Talk of Gas Drilling Splits Pro-Bush Factions in West

[kskiska]

CHOTEAU, Mont. -- The Great Plains smack into the Rockies just west of here. The collision of flatness and verticality results in the Rocky Mountain Front, the only place in the West where large numbers of grizzlies, elk and bighorn sheep still wander down out of the mountains and take their leisure on the grassy plain.

Seven years ago, the U.S. Forest Service ruled that the Front deserved "special attention" and halted new oil and gas leasing. Hunters, hikers and assorted lovers of this 100-mile-long stretch of wildernessbreathed a collective sigh of relief.


(snip)

But now, with natural gas prices up sharply and with President Bush making domestic energy production a national security priority, the fight over the Front is back on. Although the Forest Service's ban on new leases remains in effect, the Bureau of Land Management is reviewing plans by three companies with existing leases to extract gas from eight wells. If they find significant amounts of gas, there will almost certainly be many more new wells, plus roads, pipelines and processing plants.

Rumbles of renewed resource extraction along the Front are echoing across the country -- with prime hunting and fishing habitat coming under threat in the federal forests, plains and wetlands of Alaska, Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado, South Dakota, New Mexico and elsewhere. The gathering din has begun to worry -- and, in some cases, infuriate -- America's fishermen and hunters, many of whom are Republicans who voted for Bush. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates about 47 million Americans fish or hunt.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59945-2003Nov3.html

[Gloria]

1. Yup, here in NM gas drilling in the Otera Mesa has ranchers and

environmentalists equally pissed....

It's the last bit of unspoiled desert and grassland in that area and Sen. Domenici and Rep. Pearce are in favor of drilling. Pearce, of course, has connections to the drilling business....

[dusty64]

5. Hopefully they will wake

up and all unite in time to stop this madness.

[fishnfla]

2. Molly Ivins has a whole chapter on this

in "Bushwacked" The methane gas extraction causes all sorts of environmental disaster for the ranchers in Wyoming. GOP ranchers now turning into greens. who'da thunk?

[ellie]

6. There was an article

in the Rolling Stone about the methane gas industry in Wyoming. And the ranchers did become environmentalists suddenly. Small pools of water dot the once arid landscape. It is a disaster waiting to happen.

But really, what did they think was going to happen? I don't get these people. What will they breath when all of the air is polluted? What will they drink when all of the water is dirty? Worshipping the almighty dollar will not save anyone. The short-sightedness and the greed is quite astounding.




Edited due to the premature pushing of "post message" button.

[havocmom]

7. and the small pools of water are salty

Pumping water out of the way and pouring it out on the ground is bad enough, but in man of these areas, the ground water has a lot of salts in it.

Ranchers in Eastern Montana, known for being very conservative and supporting GOP candidates are watching WY and holding their breath. Many ranchers and farmers are finding they do not own the minderal rights under their land and extraction companies can do whatever they need to do in the quest for what is beneath the surface. They put road where they want them, tear up pastures and salt the earth

Now, if we drop the gun control talk, we can get these ranchers to come over pretty darn easy.

[jburton]

3. Clinton took Montana in 92

This could be interesting...

[leesa]

4. You voted for Bush, you deserve this. Shut the fuck up!