Wild Blog

Crucial British Columbia Wilderness Preserved

2008-07-25T07:20:00.000-07:00

A little over a week ago I praised Canada for its foresight and initiative to protect half of Ontario’s boreal forest. Today, Canada again deserves accolades for a conservation purchase made in British Columbia. The Nature Conservancy and the Canadian government jointly paid $125 million to a private forester to buy 550 square kilometers and create an endowment to protect the land in perpetuity.

The very thought of B.C. conjures to mind primeval forest, lush valleys, alpine peaks, and a world virtually untouched by man. Although logging has taken its toll on the area, there are still places that fit this description. The area that was purchased, referred to as the Darkwoods area after the forestry company that previously owned it, is one of these places. According to the Canadian Press, Darkwoods was identified by conservationists years ago as one of the few remaining tracts of pristine land in B.C.

The land has more value, however, than being merely a pretty remnant of what once was. The property connects various wilderness areas and protected lands, completing a corridor that encompasses more than 250,000 acres. This is vital for the roaming grizzly bears and caribou that inhabit the lands. Specifically, the area is home to a very endangered population of the already threatened mountain woodland caribou. The animals survive the winter by consuming lichen that only grows on old-growth trees. This purchase could mean their survival.

For more information:

The Vancouver Sun

Grist

T. Boone Pickens Is Still an Oilman

2008-07-23T13:35:00.000-07:00

By now you’ve all heard of the Pickens Plan, laid out by the famous oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens. Once you move past the absurdly egotistical title, the idea actually has a lot of merit that enviros can get behind. For the past two weeks we’ve been enamored by this towering figure who proclaims himself to be an oilman and publicly states that we cannot drill our way out of this crisis. We swoon when we hear about his plan to push for wind energy and renewable alternatives. We’ve been thinking to ourselves, here’s an authoritative voice that may be able to quell the drumbeat for more drilling. We may disagree slightly over his push for natural gas-powered cars, but in these dark and troubled times we sometimes have to align ourselves with strange bedfellows.

But the honeymoon’s over. Yesterday, Pickens made himself very clear. He has no interest in conservation and no interest in greening our energy supply. He’s merely interested in energy independence and if that involves renewable energy, not to mention if he can make billions off of it, then so be it. He made it clear that he wants more domestic drilling than even John McCain. In his own words: “McCain says, ‘OK off the east and west coast.’ I say east, west coast and ANWR—get it all!”

So let me get this straight. We can’t drill our way out of this problem, but we should drill everything anyway? Could there perhaps be some lingering vested interests for T. Boone?

Just to remind ourselves how little oil is truly available read pages 50-52 of Bush’s own Energy Information Administration for the numbers on the Outer Continental Shelf. And of course we all know that drilling in ANWR is a moot point.

For more information:

Watch a video

Treehugger

President to Call for Oil Shale

2008-07-22T13:29:00.000-07:00

President Bush is expected today to call on Congress to lift the ban on oil shale development. In what seems like a nightmarish déjà vu of Bush’s call to Congress to lift the OCS drilling moratorium a little over a week ago, we have yet another dangerous proclamation taking advantage of hysteria over high gas prices. It has become standard protocol of the Drill Here, Drill Now crowd to play on the fears and economic insecurities of an American populace that is feeling very real pain. But this time, instead of conveniently ignoring the paltry 18 billion barrels of oil available in the OCS, they’re playing up the statistic that oil shale could yield 800 billion barrels of oil in the future.

Ridiculous.

There’s a reason, a very good one, why oil shale development has not taken hold in this country: it’s not economically viable. It involves literally heating shale to temperatures ranging from 800-1000 degrees Fahrenheit. The process is an energy hog, to say the least. Not to mention that it takes three barrels of water per every barrel of oil, not a small issue in the arid West. It would also “destroy much of the state of Colorado,” according to Climate Progress. No wonder that Colorado Senator Ken Salazar managed to prohibit commercial oil-shale development last year by sticking a provision into a spending bill. Now the West is in danger again from short-sighted policies designed by special interests and twisted to take advantage of an economically strained American public.

Gray Wolf Regains Protection But The Fight Continues

2008-07-21T11:49:00.000-07:00

On Friday, a judge of Federal District Court in Montana returned to the gray wolf its status and protection as an endangered species. In a region where National Parks and National Forest coexist side-by-side with ranchers and their livestock, the gray wolf has always been a source of

controversy and caused deep divisions. But three days ago the judge, Donald W. Molloy, raised himself above the politics and the squabbles and looked at the evidence (or should I say the lack of evidence) that led the Fish and Wildlife Service to delist the wolf. Deciding that their decision was arbitrarily made, he granted a preliminary injunction to stop the killing that had already begun.

The gray wolf was once a widespread and integral part of most North American ecosystems, ranging from central Mexico to the Arctic. By the 1930s, however, this charismatic animal had been hunted to the brink of extinction in the American West. In 1974 they were listed as endangered. Since then, the federal government has spent close to $30 million dollars to aid their recovery. And beginning in 1995, a small group was reintroduced to central Idaho and Yellowstone. Since then, the LATimes reports that their population had reached 1,513 in the northern Rockies as of early 2008.

