Posted on 10/10/2015 6:09:16 PM PDT by george76
On September 24, 2015, the federal Bureau of Land Management (“BLM”) published a Notice of Proposed Withdrawal (“BLM notice”), proposing to withdraw from mineral location and entry federal lands identified as “sagebrush focal areas” in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming. The BLM notice commences a two-year temporary segregation period, prohibiting location and entry of new mining claims on BLM and U.S. Forest Service lands in these sagebrush focal areas. If the BLM decides to withdraw the area at the end of the segregation period, the withdrawal will last up to 20 years, but could be extended in the future. The proposed withdrawal area covers approximately 10 million acres.
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The BLM’s proposal aims to protect the greater sage-grouse and its habitat from adverse effects of mineral exploration and mining. The BLM issued the proposed withdrawal in conjunction with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (“USFWS”) announcement that the greater sage-grouse does not need protection under the Endangered Species Act. In support of its determination, the USFWS stated that “listing the greater sage-grouse is not warranted at this time” because its primary threats were reduced by federal, state, and local conservation efforts. This proposed withdrawal is one of those efforts.
According to the BLM’s Fact Sheet, the USFWS has identified hardrock mining as a threat to the sage-grouse because mining can cause habitat fragmentation. During the two-year segregation period, the BLM will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement to study the long-term impacts of the proposed withdrawal on sagebrush habitat. The BLM is accepting public comments until December 23, 2015.
(Excerpt) Read more at westernminingalliance.org ...
The BLM will utilize the NEPA scoping process .. has identified the following preliminary issues: climate .. water and
http://www.pinedaleonline.com/news/2015/10/NoticeofProposedWith.htm
I’m looking for the politicians who want to disband BLM.
The land should be sold by lottery to US citizens, or at worst, returned to the states.
BLM employees should be given job training to prepare them for gainful employment, and cut loose. Maybe welding or computer repair.
Sage grouse. Sounds delicious.
and....rewilding!!
Yes.
"The wolves, she said, are more vicious than other predators. “They kill things—it’s a thrill kill. It’s more of a game to them. I’ve seen five calves down, and only one is eaten. My chickens and turkeys, they would kill them but then only take one bite out of them.” There’s something wrong with the wolves that have been reintroduced to the Gila, Hardy says. “They are not acting like they are supposed to. They don’t have the normal behaviors. Everything is scared but the wolf. I’ve been hiking and have seen mountain lions—they don’t want to get aggressive with you. A wolf doesn’t have that sense. They half want to play with you and half want to eat you.” She paused, then said, “Everyone around here is so afraid, because they know what will happen if they shoot one. They know they will go to jail and pay fines out the ying-yang. “You know, everyone’s terrified.”
There is a reason humans have been defending themselves and their families from these vicious predators for thousands of years.
Sage grouse populations as well as pheasants have had up and down periods for generations...and mining had nothing to do with it.
They do need the habitat but they don’t necessarily care if it’s over there, or over here or what state they are in as long as the weather changes are within their ability to withstand and they have a lot of thick cover. They need certain seeds and grains, and a bit of marshland for water or stock ponds and you will have grouse and pheasant.
I hunted them for years till I moved south. Love the little buggers...
Unless these mines are disturbing large areas of habitat, I don’t really see the issue here. Usually what kills them is lack of food and that usually means no water. Then they get diseases.
So most of it is naturally occurring.
The real issue is not about a bird or a fish.
Yeah I know, it’s about control....That’s why they carry guns these days..and look like swat officers..
I really despise that crap..
EPA spends millions on military-style weapons.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3347094/posts
And now you go to prison for it.
How can it possibly be endangered in 6 states?
It is in 6 states and more!
The real issue is not about a bird, a rat, or a fish.
They are! Pre-seasoned, too. Yummy.
I realize that the Constitution failed to keep up with environmentalism. Teddy Roosevelt drove a wedge between constitutional scholars and environmentalists. His goal — destruction of constitutional interpretation.
And it worked. The Constitution, to be respected, must catch up with the times in a deliberative way that does not inflict serious harm on the economy. That should be worked out by state legislators who should discuss a better system than the current environmental dictatorship we suffer from currently — all from the power of presidential appointments.
A constitutional amendment must be hashed out before the insantity gets any worse.
Just as with abortion, the key to victory is wedge issues. We need to drive wedges to divide fanatics from your typical environmentalist. Most people don’t care about flies or sucker fish if human lives are affected. But we need to tread lightly when discussing lovable critters. Most birds are easily loved.
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