Birdwatchers travel from far and wide to northwest Colorado to see male sage-grouse strut their stuff in hopes of attracting a mate. Early spring is prime season to catch these timid grouse dancing on the lek and shaking their tail feathers through organized tours.
The hearing was supposed to be about the number of jobs that oil and gas drilling create, and how they help out nearby communities. And while drilling does create some jobs, the panel today is glossing over the millions of jobs that are threatened by drilling on public lands.
This includes supporting efforts to responsibly site projects, ensuring a fair return for the use of our public lands and increasing the certainty of the legal instruments used to manage development.
When he was ready to roll out his plan, Vice President Cheney famously said, “Conservation may be a sign of personal virtue, but it is not a sufficient … energy policy.” His &ldq
In late 2012, the BLM released a draft amendment to the existing management plan that would dramatically increase the scope and intensity of oil and gas development in the region.
The last four years have been incredibly important for oil and gas drilling on America’s wild public lands. Gone are the unbridled – and often illegal – leasing extravaganzas of the Bush administration that threatened millions of acres of wild lands.
