Posted on 04/27/2011 10:24:25 AM PDT by CedarDave
LAS CRUCES — A short, drab lizard is creating quite a dustup in the state's oil patch.
Rallies. YouTube videos. Resolutions.
At issue is whether the dunes sagebrush lizard should be added to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service endangered species list.
"Most of the oil and gas jobs in southeast New Mexico are at risk," says New Mexico Rep. Steve Pearce, who will headline a rally in Roswell on Thursday to oppose the lizard's potential listing.
"Irresponsible, unbalanced overregulation limits the amount of energy produced, which kills jobs, causes severe budget problems in the state, and increases costs to citizens," Pearce said in a news release. "In this time of high unemployment, we can, and must, do better."
Meanwhile, the lizard is appearing on YouTube. One video portrayed it as Godzilla. The website of Penasco Valley Telecommunications, a Roswell-based telephone company, says: "Listing the species has the potential to jeopardize nearly all the oil and gas jobs in southeast New Mexico."
"There is just no data to support that," said Michelle Shaughnessy, assistant regional director for ecological services in Fish and Wildlife's Southwest district. "There are lots of people saying the listing will close down oil and gas. ... This is absolutely not true."
The head of the Fish and Wildlife must decide on the lizard's status by Dec. 14. The agency is hosting public hearings on the listing proposal today in Midland, Texas, and at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Eastern New Mexico University Performing Arts Center in Roswell.
The rally is at the Great Southwest Aviation hangar at Roswell International Air Center at 5 p.m.
(Excerpt) Read more at abqjournal.com ...
It absolutely IS true. Go to the links.
Obama Clears the Way to Shut Down Oil Production in the Permian Basin of West Texas
Lizard regulations could jeopardize local economy(Enviros try to shut down NM O&G)
Could a three-inch lizard collapse the West Texas oil industry?
NM list PING! Click on the flag to go to the Free Republic New Mexico message page.
(The NM list is available on my FR homepage for anyone to use. Let me know if you wish to be added or removed from the list. For ABQ Journal articles requiring a subscription, scroll down to the bottom of the page to view the article for free after watching a short video commercial.)
Ping.
That lizard looks like some very good BB gun fodder.
I can’t run my car on lizards....Just drill baby!
Supposedly you are only allowed to talk about whether it is indeed endangered and present evidence to support that opinion. The enviro-nazis have been trying to get it listed for years so no doubt they will present evidence supporting their viewpoint. Hopefully the industry will have counter info; they can certainly afford to hire some researchers though their being paid for the research by industry will be pointed out as a negative.
Positives, however, are that some agreements have been made between the feds and the industry that will protect the lizard habitat without the bureaucracy.
Could a three-inch lizard collapse the West Texas oil industry?
Those Lizzards will survive—soon as the big rigs set up, they’ll skedaddle and hide under the next rock. Personally, I’m glad the Dinosaurs and so on are gone. Looks as if we’re doing just fine without them, so let’s not get get our underwear in a bunch over a few damn lizzards. This whole EPA thing has gotten so out of hand that THEY are worse than the Biblical plagues of Egypt! The EPA should be reigned in and put on a short leash!
Stinkin’ smirking lizard. Look at those toes! How are we going to afford to buy shoes for all these lizards? He wouldn’t look so smug if a Spotted Owl had a hold of him taking him to the nest to feed the babies.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.