Jon Marvel of Western Watersheds Project has an eloquent quote in the Eugene Register Guard about the continuing demise of this species endemic to north-central Washington:

"This is a population that has existed since before the last Ice Age in Eastern Washington. The loss is something we can never calculate," said Jon Marvel, executive director of the Idaho-based Western Watersheds Project, which works to protect pygmy rabbit populations across the West. "Any time we lose a species it diminishes us all."

Biologists are continuing their captive breeding efforts by crossbreeding the two surviving females with another subspecies, the Idaho pygmy rabbit.

Center for Native Ecosystems is part of a coalition working to save the entire pygmy rabbit species, which used to inhabit huge portions of the Sagebrush Sea across Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.

Democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and her staff put together this amusing send up of how Rep. Pombo’s Resources Committee celebrated Earth Day.

The good news, I suppose, is that even Kempthorne opposes President Bush’s proposed Great Public Land Sell-Off, but this is more of an acknowledgement by the Administration that the idea is dead than an indication of anything hopeful about Gale Norton’s replacement. Kempthorne made clear that revamping the Endangered Species Act will be a priority during his tenure, and his record – mixed but largely consistent with the Bush Administration’s fierce assault on conservation and America’s natural heritage – leaves little doubt that we will have our work cut out for us for some time to come.

And just in case you weren’t sure, Kent Holsinger, the former-Allard-staffer-turned-anti-conservation-industry-champion, was so excited about the prospects of a Kempthorne Interior Department that he penned a puff piece in the Rocky Mountain News even Kempthorne’s PR staff couldn’t have topped (if they didn’t write it themselves). When the industry folks start cheerleading you know the nominee is no friend of conservation.

Idaho Governor Dick Kempthorne's League of Conservation Voters lifetime voting score: 1%.

That's right. While in the U.S. Senate, Kempthorne voted in favor of the environment on only 1% of the votes scored by LCV.

If you are interested in knowing more about his conservation voting record, you'll find a nice summary on the Endangered Species Coalition's web site. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committe is scheduled to vote on his nomination this Wednesday (May 10) at 9:30 a.m. mountain time.