More Guns & Vilsack on G8

More Guns & Vilsack on G8 plus Food Forethought. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.

Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack is taking part in the 3-day G8 Summit in Treviso, Italy and explains the role he sees the group of 8 developed nations playing in addressing issues involving food security around the world. 

VILSACK: And what can the G8 countries do, there was the beginning of a process in 2008 of developing a global partnership that would essentially work with international organizations, with NGO’s to come up with a comprehensive framework that addresses the notion of availability, access and utilization. And that will be our focus and I think hopefully will be able to have our partners see it in the same way.

It appears there has been a bit of backlash from the presidential election. More guns being purchased. The Washington State Department of Licensing has handled more than 27,000 concealed pistol permits so far in 2009, about 2,000 more than the first four months of last year and 3,700 more than the same period in 2007. Licenses aren't required to buy guns but a background check is required for purchases from gun stores in the state. Many citizens fear the Obama administration will re-impose a federal ban on assault-style weapons, toughen regulation of sales at gun shows and boost taxes on ammunition.

Now with today’s Food Forethought, here’s Lacy Gray.

I am going to go out on a limb here, like the “wild kitty” that I am and take issue with persons who want to declare open season on mountain lions. I’m having a severe case of déjà vu. Things are still in an uproar over taking wolves off the endangered species list. Now in California the issue is whether the mountain lion or cougar should be reinstated as legal game. Proposition 117 made it illegal to take, injure, possess, transport, or sell a cougar or any part of a cougar. The proposition while stating that the cougar is a “specially protected species” does not declare them rare, but the truth is, where they used to be found in most states, now the majority of their numbers are only in California. Cougar attacks on humans are rare. There have been only 16 verified attacks on humans in California since the late 1890’s. Statistically speaking, a person is more likely to be struck by lightening than attacked by a mountain lion. While open hunting of cougars is restricted, ranchers and farmers who have a depredation permit can still take a lion which is killing livestock; which is as it should be.

Thanks Lacy. That’s today’s Northwest Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.