The Wilderness Campaign

[Exotix]

What's wilderness?

Bush-era curbs are repealed.

Interior chief reverses 2003 policy against protections not approved by Congress.



Today

What's wilderness? Bush-era curbs are repealed - U.S. news - Environment - msnbc.com


DENVER — The Obama administration on Thursday undid a Bush-era policy that curbed some types of wilderness designations within the 245 million acres managed by the federal Bureau of Land Management.

While Congress remains the only body allowed to create "Wilderness Areas," the move gives BLM field managers the go ahead to protect areas determined to have "wilderness characteristics."



"I am proud to sign a secretarial order that restores protections for the wild lands that the Bureau of Land Management oversees on behalf of the American people," Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said in Denver, where he announced the shift.





Congressional Republicans pounced on the announcement as an attempt by the Obama administration to close land to development without congressional approval.

"This backdoor approach is intended to circumvent both the people who will be directly affected and Congress.
I have to question why this announcement is being made only after Congress adjourned for the year," said Washington state Rep. Doc Hastings, a Republican tapped to lead to the House Natural Resources Committee when the GOP takes control of the House in January.




The order essentially repeals a policy adopted in 2003 under then Interior Secretary Gale Norton. That policy stated that Interior could not designate some wilderness protections on its own and had to rely only on Congress for any designations.

The 2003 policy reflected an out-of-court deal struck between Norton and then-Utah Gov. Michael Leavitt to remove protections for some 2.6 million acres of federal land in Utah.

The policy allowed oil and gas drilling, mining and other commercial uses on land under consideration as wilderness areas.

The new policy creates a management category called "Wild Lands".

The Interior Department said that "'Wild Lands,' which will be designated through a public process, will be managed to protect wilderness characteristics unless or until such time as a new public planning process modifies the designation.




"Because the 'Wild Lands' designation can be made and later modified through a public administrative process, it differs from 'Wilderness Areas,' which are designated by Congress and cannot be modified except by legislation, and 'Wilderness Study Areas,' which BLM typically must manage to protect wilderness characteristics until Congress determines whether to permanently protect them as Wilderness Areas or modify their management."

BLM Director Bob Abbey said it hasn't been decided how many acres are expected be designated as "Wild Lands" and whether those acres will be off-limits to motorized recreation or commercial development while under congressional review.
It's also unclear whether there will be a time limit on how long acres can be managed as "Wild Lands" before a decision is made on their future.




Salazar said the agency will also resume evaluating federal BLM lands that could be recommended to Congress for designation as wilderness areas.

The BLM has six months to submit a plan for new wilderness evaluations, Salazar said.

Ranchers, oil men and others have been suspicious of federal plans to lock up land in the West, worrying that taking the BLM land out of production would kill rural economies that rely on ranchers and the eastern Montana oil and gas business.

Their suspicions have been heightened since memos leaked in February revealed the Obama administration was considering 14 sites in nine states for possible presidential monument declarations.

That included 2.5 million acres of northeastern Montana prairie land proposed as a possible bison range, along with sites in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, California, Nevada, Arizona, Oregon and Washington.




Environmental groups praised the reversal, though there has been grumbling that it took the Obama administration nearly two years to overturn the Bush-era policy.

Washington D.C. always takes longer than you want, but we're glad we've gotten here," said Suzanne Jones, regional director for The Wilderness Society.





Ken Salazar Announces Restoration Of Wilderness Rules For Public Lands

Ken Salazar Announces Restoration Of Wilderness Rules For Public Lands

Colorado Senator Mark Udall issued the following statement on Thursday about the Interior Department's decision:


"Since 2003, wild and untrammeled lands managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Colorado have been threatened because of a policy adopted in the state of Utah that prevented the BLM from periodically reviewing its lands--through an open and public process--for their eligibility as wilderness and managing them for such qualities until Congress could designate them as wilderness areas.

Since that time, I have been urging the BLM to revise this policy so that it can identify and manage lands in Colorado that possess important wild characteristics.

So, I welcome this announcement allowing the BLM to identify and manage lands for important open, wild and pristine values.

I applaud Secretary Salazar for his leadership in working to affirm that the management of these lands is a high priority for the BLM, and is an integral component of its land and resource planning and multiple-use mission."

(Read continues in Link)





Outside REI in Denver, Interior Secretary Salazar announces a sweeping order that rescinds a Bush-era policy regarding wilderness management on certain public lands.

[PortDawg]

Government land grab ? Looks like there might be more added to the unemployment roles?

Ranchers, oil men and others have been suspicious of federal plans to lock up land in the West, worrying that taking the BLM land out of production would kill rural economies that rely on ranchers and the eastern Montana oil and gas business.

