Another Climate Change Denier Fumbles Facts

David Lathrop: Lake Superior Overlook ~Enlarge

Sunday's St. Paul Pioneer Press published a column by climate change denier (and all-around grump) Joe Soucheray.  Key clause: 

In any event, a new phrase is entering the phenomenon, and that is "out of their range.'' We are hearing that all the time these days. It began with moose. Just within the last year, we were told that moose were on the decline in northeastern Minnesota, only to be told more recently that moose might not be in decline and that more and more moose are seen "outside their range.''

I checked that out with Minnesota DNR moose specialist Mark Lenarz.  Is it true?

No – this is not true, there is no evidence to suggest that moose are stable or increasing.  The news story was based on a web site that allows the public to report moose sightings.  This sort of information is badly biased because sightings of single moose where they are rare (e.g. NW Minnesota or Itasca County) may be reported several times while moose within their normal range are seldom reported.  Because it is biased it is very dangerous to speculate on what the results mean. We have always known about small pockets of moose that existed outside the normal moose range. The reporting of these moose does not suggest that the downward trend in moose numbers has changed.

Hey Joe, you're out of luck again.

And read this too, buddy, from Feb. 8, 2010:

According to results of an aerial survey released by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the moose population in northeastern Minnesota continues to decline.