In March of this year, however, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service cowardly bowed to special interests and ignored the vocal outcry of both the public and biologists. Despite overwhelming opposition, they de-listed the wolf and set in motion a slaughter that to date has already taken the lives of 100 wolves. 500 more were slated to be killed this autumn had Molloy not stepped in with the injunction.

The injunction can be reversed and the struggle will likely continue in the courts. But, at least for a brief respite, the wolf is legally protected.

For more information:

on this decision - NYTimes

on endangered species – Sierra Club

Conserved Lands May Be Plowed Over For Crops

2008-07-18T08:06:00.000-07:00

The Bush administration is considering taking lands that have been set aside as part of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and turning them into farmland. This is an ill-conceived plan to bring down grain prices, never mind that it will undermine one of the few beneficial farm subsidies. Farmers are already under economic pressure to transition these lands to crop production due to rising prices. Now the administration is giving the farmers even more reason to do so by letting them out of the CRP without penalty. With these kinds of monetary incentives, what’s an economically rational model of a human being to do?

The Conservation Reserve Program began in 1985 primarily as a means to prevent soil erosion and protect ground and surface waters. It basically pays farmers an annual subsidy to keep their lands out of production for 10-15 years and instead plant shrubs, grasses, and tree cover. The program is hugely successful with approximately 34 million acres of previously farmed land now protecting the water, soil, and wildlife of the Great Plains. It can be credited as one of the reasons we have not seen another Dust Bowl despite droughts approaching the severity of those seen in the 1930s.

The program has brought back birds, prevented soil erosion, and kept waterways clean. Now Bush wants to allow farmers to break their contracts and put their lands back into production without paying back those subsidies. Sounds like a sound economic policy to me. Maybe he should reconsider the food to fuel mandate as a means to reign in soaring food prices instead of attacking yet another conservation measure. Let the CRP alone. It’s a sound policy that has managed to bring back a faint glimmer of the former grandeur of the grasslands of the Great Plains.

For more information:

NPR story

Des Moines Register

Canada Protects Boreal Forest

2008-07-16T11:37:00.000-07:00

Our friends to the north just made a huge leap forward protecting their vast forests and hopefully setting a precedent for the rest of the world to do the same. On July 14th the Globe and Mail reported that Ontario will set aside half of its boreal forest for permanent protection. That’s an area half the size of Texas! That means no mining and no logging. And the other half will be restricted to a “sustainable development” plan that is to be worked out with First Nations, the most prevalent communities in the forest.

Canada’s Boreal Forest is the largest intact ecosystem left on Earth and an incalculable asset in the fight against climate change. It is the largest carbon sink per unit area, storing up to two times as much carbon per acre as tropical forest. Conversely, however, if destroyed it has the potential to become one of the greatest carbon emitters. Aside from being merely forest it has a vast network of peat lands and is the third largest wetland in the world. If disturbed these lands have an enormous amount of stored carbon that would be released directly into the atmosphere.

This unprecedented, visionary, and collaborative policy deserves applause. Let us hope that it can be recreated around the world.

For more information on:

Canadian Boreal Forest see Grist

A pretty picture see Treehugger

Outer Continental Shelf in Danger

2008-07-16T06:40:00.000-07:00

Outer Continental Shelf in Danger
Wednesday, July 16, 2008

The day before yesterday President Bush began the process of opening the Outer Continental Shelf to exploration and drilling. From an administration that has been riddled with tactical blunders and outright assaults comes a final, flailing attempt to line the coffers before they’re put out to pasture. In another context, this would be almost endearing. The idea that offshore drilling would actually affect gas prices is so preposterous, so naïve, and so shortsighted that it would be viewed as nothing more than the slightly incoherent ramblings of someone for whom retirement is long overdue. Unfortunately, within the current context of soaring gas prices and given the fact that the should-be-retiree is the most powerful man in the world, the incoherent ramblings could prove dangerous.

Make no mistake, however, the lifting of the executive ban on offshore drilling IS a tactical mistake. Members of both the Senate and the House cannot scurry fast enough to distance themselves from the most unpopular President in recent history. Since the exploration and drilling cannot actually occur without Congress lifting its own moratorium that has been in place since 1981, it would have been more prudent to follow their lead. Unfortunately, however, Americans are feeling the pain at the pump and Congress is being heavily pressured to do something, no matter how rash, to deflect blame.

Let’s be very clear: the facts, no matter how you cut it, are on our side. To begin with, 80 percent of all the oil available on the OCS is already available for leasing. Why hasn’t it been drilled, you ask? Because up until now it hasn’t been economically feasible. Even the oil companies know that there just is not much oil out there. And what about the other 20 percent? The Energy Information Administration estimates that at peak production in 2025, this oil would only produce 220,000 barrels a day. For reference, that’s only 1/3 of what the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge would produce, or .78 percent of daily demand. That equates to mere cents at the pump in twenty years. But the President’s own administration can explain it better than I: read pages 50-52 of the EIA report here.

