More fodder for discussion. The article includes a link to an Interior memo on the topic.
The goals include finding “better ways” to partner federal land-use planning efforts with “state planning efforts,” seeking “opportunities to avoid delays caused by appeals and litigation” and developing a process to “right size” environmental review documents, “instead of defaulting to preparing an Environmental Impact Statement in circumstances when such a document is not absolutely needed,” according to the memo.
This is very interesting
“But conservation groups ripped BLM’s regulatory review.
Green groups and other supporters had long argued that Planning 2.0 provided more opportunities for public comment and outlined a reasonable path forward for improving public lands management.
Greg Zimmerman, deputy director of the Denver-based Center for Western Priorities, said conducting the latest review in the name of increasing local input in the planning process is laughable.
“Here’s just another example of Secretary Zinke paying lip service to local input, while the Interior Department under his leadership has done more to erode community participation in public lands planning than any in recent memory,” Zimmerman said.
Chris Saeger, executive director for Western Values Project, questioned why BLM began the public comment period Monday, the day before the Fourth of July.
“These leading questions reveal this exercise to be as much of a sham as the supposed review of national monuments” Zinke is currently conducting, Saeger said.
He added, “Secretary Zinke’s latest dog and pony show is clearly intended to provide cover for more favors to the oil and gas industry that has bankrolled his and President Trump’s political careers.””
Who are these groups, and why are they selected for giving a response? I’m concerned that traditional groups who know a lot about these issues, will be sidelined by these kinds of groups who seem to be mostly concerned about oil and gas.
I could find http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/citizenaudit-exposes-the-funding-behind-big-greens-colorado-netwar/article/2538025
this about the Center for Western Priorities.
but I couldn’t find “Western Values Project” on Charity Navigator nor OpenSecrets.org still can’t quite figure these things out…