Apparently feeling their oats after the Republicans captured control of the U.S. House in November’s elections, several GOP representatives from western states are already galloping out of the gates to attempt to roll back species protections in the West. They’ve initially set their sights on gray wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountains, which were returned to the Endangered Species Act’s protected list by a court decision in August.
A leader of the anti-wolf posse is Rep. Rob Bishop of Utah, who introduced bills last week to delist wolves in Utah – and everywhere else for good measure. Riding flank for Bishop is Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.), who declared that "returning wolf management to the states isn't a partisan issue that pits Republicans against Democrats. It's about states' rights." However, so far no House Democrats have joined the group of Republican gunslingers in co-sponsoring the bills.
Western Republicans in the House are up in arms about wolves in part because they pin the blame on the predators for declines in elk and deer populations; the states of both Wyoming and Idaho have issued reports blaming wolves for ungulate declines. Other scientists, however, have pointed the finger at climatic extremes and the actions of another dangerous critter – western lawmaker's own gun-toting constituents. A report released in November by Oregon’s department of fish and wildlife concluded that illegal take of deer is equal to the number of animals killed lawfully.
But to western lawmen, the real Black Bart is always the federal government. Rep Bishop's new bills are actually called the "State of Utah Wildlife Management Sovereignty Act" and the "State Sovereignty Wildlife Management Act." Sticking to his guns when it comes to states’ rights, Bishop also recently introduced a proposed amendment to the federal Constitution designed to reign in what he sees as a “power-hungry, overreaching national government.” His Repeal Amendment would kill “any federal law, regulation, tax, or unfunded mandate” if two thirds of the states voted to overturn an action by Congress.
But Rep. Bishop is probably hoping that states won’t vote to repeal the federal funding sources that provide 30% of the annual budget for Utah’s Division of Wildlife Resources. Or discontinue massive subsidies to western ranchers, irrigators, and miners. And Utah’s burr under the federal government’s saddle apparently doesn’t quite see the irony in the fact that one of the most robust sections of his web site is the one listing all of the appropriations requests for federal money he has made on behalf of a long list of his Utah constituents.
Maybe having a federal marshal around isn't so bad after all…
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Dan Rohlf | December 7, 2010
Apparently feeling their oats after the Republicans captured control of the U.S. House in November’s elections, several GOP representatives from western states are already galloping out of the gates to attempt to roll back species protections in the West. They’ve initially set their sights on gray wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountains, which were returned […]
Alice Kaswan | December 6, 2010
The environmental blogosphere is already abuzz over the Supreme Court’s grant of certiorari in AEP v. Connecticut. The case is of critical importance in determining whether the courts have a role to play in adjudicating climate change. Few believe that the courts are a good venue for developing climate policy. But for the foreseeable future, the question is […]
Douglas Kysar | December 6, 2010
The Supreme Court this morning granted certiorari in the case of American Electric Power Co. v. Connecticut, a common law nuisance suit seeking an order compelling large electric utility companies to reduce their contributions to global climate change. At issue will be a variety of doctrines – such as standing and political question – that nominally […]
Ben Somberg | December 6, 2010
With the 40th anniversary of EPA last week, there’s been some useful writing on the big picture of the history. I wanted to highlight: Steve Cochran at EDF has the first in a series on the Clean Air Act and its record of protecting us from pollutants. Post one: the acid rain program. Ruth Greenspan Bell […]
Yee Huang | December 3, 2010
Maryland submitted its final Phase I Watershed Implementation Plan for Chesapeake Bay restoration this afternoon. It’s the strongest blueprint of any of the states, and if implemented and funded sufficiently would allow Maryland to achieve its needed share of pollutant reductions. Maryland has pledged to implement, by 2017, the pollutant controls necessary to achieve 70% […]
Yee Huang | December 2, 2010
a(broad) perspective In 1974, atmospheric scientists discovered that chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were causing the alarming depletion of the protective ozone layer that shields all life on Earth from the harmful ultra-violet radiation from the sun. These CFCs were present as propellants in aerosol cans and also used as refrigerants. The global scientific consensus and the severity of ozone […]
Lena Pons | December 1, 2010
Update: EPA and NHTSA have issued the Supplemental Notice of Intent. The regulatory process is often complex: agencies must balance opportunities for public comment, complex scientific information, and economic analysis, all while trying to craft a program that fulfills a legal mandate. But when it comes to crafting proposals for vehicle fuel economy and greenhouse gas […]
Dan Rohlf | November 30, 2010
First the good news: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) last week designated a huge expanse of barrier islands, denning areas, and sea ice in the Arctic as “critical habitat” for polar bears under the federal Endangered Species Act. The largest such protected area in the ESA’s history, the new critical habitat covers an […]
Yee Huang | November 30, 2010
Yesterday was the deadline for Bay states and the District of Columbia to submit their final Phase I Watershed Implementation Plans (WIP). These WIPs are roadmaps that describe how Bay jurisdictions will meet their pollutant reduction obligations under the Bay TMDL. Delaware, the District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia submitted their plans by the deadline, […]