BLM chief chides agency's undisciplined, freelancing bureaucrats
By SCOTT SONNER
ASSOCIATED PRESS

RENO, Nev. (AP) - The head of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management says she's demanding more accountability of her field managers to try to rein in an agency that lacked discipline under the Clinton administration.

In criticizing "freelancing" bureaucrats who she says pursued "personal interests" and agendas under President Clinton, BLM Director Kathleen Clarke told an oil and gas industry group that she's initiating "quality assurance reviews" of field offices to ensure uniform enforcement of regulations.

Clarke apologized to industry leaders for "unacceptable" delays in approving drilling permits on federal land in the West and pledged to send out a "team to look at some of our more problematic field offices."

"I'm dealing with an agency that I think lost some discipline, lost some accountability, did a lot of freelancing," Clarke said in a speech to the Intestate Oil and Gas Compact Commission at its annual meeting this week in Reno.

"Individual priorities were pursued. Individual agendas maybe were allowed to take hold and personal interpretation of how things should be done became an issue," she said late Monday.

The BLM coordinates oil and gas mining, timber harvesting, cattle grazing and conservation on 261 million acres of federal land, primarily in the West.

Clarke, former director of the Utah Department of Natural Resources who was appointed by President Bush in January 2002, spoke to a crowd of about 20. Her comments came in response to an industry report that suggested natural gas production in the Intermountain West would increase significantly if bureaucratic delays were eliminated.

The report by IHS Energy said there was a backlog of more than 1,700 federal applications for permits to drill in four of the region's basins under the jurisdiction of BLM field offices in Buffalo, Wyo.; Pinedale, Wyo., Farmington, N.M., and Vernal, Utah.

The study said it takes BLM an average of 175 days to process a permit that is supposed to be issued within 45 days.

"I certainly appreciate your frustration," Clarke said. "The 175 days is absolutely not acceptable and we are working on that."

"During the last administration, I think there was a sense that the most important things that were happening were happening in Washington and often it was (ex-Interior Secretary) Bruce Babbitt's office calling the shots," Clarke said.

"He had some priorities that didn't have much to do with oil and gas and mining. He was attending to other issues, so I think many of the field offices were allowed to kind of create their own approach to these kind of issues," she said.

"I am discovering there is great disparity between the offices in terms of how they are applying rules and regulations. ... and we are working to reinstitute some management discipline."

David Alberswerth, a public policy expert for The Wilderness Society, said BLM figures show the average amount of time to process drilling permits was actually shorter under the Clinton administration. He said the problems Clarke cites are more traditional than political.

"It doesn't have to do necessarily with whether field offices are too environmental or too pro-industry. The fact is the BLM has been historically and continues to be a very decentralized agency," Alberswerth said Wednesday.

"Republican administrations have felt this desirable in the past, that decisions should reflect local community attitudes and concerns," he said.

Clarke said the BLM traditionally conducted quality assurance reviews, in which agency auditors would "go out and spot check field offices to see if they were going by the book.

"Those were abandoned in the last administration. But you will start to see quality assurance checks going on in the field to make sure everyone understands what the rules are," she said.

Clarke earlier sent memorandums to field offices that she said `hopefully makes it dead clear how we want them to proceed" in carrying out reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act, among other things.

"Frankly, the hardest thing in Washington is to get the word down from the top to the 10,000 people that work for you and with you," she said.



Geez, I sure hope the El Centro office is high on her target list.

Vicki

Do you want oil drilling on public lands? How will this affect riding? Will riders be prevented from riding in drilling sites? If more lands are open to grazing and agriculture, will that benefit riders or will they be locked out of that too?

Extraction industries (oil, coal, logging, mining, grazing, developers) use off-roaders to go in and make land unfit for use as habitat or scenery. They are then free to claim the land as an impacted zone and proceed to develop it for their short-term profit. Meanwhile, off-roaders are forced to compete even more keenly for the remaining open lands.

Think about it.

Oh goody more nonsense.

Teacups spin when the seahorses ramble.

Prove those industries use off roaders..

