Dubya Gettin' Sued in Fecl's Backyard....

[JoseCuervo]

Fecl,

Any good hunting in these areas that Dubya wants to destroy? Or should we just drill the hell out of them and bring our troops back from Iraq?

Groups seek Otero Mesa documents
Stephen Siegfried
May 22, 2004, 09:26

Two environmental groups have joined in a lawsuit calling on the Bush administration to release documents pertaining to plans by the federal government to open to oil and natural gas exploration on fragile, roadless areas of southern New Mexico.
Earthjustice, together with the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance, has filed suit in federal district court seeking the release of the documents, citing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for failure to respond to a Freedom of Information Act request regarding the impact of drilling on Otero Mesa and the Nutt Desert Grasslands.
"The Bureau of Land Management submitted a biological assessment to the Fish and Wildlife Service in April of 2003 that identified likely negative impacts," said Earthjustice attorney Mike Harris. "Later that same year, under goading from the Bush administration, the BLM concluded that its proposed oil and gas development plan wouldn't impact federally protected species enough to warrant a formal consultation with the Fish and Wildlife Service, as required by law."
Harris said the Bush administration has had five months to respond to a Freedom of Information Act request for the documents.
"We gave them ample opportunity to respond to our request for information, but they continue to stonewall us," Harris said.
The areas proposed for drilling provide habitat for the federally protected black-footed ferret, Kuenzler's hedgehog cactus, bald eagle and northern Aplomado falcon, according to Harris.
State wildlife officials have also expressed concerns about whether oil and gas development of Otero Mesa and the Nutt Desert Grasslands will destroy habitat integral to the recovery of the falcon.
The species was thought to be extinct in New Mexico in 1986 when listed under the Endangered Species Act. Since 1991, there have been 10 confirmed sightings of the bird in the state.
Otero Mesa has the nation's largest contiguous patch of Chihuahuan desert grassland in the United States, said Stephen Capra, spokesman for the Wilderness Alliance.
"Back-room deals and no public involvement seem to be the process that the Bush administration and the agencies charged with overseeing our public lands are using to aid and abet the oil and gas industry," Capra said. "The losers are clearly the people of New Mexico."

BLM state director Linda Rundell said Wednesday the agency amended its management plan and now proposes to ban drilling on 35,790 acres of Otero Mesa and Nutt desert grasslands to protect habitat that someday could be used by the falcon.
The management plan would allow drilling of 140 test wells, with 84 going into production. It would close about 88,000 acres to leasing.
Rundell said the agency has also reopened the public comment period, which will run from May 28 to June 28.
A final decision is expected sometime this summer, she said.
Joanne Prukop, New Mexico's Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources secretary, said Thursday the Bureau of Land Management "skipped the most substantive part'' in responding to the state's objections to drilling in Sierra and Otero counties.
Areas the BLM proposes to put off limits are small and scattered, Prukop said, adding that she was particularly disappointed the BLM refused to remove more acreage from areas to be opened to leasing and surface occupancy. That decision will prevent the state from moving ahead with a proposed 640,000-acre National Conservation Area on Otero Mesa, including Chihuahuan desert grasslands.
The state also challenged BLM statements that a maximum of 5 percent of the land would be disturbed at any given time. Prukop said the rule would apply to 100,000 acres rather than the entire 1.8 million-acre management area. She also said the BLM document says 1,600 acres is the maximum amount likely to be disturbed at any one time, but that a 5 percent ceiling actually would let 5,000 acres be disturbed.
"We need a larger area closed to leasing ... so we have a viable piece of Chihuahuan desert grassland to preserve,'' Prukop said.
The state wants 310,000 acres closed to drilling, and no surface occupancy by oil and gas activities on an additional 330,000 acres, which would limit any exploration or production to directional drilling from sites outside the restricted zone.
The BLM has pledged to restore the Chihuahuan desert - which means successful revegetation of native plants, like black gramma.
However, no such commercial seed exists, Prukop said, and no restoration plan like the one proposed has been previously attempted.
"(Our) lawsuit seeks to flush out documentation uncovering ... the Fish and Wildlife Service's (role) in approving the BLM's decision to not further evaluate the potential impacts to the falcon and other species from unrestricted oil and gas development on the Otero Mesa," Harris said.
Gov. Bill Richardson has publicly denounced plans to open Otero Mesa to drilling. In the May/June issue of Environmental Forum, Richardson stated he is "determined to protect ecologically valuable places like Otero Mesa from oil and gas leasing."
Previously, in a letter to Interior Secretary Gale Norton, Richardson said that until studies are conducted to determine its ecological values and suitability for wilderness designation, he remains opposed to drilling on the 1.2 million-acre mesa and adjoining grasslands.
"Otero Mesa is reportedly the largest contiguous piece of Chihuahuan desert grassland left in North America and is significant for its wildlife and wilderness and its characteristics as a biological reserve," Richardson wrote. "Care must be taken before opening this large landscape to drilling, or we will risk destroying the unique character of the biologically rich area and fragile ecosystem."

