SALT LAKE CITY, Nov. 16, 2008
Bush's "Fire Sale" For Oil, Gas Industries
Administration Will Lease 50,000 Acres Near National Parks For Drilling
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Late on Election Day, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management announced a Dec. 19 auction of more than 50,000 acres of oil and gas parcels alongside or within view of Arches National Park. (AP)
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Late on Election Day, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management announced a Dec. 19 auction of more than 50,000 acres of oil and gas parcels alongside or within view of Arches National Park and two other redrock national parks in Utah: Dinosaur and Canyonlands.
The National Park Service's top official in the state calls it "shocking and disturbing" and says his agency wasn't properly notified. Environmentalists call it a "fire sale" for the oil and gas industry by a departing administration.
Officials of the BLM, which oversees millions of acres of public land in the West, say the sale is nothing unusual, and one is "puzzled" that the Park Service is upset.
"We find it shocking and disturbing," said Cordell Roy, the chief Park Service administrator in Utah. "They added 51,000 acres of tracts near Arches, Dinosaur and Canyonlands without telling us about it. That's 40 tracts within four miles of these parks."
Top aides to Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne stepped into the fray, ordering the sister agencies to make amends. His press secretary, Shane Wolfe, told The Associated Press that deputy Interior Secretary Lynn Scarlett "resolved the dispute within 24 hours" last week.
A compromise ordered by the Interior Department requires the BLM to "take quite seriously" the Park Service's objections, said Wolfe.
However, the BLM didn't promise to pull any parcels from the sale, and in an interview after the supposed truce, BLM state director Selma Sierra was defiant, saying she saw nothing wrong with drilling near national parks.
"I'm puzzled the Park Service has been as upset as they are," said Sierra.
"There are already many parcels leased around the parks. It's not like they've never been leased," she said. "I don't see it as something we are doing to undermine the Park Service."
Roy and conservation groups dispute that, saying never before has the bureau bunched drilling parcels on the fence lines of national parks.
"This is the fire sale, the Bush administration's last great gift to the oil and gas industry," said Stephen Bloch, a staff attorney for the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance.
"The tracts of land offered here, next to Arches National Park or above Desolation Canyon, these are the crown jewels of America's lands that the BLM is offering to the highest bidder," he said.
© MMVIII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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The secrets of tennis legend 
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See all 147 CommentsA national vote!!! What a concept!
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Posted by DJ_IL at 01:11 PM : Nov 17, 2008
Not sure which post you are referring to but hey, I feel like I have always been fair. I am an equal opportunity exposer. Both parties are a piece of c r a p . I do fear though that the democrats are going to really hurt us. Again, only time will tell.
talking about? All I could find is there may be
pockets of tar sands in the area. That''ll save us:)
Maybe the Feds are deserate for money.
posted by deathofUSA
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Actually, maybe once they find out that the upkeep pretty much stays at the $ of the list of things recommended for 15,000 miles, they may be more interested.
Because the Prius doesn''t have most of the things checked at 30,000, 60,000 miles, etc., I keep paying the 15,000 mile price for maintenance.
So with 50 mpg (52 in the summer, 48 in winter with snow tires), a relatively heavy weight, all-around air bags, vehicle stability control, and a hatch-back, I''m pretty happy with it.
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Posted by perk235 at 12:07 PM : Nov 17, 2008
Sounds pretty good. Now, can we get people to change? I think we are going to have to be strangled pretty tightly before people give up their comfort. We are spoiled.
My prius has all-around air bags and vehicle stability control, which does great in the snow.
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Posted by perk235 at 11:49 AM : Nov 17, 2008
What about your legs? Would they survive? Looks kind of small.
Posted by deathofSUSA
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It is built on the Corolla base and so I guess if one was obese it may be a problem? One drive is 6''1" and doesn''t complain. It is a hatchback, so I can flip down the back seats and carry quite a bit. Also, I can carry 8 ft. boards in it.
But, I am tired of giving you any more of my time.
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Posted by owlmirror at 12:03 PM : Nov 17, 2008
Yeah, I would be careful if I were you. I may steal your ideas. ha ha ha. what a wacko.
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Posted by ibsteve2u at 12:02 PM : Nov 17, 2008
Lol. How could you say that to lil ole owl boy?
Posted by renrivers at 11:43 AM : Nov 17, 2008
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And you think that harvesting, liquefying, and transporting coal doesn''t come at a cost?
That''s why we need to support research and innovation on alterantive fuels and alternative energy. Some may saw we tried this in the 1970s and it failed. It wasn''t sustained, but also we could genetically engineer plants to produce more of what we need.
We can combine great strides in research in other areas with research in energy.
Posted by deathofUSA
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No, you are simply a backwards thinking individual with no ability to look into the future.
But, I am tired of giving you any more of my time.
After all, this pesky national park thing was his idea and his fifth cousin was a Democrat!
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Posted by mytoosense at 11:56 AM : Nov 17, 2008
Sounds good to me.
Posted by owlmirror at 12:00 PM : Nov 17, 2008
Hmmmm....I begin to suspect that curve the rest of us lag you on is a Moebius strip.
Once my system is established, the result would be virtually free and continuous supply of electricity.
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Posted by owlmirror at 11:54 AM : Nov 17, 2008
Go take a nap. You''re insane.
My prius has all-around air bags and vehicle stability control, which does great in the snow.
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Posted by perk235 at 11:49 AM : Nov 17, 2008
What about your legs? Would they survive? Looks kind of small.
Posted by deathofUSA
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I never mentioned Power Plants.
Your assumptions just go to show how far in the past your thinking really is. Individually, I''ve always been 30-40 years ahead of the curve. It takes time to bring people like you along, kicking and screaming into the future.
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Posted by mytoosense at 10:47 AM : Nov 17, 2008
And your suggestions for energy would be what?
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Posted by deathofUSA
No, no lets drill next to our national parks, next we can drill in our national parks. Let put a drilling rig on top of Teddy Roosevelt''s head at Mount Rushmore.
After all, this pesky national park thing was his idea and his fifth cousin was a Democrat!
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How about reducing consumption with cars of increased gas mileage. My Prius gets 50 mpg, and weights 2890 pounds, has side and front air bags and vehicle stability control.
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