"To Protect, Conserve and Improve Our County's Natural Resources"
January
25, 2011
Lummis Slams Forest
Service Decision to Block Energy Leases for Development
WASHINGTON,
D.C. ? U.S. Representative Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) slammed the Forest Service?s
decision to lock up 44,720 acres of National Forest land in the Bridger-Teton
National Forest.
Lummis
released the following statement:
?The Forest Service?s decision took into account everything but
jobs, the economy, energy independence and national security. Gas prices are
creeping upward toward four dollars a gallon and America is continually
increasing our reliance on foreign countries for energy. Through modern
environmentally responsible methods, these resources can provide the country
with secure, affordable fuel and offer people in Wyoming high-paying jobs that
help support nearby communities. This misguided decision puts our multiple use
lands under lock and key.?
Background:
Under
the Bridger-Teton Forest Plan in 1990, the land was made available to lease for
energy development. In 2004, the Forest Service granted the BLM the ability to
lease the 44,720 acres for energy development. Leases sold in 2005 and 2006
were appealed to the Interior Board of Land Appeals which resulted in the BLM?s
freeze on drilling.
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACTS: Erin O?Connor
801-625-5347
DATE: January 25, 2011
Bridger-Teton National
Forest releases final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Record of
Decision on Wyoming Range Oil and Gas Leases
JACKSON, Wyo. ?
Bridger-Teton National Forest Jacque Buchanan has decided
not to authorize the Bureau of Land Management to lease National Forest land in
the Wyoming Range for oil and gas development, based on the analysis contained
in the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS.)
The decision for the 44,720 acres of National Forest land factored in
deficiencies identified in previous environmental analyses, new information on
issues such as protection of threatened animals, impacts on local air quality,
other energy projects underway in the area, and public comments. The
Forest Service decision announced today supersedes previous decisions that
authorized the Bureau of Land Management to offer leases on these 35 parcels.
After considering all the alternatives and the environmental impacts
associated with each, I have determined this is the best course of action,?
said Bridger-Teton Forest Supervisor Jacque Buchannan. ?No single factor
led me to this decision. Rather, it was the combination of the
sensitivity and values of the area, the magnitude of other activities currently
underway or planned with potentially cumulative impacts, and the concerns of
citizens, organizations and other agencies.?
The supplemental environmental impact statement looked at whether there was
significant new information or changed circumstances which would indicate a
different decision should be made since the prior decisions by the Forest
Service to authorize leasing.
Four alternatives were analyzed:
Alternative 1: ?No Action? would authorize no
leasing.
Alternative 2: ?Proposed Action? would
authorize 12 suspended leases and 23 pending leases.
Alternative 3: ?Proposed Action Plus? would
authorize the 12 suspended leases and 23 pending leases subject to additional
stipulations ? such as no surface occupancy and controlled surface use - in
response to current issues.
Alternative 4: ?Minimal Leasing? would allow
directional drilling from producing leases to enable some recovery of energy
resources.
A variation on Alternatives 2 and 3 that authorizes the 12 but not the 23 lease
parcels was also analyzed.
Decision Subject to Appeal
Individuals or organizations who submitted comments or otherwise expressed
interest in the project during the comment period may appeal the decision.
Appeals must be postmarked or received by the Appeal Deciding Officer
within 45 days of the publication of a legal notice in the Casper Star Tribune,
Casper and should be sent to the Regional Forester care of Appeal Deciding
Officer, Intermountain Region USFS, 324 25th Street, Ogden, UT 84401; or by fax
to 801-625-5277; or by email to appeals-intermtn-regional-office@fs.fed.us.
- - MORE ? ?
Background
The original leasing availability decision was made in the Bridger-Teton Forest
Plan in 1990, which identified land with the National Forest where oil and gas
leasing could be considered. More recently, in 2004 the Forest Service
decided to authorize leasing of the 44,720 acres within the Bridger-Teton National
Forest, a move that allowed the Bureau of Land Management to offer these lease
parcels for oil and gas exploration and development. Leases were offered
in several sales in 2005 and 2006. Those decisions were appealed to the
Interior Board of Land Appeals, which found appellants were likely to succeed
on the merits of their challenges of inadequate environmental analysis.
