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Updated 1/28/10 -------------------------------------------------------- National park battling infestation of hogs The Associated Press KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- National park biologists are trying to come to grips with a hog infestation in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In 2009, the park's hog team removed 620 wild hogs, the third highest since the hog control program started in the late 1950s. Biologists say the hog population spiked last year because of a bountiful mast crop that enabled the sows to produce more than one litter. Park biologist Bill Stiver told the Knoxville News-Sentinel the introduction of wild, semi-domesticated hogs into the park has made hog control even more difficult. "The speculation is that hunters are illegally releasing feral pigs that eventually make their way inside the park," Stiver said. "It's a major problem not just here, but all over North America." He said numerous hogs killed this year had spotted markings and curl...

Updated 3/5 Open Letter to The Nature Conservancy #1 By Steve Young, invasives volunteer Arlington County Posted at http://plantwhacker.blogspot.com Attacks on invasives efforts are going on at every level from the global and national down to the local, as here in Arlington. I can't find a public announcement directly from The Nature Conservancy (TNC), but email traffic shows that they have made the internal decision to disband their Global Invasive Species Team effort and fire all those folks in a few months. Arg. Here is the letter I have just finished and will post tomorrow. February 27, 2009 Mark Tercek, President and CEO The Nature Conservancy 4245 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 100 Arlington, VA 22203-1606 Dear Mr. Tercek: I have been a member of The Nature Conservancy since 1981. No, certainly I am not one of your biggest donors, but I have been a faithful member and I have believed in TNC’s work and given what I can. For all this time I have been of the impression that the miss...