It’s the end of the line for Drake’s Bay Oyster Co. On Dec. 31, after a long battle with the National Park Service, the California Coastal Commission, the Department of the Interior and wilderness advocates, owner Kevin Lunny and his family will vacate the starkly beautiful Drake’s Estero, a 2,500-acre estuary where some of the […]
Drakes Bay oyster farm closes doors after long wilderness struggle
Posted on December 18, 2014 Written by
A vast land grab to ‘protect’ water
Posted on December 17, 2014 Written by
ANALYSIS/OPINION In November, comments closed on a proposal by the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to redefine “waters of the United States,” as set forth in the Clean Water Act of 1977. While Sen. Edmund Muskie, Maine Democrat, author of the 1977 law, required 88 pages for his entire statute, […]
Land protection credits come under fire in Virginia
Posted on December 17, 2014 Written by
RICHMOND, Va. – Conservation easements that supposedly protect Virginia lands from development are coming under increasing fire for abusive practices. One lawmaker calls the situation at a Fauquier County farm “a travesty.” Others worry that untold millions of public dollars are disappearing into private coffers.
Committee Report Uncovers Lack of Independence & Accountability of Peer Review Process for ESA Listing Decisions
Posted on December 16, 2014 Written by
WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Natural Resources Committee majority staff released a report today that questions the independence and accountability of the peer review process in recent Endangered Species Act (ESA) listing decisions. The report entitled, “Under the Microscope: An examination of the questionable science and lack of independent peer review in Endangered Species Act listing […]
RI Regional Plan Strips Property Rights
Posted on December 10, 2014 Written by
With an area of 1212 square miles, Rhode Island is the smallest of the fifty states, but is about to take one of the biggest leaps in the nation. The RI Division of Planning is advancing a HUD supported sustainable development plan that creates a single region out of every county, city and community in […]
Utah to seize own land from government, challenge federal dominance of Western states
Posted on December 10, 2014 Written by
‘Transfer of Public Lands Act’ demands Washington relinquish 31.2 million acres by Dec. 31 In three weeks, Utah intends to seize control of 31.2 million acres of its own land now under the control of the federal government. At least, that’s the plan. In an unprecedented challenge to federal dominance of Western state lands, Utah Gov. Gary […]
The Government Owns Over 623 Million Acres. Why Does It Need More?
Posted on December 10, 2014 Written by
Insatiable – that would seem to be the word that best describes the appetite of some in Congress and their friends in the environmental community. Congress has added over 450 pages to the defense authorization bill to designate wilderness, create new parks, designate Wild and Scenic Rivers and fund National Heritage areas – things that have […]
The Disappearing States
Posted on December 9, 2014 Written by
Excerpts from a recent news article from McClatchy Newspapers: Rise in trade spurs U.S. to protect turtles 1. “The U.S. government is proposing a new level of protection for certain freshwater turtles, concerned that a massive increase in overseas demand for the reptiles could hurt their long-term prospects.” 2. “While none of the four species […]
