making the rules up as you go along...

[Guest guest]

Bush admin alters science to support expanded grazing on public lands

 

In developing new proposed regulations for cattle grazing on public lands, the

Bush administration intentionally obscured the damage grazing causes, according

to two government scientists. Erick Campbell and Bill Brookes, both recently

retired from the Bureau of Land Management, determined in an environmental

impact statement that the new rules, which would increase grazing on 160 million

acres of public land, would harm water resources and wildlife, including

endangered species. But in the statement accompanying the newly released

regulations, lo, the science has been transformed. The rules, which once would

have had a " significant adverse impact, " are now " beneficial to animals. " (Well,

cows are animals, we suppose.) They would restrain BLM staffers from acting

quickly to limit grazing that's damaging land; lengthy studies would now be

required instead. And public input on grazing decisions would no longer be

mandated, merely allowed. While a BLM official calls the changes part of the

agency's standard review process, Campbell and Brookes are dismayed. " They

rewrote everything, " says Campbell. " It's a crime. "

 

 

straight to the source: Los Angeles Times, Julie Cart, 18 Jun 2005

 

Those who control the past, control the future; Those who control the future,

control the present; Those who control the present, control the past.^

[Guest guest]

I did not know that Alister Campbel had gone to work for the US admin

Mary

 

, fraggle <EBbrewpunx@e...> wrote:

> Bush admin alters science to support expanded grazing on public

lands

>

> In developing new proposed regulations for cattle grazing on

public lands, the Bush administration intentionally obscured the

damage grazing causes, according to two government scientists. Erick

Campbell and Bill Brookes, both recently retired from the Bureau of

Land Management, determined in an environmental impact statement

that the new rules, which would increase grazing on 160 million

acres of public land, would harm water resources and wildlife,

including endangered species. But in the statement accompanying the

newly released regulations, lo, the science has been transformed.

The rules, which once would have had a " significant adverse impact, "

are now " beneficial to animals. " (Well, cows are animals, we

suppose.) They would restrain BLM staffers from acting quickly to

limit grazing that's damaging land; lengthy studies would now be

required instead. And public input on grazing decisions would no

longer be mandated, merely allowed. While a BLM official calls the

changes part of the agency's standard review process, Campbell and

Brookes are dismayed. " They rewrote everything, " says

Campbell. " It's a crime. "

>

>

> straight to the source: Los Angeles Times, Julie Cart, 18 Jun 2005

>

> Those who control the past, control the future; Those who control

the future, control the present; Those who control the present,

control the past.^