Bridal Trails and hiking trails are just as much impact on the land so I guess those industries use them as well right?

has a self proclaimed "environmentalist" ever posted on this board that was capable of independent thought and two-way conversation?

We had one here for a while. Came over from DesertUSA I think.

Bluesky is not an environmentalist. He is a hate-monger, that's all.

The other guy (Spider?), now that was a different story.

Vicki

QUOTE

Do you want oil drilling on public lands?  How will this affect riding?  Will riders be prevented from riding in drilling sites?  If more lands are open to grazing and agriculture, will that benefit riders or will they be locked out of that too? Extraction industries (oil, coal, logging, mining, grazing, developers) use off-roaders to go in and make land unfit for use as habitat or scenery.  They are then free to claim the land as an impacted zone and proceed to develop it for their short-term profit.  Meanwhile, off-roaders are forced to compete even more keenly for the remaining open lands. Think about it.

Ah blue... Still thinking inside the box I see. If the enviros had their way, they would close glamis, and displace a million visitors. Now do you think for one second these visitors are going to park their $100,000 investments? Of course not, they're going to find someplace else to ride. Meaning, offroaders could end up riding in places that my not withstand this type of activity. Glamis has had 60+ years to "adapt" to her 4 wheeled counterparts. It represents one of the harshest environments, and the harsher the environment, the better suited it is to adapt.

How many PMV's have you actually seen in Glamis? I can tell you I have seen them up close (and have photos to prove it). And if you have seen them in Glamis, then tell me where! You won't find them on a ridge, razor, or dune face (where 95% of duners ride). You'll find them in the bottom of a bowl, and usually scattered amongst a few witch eyes (not a safe place to ride).

It would seem to a non-scientific observer, that the PMV has figured out how to sustain itself. It has adapted.

How many species have gone extinct without man's interference? It's called "natural selection". It would seem to me that enviro's are interfering with this process more than anyone. Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

troll=bluesky

QUOTE

How many species have gone extinct without man's interference?

http://www.iucn.org/redlist/2000/news.html

In the last 500 years, human activity has forced 816 species to extinction...103 extinctions have occurred since 1800, indicating an extinction rate 50 times greater than the natural rate. Many species are lost before they are even discovered...

Habitat loss and degradation affect 89 percent of all threatened birds, 83 percent of mammals, and 91 percent of threatened plants assessed. ...


A total of 11,046 species of plants and animals are threatened, facing a high risk of extinction in the near future, in almost all cases as a result of human activities.

[quote][quote]
How many species have gone extinct without man's interference?
[/quote]


http://www.iucn.org/redlist/2000/news.html

In the last 500 years, human activity has forced 816 species to extinction...103 extinctions have occurred since 1800, indicating an extinction rate 50 times greater than the natural rate. Many species are lost before they are even discovered...

Habitat loss and degradation affect 89 percent of all threatened birds, 83 percent of mammals, and 91 percent of threatened plants assessed. ...


A total of 11,046 species of plants and animals are threatened, facing a high risk of extinction in the near future, in almost all cases as a result of human activities.




only the strong survive fool

If it were down to dog eat dog?
you would be extinct too

[quote]
only the strong survive fool
[/quote]


in the case of humans, it's the intelligent who survive. We enjoy longer, healthier, more rewarding lives nowadays because of the contributions of intelligent people who invented and marketed ways for us to improve our circumstances.

We have the choice to preserve the diversity of species on our planet or not. Should we allow creatures and plants to go extinct?

[quote]troll=bluesky[/quote]

Ditto.

And that means he's nothing but a waste of time.

Blu...
You left out some facts:

QUOTE

Indonesia, India, Brazil and China are among the countries with the most threatened mammals and birds, while plant species are declining rapidly in South and Central America, Central and West Africa, and Southeast Asia.

and

QUOTE

While the overall percentage of threatened mammals and birds has not greatly changed in four years, the magnitude of risk, shown by movements to the higher risk categories, has increased.