Call your senators, call your representatives, and write emails. Tell them to continue to support the moratorium on offshore drilling. We cannot sacrifice our treasured coasts, beaches, and barrier islands. Not only would we be irreparably harming wildlife both on land and in the ocean, we would be threatening our coastal economies. More than 50 percent of the U.S. population lives within 50 miles of the coast. To harm them is to harm a very American way of life.

For more information:

Sierra Club on the OCS

The Huffington Post

Pika's in Trouble

2008-01-14T09:13:00.000-08:00

Denver Post January 14, 2007
Mountain critters' disappearance may be a global warning

Don't Let the Bush Administration Open the Door to the Timber Industry

2008-01-08T08:32:00.000-08:00

On December 26, 2007, the U.S. Forest Service announced its intent to begin a national rulemaking that could weaken regulations protecting more than 4.4 million acres of Colorado's undeveloped national forest roadless areas as well as 9.3 million acres of roadless areas in Idaho's national forests.

These areas currently enjoy protection under the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, but through this process they would be removed and the door could be opened to mining, logging, road construction, oil and gas development as well as other special interests.

The U.S. Forest Service is accepting comments on this proposal — the time to act is now! Please, sign the letter below to let the Forest Service know that you want all of Colorado's and Idaho's roadless areas protected. Ask them not to weaken the current protections provided by the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule.

With your help, we can keep these areas pristine. We encourage you to include your own personal comments — comment emails are much more effective when you take the time to add your own thoughts.

Here's a sample letter you can send to the Forest Service.....
One-third of Colorado's National Forests are roadless backcountry. These lands are the heart of the wild areas left in the Rockies and provide vital habitats for fish and wildlife and watersheds that supply clean drinking water. They are valuable for hunters, hikers, anglers and everyone who wants to keep Colorado special. These pristine areas represent our national heritage and it is our duty to protect them so that future generations may enjoy them as well.

Idaho contains over 9.3 million acres of National Forest roadless areas — the most of any state outside of Alaska. Idaho's roadless backcountry makes up the core of the last intact forest ecosystem in the lower 48 states — the last place where all of the native plants, fish and wildlife — from the smallest plant to the largest predator — can still be found.

As these pristine wild lands become scarcer on our national landscape, we need to think ahead to guard those quiet, special places where we escape the noise and crowds of everyday life. These areas belong to all Americans and managing them conscientiously is of great importance to me.

I write also to ask that you fully consider the impacts of logging, road construction, mining and other industrial development in roadless areas. Such activities will have irreversible impacts on the clean drinking water they supply, the vital habitat they provide for fish and wildlife, and the countless recreational opportunities that exist on these unspoiled wild areas in Idaho. It is important that these backcountry areas in our national forests are protected.

Administration Delays Decision to List Polar Bear as Threatened

2008-01-07T11:42:00.001-08:00

The U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife today announced it would miss its January 9 deadline for recommending listing the polar bear as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act. A "threatened" listing would represent the first major Endangered Species Act (ESA) initiative taken by the U.S. government because of global warming. The ESA defines a threatened species as one likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future. A recent U.S. Geological Survey report indicated that if global warming continues unchecked, two-thirds of the world’s polar bears-and all of America’s polar bears-could disappear by 2050. The Department of Fish and Wildlife says it plans to announce its recommendation within a month’s time.

Statement of Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope

"We can’t wait until the last polar bear drowns before we deal with global warming. Polar bears would be listed today if it weren’t for powerful special interests fighting the decision at every step."
"We have the facts and the science. The question isn’t whether or not polar bears are in danger. The question is whether or not our leaders have the will to deal with global warming and its consequences."
"We have the tools to prevent more Arctic ice from melting. It’s time to use them. We can change the polar bear’s fate, just as we changed the bald eagle’s fate when ESA listing brought it back from the brink of extinction."
"The sooner our government recognizes that global warming is a problem, the sooner we’ll be able to deal with it."

Polar Bears

2008-01-02T11:12:00.000-08:00

NY Times
Editorial
Of Two Minds on Polar Bears
Published: January 2, 2008

Two agencies in the Department of the Interior are nearing significant yet contradictory decisions that will affect the fate of one of America's iconic animal species, the polar bear.
As early as this week , the Fish and Wildlife Service could list the polar bear as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, the result of severe habitat loss caused by global warming and the melting of Arctic sea ice. About the same time, the Minerals Management Service will announce its final decision to sell oil leases covering nearly 30 million acres of polar bear habitat in the Chukchi Sea off Alaska's northwest coast.
Listing the polar bear would trigger a series of protections, including, in time, identifying habitat critical to the bears' survival. It would also impose obligations on all federal agencies to avoid actions that could hurt the bears' prospects. But the minerals service, where the wishes of the oil and gas industry carry great weight, has a history of doing as it pleases. Environmental groups and members of the House and Senate are thus asking Dirk Kempthorne, the interior secretary, to declare a timeout, postponing Chukchi Sea lease sales for three years pending further scientific study.
The polar bears' plight raises larger issues, including the nation's reliance on fossil fuels, which produce the greenhouse gases that are destroying the bears' habitat. It also calls into question the Bush administration's unsustainable strategy of trying to drill its way to energy independence. Congress has finally recognized the pointlessness of that by passing an energy bill giving greater emphasis to conservation and alternative fuels.
The urgent and immediate question, though, is the future of the polar bear, which is bleak enough without further stresses. Everyone agrees that the overwhelming threat is the loss of sea ice, where the bears hunt for food and nurture their young. Yet there is also wide recognition among federal scientists, even in the minerals service, that the many activities associated with oil drilling — the seismic tests, the vast increase in ship traffic, the noise, the potential spills — can only weaken the bear's resilience.
Mr. Kempthorne should intervene, get his agencies on the same page and make clear that his first priority is to protect the environment and the polar bear.

