since Gary Macfarlane had canceled out of the trip due to illness. Brett presented Gary’s slides on the fisher and did a pretty good job at guessing what Gary probably would have said about them. Between Brett’s guesses and various contributions from the audience we had a fascinating discussion about these critters. Did you know that the 3-12 lb fisher actually doesn’t fish? It is one of the only animals able to kill and eat a porcupine? Fishers were thought to be extinct due to fur trapping, and “re-introduced” into Idaho in the 1960s to help the timber industry? (due to their ability to eat those bark-stripping porcupines). However as with other predators, there is good evidence that the fisher didn’t need re-introducing to Idaho (it was still

UPCOMING EVENTS

Tim Hatten will lead two Sierra Club Outings this year; a spring outing on June 3rd to Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge, and a fall outing on September 23rd to the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness. The first of these outings will be an easy hike and a celebration of spring in the unique Channeled Scablands Ecoregion, and a chance to better understand the importance of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for conserving Threatened and Endangered species and migratory birds. The second one will be a more difficult hike and a celebration of wilderness and the importance of legislation to protect such special places. Details for these outings will be provided as they approach so watch your email for Sierra Club notifications. Until then contact Tim Hatten at hattentim@hotmail.com for more information on the out-ings. Put “Sierra Club Outings” in the message field so he can more easily spot your emails.

The idyllic winter scene at Lochsa Lodge

Executive Committee Election, Palouse Group of the Sierra Club

All Sierra Club members in the Palouse Group are eligible to vote in this election and run for a position on the Executive Committee. Please return your ballot within 30 days of receiving the newsletter.

Candidate Statements

For Executive Committee (vote for two): Voter 1 Voter 2

Al Poplawsky ______ ______

Alan Hodgdon ______ ______

___________________________ ______ ______

___________________________ ______ ______

Al Poplawsky: I am a Research Scientist at the UI and have been working there on plant disease problems for 27 years. I am currently trying to “branch out” and start working with organisms that actually benefit plants instead of making them sick. I have been associated with PGSC for over two decades and have been Chair of the group for a very long time also. My overall goal for our region is to gain protection for the wondrous roadless lands of the Clearwater drainage. I also try to focus the group on more local issues such as the Hwy 95 ThornCreek to Moscow re-route and the dwindling Grand Ronde aquifer. With your support I will continue this work. We always welcome participation in the group activities and the governing body – the PGSC ExComm. Please contact me for more information at 208-669-1065.

Alan Hodgdon: Alan has been a Sierra Club member for over 30 years and an avid outdoorsman, enjoying a wide range of activities from canoeing to rock climbing. He is passionate about conservation issues, including water quality and wilderness protection, but particularly those affecting water on the Palouse.

Note: Each member of a joint membership may vote, each using one of the two columns. Please tear off ballot and mail within 30 days to:

Palouse Group Sierra ClubPOB 9932

Moscow, ID 83843.

POLLINATORS (Continued from Page 1)Don’t spray pesticides during the bloom period of plants; better yet don’t use them at all. Very importantly, don’t use systemic pesticides like neonicotinoids that are ge-netically absorbed by the plant and then re-expressed in pollen and nectar for indefinite periods of time. If we can create habitats that span our urban areas and farmlands, then perhaps we can provide a safe bridge for pollina-tors across our landscape. Increasing habitat connec-tivity helps to ensure the survival of pollinators and the flowering plants that fuel terrestrial environments. Hey, a clean, safe and diverse environment for them sounds like a good place for us too! For great tips on the conservation of pollinators, look here: http://xerces.org/pollinator-conservation/.

Palouse Group Sierra ClubPOB 9932

Moscow, ID 83843

Non-Profit OrganizationUS Postage

PAIDPermit No 275

Moscow, ID

Palouse Group Sierra Clubwww.facebook.com/pgsc1

palouse.sierra.club@gmail.com

Chair: Al PoplawskyTreasurer: Jim FrenzelOutings: Mac CantrellNewsletter: Jeanne Leffingwell/Jim FrenzelExecutive Committee: Alan Hogdon, Lauretta Campbell, Tim Hatten, Jim Frenzel & Al Poplawsky