Public land ranchers--settlement could be devastating

[Faster horses]

Note to readers: The media release below from the Public Lands Council
provides an update regarding industry efforts to address this issue. WSGA
has been a direct participant in these discussions. (Wyoming Stock Growers Assoc.)


WASHINGTON (July 30, 2010) – A recent settlement agreement between a major
energy company and environmental activist groups could have devastating
impacts on the livestock industry. The agreement, between El Paso Corp.,
Western Watersheds Project (WWP) and Oregon Natural Desert Association
(ONDA), seeks in part to create unprecedented federal legislation to allow
for the buyout and retirement of federal grazing permits – threatening
ranchers' grazing rights across vast portions of the West.

"It's unacceptable for El Paso to use any funding for the purpose of
eliminating ranchers' ability to graze on public lands," said Skye Krebs,
rancher from Ione, Oregon and president of Public Lands Council. "Energy
development and livestock grazing are necessary and integral parts of rural
western economies, and our industries have had a longstanding history of
working together in a close partnership."

Public Lands Council (PLC) and National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA)
leadership met this week with El Paso Corp. to express opposition to the
portion of the agreement dealing with grazing permit buyout and retirement.
El Paso has agreed to respond by next Thursday, Aug. 5.

"We're adamantly opposed to any efforts encouraging the buyout or
retirement of grazing permits," said Mark Roeber, NCBA federal lands
chairman. "Ranchers play a critical role in providing food and fiber for
the nation and managing our precious natural resources. NCBA and PLC remain
committed to ensuring livestock grazing continues as part of the
multiple-use tradition of our nation's public lands."

Under the agreement, El Paso Corp. agreed to provide 22 million dollars to
WWP and ONDA to establish two boards responsible for the distribution and
funding of alleged "resource conservation" activities, including the buyout
of grazing permits. El Paso Corp. agreed to the settlement in response to
pressure from WWP over the development of a 680-mile oil pipeline
stretching from Wyoming to Oregon.

"Federal-lands ranching is one of the major economic drivers of rural
western economies," said Krebs. "Ranchers are already faced with the
constant threat of frivolous litigation brought by radical environmental
groups. This agreement provides a funding source for these groups to
continue their activist agenda to end grazing on public lands."








Vera Lightfoot


Office Manager


Wyoming Stock Growers Association

 

[jodywy]

http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/article_a68bca86-37a1-54bb-8d8e-6c2e1f82623e.html?print=1
Just fallow the money
Group sues over Wyoming-to-Oregon gas pipeline
By MEAD GRUVER - Associated Press writer | Posted: Saturday, July 31, 2010 1:45 am

CHEYENNE -- An environmental group that wants to block construction of a $3 billion gas pipeline from Wyoming to Oregon filed a lawsuit Friday, saying the pipeline will cut across pristine land and harm endangered fish.

The Tucson, Ariz.-based Center for Biological Diversity sued the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in federal court in San Francisco.

The Ruby Pipeline will cross more than 1,000 rivers and streams, harming species such as the Lahontan cutthroat trout, Warner Creek sucker, Lost River sucker and Colorado pikeminnow, said Noah Greenwald, endangered species coordinator for the group.

"More broadly, we don't understand why they had to choose to put a new pipeline through some of the most pristine lands in the West," he said. "Why couldn't they use an existing pipeline route?"

If construction begins, Greenwald said, the Center for Biological Diversity intends to seek an injunction to halt work until the group's concerns are addressed.

Work appears set to begin soon. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued a notice to proceed Friday, said Mark Mackiewicz, manager of the project for the BLM.

"I imagine by Monday you'll have hundreds of people out there starting to work on this," Mackiewicz said.

He said the BLM and Ruby Pipeline LLC, a subsidiary of El Paso Corp., worked hard to address environmental concerns. El Paso spokesman Richard Wheatley declined to comment.

Two other environmental groups, the Western Watersheds Project and Oregon Natural Desert Foundation, recently dropped opposition to the pipeline after El Paso agreed to spend $20 million to help protect sagebrush habitat.

The Ruby Pipeline will begin at Opal in western Wyoming and cross northern Utah and Nevada before ending at Malin, Ore., near the California state line. Work on the project would begin at seven locations along the pipeline route.

The 42-inch-diameter pipeline will be among North America's largest, approaching the size of the 48-inch, 800-mile-long Trans Alaska oil pipeline.

El Paso expects the Ruby Pipeline to become operational in March 2011.