Two deplorable but utterly unsurprising bits of news in late January: First, the Bureau of Land Management has announced plans go ahead and offer for leasing wide areas of Otero Mesa in southern New Mexico suspected of holding reserves of oil and gas. This despite the fact that New Mexico's governor, Bill Richardson (elected by the people of that state, let's not forget), has fought long and hard to preserve this unique landscape -- also despite the fact that environmental groups have sued and sued again to gain access to the documents the BLM relied on to reach its decision.

The agency is stonewalling the governor and the public on behalf of the oil and gas companies. It is also tacitly contradicting arguments floated in other arenas to the effect that locals should have a major say in the management of federal lands because they understand and appreciate them better. That argument is used when the subject is timber in Wyoming. It is ignored when talking about wild grasslands in New Mexico. But, as Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds," and who would accuse this administration's operatives of having little minds? Your answer will be forwarded to the Secretary of Homeland Security.

The second announcement comes from the administration, which says it plans to OK more oil and gas lease sales, these in the northwest corner of Alaska. The area, officially called the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, is a 23.5-million-acre area of rare habitats and wildlife. It is home to caribou, grizzlies, spotted seals, beluga whales, and hundreds of thousands of waterfowl, yet it remains totally unprotected. The Clinton administration moved to open the northeast portion of the reserve to oil and gas leasing, but at least put some areas off limits. Now the Bush administration is proposing to lease 100 percent of the northeast area, leaving no protected areas for waterfowl and other wildlife.

In January 2004 the Bush administration had moved to open the entire northwest portion of the reserve. Environmental groups sued and persuaded a federal judge to place an injunction on the leases, prohibiting activities on the ground, but the same judge lifted the injunction last month. The case is currently on appeal to the Ninth Circuit. Now, Secretary Norton says she's hanging a "for sale" sign over the entire reserve. Both of these matters -- Otero Mesa and the reserve -- are almost certainly headed back to court.

Creative Blackmail

Remember Julia Butterfly? Remember the Headwaters Forest of redwoods in northern California? The ancient redwoods of the Headwaters grove in a remote backwater of far northern California became a hot political issue a decade ago that wound up with a huge appropriation from Congress to stop Pacific Lumber from cutting the priceless trees. Now, however, the company has announced that it must get permission from the state to log more trees, faster, or it faces bankruptcy.

The trees PL demands permission to cut are not in the 7,000-acre Headwaters reserve, but on other portions of the 200,000 acres the company owns. As part of the Headwaters deal, PL agreed to restrictions on logging those 200,000 acres aimed at protecting streams. Now, the company -- claiming that it is running out of logs -- is demanding permission to log nearer streams, a demand that is stoutly opposed by many local residents, who have seen many homes destroyed over the years by mudslides caused by overzealous logging.

If PL does file for bankruptcy, the company claims that the deal that protects the headwaters forest is off -- and the trees could be cut, never mind the $480 million taxpayers paid the company to protect the forest. Chutzpah of the highest order. Academy award stuff.

Tom Turner, Senior Editor
yourturn@earthjustice.org