Seems like the greenies need to move their agenda to Asia.

thanks FNG for reading the link

I am a citizen of the US, so I work to protect the creatures and plants that are here. Ever wonder why we can't just include the PMV on the Mexico side of the dunes in our monitoring? Because Mexico doesn't have the high environmental standards that we do here. Over there you can ride your OHV anywhere (that's why Superhunky lives there). Lots of our US corporations have relocated to Mexico because they can dump their effluents in the rivers and there is no fine to pay. The Mexican PMV is not protected.

There are international green orgs that are concerned about wildlife in other countries. The Sierra Club is one of them.

HOLY $hiat.. Blue- you solved the issue with the weed!!!!
OPEN riding in Mexico right? The weed is still there right??

Open riding is not the cause of the weeds problems. In fact - there are no problems with the weed. Funny how you schmucks make claims yet you never stepped foot in the sand to see one of these plants.. How do you honestly know there is a problem? You dont.. you read what is fed to you.. You know nothing more then what you want to know. And well that aint much.. :roll:

QUOTE

How do you honestly know there is a problem?

How do you honestly know there ain't a problem? You can't know what is threatened or what threatens it from just casually duning around. You're a motorhead out enjoying yourself. :mrgreen: :!: Leave the conservation to folks who care about it.

I think the dr. Phillips studies pretty much prove the weed is thriving !. Wouldnt you agree blu ???. Why dont you people go save something that needs saving!. :mrgreen:

This "motorhead" spends more time with nature then you will ever know. You see - you cannot make a problem from nothing. there is the problem in your logic. Again you side step the question. How many of the milk weed you ever see personally? You ever touch one blue?

That alone makes you a hyprocite.

QUOTE

QUOTE How do you honestly know there is a problem?   How do you honestly know there ain't a problem? You can't know what is threatened or what threatens it from just casually duning around. You're a motorhead out enjoying yourself. :mrgreen: :!: Leave the conservation to folks who care about it.

[quote]
I think the dr. Phillips studies pretty much prove the weed is thriving
[/quote]

The problem with the Phillips study is it was a one-time only count. How do we know if the PMV population is affected by off-roading unless some follow-up counts are made?

[quote][quote]
I think the dr. Phillips studies pretty much prove the weed is thriving
[/quote]

The problem with the Phillips study is it was a one-time only count. How do we know if the PMV population is affected by off-roading unless some follow-up counts are made?[/quote]

How about 50+ years of off-road use in the dunes and the PMV is STILL thriving. You effing moron!

And it wasn't just a one time only count.

Obviously, once a troll always a troll and Bluesday is a troll.

I myself don't care for the sprinkles on top of my ice cream but you are free to eat what you like, how you like it.

What, are you crazy????

Sprinkles ROCK!

Vicki

I really don't appreciate that kind of personal attack. >:<

I simply state my preference for how I like my ice cream and you question my sanity. No sprinkles! :evil:

QUOTE

And it wasn't just a one time only count.

The investigation did not entail monitoring, and was a one-time census of plants
which, while it can be easily replicated using the mapped geo-coordinates, was not
intended to be repeated in future years.

http://www.americansandassociation.org/doc..._Bio_Report.pdf


ZOT! :dance:

Someone needs to stop living in the past and look at the followup studies that were done:

http://www.americansandassociation.org/doc...dBankReport.pdf
http://www.americansandassociation.org/doc...er(revised).pdf
http://www.americansandassociation.org/doc...Report_July.pdf

Not to mention another study is going on even now and it's being done by Dr. Phillips without funding from the ASA or anyone else. He's funding it himself because the CBD's attack on his credibilty have pissed him off so much.

So I guess there is one thing we can all thank the CBD for. If it wasn't for their predictable rhetoric (attacking one of their own when he uses good science instead of environmental dogma) against Dr. Phillips we wouldn't be getting continuing studies free of charge - or the scientific interest in this plant which it deserves.

Good stuff.

BS will ignore that though, Jason. He really doesn't care about the issue other than to try an rile people up.

Who's talking to BS? I just want to make sure some people don't see a single quote taken out of context and read more into it than should be.

