ABQjournal: Environmentalists Hijack Public Land Multiple Use By John Dendahl, For the Journal

Unconfused by embarrassing facts, Richardson remains a panderer to obstructionists.

There are myriad reasons familiar to nearly all of us why we should develop domestic sources of oil and natural gas. Despite dated, obstructionist hype, the needed development can — and will — go hand-in-hand with sound environmental protection. …

Richardson needs to tell his “environmentalist” pals to take a long, enjoyable hike….

Ah, Dimdahl, the coo-coo in the conservative clock.

Some time ago, anti-environmentalists (people who will sacrifice anything public for private profit) started mouthing these words: “needed development can go hand-in-hand with sound environmental protection.” The oily word is “can.” Note that while there is endless evidence to the contrary there is almost none in support. Oh, but Vermejo Ranch! Find the Well! What Dimdahl doesn’t mention is that Ted Turner puts extraordinary restrictions on the exploitation of his property and drilling costs are higher there than on any public lands. Be assured that if you said, “OK, drill, but to the Turner Standard,” oil companies and Dimdahl would scream about the “unreasonable expense.”

Johnny, let’s play ‘find the well’ anywhere other than Vermejo Ranch. Even a guy who can’t find his ass with both hands can find 10,000 wells in New Mexico, and get a great sense of how sensitively they’ve been developed.

If you plow a road into a forest and raze every tree, the forest will eventually rebound — see the Zuni Mountains, after a century, for evidence. But if you rip up the soil and pour poison (oil) on it, it will never recover. There must be some place, one or two places, where it just isn’t worth it. Not a one to anti-environmentalists. mjh