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Thursday, June 10, 2004

Environment - Sage grouse endangered in west

The LA Times headline is "Bird's Fate Tied to Future of Drilling: Sage grouse are dying off in the prairies. But the fight to keep the bird off an EPA watch list centers on methane deposits in that region." The lengthy article, available here, begins:

SPOTTED HORSE, Wyo. — Once again an imperiled bird has become a symbol of clashing values in the Western wilds. Reminiscent of the bitter struggle over the spotted owl, a battle over the greater sage grouse is pitting an industry against protectors of an ancient and colorful species that inhabits the same region believed to harbor much of the West's most promising natural gas deposits.

Biologists warn that the birds, inhabitants of Western prairies for thousands of years could be extinct in 50 years, although lobbyists for the oil and gas industry contend that protection of the sage grouse under the Endangered Species Act would deal a sharp setback to the Bush administration's energy policy.

This week, Wyoming's Gov. Dave Freudenthal entered the fray on behalf of the bird, expressing concern about further destruction of sage grouse habitat and calling for a halt, at least for a year, to new drilling around Pinedale, one of two areas in Wyoming where exploration and production has been most intense.

Freudenthal said issuing new leases would be "contrary to the goal of deliberate and responsible development."

He is the second Western governor after Bill Richardson of New Mexico to take issue with the expansion of oil and gas drilling. The governors, both Democrats, are echoing regional concerns that the administration's energy policy is jeopardizing other natural resources, including water and wildlife.

To see the amount of space this story received in the paper (something that is hard to judge online), use this link to the pdf version (slow loading) of the front page of The Nation section of today's LA Times - the story fills much of the page.

[Sidenote: If you do look at the pdf, use the magnifier to view the dog in the photo. I believe this is Badger, the dog from the MasterCard ads who got separated from his family in the California redwoods and had to make his own way back home to the midwest. "Water for lost dog in the Mohave: $2.00. Rhinestone collar in Vegas: $40.00. Meatloaf special in Arizona: $8.00. Feeling at home when you're only half-way there: Priceless."]

Posted by Marcia Oddi on June 10, 2004 12:43 PM
Posted to Environmental Issues