Virginia Ridge and Valley Act

2007-11-07T09:29:00.000-08:00

House Passes the Virginia Ridge and Valley Act, Creates Six New Wilderness Areas and Two National Scenic Areas
Step on the Path to Protecting What’s Left of America’s Wild Places

On Tuesday, October 23, the House of Representatives voted to create almost 50,000 acres of new wilderness by passing HR 1011, the Virginia Ridge and Valley Act, sponsored by Representative Rick Boucher (D-Va.). The bill establishes six new Wilderness areas and two National Scenic Areas in Virginia’s Jefferson National Forest.
"This vote to pass the Virginia Ridge and Valley Act is an important step towards protecting what’s left of America’s wild legacy," said Sierra Club representative Myke Bybee.
"We’re running out of truly wild places where families can camp, hike, hunt and fish. There are only a handful of places left like this that haven’t been logged, mined, drilled, or built on. The majority of our public lands are open for development of some kind," Bybee said. "Wilderness designation is one of the best tools we have to protect what’s left of our forests and mountains. Congress is recognizing that more and more with legislation like this."
Wilderness designation offers the highest form of protection for public lands. As National Scenic Areas, Smyth County’s Seng Mountain and Bear Creek will be protected from development but will allow mountain biking and limited motorized access. Areas slated for wilderness designation include:
• Stone Mountain, a 3,270-acre stretch of forest adjacent to the North Fork of the Powell River.
• Raccoon Branch, 4223 acres of rugged, high-ridged country prized by hunters, anglers, hikers, and horseback riders.
• Brush Mountain, 4,794 acres of slope characterized by its remoteness and opportunities for solitude.
• Brush Mountain East, 3,769 acres of remote country with stunning creek and mountain views.
• Garden Mountain, 3,291 acres that extend along the rugged south face of Garden Mountain, bordered by the Appalachian Trail.
• Hunting Camp Creek, 8,470 acres of remote country crossed by the Appalachian Trail.
• Lynn Camp Creek, a 3,226-acre tract of forest that includes the northern slope of Brushy Mountain and tranquil Lynn Camp Creek, as well as parts of the Appalachian Trail.

Virginia Ridge and Valley Act

2007-11-07T09:10:00.001-08:00

Virginia Ridge and Valley Act

2007-11-07T09:10:00.000-08:00

Energy Bill

2007-10-17T12:53:00.000-07:00

In recent years, when Congress brought up "energy legislation," it meant legislation that was designed to relax regulations to ensure that oil and gas development on our public lands does not harm the environment. EPACT, passed in 2005 was a grab bag of goodies for the the fossil fuel industry including, subsidies, tax breaks and streamlining of permits to allow drilling. The result was an explosion of development across the country.
But this isn't your "father's Congress." When the House and Senate passed their versions of comprehnsive energy legislation this summer, the bills addressed big ticket items such as improvements to fuel economy standards (to the tune of 35mpg by 2020) and a nationwide renewable electricity standard of 15% by 2020. And the bills are chock full of other forward-looking energy policies that address efficiency standards, green buldings and an increase to renewable fuel production.
Opponents are crowing, "where's the beef," decrying the lack of additional subsidies to benefit increased domestic oil and gas drilling. But doling out more dough to support Big Oil would take us in the wrong direction. Instead, the House-passed version of the bill (HR3221) actually aims to repeal some of the most egregious giveaways to oil companies and also inserts much needed reforms to protect the environment, landowners and wildlife from harmful drilling activities.
But these reforms are under attack and the oil and gas insustry is lobbying hard to leave them on the cutting room floor. We understand that this week, House and Senate negotiators will discuss the House Oil and Gas Reform provisions, so now is the time to make some noise in support of these public lands protections. The Senate should accept the House Energy provisions.

