Protection sought for snails, slugs in Northwest forests
Thursday, March 13, 2008 1:50 PM PDT
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E-mail this articlePORTLAND, Ore. — Conservation groups want the federal government to protect 32 species of snails and slugs under the Endangered Species Act.
Tierra Curry, a biologist for the Center for Biological Diversity, says that since the Bush administration took steps to allow more logging in old-growth Pacific Northwest forests, the snails and slugs are in danger of going extinct.
The petition says they perform a critical role in the food web, consuming forest litter and in turn being eaten by wildlife.
While all 32 species are rare, seven are known to inhabit only one or two locations, making them particularly susceptible to extinction.
Hey "Old Logger" wrote on Mar 13, 2008 2:31 PM:
" Never have taken an ecology course, have ya? The "old ways" of doing business in our forests is the actual joke here. "
FED UP wrote on Mar 13, 2008 2:34 PM:
" Conservation groups - GET A LIFE!!!!!!
This is yet another example of how radical "conservationists" enjoy screwing with people. "Center for Biological Diversity?" PLEASE!!! Makes me want to puke! I'd rather eat a snail!!!! Find something better to do with your pathetic lives! "
This is yet another example of how radical "conservationists" enjoy screwing with people. "Center for Biological Diversity?" PLEASE!!! Makes me want to puke! I'd rather eat a snail!!!! Find something better to do with your pathetic lives! "
Salt wrote on Mar 13, 2008 2:58 PM:
" Does that mean I can't pour salt on them when they crawl into my garden anymore? If they are short of slugs and snails in the forest, I'd be happy to show them where they have apparently taken refuge--MY FREAKIN' YARD!! Seriously, people are starving, we are at war and the U.S. family is in crisis, but we are worried about slugs and snails?! "
Seriously? wrote on Mar 13, 2008 3:10 PM:
" Kind of makes me want to get out my salt shaker in protest of the liberals. This is pretty high on the someone has a lot of time on their hands list. "
Criminals wrote on Mar 13, 2008 3:19 PM:
" Watch, it won't be long before we won't be able to walk in the locations that thesse "WACKOS" designate because you might end up stepping on one of these creatures. How are we going to stop all the forest creatures (like the spotted owl and marbled murelet) from eating the slugs and snails? Do we have enough cops to arrest and jail space to house these future criminals? "
The Patriot wrote on Mar 13, 2008 3:29 PM:
" It's just another power grab by the liberal wackos. They could care less about the slugs and snails. It's all about locking up land so it can't be used. The same holds true for the spotted owls. Those freaks don't care about the owls, they use them and any other specie they can as a pawn in their stupid game. "
slug getter wrote on Mar 13, 2008 3:40 PM:
" Are you kidding me ,I can show you places where you have to watch where you step to avoid them . My front yard years ago was the same way.
Where is my beer and salt shaker. "
Where is my beer and salt shaker. "
pet gastropod wrote on Mar 13, 2008 3:57 PM:
" Does this mean I will have to get a special permit to have my pet slug??
They just want more money so I can take good care of my gastropod...poor Harry..I will probably have to turn him over to a slug outreach program..sigh "
They just want more money so I can take good care of my gastropod...poor Harry..I will probably have to turn him over to a slug outreach program..sigh "
GEEZ... wrote on Mar 13, 2008 3:59 PM:
" WHAT IS THIS WORLD COMING TO WHEN THESE
LIBERALS HAVE NOTHNG BETTER TO DO THEN PROTECT THE SNAILS.SOMEONE NEEDS TO GET A LIFE. "
LIBERALS HAVE NOTHNG BETTER TO DO THEN PROTECT THE SNAILS.SOMEONE NEEDS TO GET A LIFE. "
Red wrote on Mar 13, 2008 4:12 PM:
" I'll help out every chance I get by getting out my salt shaker.Are these people really this board?What a fricking waste of money.Nature freaks should go live with the slugs and snails. "
figures wrote on Mar 13, 2008 4:19 PM:
" Smelt are petitioned to be listed and everyone says "it is about time", animals that have no "recreational" value come up and everyone cries. Priorities I guess. "
Former Log Trucker wrote on Mar 13, 2008 4:29 PM:
" I remember when they told us a little cuddly spotted owl was going to put us out of business. I laughed. But 'they' were right. Truckers are getting paid the same now as they did 25 years ago, but the costs have grossly inflated and the availability of wood has been drastically reduced by environmentalists filing these radical 'save this or save that' species. Owls have been proved to next on telephone poles... slugs will crawl out of ooze forever, and by the way, smelt are endangered thanks to the seals in Columbia. Somebody needs to get a life.............. "
James wrote on Mar 13, 2008 4:50 PM:
" Great, now your telling me I can't go slug dipping anymore? Whats this world coming to? "
bucketball wrote on Mar 13, 2008 5:26 PM:
