Anti-Hunting Dubya's BLM to remove Grazing and Seismic Exploration from NEPA,

[JoseCuervo]

More Anti-Hunting positions from the Dubya Administration, leaving NO RECOURSE but for Hunters (and Anglers) to sue the BLM in Federal Courts.

Companies conducting seismic exploration for oil and gas and ranchers seeking renewal of grazing permits could see faster response from the Bureau of Land Management under a new proposal from the agency.

Published Wednesday in the Federal Register, the plan would create a number of new "categorical exclusions" to the National Environmental Policy Act.

NEPA is the federal legislation passed in 1969 that requires every federal agency prepare a detailed report evaluating environmental impacts and alternatives to a proposed action. Such reports can be done via environmental assessments or the more stringent environmental impact statements.

Actions deemed suitable for categorical exclusions are not subject to those studies.

Most of the new categorical exclusions were proposed, according to a BLM press release, “after reviewing numerous EA analyses that resulted in Findings of No Significant Impact for these types of routine actions over time and over different geographic areas.”

In this case, the BLM is planning to establish:

* Three categorical exclusions for oil, gas and geothermal energy development activities.

* Four new exclusions in forestry, three of which are identical to U.S. Forest Service exclusions.

* Three new exclusions in rangeland management.

* New categories for exclusions in recreation management and emergency stabilization actions.

One of the new oil and gas categorical exclusions -- seismic exploration -- matches one that was stripped out by Congress in last year's Energy Policy Act, said David Albersworth of the Wilderness Society. The BLM is trying to get it back administratively. He expects more categorical exclusions by federal land agencies in the days and weeks to come.

Earlier this month, the Interior Board of Land Appeals, an administrative law court within the U.S. Department of the Interior, ruled that seismic exploration in southern Wyoming could have a significant impact on the environment. Encouraging energy companies and conservationists to negotiate a compromise on the issue, the court temporarily blocked the use of 32-ton “thumper trucks” across parts of Adobe Town, the Kinney Rim and the Powder Rim in Wyoming’s southern Red Desert.

“The Bush administration simply wants to ignore the ‘look before you leap’ principle in NEPA,” said Tim Preso, an attorney for EarthJustice. “If you don’t care about environmental consequences, then you just want to move forward with whatever action you’re planning.”

Energy industry officials say seismic exploration has so little impact on the environment that thorough NEPA analysis most often isn't necessary.

Jon Marvel, executive director of the Western Watersheds Project, said the new categorical exclusions would kick the public out of any environmental review of renewed grazing leases or the issuance of temporary, non-renewable grazing permits.

“The only way the public will be able to have any input in these matters will be to go to federal court,” Marvel said.

Marvel said that under these exclusions, Wyoming BLM officials could readily renew grazing permits for the Green Mountain Commons or the Granite Mountain allotment, even though those lands do not meet legal standards for renewal.

Wyoming Stock Growers Association executive Jim Magagna, however, said NEPA analysis should be reserved for individual grazing operation plans -- not issuance of permits once those plans pass muster.

Comments on the BLM's proposed revisions to its NEPA manual should be mailed to: Content Analysis Team, BLM Categorical Exclusions, P.O. Box 22777, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84122-0777; e-mail, [email protected].

 

[BuzzH]

Looks like I have more letters to write...

Its tough to believe that an administration can be THIS corrupt.

I guess they like courtrooms???

 

[ELKCHSR]

 

[BigHornRam]

Buzz,

You never shared with us Schweitzer's response to your last you wrote to him. How come?

 

[1_pointer]

I was in training with Judge Schweitzer and a member of the IBLA last week and got the news from them on the grazing issue. Permit renewal is now allowed under a CX, but not for all allotments. The allotment has to be meeting the all the Standards of Rangeland Health set by that state, which have gone through the RAC/public comment steps of NEPA. There are also restrictions on the issuance of TNR grazing permits that are not in the article. I pretty sure the new changes have been published in the Federal Register.