2007-10-04T10:39:00.000-07:00

Check out the Sierra Club's new report!

http://www.sierraclub.org/52places

Secretray Kempthorne's Task Force

2007-08-07T13:00:00.000-07:00

This week, Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne called for the formation of a task force to examine the ways that the Interior Department’s 73,000 employees can help deal with climate change. The Sierra Club applauds any effort by Bush Administration officials to take their energy and land management policies in a direction that protects wildlife, reduces global warming pollution, and moves America towards a more sustainable future.
Statement of Sierra Club Senior Representative Sean Cosgrove on Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne’s Global Warming Task Force
"Global warming poses an enormous threat to our nation’s forests, mountains, and wildlife. Because the Interior Department manages many of the lands and wildlife that would be most affected by global warming, it is only fitting that the agency would take the lead in fighting the problem."
"Interior Secretary Kempthorne is right on one point -- global warming is already taking its toll on our nation’s wildlife. The good news is that the Interior Department has the power to help curb this damage."
"The Interior Department’s fight against global warming should start with its management of the fossil fuels that cause climate change. Interior Department agencies should not open more of our public lands to mining and oil and gas drilling, which will only accelerate global warming."
"One immediate opportunity to help curb the impacts of global warming is to stop the logging of rare old-growth forests on federal land. These ancient forests groves and roadless areas are currently at risk from retrograde Bush administration proposals. In southwest Oregon alone, the Bureau of Land Management is developing plans that could log tens of thousands of acres of ancient forest. The ancient forests that are on the chopping block are the ones that store the most carbon and help reduce the impacts of global warming."
"By vigilantly protecting our wildlife and wild places and managing public lands for clean energy solutions like solar and wind power, the Interior Department can help our nation make great strides in the fight against global warming. Now is the time for real leadership by all federal agencies in the fight against global warming. We look forward to helping Secretary Kempthorne in his efforts to combat global warming and protect America’s wild heritage."

Energy Bill Update

2007-07-31T10:03:00.000-07:00

Here’s a quick update on the House omnibus energy bill, the bill House energy bill that includes the Rahall bill. The bill pulls together energy bills from the Natural Resources – the Rahall bill – along with Ways and Means, and Energy and Commerce committees.

We expect a floor vote on Friday, August 3rd, the day Congress adjourns for the August recess.
As you know, we liked the version of the Rahall bill that came out of the Natural Resources committee. But several oil patch Ds, led by Reps. Matheson (Utah), Melancon (Louis.) and Boren (Okla.), lobbied Speaker Pelosi and chair Rahall to weaken the bill. Negotiations between the House leadership and the oil patch members of Congress lasted through the weekend, and on Monday the Speaker’s office posted the new omnibus energy bill, HR 3221, on the web at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/C?c110:./temp/~c110Z2cNcG.

The good news is, most of the Rahall bill made it into HR 3221. Provisions reported out of the House Natural Resources Committee to reform the DOI’s runaway oil and gas program, reinstate public input in the oil leasing process, and provide important protections to fish and wildlife impacted by global warming made into the omnibus bill. It also provides property protections to individuals who own the surface rights to their lands but who do not own the subsurface mineral rights.

The bad news is some key public lands provisions were watered-down. These concessions include the removal of a provision that would have required the BLM to conduct a study of the impacts and suitability of energy corridors throughout the country. Our friend Rep. Raul Grijalva is reportedly quite upset by this development, and may offer an amendment to reinstate the corridors language on the floor on Friday. Another provision that would have strengthened regulations governing oil and gas drilling activities in wildlife areas was dropped. Dropping that provision means oil and gas companies will have to abide by existing, CEQ guidelines governing drilling.

Even in a slightly weakened form we are encouraged by the public lands provisions included in the final House energy bill. The bill will help ensure that oil and gas development takes place in a more responsible manner, in more appropriate places, with improved environmental safeguards and increased public involvement.

We will keep working for final passage, and are talking to Grijalva about the corridors issue.

Mt. Hood Scheduled for mark-up!

2007-07-25T08:48:00.000-07:00

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Business Meeting (Hearing Room SD-366)
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
11:30 AM
Energy Committee Hearing Room - SD-366

The purpose of the business meeting is to consider Republican Subcommittee Appointments. To consider the nomination of Kevin M. Kolevar to be an Assistant Secretary of Energy (Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability), Department of Energy. To consider the nomination of James L. Caswell to be Director of the Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior. To consider the nomination of Lisa E. Epifani to be an Assistant Secretary of Energy (Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs), Department of Energy. To consider the nomination of Clarence H. Albright to be Under Secretary of Energy, Department of Energy. To consider the nomination of Brent T. Wahlquist to be the Director of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, Department of the Interior. To consider S.169, S.278, S.289, S.443, S.444, S.471, S.637, S.645, S.647, S.722, S.800, S.817, S.838, S.955, S.1089, S.1148, S.1182, S.1203, S.1728, H.R.85, H.R.247, H.R.407, H.R.995, H.R.1100, H.R.1126, and H. Con. Res.116.

