Comments about ‘Judge suspends BLM lease sale’

This is what happens when ideologically liberal judges seek to influence public policy from the bench, people. He found a legally tenuous reason to delay because he's probably politically aligned with the extreme enviromentalist community. This should not be tolerated in appointment of judges. They should not abuse their position to advance their personal political leanings. We need judges to be strict constructionists, or our society loses and the people lose out to a bunch of elitists.

Hey, "Liberal Judges"; did you note that some of the parcels, notably some near Dinosaur National Monument, were ILLEGAL according to the BLM's own guiding document, the Vernal Resource Management Plan? No doubt there are other legal "irregularities" (to put it charitably) in the leases. In such a case, reference to a judge, who will sift the documents, is not only appropriate, but it is a cornerstone of American politics. Just because you don't like the direction this action is headed, doesn't prevent the action from being as American as apple pie.

Liberal Judges:

Don't worry, we can get oil from the Arabs. Oh, don't forget our good friend Hugo---he'll give us oil for a price. Also, we don't reallly need the thousands of jobs that would be created in Utah, California, and Alaska by developing our own oil. Oil companies also pay huge taxes, but that really isn't needed. Obama, and the rest of the Left will take care of everyone.

The fact is that the BLM hires professionals to access/process the lease sales and the applications to drill, these individuals do care about the environment. A team of several individuals with a verity of background and responsibilities review the decisions As a professionals they look at the scientific data and facts before any parcel is put up for lease. It is then looked at by the managers at the district and state level. Now to say that at judge has knows better and has a better understanding than the professionals that have their specialized training is ludicrous!! What are the qualifications of this judge divorce, personal injury, or criminal law?? We need to really look at the fact and not the media spill on thing.

Yes, I will acknowledge that the BLM has professionals. But, the parcels in question were thrown in after the normal processes were used. So, how do we know that these were looked at appropriately? What about the other agencies that were ignored? I see absolutely no problem with reviewing these parcels again. If they are not an issue, then the sell can go through (or they can be sold at a later auction). If they shouldn't be drilled, then no money needs to change hands.

And, of course, I'd be surprised if any of these parcels were for developing oil. I would suspect 90% or more were for natural gas.

The decision to lease those parcels in spite of the controversy was made by the BLM state director, who was installed there by Bush administration officials. BLM's career professionals (I used to be one) were irrelevant at that stage.

The environmentalists have way too much power in this country and way too much support on the bench. When does the will of the people come into effect to override the extremists?

Have any of these conservation groups every seen these parcels? Have you ever seen them?

I can't imagine that a few trucks and a pipeline spread over 100,000 acres would change any view in northeast Utah. I live here, too.

I hope we do see these leases for sale again. We need the jobs and the energy that comes them and other like them.

I am not liberal or a tree hugger by any stretch of the imagination. However, I agree that parcels near Nine Mile Canyon & National Parks need to be scrutinized. In fact I believe that a majority of conservatives would agree that these resources are as nescessary as cheap oil.
Odd enough, the conservatives are the ones who allowed the overspeculation in oil that led to the current crash in the price. I can't imagine a single company that would consider drilling these leases with oil at its current price.

This is what happens when you have a bunch of extremist the bigger they get the more lawyers that join them for the easy job of suing the government and then we all pay the price. As we lose jobs our 401K is down and possibly out retirement we can thank these guys. energy prices kill the economy we have spent our extra dollars to get drive to work. We all feel the pain and they will not let up until we are all living in caves. It has become their church. Guess who will be nominating the activist judges next Mr. Change. Just try to hold on to your wallet everytime they open there mouths we open our wallets. Look are the SLC and County Mayors still spending lots of money for expensive power and not things that people need.

These groups are the same people that call ANWAR a pristine frozen tundra rather than the frozen sahara desert that it really is! We need to develop the resources we have in the USA!

Let me guess, this court ordered delay will last at least 8 years, or until their is a new Republican President...

Thank god the Bush administration is gone! Now we can start to develop alternate sources of fuel and quit paying the greedy oil execs (like Dick Cheney) billions of dollars. Thank god we have environmentalists to try to protect what is left of our great wilderness from the money-grubbing greed of Big Oil!

Hot Dang them Enviro-Huggers! If ain't no drill baby drill all over Utah I going to pay a lot to fill up my Monster Truck eighty gallon tank. My wife Elma don't like not see me run in my Truck in Monster Smash Derby on Saturdays. Came up a first prize last year of two cases of Bud. Drill ever inch of that state so I can run!

If oil and gas can be safely produced in vineyards, orchards, farms, wildlife refuges, and school yards--as it is in many places across the U.S.--it can be safely produced in the Utah desert.

The claims of oil drilling destroying the land are factually incorrect.

Once again people who don't live in Utah are prepared to rule Utah. What would happen if Utahns stopped New Yorkers or Californians from using their land or state resources?

Oh, please. Illegalities in the leases? I don't believe it. BLM is run by professionals who know what they're doing. It's only the ideologues in radical groups like SUWA who have full-time lawyers suing the government every other day trying to trip everything up over technicalities. I love Utah, and the wild places. There are plenty of them still. There are millions of acres of federally protected wilderness in Utah already... not to mention National Parks, National Forests, etc. But protecting the Dinosaur National Monument? Puhleeze! No offense to my Vernal friends, but it's pretty barren and ugly over that way. What better place to drill so long as drilling is needed (and it is!). It's not like its red rock country or something. Give us a break!

Bush bulldozers? What are those lefties with Bush Derangement Syndrome going to do now that President Bush has went back to Texas and Acting President Joe Biden refuses to obey his oath and take presidential powers from the illegal alien obama.

Develop EVERY square inch of recoverable oil and gas in Utah's wilderness-quality areas and what do you get?

According to the U.S. Government's Energy Information Administration: Four days of oil and four weeks of gas at current consumption levels. Is that really worth covering some of the most beautiful areas in the world with all those bulldozed access roads, powerlines, lights running all night long (no more star-gazing), and the hum of engines running 24 hours a day?

How about drilling on those many millions of acres already leased to the oil/gas industry first...before giving our grandchildren's last remaining legacy away just so a few people can make some quick bucks.

People who are mindlessly "Drill, Baby, Drill" are really just "ME, ME, ME".

Since when is everyone who cares about the environment and the nice places of this earth automatically a "radical" or "extreme" environmentalist? For what it is worth, I care deeply about the earth. I am a biologist, a trained scientist. I call myself an environmentalist, although I do not currently belong to any environmentalist organizations. I am also a card-carrying active, LDS high priest and moderate, not liberal, Democrat. These are not contradictions in my character. Being LDS and an environmentalist are not mutually antagonistic, but the low-grade morons who write their anti-environmental drivel on these forums do not make it easy.

Please quit appending or prepending these pejorative labels (radical, extremist) every time you speak of someone who holds a different view from you on the subject of environmental stewardship.