Category — Conservation

Governor Brian Schweitzer has put a six-month moratorium on energy leases on state lands along the Rocky Mountain Front. Hats off to the Governor for listening to the people and allowing time to find an alternative to wasting our public lands for the benefit of a few energy companies.

Ben Lamb from the Montana Wildlife Federation writes, “Developing some 800 acres will do nothing to reduce the price of oil, because it’s natural gas, not oil, that may or may not be located near the Front. Anyone who says different is pandering to the fears of a stressed population, and is making hay when the rest of Montana suffers for the benefit of an industry that is already running roughshod over the American public”.

Some beasts never die, they just lie around long enough to smell like it and eventually you end up downwind of one. So it goes with oil and gas interests along Montana’s Rocky Mountain Front. After stemming their last attack a couple years ago the beast is back trying to creep through the cracks by leasing state lands as staging platforms for their operations.

The Rocky Mountain Front has been under constant attack for the gas that lies deep beneath in the fault that runs parallel with it. Protection has come from a variety of backgrounds including traditional conservatives who have recognized the need to protect the areas unique environment. Montanans unanimously supported protection of the area. Now the Montana DNRC is preparing to auction leases on some state land along the Front. One within the Blackleaf Wildlife Management Area.

The DNRC stated that last year it received a whopping $40,100.00 for leases. So, we are talking the price of a single new truck a year, paid for by several different leases, so big oil and gas can explore the option of coming in, screwing up the environment, making a few million bucks and then leave us with the clean up? Because if we don’t “we’re not following the mandate of getting revenue”?.

Maybe the Montana DNRC should just build guest ranches with “escort services” on state property and advertise in all the big oil trade magazines, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, New York Times etc. At least they can “pimp” out the environment without ruining it. They obviously don’t value our opinions either so they might as well “pimp” out the residents as well.

A lot of different organizations came together two years ago to protect the Front. Federal legislation was passed to retire current leases and prohibit new ones on federal land. Various conservation organizations banded together with local landowners to support protection and Montanan’s unanimously supported protection of the front. Now we have a department within state government climbing into the sack with energy interests?

Here’s where we start…

A little bit of public ass whipping should get some attention.

And a little note to some local politicians to let them know we are still around. Even if our opinions apparently mean nothing at least we can still voice them if we choose to.
Senator Max Baucus
Senator Jon Tester
Governor Brian Schweitzer

Lester from Lakestream reports that the dam operators on the Missouri River started opening the spigot this weekend. High flows are expected to last several days while the river gets a good flush. For a report on the fishing give him a call, 406-862-1298.

Two weeks ago the Bureau of Rec decided it needed to cut flows in the Bighorn River to 1500 cfs, a knee jerk reaction I suspect to water skiers not being able to access the Horseshoe Bend launch on Bighorn Lake for the holiday weekend.

Today the Bureau woke up to the fact that they are still sitting on a 135% snow pack that is getting ready to roll out of the mountains, probably within the next month. So now we have another knee jerk reaction, the river is now cranking at 4500 cps. One can only hope this years fry found someplace to hide the last two weeks while the water politics ran its course. Somewhere along the way there will be enough water for everybody at least for awhile.