Interior Appropriations Update

2007-06-28T07:34:00.000-07:00

Tuesday's action on the Interior Appropriations Bill continued a strong run of recent victories. Thanks to a lot of hard work, good lobbying, and a lobby day organized for this week, the House passed positive amendments and once again beat back another amendment that would have opened our coasts to drilling. It was a bonus not to sweat out close votes, because our victories were by large margins.
For the third time in four years an amendment that would end tax payer subsides to build roads in the Tongass National Forest, this time sponsored by Rep. Chabot, R (OH-1) and Andrews, D (NJ-1), passed by a wide margin, 283-145. In fact, this was largest margin of victory out the last three. Not only is this a big victory for the environment but taxpayers as well. Since 1982 it's estimated that American taxpayers spent nearly $1 billion subsidizing the timber industry's clear-cutting of the Tongass.
We also protected our coasts when the House voted decisively (233 to 196) to strike down an amendment proposed by Rep. John Peterson, R (PA-5) that would have allowed drilling for natural gas as close as 25 miles off our sensitive coasts. If passed, the amendment would have ended a twenty-six year old bipartisan moratorium on new offshore drilling. In the last three weeks, attempts to end the offshore drilling moratorium have been defeated twice in the House and once in the Senate by decisive margins.
However, on Wednesday, we were disappointed when Rep. Mark Udall, D (CO-2nd) withdrew two amendments that we were in support of. The first protecting Colorado's Roan Plateau from oil and gas drilling and the other closing a loop hole in RS 2477. We are hopefully that these will pass at a later date. All in all it was a good week and we are happy with the final Appropriations Bill that passed.

2007-06-27T06:44:00.000-07:00

Some good news yesterday regarding the Interior Appropriations Bill. Mr. Peterson, a Congressman from Pennsylvania offered an amendment to permit offshore gas drilling 25
miles or more from any US coastline. It failed to be adopted, by a vote of 196 yeas to 233 nays.

And an amendment passed which will end taxpayer subsides for building logging roads in the Tongass National Forest in Alaska.

There will be a couple more amendment votes today. Check back later for updates.

Americans and Wildlife

2007-06-20T11:05:00.000-07:00

Americans enjoy wildlife without carrying guns or fishing rods
John Myers
Duluth News Tribune - 06/19/2007
Americans are spending as much money pursuing wildlife with cameras, fishing rods and firearms each year as they are spending at casinos, theaters, golf courses, professional sports arenas and amusement parks combined.
That’s the finding of the 2006 national survey of outdoor recreation released Monday by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The survey is taken every five years.
The survey found about 87 million Americans — about 38 percent of people age 16 and older — observed wildlife, fished or hunted last year. They spent $120 billion doing it.
The number of people watching birds and wildlife increased 13 percent from 1996, from 62.9 million to 71.1 million. Their spending increased by 19 percent, from
$37.5 billion to $44.7 billion.
But the number of people hunting and fishing continues to fall. About 30 million Americans fished last year, down 15 percent from 35 million in 2001. Anglers spent $41 billion in 2006, down
16 percent from 1996.
Hunters saw a 10 percent decline in participation from 1996 to 2006, from 14 million to 12.5 million. Hunters spent $22.7 billion last year, 14 percent less than 1996.
About 31 percent of all Americans watch birds or wildlife; 13 percent fish and 5 percent hunt, the survey found.
In Minnesota, the number of anglers dropped from 1.6 million in 2001 to 1.4 million in 2006, almost 12 percent over five years. That number includes nonresident anglers. Hunter numbers dropped from 597,000 to about 541,000 over the past five years, or more than 9 percent.
The news affects not just how Northland residents recreate, but how the region’s tourism-oriented economy changes to adapt to fewer traditional "hook-and-bullet’’ visitors and more people who want to watch and photograph birds and wildlife.
"This expenditure of $120 billion highlights the benefits of these activities on national and state economies," survey economist Jerry Leonard said in a statement releasing the data, noting about 1 percent of the entire U.S. economy is based on wildlife. "Much of this activity occurs in places which rely significantly on wildlife-related recreation expenditures for their economic well-being."
Gene Shaw, director of public relations for Visit Duluth, said bird watching has become a significant contributor to the economy.
"The popularity of Hawk Ridge is incredible now, and even what we’re seeing on the Lakewalk with the falcon [watching] site downtown,’’ Shaw said. "The problem is that birders are mostly quiet. You don’t notice them like a marathon runner or a Harley rider … or a guy pulling a $40,000 bass boat. But they’re out there.’’
Resource agencies are trying to figure out how to tap into wildlife watchers who don’t have to buy licenses or stamps that pay for conservation programs.
Ryan Bronson, hunter recruitment program supervisor for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, said Minnesotans still lead the nation in per-capita fishing participation and rank in the top six for hunting per capita. But the trends aren’t good.
"The big societal problem that we’re facing is that the number of young adults participating [in hunting and fishing] has crashed while the baby boomers are starting to slow down and participate less as they get older,’’ Bronson said. "It’s not a good combination.’’
A recent DNR study already showed that the percentage of Minnesotans ages 16-44 who bought fishing licenses dropped 10.7 percent from 2000 to 2005. And the overall percentage of Minnesotans older than 16 who bought a fishing license has dropped from nearly 40 percent in 1969 to 29 percent in 2005.
Last year alone, Minnesota lost 4 percent of its anglers, and fewer young Minnesotans are fishing than in any previous generation.
Resources agencies are concerned not just with declining license revenue for conservation projects but also with the possibility that fewer people will be advocates for wildlife. The decline has coincided with an increase in the percentage of Minnesotans living in urban areas.
"It’s great we have more people watching wildlife, but that doesn’t help pay the bills,’’ Bronson said. "It helps make the case’’ for conservation funding that comes from sources other than license sales, he said.
In the survey, wildlife watching is broadly defined as anyone who watched, fed or photographed wildlife. To be counted, participants must either take a special interest in wildlife around their home or take a trip with the primary purpose of seeing wildlife. Simply watching wildlife at home or on another trip is not counted.
The National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation has been conducted every 5 years since 1955. It’s considered the best measure of participation and spending in wildlife-related outdoor recreation.

