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Politics : Actual left/right wing discussion -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: TimF who wrote (3759)	10/30/2006 1:40:24 PM
From: JBTFD	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 10087

Sure it does: “The president’s FY07 budget proposes the sale of nearly $1 billion worth of national forest and Bureau of Land Management lands.” “America's Arctic is threatened by the Bush administration's extensive oil and gas leasing agenda, which would result in extensive oil drilling in the long-protected Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, as well as across the rest of Alaska's North Slope.” “On August 8, 2005, President Bush signed the "Energy Policy Act of 2005". Although the bill will do little to bring down the price of oil and gas, or encourage the more efficient use of energy and the development of new, clean technologies, the bill does provide a host of benefits to the oil and gas industry, including exempting oil and gas projects on public lands and national forests from key provisions of the Clean Water Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act.” “Since its controversial April 2003 "no new wilderness" agreement with the state of Utah, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management repeatedly has leased spectacular lands in Utah and Colorado that have been proposed for wilderness designation in congressional legislation. Conservationists have protested the leasing of these areas because if development occurs, the lands no longer would be eligible for the National Wilderness Preservation System. In total, more than 67,000 acres of citizen's proposed wilderness in Colorado and 190,000 acres in Utah have been offered for auction since April 2003.” “Despite Americans’ widespread appreciation for wildlife refuges, the Refuge System suffers from severe under-funding. While President Bush lobbies to open the Arctic Refuge to drilling, the vast majority of our other refuges confront a growing backlog of maintenance projects. The president's most recent budget proposal would only perpetuate this problem. The 2007 presidential budget would cut Operations and Maintenance for the Refuge System by $11 million.” “WEAKENING SAFEGUARDS FOR ROADLESS AREAS On May 13, 2005, the Bush administration repealed the popular Roadless Area Conservation Rule and replaced it with a voluntary state petition process.” “FIRE POLICY THREATENS ENVIRONMENT In November 2003 Congress passed the "Healthy Forests Restoration Act," thereby enacting much of the president's package (which he called "the Healthy Forests Initiative"). Instead of focusing on thinning areas near homes and communities, the administration pushed through sweeping exemptions from environmental review for logging projects in remote forests. Even though President Bush has used the threat of wildfire to waive environmental standards for logging, when it comes to actually funding community protection efforts, the money is most definitely not where his mouth is. Bush has repeatedly proposed deep cuts to vital programs that put money where it is needed most: in and around communities. In 2006 he proposed cutting state fire assistance by $23 million (almost 30 percent) from the current state fire assistance program, bringing it down to $56 million.” Etc etc etc.