People of faith have joined with hunters and blue-collar workers in southwest Wyoming to protest a small exploratory drilling project proposed south of Rock Springs.
Rest of the story. By Jeff Gearino. Casper Star Tribune.
Anyone think Wyoming SFW will help these folks, or will they cry “wolf!”?
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Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University with specialties in natural resource politics, public opinion, interest groups, political parties, voting and elections. Aside from academic publications, he is author or co-author of three hiking/backpacking guides, and he is past President of the Western Watersheds Project.
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“But Devon Energy officials said Friday that drilling in the area can be conducted in an environmentally sensitive manner and without significant harm to wildlife and other recreational resources.”
Uh, huh. Sure, buddy.
Wyoming Association of Churches executive director Rev. Warren Murphy says the association considers the Adobe Town area of southwest Wyoming and the Red Desert area in general to be “sacred places” worthy of protection because of their environmental characteristics.
May God bless him, them and us.
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Ralph, I am certain that Sportsmen for (some) Fish and (some) Wildlife will step in and help resolve this issue. Sportsmen for (some) Fish and (some) Wildlife is dedicated to hunter’s issues and habitat protection/enhancement, or so they say. Surely Bob Wharff (BW), Wyoming Director, will keep us updated as to any and all actions his group is taking on this important issue.
Bob? Hello? Anyone there?
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Mack P. Bray
My opinions are my own
wildlifewatchers@bresnan.net
http://wildlifewatchers.jottit.com/
At least part of Adobe Town is under the management of the Rawlins BLM office. I know that office well. The field office manager routinely overrides the wildlife staff (which guages impacts of proposals and makes recommendations) when it comes to drilling. He was appointed in 2004, and he has toed the line since. Unless there is top down pressure on the Rawlins office, you can bet this is going to happen. If plans have gone far enough to merit an exploritory drill, I would be willing to bet they already know (from seismic surveys) that the gas they want is there, and plans are already in the works for a big field.
Also, as of December 3rd, the injunction on the Atlantic Rim project (In the Southern part of the Red Desert also under the Rawlins office’s management) has been denied by a D.C. court because “The development of domestic energy resources is of paramount public interest and will be harmed (at least to some extent) if that development is delayed.” This is probably related to the Adobe Town proposal, because they are pretty close to one another.
I wonder if the judge that made that ruling has ever even been to Wyoming.
I expect the judge who made this ruling had just seen his natural gas bill go up and thought, well hell, what’s Wyoming anyway. All I care about is cheap energy.
Wyoming is carrying the American peoples’ demands for cheap energy on her back. How long can she last?
I’m with Robert on this one.
But Cowboy has a point to look at very carefully.
We’re in the “dog daze” of a lame duck administration in trouble. Reminds me of that governor in Tennessee that was so mad that he lost the election he PARDONED a bunch of murderers from the state prison the day he left office back in the early 1980’s.