Heck, I don't care who does it - anyone posts misleading, inaccurate, or out of date info I'll gladly jump in to keep everyone up to speed. There are a few other people I've done it to in the past and I'm sure there are more I'll do it to in the future. I don't do it to be mean, I do it to keep everyone up to date and informed.

I hear ya.

But you know BS was purposely posting misleading and innacurrate information. It is his style as is misquoting or quoting out of context.

While wasted on him, it is good to see the information portrayed accurately and hopefully a few more people who might not have seen it will now.

QUOTE

The investigation did not entail monitoring, and was a one-time census of plants

It was not a one-time census of plants. Get your facts straight. Dr. Philips scheduled a trip this past Saturday (10/19/03) to go back into the north dunes for more studies. If you or any of your so called "environmentalist" friends really cared about the PMV, you would have been there with them.

Your time has past to Put up or shut up! Your true colors are shining through.

Well one can assume he was purposfully misquoting or quoting out of context. After all he's already taken statements from the latest report and posted them in other places to try and make it sound like the PMV is in iminent danger of extinction (by making it sound like the plants left from a specific germination event were the only plants in existance).

So one could assume that BS knew about the later follow up studies and that the statement he posted was no longer accurate (though it was when it was written several years ago) and that he knew more information was now available but didn't want to disclose it since it would hurt his position.

But I really don't care. What I do care about is someone who is just coming up to speed on the issues reading that out of context out of date quote and worrying that nothing more is being done. I post for the sake of the quiet majority who read but don't won't or can't post but still need to be kept informed.

I quit responding to BS a long time ago. But I will still comment on things related to some of his posts when it's a good "in" to get people informed. Hey you take your opportunities as they come I say

I want to get back to the Sprinkle debate. I hate them because my Daughter makes a freeking mess with them, but because she likes them, I keep buying them.

QUOTE

I want to get back to the Sprinkle debate. I hate them because my Daughter makes a freeking mess with them, but because she likes them, I keep buying them.

You make a valid point. As sweet and colorful as they are, they do have a tendency to make one heck of a mess. Once on the floor they end up between your toes, on the counter they end up stuck to the bottom of your coffee cup.

What a dilemma!

Vicki

QUOTE

QUOTE I want to get back to the Sprinkle debate. I hate them because my Daughter makes a freeking mess with them, but because she likes them, I keep buying them. You make a valid point. As sweet and colorful as they are, they do have a tendency to make one heck of a mess. Once on the floor they end up between your toes, on the counter they end up stuck to the bottom of your coffee cup. What a dilemma! Vicki

I think somebody owes somebody else an apology. :roll:

QUOTE

I think somebody owes somebody else an apology.  :roll:

In your dreams sunshine. It was you who first attacked a cornerstone of our society by publicly declaring your hatred of sprinkles.

Sure, I find them messy and hard to clean up after and annoying as hell (much like visiting relatives), but I can also appreciate them for the distraction they offer on an otherwise plain landscape.

I stand by my original defense of sprinkles! :hot:

Vicki

Can't we all just get along. It's just a freaking sprinkle man! Where is the love! :shock:

QUOTE

So I guess there is one thing we can all thank the CBD for. If it wasn't for them... we wouldn't be getting continuing studies free of charge - or the scientific interest in this plant which it deserves.

On behalf of the CBD--YOU'RE WELCOME!

This should serve to prove that CBD's basic interest is in the health of our common ecosystem--not in closing lands to people.

As far as the Phillips reports--I couldn't get the Final Report to come up. As far as counts--the original survey could have been done using the methodology followed since 1988 and the results could have been correlated to the earlier studies and we would have an idea of the health of the PMV over time. Of course, this might have shown that the PMV is in decline, so Phillips came up with a new methodology which now sets a bench mark which must be repeated over time to get any idea of the ongoing impacts to the PMV. The seedbank study was a separate study, not replicating the first one.

I'm not a professional scientist, but I do know a little about how to compare surveys over time. You have to do the same survey on the same land with the only difference being the time elapsed in order to get some sort of good scientific evidence of impacts to the species.

