Home on the Range

Lovely. The WAPO is reporting this morning that the BLM is putting drilling interests in the west ahead of conservation and wildlife preservation. Federal Wildlife Monitors Oversee a Boom in Drilling

PINEDALE, Wyo. -- The Bureau of Land Management, caretaker of more land and wildlife than any federal agency, routinely restricts the ability of its own biologists to monitor wildlife damage caused by surging energy drilling on federal land, according to BLM officials and bureau documents.

The officials and documents say that by keeping many wildlife biologists out of the field doing paperwork on new drilling permits and that by diverting agency money intended for wildlife conservation to energy programs, the BLM has compromised its ability to deal with the environmental consequences of the drilling boom it is encouraging on public lands.

It's not terribly surprising, but it is illustrative of this administration's general contempt of congress and the american people. Read the article- congress specifically appropriated money to the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) to monitor the impact of drilling on public land on indigenous wildlife.

So what do they do? Hire biologists as mandated and then make them work on drilling permits. It's a breathtaking act of arrogance. And it's an abuse of the public trust. You have to know something is terribly wrong when oil company executives are calling BLM's policies bone-headed.

Bush has routinely claimed a commitment to conservation. He is a liar.

Worst. Administration. Ever.