Unedited Story from Western Values Project
Secretary Zinke’s proposed changes would be devastating, it would harm the $1 billion outdoor recreation economy on sage-grouse habitat and endanger not just the sage-grouse, but the other iconic species like mule deer, elk, and pronghorn that depend on a health sagebrush ecosystem.
Two years ago today, history was made when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that the greater sage-grouse did not warrant a listing under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) due to the finalization of strong, science-based Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) land management plans.
Those plans were the product of collaboration amongst stakeholders including ranchers, governors, conservationists, sportsmen and sportswomen, local elected officials, and industry officials. They were a promise to work together in keeping with the tradition of working the land, by maintaining responsible and sustainable methods to keep the sage-grouse from needing a listing under the Endangered Species Act.
Two years later, the future of the plans is now unknown. In an attempt to dismantle the plans, Secretary Ryan Zinke and the Department of the Interior (DOI) have decided that the West does not know what’s best and therefore have intervened to inject their own agenda is these already established plans. Their agenda pushes the interests of the oil and gas industry, and a few select members of Congress who are determined to have energy development dominate our public lands.
Secretary Zinke’s proposed changes would be devastating, it would harm the $1 billion outdoor recreation economy on sage-grouse habitat and endanger not just the sage-grouse, but the other iconic species like mule deer, elk, and pronghorn that depend on a health sagebrush ecosystem.
Instead of ignoring years of hard work and collaboration, Secretary Zinke should recognize the stakeholders who worked for years on these plans, not ignore them in favor of oil and gas lobbyists. Rehashing existing plans and starting from zero is another half ditch attempt by Washington to overstep its bounds. Secretary Zinke and DOI are even ignoring the advice of western wildlife managers and scientist, who have made clear that the plans do not need major changes.
But Secretary Zinke is only focused on serving himself and corporate special interests.
As Westerners celebrate this two-year anniversary, their message to Secretary Zinke is loud and clear: stop attempting to destroy years of hard work, instead support the plans.
http://westernvaluesproject.org/two-years-in-zinke-scraps-sage-grouse-plans-for-special-interests/
Categories: Uncategorized, Wild Burros, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
Zinke is a Neanderthal, an unenlightened and cruel man. I hope that when Karma comes around for him I will be able to witness it. I wish no good for him and his blm cronies.
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Boys with their toys… If he feels like shooting stuff, why don’t he buys himself a playstation and leaves US alone??? That’s what the civilized world does.
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We have got to get men with his mind-set out of politics and off organization groups and committees that are SUSPOSED TO PROTECT OUR WILDLIFE NOT MURDER HORSES, BURROS. BIRDS, BISON AND OTHERS.
Tired and profoundly sad of killings and
slaughtered reports.
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Well, we took a chance on letting one of them money-mongering greedy repub in office, and look where it has gotten us. Now we are defending every animal and species we have worked so hard for years to defend. I will be the first to admit, BIG, BIG, BIG mistake. I hope we can get out of this 4 yr stint with at least some of the wild left in tact, it will be very shameful if Trumpet allows them to wipe out everything with their biggest guns that they use to help make up for their lil member 😦
But be very sure, it will NEVER happen again, I am sure there are many people like me who took a chance, as there really was no one to vote for, and are now regretting it, but we won’t be stupid twice! We like our wildlife, we like our wild, we like wide open spaces without cattle, it’s just what we do and who we are 🙂
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I sure to hope that the people who “took a chance” are regretting it! We didn’t need a change THIS big!
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sure DO hope!
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For sure, Maggie Frazier. No incu,bent anymore, ever. I term, do us right or get gone!
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One fact that is not in question is that the BLM does not use science to manage anything. There are numerous problems on public lands that good science could fix, starting with irrigation and finding a way to pump excessive watering the Great Lakes to the West. Turning more horses loose on the land would do three things. It would reduce the amount of dry grasses that mitigating the number and intensity of forest fires. Their manure enriches and moistens the soil aiding plant growth somehow producing an O isotope that puts moisture in the air (humidity) and makes up a little for not having more rain. And finally, wild horses can find water by smelling it under the ground, testing the ground, and finally breaking through the ice and snow for water & forage. The disappearing wildlife can best be mitigated by leaving the systems God put in place or helping those systems be successful.
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HH, NO NO NO on moving water from one ecosystem to another, this is faulty logic and will create more problems than it might solve. This model has been proven to prop up human endeavors at the expense of just about every other species, including those that inhabit healthy soils.
Not to mention the disruption piping water such long distances into arid regions would also create, nor the evaporative losses, nor who pays for all this (including the externalized costs). Your own words indicate support for keeping existing systems healthy, not creating new, limited-focus but widely damaging monstrosities.
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Ditto Elaine
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Zinke’s misdeeds are horrible. But the following statement: “greater sage-grouse did not warrant a listing under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) due to the finalization of strong, science-based Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) land management plans” is flat false and undermines your credibility because there never were any strong science-based plans. In an August 2015 meeting with a Department of Interior Deputy Secretary, the Obama official said this; “We know the sage grouse plans aren’t good enough. You’re just going to have to fix them [in court].” CWP will gain in credibility as an independent voice if it doesn’t try so hard to paper over the mistakes of the last administration to show the misdeeds of this administration. It’s completely unnecessary: This administration’s environmental atrocities stand on their own.
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The “best scientific & commercial information” quote was a quote from Fish & wildlife – not Western Values Project.
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We will as Americans stand up not stand by and let you destroy our animals.
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Zinke is a murderer and he will rot in hell when he leaves this world. Karma.
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Hope you don’t mind, I’ve been putting up these articles on Face Book. If you do not wish for me to do that, please email me. Thanks for keeping us up to date on all this and hoping that it doesn’t have a tragic end. Pat
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Thanks, Pat. It’s fine to share the articles. We appreciate your help in getting the word out.
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He is arrogant and doesn’t care about the animals except to do as the BLM and cattlemen want. Evil man,,,,,,,,
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It’s all about greed and money!! Feeling like Zinke and his followers are the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse!!!!! What’s next ??? 😱😞 God help us all!!!🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴
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please do not let this happen
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Americans stand up for our animals now do not let trump,blm,ranchers,bid business destroy our animals and land.It happens here too and not just Amazon, Africa, etc.
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