After the Board?s finding, BLM requested a remand to allow additional
analysis focused on Canada lynx and air quality. Upon the remand, BLM
suspended 12 issued leases and classified as ?pending? action on 23 parcels
were lease were sold but not issued. Upon the remand, BLM suspended 12
issued leases and classified as ?pending? action on 23 parcels where leases
were sold but not issued.
Public scoping conducted in February 2008 and a review of new information by
the Forest Service identified several key issues warranting the supplemental
analysis. These include designation of critical habitat for Canada lynx,
potential cumulative effects of rapid and continually expanding energy
development in the Upper Green River Basin, proposed designation of
nonattainment areas for air quality standards, visibility impairment of Class I
airsheds, decline in mule deer populations and increased recreation use.
These issues and others form the basis for the environmental analysis put
forth in this Final Supplemental EIS upon which the Forest Supervisor?s
decision is based.
January 21, 2011
Executive Order 13563
We've been waiting for President
Obama's rewrite of EO 12866 after he revoked President Bush's amendments
to that EO early in 2009. Although I never obtained a copy of the GAO
report to Obama as he had directed them in January 2009, this EO goes
a bit further along the lines of quantifying "values" like human
dignity, etc. Evidently a rewrite of EO 12866 will not be
forthcoming. These values came up in FS meetings (contract
work) that I attended back in 2006-09 for the Ashley National Forest
which now appears to have been used in like manner such that
helped jeopardize the Dixie National Forest management scheme as depicted in
the attached document, second to last page. This EO, as well as
the President's regulatory compliance memo of the 18th looks to be
just in time for Interior's and EPA onslaught of western lands during this
Administration's push for the Great Outdoors Initiative among other
redistributive ideals.
Our nation is financially broke
and similar to when the Romans ran fat and happy in A.D., comes
with consequences after original applications of their public trust
doctrine were laid to rest and expanded.
Government
Agencies and Employees:
Regulation
and Regulatory Review; Improvement (EO 13563) ,
November 24, 2010 NACD WESTERN ISSUES AND FORESTRY REPORT
GENERAL LEGISLATIVE
AND REGULATORY
Key leadership
positions determined after congressional shakeup. With the major
congressional shakeup that took place during this month's mid-term election,
when the 112th Congress convenes next year, there will be at least 95 new
Representatives and 15 new Senators (a few elections are still awaiting final
results). This week both the House and Senate held leadership elections for the
112th Congress. The Republicans will take over the majority in the House, and
the Democrats will retain majority status in the Senate. The next step will be
Committee assignments which won't begin to be settled until the end of this
month. If you have a new congressional member of state legislator, make sure
they know about conservation districts and the on-the-ground projects you are
working on.
America?s Great Outdoors
report delayed.
After months of listening sessions and comments, the
release of the America's Great Outdoors (AGO) report, due November 15th, has
been delayed for at least a month. Sources say that in addition to a surge in
last-minute comments being considered, the delay is being caused by
disagreements between the authoring agencies. Six task forces of federal
officials were each supposed to be writing sections and infighting between
agencies reportedly resulted in the National Park Service being omitted from
early drafts. With the change in Congress as a result of the mid-term
elections, and the pressure of what by all accounts will be a bleak FY2011 and
FY2012 budget cycle, it is uncertain whether the initiative will end up having
any legs.
Omnibus Public Lands Bill Contains 60 Measures. With
more than 60 individual lands bills passed by the Senate Energy Committee
awaiting action before the end of the 111th Congress, conservation groups are
lobbying for an omnibus that would include new national parks, national
historic sites, Revolutionary War and War of 1812 battlefield acquisition and a
Civil Rights Heritage Trail program. With a crowded agenda of
appropriations and taxes, it is unclear how much support there will be to move
such a bill. Further, without an identical House bill, there would likely
be additional compromises necessary to reach a final agreement - something very
uncertain during the "lame-duck."
