Interior Dept. Trades Public Lands For Profits

The Interior Department Has Cleared the Way for Energy Developers to Destroy Natural Habitats; And opened the door for lots of lawsuits.

Elizabeth Shogren, January 6, 2018 (Mother Jones)

“…[The Interior Department has] quietly rescinded an array of policies designed to elevate climate change and conservation in decisions on managing public lands, waters and wildlife…[Order 3360] explains that the policies were rescinded because they were ‘potential burdens’ to energy development…[It prioritizes energy development and de-emphasizes] climate change and conservation…[in] a department that manages a fifth of the nation’s land, 19 percent of U.S. energy supplies and most of the water in the 12 Western states. It fulfills a high-profile executive order by Trump and a secretarial order from [Interior Secty. Ryan] Zinke…[and the Bureau of Land Management just announced] a related policy change that makes it easier for companies to develop oil and gas [on 67 million acres of prime sage grouse habitat across 10 Western states] that were protected in 2015 as part of an unprecedented conservation initiative…[and there are] dozens of policy changes in the works to remove barriers to energy development…” click here for more

click to enlarge

Tweet