Thanks. It certainly does sound like some kind of joke, but when it comes to radical environmentalists in government agencies I have to wonder.
A couple of years ago I had occasion to interview a member of the Forest Service who was involved in public relations for the agency. I asked whether she thought that the Endangered Species Act had ever been abused. She cocceded that it has.
I then asked whether she believed that a weed or plant that had not been seen before would be sufficient cause to tie up thousands of acres of private land based on the POSSIBILITY that it might have some medicinal application in the future. I asked the question because I had heard something to that effect and I couldn’t really believe it.
I thought it was too goofy to be true. She straightened me out. Her answer was YES. In her view a previously unknown weed with no current medicinal use did warrent limiting a property owners use of their property.
She then ended the conversation and stalked away in a huff. I learned later that she had the reputation of being a far left radical environmentalist. She was also involved in decision making in her agency. That experience leaves me hoping that there is no move afoot to impose a flatulence tax on ranchers or farmers. I guess time will tell.