FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 18, 2008
Contact: Kristina Johnson
415.977.5619
Sierra Club Fights to Save Wildlife, Parks, Water from Bush's Midnight
Attacks
The Sierra Club acted swiftly this week to rescue wildlife, water, and
national parks from a series of last-minute attacks by the Bush
administration.
In its waning days in office, the administration has imposed a number of
new rules that undermine environmental protections. The Sierra Club will be
working with Congress and the Obama administration to undo the damage done
by the Bush administration as it leaves town.
This week alone, the group responded to regulations gutting the Endangered
Species Act and allowing oil and gas drilling near National Parks and in
pristine wildlife habitat.
Last minute regulations challenged by the Sierra Club include:
Oil Drilling Near National Parks
This Friday, December 19, the Bureau of Land Management is scheduled to
sell drilling leases on 110,000 acres of land near Arches and Canyonlands
National Parks, Dinosaur National Monument, and Nine Mile Canyon. The
Sierra Club and other environmental groups filed suit Wednesday to stop the
BLM from selling Utah's natural treasures to the highest bidder.
"If these sales move forward, iconic places like Arches National Park could
be scarred forever by views of drilling rigs and the roads, infrastructure,
and pollution that accompany them," said Sierra Club executive director
Carl Pope.
Gutting the Endangered Species Act
Last week, the Bush administration issued a final set of regulations that
significantly weaken protections for the nation's most threatened wildlife.
On Wednesday, Sierra Club and other groups filed suit to block the
regulations.
"America's most threatened wildlife have already suffered as a result of
the Bush administration's negligence and attacks on science. Decisions
about protecting wildlife should be based on science, not politics," said
Pope.
Dirty Oil Shale Development in Prime Fish and Wildlife Habitat
On Tuesday, the Sierra Club, along with several other groups, announced its
intent to file suit to protect two million acres of public land in
Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming that the Bush administration opened last month
to oil shale development.
"Oil shale development threatens to create wildlife dead zones in prime
habitat and recreation areas. Mining and processing oil shale requires huge
amounts of energy and would deplete the West's already short water
supplies," said Pope.
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