Virginia Gas Exploration Defeated in Senate

2007-06-15T08:32:00.000-07:00

Virginia-backed gas exploration proposal shot down by Senate
By DALE EISMAN, The Virginian-Pilot
© June 15, 2007
Last updated: 11:52 PM
WASHINGTON
The Senate rejected a new effort Thursday to open waters off the Virginia coast to exploration for natural gas, as concerns about possible damage from drilling to tourism and the environment proved stronger than the lure of a potential new source of energy.
U.S. Sen. John Warner's proposal would have permitted exploration only for gas, considered less likely to be an environmental hazard than oil drilling, and would have allowed it only with the approval of the governor and state legislature. Drilling also would have been limited to areas at least 50 miles offshore.
But Warner, R-Va., could muster only 43 votes for his plan, well short of the 60 needed.
Forty-four senators were opposed and 12 - including four senators running for president - did not vote. One senator is absent.
"America is too dependent on foreign energy," Warner declared near the outset of a brief but intense floor debate on the proposal.
With natural-gas prices up 74 percent since 2000, and "domestic uncertainties, such as hurricanes, putting a strain on energy markets, I believe it is essential that we continue to modernize our energy infrastructure and further develop a reliable source of American energy," he argued.
Republicans generally supported the drilling plan and Democrats were mostly opposed. However, four Republicans from coastal states and five Democrats, including Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., broke ranks.
"It is imperative that we explore domestic sources of energy and combine those efforts with strong conservation and environmental protection measures, " Webb said in a statement released after the vote.
Gov. Timothy M. Kaine and the General Assembly have urged a federal study of the extent of natural-gas deposits at least 50 miles offshore. However, Kaine last year blocked a legislative attempt to put the state on record in support of lifting a long-standing federal moratorium on gas drilling.
Warner also sought to head off objections by Navy officials, who worry that oil and gas platforms could interfere with training exercises. His proposal barred offshore leases not approved by the secretary of defense.
Federal officials estimate that Virginia's portion of the outer continental shelf could hold 327 billion cubic feet of natural gas, "enough to supply portions of the commonwealth for decades," Warner noted.
But opponents argued that gas exploration would carry a risk of offshore oil spills - gas and oil deposits often are intermingled - and that energy resources in the Atlantic are a national, rather than a state, resource.
An oil spill off Virginia " could easily devastate the shoreline of our state and states up and down the Eastern Seaboard," said Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J. He and Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., dismissed Warner's proposal to set aside a portion of the revenues from gas leases to cover the cost of cleaning up future spills.
The Bush administration unveiled plans in April to open as many as 3 million acres of the ocean floor off Virginia to exploration, though Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne noted that no action could be taken unless Congress lifts the drilling moratorium.
Thursday's vote drew the expected reactions from environmental and energy interests. In a statement, the Sierra Club's Carl Pope, who is executive director of the environmental group, hailed the outcome and argued that "when the whole world is turning to new, clean energy solutions, we don't need to destroy our coasts with polluting, risky oil and gas drilling."
But Hank Linginfelter, president of Virginia Natural Gas, which serves more than a quarter of a million natural-gas customers in Hampton Roads, issued a statement praising the "leadership and foresight shown by Senator Warner" and complaining that "businesses, consumers and farmers are feeling the pinch of high energy prices while valuable resources sit untouched 50-200 miles off the Atlantic coast."

Dale Eisman, (703) 913-9872,
dale.eisman@pilotonline.com

© 2007 HamptonRoads.com/PilotOnline.com

Help Stop Subsidies for Logging Wild Alaskan Forests

2007-06-13T07:37:00.000-07:00

HOUSE VOTE SCHEDULED FOR THURSDAY, JUNE 14

This year the Congress has another opportunity to eliminate one of the more ridiculous environmentally destructive taxpayer subsidies. With the FY08 Interior Appropriations
bill likely to be voted on Thursday, June 14, Sierra Club is making a serious effort to end taxpayer subsidies for commercial logging roads in the Tongass National Forest.