BLM10-year
anniversary of the National
Land Conservation System (NLCS) ? in concurrence with this anniversary,
BLM held a stakeholder workshop on November 14-15 in Las Vegas to discuss
challenges and opportunities for the future of NLCS, which I attended. NLCS is
the name that BLM has given to name its 27 million acres of National Monuments,
National Conservation Areas, Wilderness Areas, Wilderness Study Areas, Wild and
Scenic Areas, National Scenic and Historic Trails, and Conservation Lands of
the California Desert. Once complied, the report on this workshop will be
available for public review.
Deficit focus for the
2012 Farm Bill
?The likely chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, Rep. Frank Lucas
(R-Okla.), plans to hold hearings ?looking at how every penny is spent? in anticipation
of writing a farm bill in 2012 to replace the current $288 billion, five-year
plan. The NACD Farm Bill Task Force members are reviewing the NACD 2008 FB
principles were reviewed as a basis for the 2012 principles, and will be
unveiled for full board approval in the 2011 annual meeting in Nashville. NACD
is involved in a conservation coalition and has formed an agriculture coalition
to work on the farm bill.
USDA publishes the Wildlife Habitat Incentives
Program (WHIP) final rule - On November 23, NRCS published the WHIP final rule in
the Federal Register. Substantive changes include the clarification in the role
and authority of TSPs, the broadened definition of agricultural land, the
addition of a fifth national priority for WHIP to ?protect, restore, develop,
or enhance important migration and other movement corridors for wildlife,? and
the acknowledgement that WHIP may help address climate change with additional
ranking points to practices that offer multiple benefits in WHIP?s Application
Evaluation and Ranking Tool.
FORESTRY
Interagency
Agroforestry Team
? Forest RPG member from Indiana Tom Crowe is serving on the Interagency
Agroforestry Team (IAT). IAT members are drafting the national strategy for
agroforestry for USDA, which should be ready soon.
Forestry Notes ? November?s issue
highlights the American Forest Foundation?s report on the implementation of
forestry in the 2008 farm bill, Florida?s preparation for the next fire season,
and a wood-fired system at the University of Montana. December?s issue will
feature community forestry in Georgia, forestry opportunities in NRCS?s
Conservation Stewardship Program, and the recent Joint Forestry Team webinar.
Wild Horses and
Burros
The Resource ? the fall
issue of The Resource features articles how conservation districts are
adapting to changing times. Oregon conservation districts are featured in their
ecosystem services efforts. Also featured is an update on wild horses and
burros and a forestry update.
Pacific-Southwest
Regional Conference
? presentations
from the conference were loaded into Google Documents currently. The
following sessions from NACD?s recent Pacific-Southwest Regional Conference are
now available online:
Joint Forestry Team meeting ? the next meeting of
the JFT executives will be on December 14 in Washington, DC to discuss the
progress that have been made on the JFT MOU and next steps to continue the
partnership.
NACD Annual Meeting in Nashville, TN ?
January 30-February 2, 2011 ? early bird registration is available until
November 30 at www.nacdnet.org
NACD
Southwest-Pacific Regional Conference will take place on September 25-29, 2011 in
Taos, NM.
OTHER ACTIVITIES
NACD
is a supporter of the Summit of the Horse,
which will take place January 6-9 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
?Natural Farming with
Indigenous Micro-Organisms?
Dr. Hoon Park discusses the importance of micro-organisms to healthy soils and
how to grow your own EN1 and reduce costs associated with fertilizer, pesticides
and irrigation.
Part 1: http://vimeo.com/16647170
Part 2: http://vimeo.com/16662986
?Wind to Energy?
Gene Kelley, from W2 Energy Development Corporation, shows a better way of
capturing wind and water energy through wind wings. http://vimeo.com/16907566
?Agroforestry for
Sustainable Resource Management ? Pacifica Style?
