Grijalva Declines Ways and Means Appointment

It’s official – Grijalva has declined his appointment to the powerful Ways and Means Committee to keep his influential position advocating for public lands and wildlife.  Press Release 12/16:

the need to continue my work on the Committee on Natural Resources and, more specifically, my Subcommittee Chairmanship is more important at this time. There are several issues that will still need to be addressed, such as uranium mining in the Grand Canyon and the continued preservation of our public lands.

Industry likes Salazar at Obama Interior, not greens

Daniel Patterson’s blog has found a lot of quotes about Ken Salazar-

Industry likes Salazar at Obama Interior, not greens. Daniel’s News and Notes.

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So probably (I hope Buffaloed is right, another trial ballon)  a bad Secretary of Interior, and an

EPA chief whose toxics record was so bad she was criticized by Bush’s EPA, and now

there is renewed talk of former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, the agri-business lackey for Secretary of Agriculture.  Just a few more like this and how are they different in philosophy than Bush’s people?

Greens Send Obama Quick Fix List

A list of things that can be done quickly-

A lot of these are easy and are on my list. The reception these items get will tell us a lot, after what looks like a “just fair” and maybe pretty poor choice for Interior.

Greens Send Obama Quick Fix List. By Bill Schneider. New West

Howl boxes help tracking wolves in Selkirk Mountains [Washington State]

Howl boxes’ help tracking wolves in Selkirk Mountains. By Becky Kramer, The Spokesman-Review

Audio: A BLM insider speaks

Bush’s national recreation director tells why he quit-

Audio: A BLM insider speaks. Rodger Schmitt talks about why he resigned his position as national recreation director. December 12, 2008 by Emily Steinmetz and Marty Durlin. High Country News.

Schmitt confirms your worst fears about how the Bushies ran the agency.

Wolves draw fans to Yellowstone in winter

Wolf watching generates winter tourism-

Wolves draw fans to Yellowstone in the winter. AP

Report: ESA decisions were all tainted for five years

Julie MacDonald interfered with every ESA decision for political reasons-

A high-ranking Interior Department official tainted nearly every decision made on the protection of endangered species over five years, a new inspector general report finds, concluding she exerted improper political interference on many more rulings than previously thought.

Julie MacDonald was deputy assistant secretary of Interior. overseeing the Fish and Wildlife Service. This shows how important are the nominations below the level of Secretary of Interior.

Report:  Endangered species decisions tainted. The Associated Press

Link to the actual report. pdf file.

N. Idaho timberland eyed for luxury homes

Proposal is one of many showing developers have learned nothing-

Although this won’t fly in the current economy, developers around the country are still proposing more of the same for the future when the economy improves.

Where I live (Pocatello, Idaho) the local developers are making a big effort to gut the new county land use plan to fulfill their dreams of urban sprawl from Idaho to the Utah border.

Story on the North Idaho development. N. Idaho timberland eyed for luxury homes. AP

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Here’s what going on in Bannock County, Idaho (Pocatello area). The realtors are a real ugly crew. Sparks fly at county meeting. Idaho State Journal.

Obama picks Salazar as Interior secretary

Salazar was not first choice of conservationists-

I guess I didn’t really need to write that.

On the other hand, he is far better than Bush’s secretaries Gale Norton and Dirk Kempthorne, both the absolute bottom of the barrel. We’ll now see if he gets a free hand to choose the assistant secretaries  in DOI or whether conservation wildlife groups gets a few choice appointments.

Story in the LA Times. ” Obama picks Salazar as Interior secretary. The Colorado senator, an attorney with expertise in water law, has criticized the department for opening up his state’s Roan Plateau to drilling.” By Jim Tankersley and Julie Cart.

Obama’s Choice of Salazar Raises Progressive Concern. Beyond Chron.org. By Randy Shaw‚ Dec. 16‚ 2008

Obama punts public lands passion in choosing Salazar. By Billie Stanton. Tucson Citizen.com.

Interior Update ~ Salazar: Cows AND Condos and oil & guns in parks & big ag …

The recent rumors that rancher Ken Salazar is a shoe-in at Interior have flipped on its head many of Obama’s most fervent western supporters’ idea of what the President-elect’s campaign promise for big-‘C’ “Change” might mean.  That campaign slogan’s broad-sweeping allegation had many hopeful that a new outlook, an outlook responsive to Obama’s supporters on the ground, might change for western public land and wildlife issues following the President-elect’s sweeping victory.  

Industry reaction to reports indicating Salazar’s favor give some indication as to how much “change” conservationists might expect.  Colo. senator reported as choice for Interior Arizona Daily Star :

“He’s lived off the land all his life. He understands the system that we have to deal with day in and day out and he would understand the most about how to streamline the system and better manage our public lands,” said Bray, [Arizona Cattlemen’s Association] deputy director for government affairs.