 

[feclnogn]

Ya know gunner right now I just don't have time to post a copy and paste reply. If you would like to do a google search for my reply please feel free to do so. I would tell ya how I felt, but since the only opinion I seem to get from you is a copy and paste of what others think I just don't think its worth the time and effort. If you take the time to form your own opinion I might just do the same.

These copy and paste stories really amount to nothing more than drive by forum shooting.

 

[pawclaws]

Come on now Feclnogin; Elkgunner is a very busy man. He simply doesn't have time to think for himself. Much too busy being coin operated, PC, sucking DNC butt, using government facilities to trash the government, etc. etc.

 

[JoseCuervo]

So Fecl, should we put you down as "no comment"?

Seriously, is there any hunting in these locations? That would seem to be a legitimate "Sportsman's Issue".

 

[pawclaws]

It's all good huntin' EG. It's the findin' that's tough!!

 

[JoseCuervo]

Oh Paws, please show us some of your "findin'" pictures, and tell us of some of your huntin' adventures....

 

[pawclaws]

Afraid I don't have any pictures worth showing there EG! You wouldn't really be interested in any of my hunting adventures. They are so boring compared to your exploits I'm afraid I'd just be wasting my time. You see we old country boys who have been hunting to put food on the table since we were six or seven never bothered to learn the importance of taking pictures, mounting trophies or buying our kills. I am just as happy bringing home a couple squirrels as I am a 10 pointer. It's all meat. For me huntin' ain't for bragging it's for food. I mean; if you are going to kill something it ought to serve a higher purpose than pictures don't you think.

 

[danr55]

EG, You need to get organized boy. You keep contradicting your self and your buzzy Bud or is that your buddy Buzz? Whichever.. You can't have your cake and eat it too... You want the US out of Iraq. You want us to stop exploring for oil. You want sovreignty for the states, but you also want more oil available so the price of your gas is less. You can't have everything EG. You need to decide which what is most important.

Sit down with a pencil and paper and decide where the priorities are. You need to decide if you want to spend less money at the pump or if you want to keep all the wild lands wild. Can't have both.

 

[pawclaws]

All EG wants is to shoot off his mouth and listen to the sound of his own insanity. He'll be a real hoot in the Nursing Home!

 

[snake river rufus]

Originally posted by pawclaws:
All EG wants is to shoot off his mouth and listen to the sound of his own insanity. He'll be a real hoot in the Nursing Home!

You mean he's not in a home now? I thought he was on a day pass (court ordered not to contact Jodie Foster again)

 

[BuzzH]

Danr,

No contradiction from me, I've always said I'm willing to pay more for proper management...at the pump or otherwise.

I dont like high gas prices, but I hate having less habitat and wildlife even more.

 

[JoseCuervo]

DanR,

Are you catching "Paws Disease", and now making things up? When did I say I want the US out of Iraq?

And when did I say we should stop exploring for Oil? There are lots of places in this world where I don't hunt or fish, and I think we should drill the Hell out of 'em. Texas comes to mind as a place that is God forsaken, and should be drilled with all interest.

And it is easy to know what is most important, and for me, access to my Public Lands so that I can hunt and fish to my heart's content. Are those important to you, or do you not hunt?