May. 06, 2005 - 21:59 MDT

DO ALL

Sometimes the machinations af any administration cause one to shake his head. This is an example of which I speak. An article in the Rocky Mountian News today by Gary Gerhardt of that paper gives an example and conjecture from all sides. In part:

Roads: Groups criticize Bush plan

Environmentalists fear drilling, mining under Bush initiative

"The Bush administration opened the door Thursday for road building in 58.5 million acres in national forests, including 3.4 million previously protected acres in Colorado."

"It would allow pristine forests to open roads for ski area development, logging, mining, oil and gas exploration and a variety of recreational and commercial uses."

"The plan calls for the nation's governors to meet the needs of local communities, some of whom depend on recreation and other forest industries, while protecting and restoring the health and natural beauty of national forests."

"State governors would be allowed to petition for specific areas to open or maintain roadless areas based on needs to reduce wildfire, conserve wildlife habitat, protect public health and safety, or maintain infrastructures such as dams or water courses."

"The states involved have 18 months to come up with a petition that the governors will submit to the Forest Service to open or keep closed areas.."

Negotiations will follow, BUT THE FINAL DECISIONS WILL BE IN THE HANDS OF THE FOREST SERVICE."

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There is much conjecture back and forth in the paper, one can almost chant the dogma from memory of things gone before. So, I'll have my say. In one of my opinions this resembles somewhat an ant pile with the top kicked off, I remember watching the crazy antics of ants when we did that as kids.

"The administration opened the door," for the nations governors to "petition" to have the forest land as they want it in their own state. But they have to submit the petition to the Forest Service. Then I guess the Forest Service will pick and choose things that agree with what the administration wants. Seems to leave room for the blame to be shifted back and forth for boo-boos. There probably be lobbyists who make fortunes working in various statehouses and bird dogging Forest Service pooh-bahs.

Although it is not forest land per se, there is a good part of Wyoming that is sage brush, antelope, grouse and elk who have had no trouble existing in peace for centuries, eagles and cat family seem to keep population pretty at a manageable level, they have their routines, the elk migrate back and forth according to seasons, the sage grouse have their territories and their "leks" which are the grounds where they parade, strut and make a show to see what they can accomplish with the ladies, those leks have been in use for no one knows how long. There is a man who has a journal dealing with the territory up there who makes things a bit clear about the bind game is in even on the prairie, herewith: Grousin' In The Sage

Funny though, seems like oil patching is taking up territory the grouse once had. Some oil patches in Wyoming are almost interlocked which prevents elk and antelope from their seasonal peregrinations. And of course with the new wells are all the new roads cut across the prairie from one to another to the main road. The squeeze is on in many instances, people in Colorado moving up into the hills, building big splashy buildings and clearing much land. Now gradually animals of the wild are migrating to city environments, scrounging up a goodly amount of findable food. Those excresences habitated by city folk who want their castle to whitely shine and glitter in all directions has taken the romance from our mountains. Nothing pristine much anymore I guess. Except those areas that have been kept roadless and controlled by Forest Service and game control people -- they are safe yet for just a little while.

I fear that by the time the buck has been passed back and forth, and little by little the country we once had will dotted with roads, wells, boating - fishing - waterskiing lakes, logging operations and mining businesses as well as ranches (dude).

Looks to me that we are being sold a bill of goods and told this will be a magic bit of DO ALL . . . . . . . . . .