In your recent issue on oil and gas development in
the Rockies (HCN, 8/18/03: Gas crisis puts Rockies in hot seat),
you printed an industry group chart which purports to display the
onerous “seasonal stipulations” attached to many BLM
oil and gas leases, an example (in the industry’s view) of
the “restrictions and impediments” hindering oil and
gas development on the public lands.
A more telling
presentation of the effect of such stipulations on oil and gas
activities can be found at www.wy.blm.gov/pfo/wildlife.htm. It is
the Pinedale BLM Field Office’s summary of
“exceptions” (ie, waivers) to wildlife stipulations
granted to oil and gas operators during the past season.
Of 173 requests for waivers from the stipulations protecting sage
grouse, the BLM granted every one. This, despite the fact that sage
grouse are rapidly dwindling on lands managed by the BLM. A similar
situation exists for raptors — and for big game winter
habitat, the BLM turned down just one waiver request.
The
industry whines and complains that it is laboring under horrible
“restrictions and impediments” to drilling. But the BLM
seldom turns down the industry’s demands to be exempted from
protective wildlife stipulations that they agreed to honor when
they purchased the lease.
Dave Alberswerth
Washington, D.C.
The writer is The Wilderness Society’s BLM program director.
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Waiving goodbye to wildlife protection.
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