" definition of liberal- of, favoring, or based upon the principles of liberalism B capitalized : of or constituting a political party advocating or associated with the principles of political liberalism; especially : of or constituting a political party in the United States associated with ideals of individual especially economic freedom, greater individual participation in government, and constitutional, political, and administrative reforms designed to secure these objectives
definition of conservative- 1: preservative
2 a: of or relating to a philosophy of conservatism bcapitalized : of or constituting a political party professing the principles of conservatism: as (1): of or constituting a party of the United Kingdom advocating support of established institutions (2): progressive conservative
3 a: tending or disposed to maintain existing views, conditions, or institutions : traditional b: marked by moderation or caution c: marked by or relating to traditional norms of taste, elegance, style, or manners
Why do you so-called conservatives try to act like liberal is a bad word? I don't see any of your so-called conservative elected officials trying to conserve what very little old-growth forests for our future generations to enjoy, or civil liberties in the name of terrorism, or our jobs which get outsourced to foriegn countries including our Air Force defense project. These slugs and snails need protected because an extinction of any species can have devistating effects on an ecosystem. "
definition of conservative- 1: preservative
2 a: of or relating to a philosophy of conservatism bcapitalized : of or constituting a political party professing the principles of conservatism: as (1): of or constituting a party of the United Kingdom advocating support of established institutions (2): progressive conservative
3 a: tending or disposed to maintain existing views, conditions, or institutions : traditional b: marked by moderation or caution c: marked by or relating to traditional norms of taste, elegance, style, or manners
Why do you so-called conservatives try to act like liberal is a bad word? I don't see any of your so-called conservative elected officials trying to conserve what very little old-growth forests for our future generations to enjoy, or civil liberties in the name of terrorism, or our jobs which get outsourced to foriegn countries including our Air Force defense project. These slugs and snails need protected because an extinction of any species can have devistating effects on an ecosystem. "
me wrote on Mar 13, 2008 5:27 PM:
" If they are on my property, I will consider them "predetors" and they will be "shot" (with salt of course). :) "
Mr. Grim wrote on Mar 13, 2008 5:41 PM:
" I saw a wild pack of banana slugs take down a buffalo once... "
foreign slugs the problem wrote on Mar 13, 2008 5:41 PM:
" Show me where all this logging on "old growth" is occuring. The forest Service just sent us a letter asking for permission to salvage a few trees that blew down in a campground. They had a list of environmental protections they would take (costing who-knows-what). By the way, the real threat to slugs, if anyone really cares, is all those FOREIGN black and brown garden-devouring beasts (they're from Asia somewhere) and are damaging our "native" banana-type slugs. "
Oh my God! wrote on Mar 13, 2008 6:30 PM:
" Give me the salt,,,,,lets put some money into helping humans!!!!Like our homeless, children, and elderly. If this passes I will not adhere to this law! "
Don Osmond wrote on Mar 13, 2008 7:30 PM:
" I kill and eat spotted Owl. Looks like Northwest slugs just made the menu. "
bluE wrote on Mar 13, 2008 8:29 PM:
" you people are so complete in your ignorance. there is a reason why your country is falling apart, why your economy is headed toward to the morgue, why your children are strung out.
your gonna wake up out of your stupor to a very dead world if you dont wake up now. "
your gonna wake up out of your stupor to a very dead world if you dont wake up now. "
Seriously? wrote on Mar 13, 2008 8:55 PM:
" Oh bucketball, someone knows how to use a dictionary for all the wrong reasons. Where were you on articles that actually meant something? You must be a liberal. Can I bring all my slugs to yyou to raise? "
re Former Log Truck Driver wrote on Mar 13, 2008 9:05 PM:
" And the rivers are teeming with salmon too, right? "
Legalized seizure of private property wrote on Mar 13, 2008 9:29 PM:
" Just another way to twist the arms of landowners: Place 32 different species on an "endangered" list. At least one of the 32 is bound to eventually show up on desirable land, making it illegal to build, log, farm, or otherwise use the land, severely decreasing its value. The landowner will eventually be compelled to "sell" his now worthless land to the government at a fraction of its original value. Does this sound familiar? "
pangborn wrote on Mar 13, 2008 11:36 PM:
" All slugs are conservatives or is it the other way around?
