While the oil and gas industry is rubbing its hands
in anticipation of a coalbed methane bonanza, Wall Street is
counseling discretion (HCN, 5/26/03: A green light for gas
drilling). On Oct. 2, a group of 13 “socially
responsible” institutional investors — including the
Calvert Group, U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray and Domini Social
Investments — urged the Independent Petroleum Association of
America to commit to “responsible development of coalbed
methane resources,” including the use of low-impact pumping
methods, adequate cleanup of well sites, and giving locals input
into drilling plans.
In Wyoming, it’s
shaping up to be an old-fashioned showdown — just without the
guns. The Western Watersheds Project, led by anti-grazing activist
Jon Marvel, has sued the BLM for cutting a sweetheart deal with
rancher Frank Robbins that exempts him from the environmental
scrutiny normally given to public-lands ranchers. Robbins himself
has a lawsuit going against eight current and former BLM employees,
whom he alleges conspired to bring grazing violation charges
against him (HCN, 9/29/03: Reckless rancher cuts sweet deal in
D.C.).
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says it
will finally protect habitat for the threatened bull trout —
five years after federal law required it to do so (HCN, 3/4/02:
Bull trout get some help). The agency has missed numerous deadlines
for designating critical habitat for the fish, populations of which
were added to the endangered species list in 1998 and 1999. In
October, the agency settled a lawsuit and agreed to designate
critical habitat in the Columbia and Klamath river basins by next
September.
Gas-guzzling Hummers aren’t the
only vehicles going up in flames these days —
environmentalists’ cars are, too (HCN, 9/15/03: Burning one
for the road). On Oct. 13, a Toyota Tundra pickup owned by Shane
Jimerfield was destroyed in what appears to be arson when it was
parked at the Center for Biological Diversity in Tucson, where
Jimerfield works. Two weeks earlier, Center director Kieran
Suckling’s mail was doused in gasoline — but not set
aflame.
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Follow-up.
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