QUOTE

Can't we all just get along. It's just a freaking sprinkle man! Where is the love! :shock:

Oh sure. "It's just a freaking sprinkle". It's that kind of thinking that will destroy our society as we know it!

Today it's sprinkles. Tomorrow it will be those little flakes of coconut and before you know it, someone will be attacking the miniature M&Ms that are so popular!

When will it end??? :roll2:

Vicki

So can we agree to love the Sprinkle, for the kids.

Sprinkles Shmrinkels. It's that crunchy nutty coating stuff that's best. And Ice cream? Get real, that stuff is for those devoid of taste buds - frozen custard is where it's at!

Oh yeah, a nice big cone of frozen custard with the crunchy nutty coating on it....MMMmmm mmmmm.

You midwesterners! I use to go to place in Detroit and outside Chicago! Frozen Custrad Rocks! There is a place in Burbank that serves frozen Custard, I need to go check it out!

From the Final Report:

Stage one of the study was conducted from
early March to mid-May 2001 and included a descriptive survey of the plant’s
demography and ecology within the dune system. Stage two was conducted from
November 2001 to February 2002 and included a sampling of the Peirson’s milkvetch
population surveyed in stage one in which survival and seed bank data were collected and
analyzed. Stage three was conducted from March to May 2003 and included a survey of
plant survival and reproduction of the population sampled in stage two of the study, and
initial inventory of a new cohort that germinated in February 2003.


None of these studies replicated any previous study. In order to measure impacts to the PMV, the same methodology must be implemented with elapsed time being the only variable. I look forward to another entire count of the PMV using the GPS coordinates provided by Phillips in the first stage.


Stage One
To evaluate the distribution, reproductive capabilities and habitat requirements of
A. m. var. peirsonii during stage one of our study, we employed a number of
observational techniques. Statistical sampling methods were not included in this stage of
the investigation, since the purpose of the descriptive survey was to locate as many
occurrences of the subject plants as possible, and to completely census and collect
reproductive and habitat data from every area in the dune system in which they were
found.


Stage Two
Stage two of the study was conducted from November 2001 to February 2002 and
included an analytical sampling of the A. m. var. peirsonii population in which survival
and seed bank data were collected and analyzed....Analysis of the soil seed bank was the focus of stage two of the study.

Now here's something new--they went back and counted the same sites again! What will the results be?

Stage Three
Stage three of the study was conducted from March to May 2003 and included a
third-season survey of survival and reproduction of the 2000 cohort of plants, and
inventory of the sites to census a new cohort of seedlings that germinated in late February
2003 at the 40% sample of the original sites that were studied in 2002. At each of the 25
sites we completed a census of the remaining living plants from the 2000 germination and
the number of new germinants present.
The inventory was conducted in the same manner as the original census in 2001:
upon arrival at a site the boundaries were determined using the GPS unit and site
diagrams that were prepared in 2001 and 2002, participants were advised of the site
boundaries, and the site was divided into sectors for counting seedlings.

The plot thickens!

Our study began in the spring of 2001 with a survey of the areas of the dunes
open to OHV use. During that survey we located 60 separate sites and 66 points of
Peirson’s milkvetch occurrence, totaling more than 71,000 individual plants....
The same 25 sites were surveyed in March 2003, in the spring of the third year of
the 2000 cohort. Only 83 individuals were still alive, 0.27% of the original germinants



Now let's go back and count just a portion of the PMV that we counted originally.





We visited the dunes to inventory the 12 Patton Valley sites April 19-21, 2003,
and the seven Buttercup sites and six Gecko Road sites May 3-5, 2003. All live seedlings
were counted at each site. The extremes were both in the Buttercup area, with 6621
seedlings counted at Site 7 and 0 at Site 6. The total count was 33,119, about 7.4% more
than the number of plants from the 2000 cohort counted at those sites in 2001.


What's this?

For whatever reasons, the potential, as well as the expression, of
population levels of Peirson’s milkvetch in the Gecko Road-Glamis area is significantly
lower than in the southern dunes.