Their suspicions have been heightened since memos leaked in February revealed the Obama administration was considering 14 sites in nine states for possible presidential monument declarations.

That included 2.5 million acres of northeastern Montana prairie land proposed as a possible bison range, along with sites in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, California, Nevada, Arizona, Oregon and Washington.

[Z06PDQ]

ranchers & oil men don't like it? do tell.

[PortDawg]

Originally Posted by Z06PDQ

ranchers & oil men don't like it? do tell.

Gonna be real funny when you can't afford to pay for gas for the vette or eat a steak...

[Z06PDQ]

Originally Posted by PortDawg

Gonna be real funny when you can't afford to pay for gas for the vette or eat a steak...

gonna be even funnier when you guys start drilling at Yellow Stone.

[ChasC5]

Originally Posted by Z06PDQ

gonna be even funnier when you guys start drilling at Yellow Stone.

Are you sure they are not already?

[Z06PDQ]

Originally Posted by TxAg

So you're saying the fed gov't will allow a company to drill in Yellow Stone National Park?

no. I am saying if they did you guys would be all over it. got it?

[mrvette]

Originally Posted by TxAg

So you're saying the fed gov't will allow a company to drill in Yellow Stone National Park?

I should HOPE SO, just to shove it up the butts of the green weenies, and watch the lamentations of their women......

[Z06PDQ]

I rest my case.

[mrvette]

PROGRESSIVES/liberals have this thing about destroying the America we all knew and grew up in, must be the result of them never growing up at ALL, so they jealous....

why ELSE would they shut down farms and power dams for some silly smelly fish??

they CALL themselves PROgressives, I consider their backward idiot thinking to be REgressive......

[Z06PDQ]

Originally Posted by TxAg

If the ROI could be in the positive area

that's all that matters,right? "smelly fish" & stinkin' bears....feck 'em. who needs 'em.....right? it's that almighty bottom line,by God!!! profits above all.

[mrvette]

Originally Posted by Z06PDQ

that's all that matters,right? "smelly fish" & stinkin' bears....feck 'em. who needs 'em.....right? it's that almighty bottom line,by God!!! profits above all.

YES as a matter of FACT, I can defend MY statement, what can you say about a useless smelly fish?? and over populated wildlife starving in the woods??

Maybe you can honestly answer me one solid question.....where did all this green weenie crap come from??

[Exotix]

Originally Posted by mrvette

YES as a matter of FACT, I can defend MY statement, what can you say about a useless smelly fish?? and over populated wildlife starving in the woods??


Maybe you can honestly answer me one solid question.....where did all this green weenie crap come from??

Some stations out of gas; others charge $6 a gallon

Posted 9/1/2005 11:41 PM Updated 9/2/2005 8:52 AM


http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/2005-09-01-gas-$6-usat_x.htm



Gas stations ran dry in pockets across the East, Southeast and Midwest on Thursday, and prices rocketed above $6 a gallon in isolated areas, as damage from Hurricane Katrina delayed shipments hundreds of miles from where it hit.

[Z06PDQ]

Originally Posted by mrvette

Maybe you can honestly answer me one solid question.....where did all this green weenie crap come from??

Charles Audubon? [shrugs] where did all this disrespect for Mother Nature come from?.....oh yeah...I forgot. "profits before people"....profits before stupid polar bears & stupid smelly fish."

[mrvette]

Originally Posted by Z06PDQ

Charles Audubon? [shrugs] where did all this disrespect for Mother Nature come from?.....oh yeah...I forgot. "profits before people"....profits before stupid polar bears & stupid smelly fish."

I drove through the Katrina thing as part of the FEMA effort, and worked/paid by Parsons Brinkerhoff.....still got the badges.....

trick IS....I honestly never saw such a wasted effort in my life....the stories are endless....almost.....in fact the amount of crooked mooching was ASStounding....I NEVER would have thought....

and as to mommy nature....show me anything provable that those fish are more important than cheep human FOOD, and of course electric power, WATER to keep US alive.....

green weenies are SO easy to destroy in any discussion.....been reading and watching all I need know since maybe '65 or so....when Ralph the LIAR came on board and gave birth to all the weenies....

weenies are idiots.....

[Z06PDQ]

how about if we decided smelly ass old decrepit Florida retirees were just "in the way" & needed to go because they are holding up progress? do we just wipe 'em out like the bears & fishes? [big ears smiley here]

[mrvette]

"Profits' ARE people.....earning a living, paying the bills, and leading better lives, SPENDING that money......as in free choice, not some .gov feel good program over smelly fish.....