I counted 28 of us at the meeting. Most were representatives of gas companies (Although they call themselves energy companies now. That may change again after the Enron stink.), with a good chunk of agency folks. And at least three wildlife consultant companies well represented. I was the only one representing our outfit. (Although there was a biostitute who recently quit us to go work for one of the consulting companies.) Quite a few came hundreds of miles to attend.

So, what did I get out of the meeting?

One page of notes, of questionable value. Did record that two field people confessed to regularly violating wildlife protection guidelines, which could open their agency up to a major lawsuit. Money people were not happy.

One glossy, slick report full of useful information, well organized. Included a pretty color photo of one of the ferruginous hawks banded in our country sitting on a fencepost about 30 miles north of the Mexico/Arizona border. Others have shown up in Texas, New Mexico and, believe it or not, Minnesota.

Really.

One thick draft report which mainly consisted of coloured maps that should have been organized in appendices, with little data of substance and several errors and omissions that were noted by the folks who paid for it. Oh, and no page numbers, with close to 150 pages. Always fun to try to follow along and find Table 4 when all you know is that it is after Table 3 (in the first twenty pages of the tome) and Table 5, which is in the last 20 pages. Lot of people who measure the value of their time in hundreds of dollars an hour wasted a hundred bucks or so trying to find unmarked pages.

Another draft annual report that the same author admitted was only 20 percent complete. Full of errors and omissions. Clearly a last minute rush job.

These draft reports were due in early January. When the framework for this group was laid out, we were concerned about committing two days a year to the annual meetings. Anticipating one day to review last year's progress, and then another to look ahead to the next year. So it was written (in a legally binding document) that the draft annual reports would go to participants at least a month before the annual meeting, so that we could spend most of the meeting time planning for next year.

And avoid the costs of a second meeting.

Guess what? We now have a second meeting scheduled for next month. Just barely enough time to plan the field season. And more travel and sitting time for those people who measure the value of their time in hundreds of dollars an hour.

Did have fun visiting with my neighbor along the back wall. While I am responsible for the well being of several populations of wildlife, she carries the survival of several species on her shoulders. No slumping yet.

The conference call she got beeped for mid-meeting suggested to me that the legal status of one of our rarer species, and the topic of much of our conversation today, is about to change.

But the meeting did not go as well as it should. Certainly ended on a tense, sour note with the disappointing and late reports. And the need to schedule the second meeting. When we discussed sage grouse stuff privately afterwards, I noticed the Chairman's eyes were horribly red. Whether from hours of lost sleep trying to get the reports presentable in time, or from a night of crying, I do not know. But she did not look like a happy camper.

Watching someone fail is not pleasant, despite any problems you may have had with them in the past.