Feds Rush To Ease Endangered Species Rules. 15 reviewers, 200,000 comments, 32 hours to go through all of them. by Dina Cappiello. Common Dreams.
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Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University. He was a Western Watersheds Project Board Member off and on for many years, and was also its President for several years. For a long time he produced Ralph Maughan’s Wolf Report. He was a founder of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. He and Jackie Johnson Maughan wrote three editions of “Hiking Idaho.” He also wrote “Beyond the Tetons” and “Backpacking Wyoming’s Teton and Washakie Wilderness.” He created and is the administrator of The Wildlife News.
Comments
Like they give a damn as to what the comments say?? How long will it take for 15 reviewers to wad up 200,000 comments and toss them in the trash can?
John Weis,
They care just as much as the state of wyoming cares about its own citizens opinons. When they had an open comment period for thier wolf management plan where over 70% of the people polled were against the plan saying it didn’t offer enough protection to the wolves, the stupid state went ahead with the plan anyway. They didn’t care at all what the people thought. The people who by law own the wildlife. Instead they think that just the hunters and livestock growers own the wildlife of the state.
Well, I do know that I heard, on the news about a week ago, that Kempthorne flat out told Congress that HE is the decider of environmental rules and mining permits etc. and that they had no jurisdiction over his policy changes!!!
And that there was some 15 day public comment period but no info as to where comments were to be directed or when the ending date was….
Gosh, I wonder if this was some epiphany or just overspill from the Cheney/Rove playbook.
Then again, Kempthorne has never been a fan of the protectionist policies for public lands and the commons in general. Check his record as Gov and Senator for Idaho, one of the extractive industries’ long standing best friends…
I spoke with Obama’s Wyoming state representative, Michelle Sullivan, in Cody at the Democratic meeting with the state candidates on Saturday. I stressed to her my concern about the gutting of the ESA and my concerns about the republicans stealing the election like they did in 2000 and 2004. She said Barack is aware and concerned about the ESA, but she let me know that the crisis in our financial situation is the biggest elephant in the room and at this time seems to take precedent over all other issues.