Reports show BLM (Bureau of Land Management) promotes drilling, not wildlife...

[Mygala]

Another example of the the poor stewardship of this government under this administration....

Federal Wildlife Monitors Oversee a Boom in Drilling
Energy programs trump conservation efforts

By Blaine Harden
The Washington Post
Updated: 12:31 a.m. ET Feb. 22, 2006

PINEDALE, Wyo. - The Bureau of Land Management, caretaker of more land and wildlife than any federal agency, routinely restricts the ability of its own biologists to monitor wildlife damage caused by surging energy drilling on federal land, according to BLM officials and bureau documents.

The officials and documents say that by keeping many wildlife biologists out of the field doing paperwork on new drilling permits and that by diverting agency money intended for wildlife conservation to energy programs, the BLM has compromised its ability to deal with the environmental consequences of the drilling boom it is encouraging on public lands.

...rest of article in Washington Post.

bob

[Crittercall]

Doesn't that just really frost you? I remember several years ago seeing a wolf running along beside the freeway late one night because evidently someone has taken over his home. We have bears down here that come to people's homes and cause destruction because their sources of food have been taken away and they are just "dumb animals" (NOT) who don't know any better.
A friend in TN lives pretty far into the "boonies" but since a new subdivision is going in near her she lost her Yorkie to a hungry hawk.

Having worked with the wild guys for so long it breaks my heart to see all of their areas taken away from them, just so somebody can build themselves and 5000 sq. ft. house. I wish these people could learn the joy of watching the song birds outside their windows as they splashed in a bird bath or ate their dinner.

Then we have trouble with the people in their boats in Florida who don't pay attention to the "No Wake Zone" signs and some poor manatee ends up with cuts all over its body because it was attacked by a boat motor. We are seeing some improvements in that area. The cold weather pushes the manatee into the springs to reach the balmy 72 degree water; last year there were many days that you could count the number of them on one hand. This year there was one day when there were over a thousand of them. Those big gentle giants may not become instinct in our lifetime after all!

If that is an area of interest to any of us, we just have to keep up the good work and try to keep some wooded areas left alone so the birds and squirrels will have a place to live. (And this is coming from someone who has had a squirrel take up residence in her attic and keeps chewing through the water pipes!).

Critter