YOU CAN HELP BY URGING YOUR REPRESENTATIVE TO SUPPORT THE
CHABOT-ANDREWS AMENDMENT TO THE FY08 INTERIOR APPROPRIATIONS
BILL

CALL NOW AND ON THURSDAY, JUNE 14 THROUGH THE US CAPITOL
SWITCHBOARD AT (202) 224-3121 – ALSO TAKE ACTION AT
WWW.SIERRACLUB.ORG/FORESTS

Known as America’s Rainforest, the Tongass National Forest has giant Sitka Spruce and is home to wolves, bears, marten and millions of wild salmon. Logging in the Tongass primarily targets the rare groves of large old-growth trees which provide vital habitat for the region's fish and
wildlife.

During the last 50 years, the timber industry has logged nearly half a million acres of old-growth forest and constructed over 5,000 miles of logging roads in the Tongass. Despite the fact that the federal government has always lost money with its commercial logging program in
Alaska, the Forest Service is still planning new logging roads and timber sales in wild roadless forests. The US Forest Service typically loses an average of $40 million each year logging the Tongass.

If Congress is serious about cutting government waste, this annual subsidy to prop up the timber industry is a great place to start. PLEASE HELP BY CONTACTING YOUR CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVE TODAY!

For more information see the Sierra Club’s website at
www.sierraclub.org/forests

New Orleans Public Lands Day

2007-06-12T13:33:00.000-07:00

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita Destroyed.
Did you want to help but not know how?
Did you give but want to do more?
Do you still want to help?
J
oin Sierra Club members from across the country in New Orleans September 28-30 for our Public Lands in Public Hands weekend event in celebration of National Public Lands Day! By working side by side with Louisiana residents on restoration projects, Sierra Club volunteers will advance the clean up of a devastated landscape while supporting the rebuilding efforts of the people of New Orleans -- actively showing them that the Sierra Club remembers and cares about their plight -- and experiencing first hand the remains of storm ravaged communities.

Join us to help restore the environment and communities of New Orleans!

Active Service Projects
#1 Restore Bayou Bienvenu: The Bayou Bienvenu project is a partnership with the Holy Cross Neighborhood Association, University of Wisconsin and the Environmental Justice program of the Sierra Club. Activities will include trail building and planting.
#2 City Park: City Park is an Olmstead Brothers (Central Park) designed public park within the city of New Orleans. The park was badly hit by the hurricane. Activities will include clearing brush and planting.

Less Active Service Projects (actual will be determined closer to event)
#1 Interview FEMA trailer residents about Formaldehyde complaints
#2 Polish statues in statue garden in City Park
#3 Work with volunteer team doing energy efficiency in the lower ninth ward.

Transportation
Airfare/travel is to be paid by the participants. We will try to arrange pick-ups at the airport, otherwise you will need to take a taxi to the church. Transportation to work sites will be provided. If you drive to New Orleans, there is ample safe on street parking near the church.

Accommodations
Post storm adventure – accommodations aren’t fancy, but they are clean and dry! You will stay in a dormitory in the Carrolton United Methodist Church, a historic church in the Uptown area. Our group is one of thousands to have come for a week or more to donate their time to help New Orleans rebuild. Sleep on air mattresses. Community showers with separate men’s and women’s facilities. Facility is upstairs so need to be comfortable with stairs. Almost like camping indoors. Bring your own sleeping bag, towels, etc. The Sierra Club will be paying the bill. If this is too primitive for you, we can recommend nearby hotels where you can stay at your own expense.

Meals
Breakfast and sack lunch will be provided. Dinners are on your own. The church is within short walking distance to a variety of restaurants and a short cab ride to the French Quarter.

Miscellaneous
Participants need to be over 18 unless accompanied by a parent.
In the event that someone needs medical attention, please note that we will have first aid personnel available but emergency services are not up to par with most cities.
Please watch the weather in advance; it can still be hot at the end of September. Pack accordingly. Also, we retain the right to cancel the event in case of extreme weather such as an oncoming hurricane or tropical storm.

Besides this New Orleans event, the Sierra Club is sponsoring single day events across the country. Participation in a Public Lands in Public Hands event on September 29th is a great opportunity to engage community members in a project that improves their neighborhood or distant public land they care about and educate citizens about the Sierra Club’s actions to protect our public land resources and to stop the public lands giveaways. Want to sponsor an event? Contact Keren Murphy at keren.murphy@sierraclub.org.

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Application Form

Name:
Address
Phone number:
Cell number:
Email address:
Chapter/Group:
How will you travel to New Orleans? Do you need picked up at and/or taken back to the airport or other location?
(Please provide specific flight information when available)If so, on what date and time? Which nights will you spend with us? Which project are you interested in participating in? T-shirt size?

Do you understand that Sierra Club is only providing dormitory style lodging for September 28-30, breakfast and lunch on September 29th and 30th and breakfast on October 1st?
Do you understand that all other expenses, including travel, are your responsibility and are not reimbursable by the Sierra Club?

For additional information, please contact:
Jill Workman, Chair, America’s Wild Legacy Conservation Initiative Committee, at 503/654-8670 or workmanjm@aol.com, or Keren O’Brien Murphy, Conservation Organizer, at keren.murphy@sierraclub.org.
Send the completed application and medical form to: Keren O’Brien Murphy, keren.murphy@sierraclub.org or Sierra Club, 408 C Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002 by September 15, 2007.