The only good slug has been well salted.
"
The only good slug has been well salted.
"
Little Jimmy Dickens wrote on Mar 14, 2008 6:31 AM:
" RE: bluE
Thank you Great Forecaster of Doom for your insight as to the fate of the world. Had I known that the slugs, drugs the and political figures were the reason for our eventual demise I would not have ran over that slug with my SUV at $4.00 per gallon while munching on a smoked smelt as I was driving to the polls to vote for my favorite communist. Buh bye. "
Thank you Great Forecaster of Doom for your insight as to the fate of the world. Had I known that the slugs, drugs the and political figures were the reason for our eventual demise I would not have ran over that slug with my SUV at $4.00 per gallon while munching on a smoked smelt as I was driving to the polls to vote for my favorite communist. Buh bye. "
Hide Behnd wrote on Mar 14, 2008 6:44 AM:
" Under new Federal Forestry some 13 to 33 million acres of previously Wilderness designated lands will be opend by road building and removal of damaged and reapairing of ecological land and trees. The lands of newest Environmetnal law changes are upon BLM protected lands and waterways in mid-west where millions of acres are now being ripped apart by mining and natural gas exploration. No matter the BS of these anti-Protection people the truth is every year we see a decrease in numbers of both species and survivors who can find protection on own as their natural environemnt also decreases.Open your eyes and look at Cowlitz and the smelt, salmon, harvest trout, and steelhead depletion with the invasion of carp suckers squawfish and lesser replacing them. You whine about land becoming worthless for developement that destroys your profits and not out of any love of the land so lets not get hypocritical and pretend any animal means diddly squat when it is personal pleasure first and foremost and damn anything that gets in way of your almighty dollar.We protect a slug and whine over shooting a dog here and kill people in other countries to keep cheap energy and never bat an eye until it starts to personally cost us a dollar.Live in concrete paved streets and rat warren housing to make a buck and want others who live outside our man made messes to pay to keep it natual for when we visit it, hypocrites all. "
Consiberal wrote on Mar 14, 2008 7:20 AM:
" The rednecks of Cowlitz County respond!! Let's just keep pumping out children and raping every last acre of land possible. Jump in your 8.0 liter Chevy Avalanche and complain about expensive gas. Imagine how expensive forest products might be when there's no forest left. "
I was wondering wrote on Mar 14, 2008 9:00 AM:
" I was wondering why the slugs have been few and far between in my garden the last couple of years. I thought that my leaving the salted carcases of their dead comrades made a point, and they were scared to come here anymore! "
curious wrote on Mar 14, 2008 11:03 AM:
" Did the "Urban Liberal" and "Tree Hugger" varieties of slug make it onto the endangered list? I'm sure the "Hollywood Celebrity" and "Welfare Freeloader" species didn't, as their numbers don't appear to be decreasing at all. "
applepie wrote on Mar 14, 2008 12:58 PM:
" Just another idea the tree huggers have come up with to keep anyone from cutting any timber. "
Water bucket wrote on Mar 14, 2008 4:38 PM:
" Dammit... does this mean I can't leave a water bucket out for my dogs to drink from and who run loose in the outter county (protecting the cattle from the coyotes and coy-dogs-for those who don't understand that term... dogs breed with coyotes and are not afraid of the human element) all because the slugs climb into the bucket and drown? Nothing is nastier than finding a bucket in the yard that has several of these creatures decomposing (we called it "slug soup"... anyone for a bowl?) hahaha ... These conservationists need to find a new hobby and real problems... slugs are not a problem... snails might be. "
helty wrote on Mar 14, 2008 5:11 PM:
" Just one more example of run a muck dont have anything better to do tree hugging liberals.
Put the dems. completley in charge of things this fall and look out, this is only the beginning. "
Put the dems. completley in charge of things this fall and look out, this is only the beginning. "
Betterthingstodo wrote on Mar 14, 2008 5:48 PM:
" Come on! There are way worse problems out there than slugs and snails. Homeless, starvation, unemployment. I can live with the slugs and snails. But to put them under gov. protection? What will all the chemical companies do? They will be losing profits. They might not be able to afford their mercedes and 20 room houses. Think of them. (That was sarcasm, by the way) If slugs and snails are becoming extinct, that is the survival of the fittest. All they are to me is something that I slip on going down the front steps "
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