Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Enviromental groups to sue BLM to set aside Bush administration 'midnight' leasing regulations From the Colorado Independent (David O. Williams): "Even as Republican state lawmakers gear up to make Colorado a more oil-shale-friendly business climate, a group of national and regional environmental groups Tuesday announced their intent to sue the federal Bureau of Land Management over so-called 'midnight' leasing regulations pushed through by the Bush administration. "A group that includes the Center for Biological Diversity, Colorado Environmental Coalition and the Sierra Club Tuesday sent a notice of intent to sue to outgoing Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne and U.S. Bureau of Land Management Director James Caswell outlining alleged violations of the Endangered Species Act." Meanwhile, San Miguel County is asking the USFS some tough questions about the acreage included in a recent oil and gas lease sale. Here's a report from the Telluride Daily Planet. This morning, San Miguel County Commissioners will meet with officials from the United States Forest Service to talk about what they say is a rushed decision by an outgoing administration to lease delicate public lands to oil and gas companies for drilling. On Feb. 12, about 48,000 acres of San Miguel County will be offered for oil and gas leasing; statewide, 133,054 acres will be on the block in the Bureau of Land Management's quarterly lease sale. San Miguel County has the most acreage available of any county in Colorado, and officials are alarmed by more than just the acreage. Last week, the USFS announced it would pull the leases that fell within roadless areas, blaming an oversight. The decision to yank some leases eliminated parcels in the Naturita Canyon area. More Coyote Gulch coverage here. "colorado water" 6:00:29 PM

Senator Salazar hopes to pass eight bills before taking the helm of Interior From Red, Green and Blue: "Barack Obama's nominee for Interior Secretary, Senator Ken Salazar of Colorado, says he has some unfinished business to take care of before he leaves the Senate and takes the helm at the Interior Department. Salazar will be in the unique position of working on legislation that would give new protections to public lands and then ushering those new protections along with him to Interior. More from the article: The bills supported by Sen. Ken Salazar include (from the Denver Post): - The Arkansas Valley Conduit Authorization Act establishes a 35 percent federal cost share for the construction of the Arkansas Valley Conduit, a proposed 130-mile water delivery system from Pueblo Dam. - The Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area Act designates 210,000 acres of federally owned land on the Uncompahgre Plateau as the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area. - The Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness Area Act designates 249,339 acres in the park as wilderness. The Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area Act includes Conejos, Costilla and Alamosa counties. - The South Park National Heritage Area Act includes 19 ranches and 17,000 acres of wetlands and agricultural lands in the headwaters of the South Platte River. - The Jackson Gulch Rehabilitation Act authorizes federal funding to rehabilitate the Jackson Gulch irrigation canal near Mancos. - The Northern Front Range Backdrop Study Act identifies ways to protect natural resources and open spaces near the Arapahoe-Roosevelt National Forest. - The Baca National Wildlife Refuge Management Act defines the purpose of the refuge as one "to restore, enhance, and maintain wetland, upland, riparian, and other habitats for native wildlife, plant, and fish species in the San Luis Valley." - The Upper Colorado River Basin Fund Act provides funding to continue endangered fish recovery implementation programs. "colorado water" 6:28:01 AM

© Copyright 2009 John Orr. Last update: 3/15/09; 3:29:31 PM.