Dubya Administration to Sacrifice Western Wilderness Areas.

[JoseCuervo]

Administration to Sacrifice Western Wilderness to Oil and Gas

In a familiar refrain favoring development over conservation, the Bush Administration is ramping up to sacrifice some of America's finest Western wilderness to oil and gas development.

On July 15 the Bureau of Land Management proposed leasing the South Shale Ridge near DeBeque, Colorado, for oil and gas drilling. South Shale Ridge, a proposed wilderness area, provides critical habitat for Colorado wildlife, including more than a dozen endangered, threatened, or sensitive species.

According to the Colorado Environmental Coalition, South Shale Ridge contains "miles of washes, arroyos, and canyons that hide a seemingly endless array of hoodoos, geologic curiosities, and ancient stands of junipers and pinion pines." [1] BLM's decision was made without meaningful public involvement, despite years of commitments that public input would be considered before leasing.

Also slated by BLM for oil and gas development is the pristine Jack Morrow Hills area of southwest Wyoming. Under BLM's proposal, this 622,000-acre area, which contains seven wilderness study areas, the largest migratory game herd in the lower 48 states (50,000 pronghorn antelope) [2], Mormon pioneer trails, and numerous American Indian holy sites [3], would be laced with 205 oil and gas wells and 50 exploratory coalbed methane wells. And, under some studies cited by BLM, up to 1,077 natural gas wells, and 543 coalbed methane wells may be drilled in the area.

But even if all of the technically recoverable oil and gas in the Jack Morrow Hills were extracted, it would only provide the U.S. with 9 weeks of natural gas and 39 minutes of oil . [4]

 

[BuzzH]

I'm not sure about the Colorado area, but the Bush administration is going to catch a lot of grief over the Jack Morrow Hills area in Wyoming.

There are lots of groups trying to put a stop to any development in there and even the Governor of Wyoming is taking a stand. The people that live in or near there have been running ads on TV and radio in favor of preserving the area, and calling for Shrub to wise up.

This is just typical behavior from an out of control administration about as full of corruption as they are full of shit. Shrub is looking to be a one term president with his lack of regard for anything to do with preservation or environmental issues.

Bush will end up making decisions that will cost him the election, many loyal republicans are jumping ship on him. I cant believe all the negative press he is receiving in rural Wyoming over this issue. Its kind of good to see that even hard core republican ranchers think Shrub needs to be replaced. Warms the heart...

 

[JoseCuervo]

It will be funny to watch Dubya have to waste money to have Cheney deliver his homestate's electoral votes....