Grouse hits 400,000 Acres Out of Energy Production

Colorado Observer. ^ | June 20, 2014 | Audrey Hudson

[george76]

The federal government’s decision to ban energy development across a wide swath of Colorado and eastern Utah to protect the Gunnison sage grouse habitat has raised concerns the action would inflict economic damage.

Although the Obama administration was not expected to make its decision as to whether the bird warrants the endangered listing until November, the Bureau of Land Management’s decision this week effectively puts an oil, gas and coal moratorium on 400,000 acres – roughly 90 acres per bird.

The final decision was “pushed back until after the election, because when people understand the impact on jobs, people get mad,” said Kathleen Sgamma, vice president of the Western Energy Alliance.

“They know they’ve got a tight Senate race and they know that people in Colorado who are going to vote for the next senator are upset by actions that put jobs and economic growth off –limits,” Sgamma said.

Critics of the decision fear the BLM is following the same playbook it used to list the lesser prairie chicken as threatened in Colorado, Texas, New Mexico, Kansas and Oklahoma.

...

The federal government is also considering placing the greater sage grouse on the endangered species list and locking up 1.7 million acres of land it has deemed as critical habitat in 11 states including Colorado – roughly 500 acres per bird.

[RKBA Democrat]

$4.50? Is that all? I expect to see $6.00 within a year.

[george76]

The fake issue ( birds ) is not the real issue.

The real issue is a communist takeover thru UN Agenda 21.

[familyop]

That's okay, because there's enough oil and gas in CO and UT to supply the whole world for a million years. Export all of it to the free international markets!

[Little irony and humor there. Most folks in politics have truly worked hard at sponsoring the media and deserve a vacation to Venus. More sincerely, you should know that local, bipartisan NIMBYs on the Rockies have blocked uranium exploration for a long time.]

[familyop]

"The people of CO and UT have shown time and again that when push comes to shove they will do little or nothing about it, so why is it an issue? This is their state, their land, and their future. If they want to let dear leader turn their states into nature preserves for blue tongued slugs, it isn’t a concern of mine."

Take it from someone who lives in the middle of 'em. They don't want any new business competition (especially any kind of production no matter how small). The pensioner majority doesn't want to allow anything to lower their "property values" (no agriculture, no small production shops, no new houses)--no new neighbors in other words. Local governments only want very large, new houses (impact fees, property taxes, revenue-generating consumerism for established, small retail, etc.).

They do like government-connected schools, defense facilities, defense contractors, global corporations and other, similar means of support very much.

Coal, oil and uranium interests step on the toes of natural gas, real estate and tourism interests, and so on. Many of the folks on the Rockies are originally from the northeast (including those who briefly hopped over to CA) and more recently descended from Europe.

[familyop]

"So we ban energy development...but allow wind turbines and solar panels that slice up and fry eagles and hawks and all sorts of other birds on a regular basis."

Yes, slicing and frying birds with solar panels! It's we evil people, who disrespecfully bought properties miles from the power lines of righteous, government-employed/pensioned, influential investors! And we did it on porpoise! We shouldn't be allowed. ;-)

[I'm against tax credit and rebate free stuff from bipartisan socialists and don't advocate such subsidies.]

[dfwgator]

"I don't see any grouse."