What reasons would you offer?--isn't that where most of the OHV activity takes place?



OHV damage to seedlings was recorded during the 2003 surveys. Seedlings
affected by OHVs totaled 1.3% of those counted.

I wonder why the methodology of this determination (how they decided which plants were affected by OHV use) was not discussed at greater length and made a part of the reproducible experiment?


The cards are on the table. Of the 71,000 plants found in Stage one, 33,000 were found when recounted in stage three. Why didn't Phillips count the PMV in ALL the original areas again?

Is this "good science" upon which we are to base the management of public resources listed as "threatened"?

Who paid for this study anyway? What is their interest in the findings?

My Daughter had to Have Sprinkles on her French Toast tonight... I had to laugh..

I wonder if sprinkles come from perennial or annual plants. I'd hate to think there may be a sprinkle shortage in the future because someone coutning sprinkle plants forgets that annuals (like our good friend PMV) only last one year on average.

I wonder if sprinkle plants are as hardy as PMV - would be great to hear that a sizeable percentage of sprinkle plants lasted more than two years if they're annuals.

Then again maybe sprinkles are mined. I'd love to see that. World's largest sprinkle mine just oozing with multicolored flakes dying to be dropped on all the flavors of iced deserts dreamt of by man.

Think they give out free cones when you take a tour of a sprinkle mine or orchard? I know the apple orchards near the house I grew up in used to let you pick free samples, why would sprinkle growers be any different

QUOTE

Think they give out free cones when you take a tour of a sprinkle mine or orchard?  I know the apple orchards near the house I grew up in used to let you pick free samples, why would sprinkle growers be any different

I would think so... it's a perfect way to hook a whole to bunch of sprinkle devotees. Think they give out coupons too?

Sprinkles with her french toast. Derwud, that just too funny.

Vicki

Hey if you can have sprinkles on donuts and muffins why not on french toast! It's all breakfast food and those happy bright colors sure make me feel more like eating in the morning

QUOTE

Sprinkles with her french toast.  Derwud, that just too funny.  :lol:  :lol: Vicki

The girl would put sprinkles on her Meatloaf if she could. It takes a lot of fuel to feed that Girl...

QUOTE

I wonder if sprinkles come from perennial or annual plants.  I'd hate to think there may be a sprinkle shortage in the future because someone coutning sprinkle plants forgets that annuals (like our good friend PMV) only last one year on average.   I wonder if sprinkle plants are as hardy as PMV - would be great to hear that  a sizeable percentage of sprinkle plants lasted more than two years if they're annuals. Then again maybe sprinkles are mined.  I'd love to see that.  World's largest sprinkle mine just oozing with multicolored flakes dying to be dropped on all the flavors of iced deserts dreamt of by man.   Think they give out free cones when you take a tour of a sprinkle mine or orchard?  I know the apple orchards near the house I grew up in used to let you pick free samples, why would sprinkle growers be any different

What I want to know is, can we genetically alter the Sprinkle producing process so that we no longer have Blue Sprinkles.

QUOTE

QUOTE I think somebody owes somebody else an apology.  :roll: In your dreams sunshine. It was you who first attacked a cornerstone of our society by publicly declaring your hatred of sprinkles. Sure, I find them messy and hard to clean up after and annoying as hell (much like visiting relatives), but I can also appreciate them for the distraction they offer on an otherwise plain landscape. I stand by my original defense of sprinkles! :hot: Vicki

QUOTE

I myself don't care for the sprinkles on top of my ice cream but you are free to eat what you like, how you like it.

WHERE IN THERE DO I DECLARE MY HATRED OF SPRINKLES?!?

This topic should be renamed to "lets misquote and quote out of context"!

I state my OPINION and suddenly I am wrecking society. I think your statements are irresponsible. The only explanation is that you are a SHILL for the sprinkles industry.

Can't comment on the frozen custard, never had it, but it sounds interesting. Don't want sprinkles on it, though.

Okay Jet and Vickie,

Go to your room and no playing or TV. And no Sprinkles!