Craig Elevitch, the author of ?Traditional Trees of Pacific Islands? speaks
about agroforestry management on the islands. http://vimeo.com/16749518
?Natural Energy
Laboratory?
Ron Bair from the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority (NELHA)
presents on the alternative energy research being conducted at NELHA as well as
their agriculture and aqua cultural operations. http://vimeo.com/16757319
UPCOMING MEETINGS
Region
meetings, including ones for the Pacific and Southwest Regions, will take place
on Saturday, January 30 ? I will be working with board members from both
regions to put together meeting agendas
Committee
meetings will take place on Saturday, January 30 from 1:30-5 p.m. ? I will be
working with the Natural Resource Policy Committee to put together an agenda.
The
Forest RPG meeting will take place on Saturday, January 30 from 9 a.m. to noon
? I will be working with Forest RPG members to put together an agenda
Breakout
sessions are on the NACD annual meeting web page.
Wyoming
Wolf Coalition News Release–November 18, 2010
U.S.
District Judge Johnson: USFWS rejection of Wyoming Wolf Management plan
was arbitrary and capricious
CHEYENNE,
Nov. 18, 2010--In a Nov. 18, 2010 ruling, United States
District Judge Alan Johnson ruled that the United States Fish and Wildlife
Service’s (USFWS) rejection of the Wyoming Wolf Management plan was arbitrary
and capricious. The court remanded the issue back to the USFWS to
fix.
“We
are pleased with the decision,” Harriet Hageman, attorney for the Wyoming Wolf
Coalition, stated. “We have felt all along the USFWS actions weren’t
based on science.”
The
Wyoming Wolf Coalition is a petitioner-intervenor in the case of the State
of Wyoming v. United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
“The
deal from the beginning was that the gray wolf would be introduced into and
managed in the Yellowstone area,” Hageman continued. “The FWS rejection
of the Wyoming Wolf Management plan was an effort to force Wyoming to adopt a
management plan that ensures that the wolves move throughout the State.
That is directly contrary to everything that the FWS told us when they brought
the wolves into Yellowstone.”
Judge
Johnson wrote in his ruling: “There is no scientific or commercial data
that suggest the state’s dual classification of wolves, in and of itself,
cannot meet, accomplish, and maintain the identified recovery goals in the GYA,
including northwestern Wyoming.”
He
continued in his writing: “….the agency’s requirement that the trophy
game management area, rather than that portion of northwestern Wyoming
(including the GYA recovery area) necessary to facilitate movement and ensure
dispersal of wolves so as to preserve genetic connectivity and to ensure that
self sustaining populations will be maintained above recovery goals, is
arbitrary and capricious and should be set aside.”
In
the order Judge Johnson remanded the matter back to the USFWS saying the agency
should determine: “…whether the proposed regulatory framework ensures the
conservation and protection of gray wolves in an approved trophy game area in
northwestern Wyoming as required by the Endangered Species Act, and to analyze
in this context the defense of property and wolf depredation laws in
considering whether the management plan is an adequate regulatory mechanism.”
It
is now up to the USFWS to determine if they will appeal the decision. If
they appeal, the case would go before the 10th Circuit Court of
Appeals.
In 2004, 27 different
associations, including agriculture, wildlife interests and county government
joined together to form the “Wolf Coalition.”
“Wildlife
interests, county governments and agriculture have come together recognizing
the need to protect livestock and the depleted wildlife populations,” Hageman
stated. “This broad diversity of organizations shows the significant
impacts wolf introduction is having on Wyoming citizens.”
-END-
CONTACT:
Harriet Hageman, Wyoming Wolf Coalition Attorney, 307.635.4888 or hhageman@hblawoffice.com
This is best viewed in 1024x 768 resolution. We strongly suggest that you have "Internet Explorer 7.0". It can also be viewed with Mozilla Firefox 2.0 or Greater. Contact Webmaster