Dear CalUWild Friends –
February is a short month, even with its extra day this year, so
we'll keep the Update short as well.
With 11 months yet to go, the administration is continuing its push
to lease as much land in the West for energy exploration as possible. (See Item
1.) The Fish & Wildlife Service delayed plans to list Polar Bears as
endangered, and many think this was so as not to interfere with leasing plans
in Alaska. FWS has announced that it will remove Gray Wolves from the
Endangered Species List, despite well-publicized plans by Montana, Idaho, and
Wyoming to institute hunting, which would again reduce populations. Even though
wildlife is not a wilderness issue per se, wilderness without wildlife can hardly be
considered wilderness.
Yet even with the presidential campaign well underway, there is
little mention of the environment by any of the candidates. This is
unfortunate. Please consider writing a letter to the editor of your newspaper
pointing this out. Contact information for many major California newspapers can
be found on CalUWild's website, at the bottom of this page.
Thanks for all of your interest, support, and efforts on behalf of
our Western wildlands!
Best wishes,
Mike
IN UTAH
1.
Nine Mile Canyon Continues to be Threatened
By Trucks and
Energy Exploration
IN CALIFORNIA
2.
State to Sue US Forest Service
Over Southern
California Forest Planning
Letters
Needed
(ACTION ITEM)
IN GENERAL
3.
Job Listing: The Wilderness Society in San Francisco
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
IN UTAH
1.
Nine Mile Canyon Continues to be Threatened
By Trucks and
Energy Exploration
The January 25 issue of Science magazine reported that the famed rock art panels of
Nine Mile Canyon, near Price, Utah, may be under attack by more than just BLM's
constant approval of oil and gas exploration in the canyon and its
surroundings.
Truck traffic on the dirt road through the canyon has increased
significantly in the past few years, kicking up dust which coats the rock art
on the walls of the canyon. To help control the dust, the Bill Barrett
Corporation, the major energy leaseholder in the area, and other companies have
been applying magnesium chloride to the dirt road. So now the panels are being
coated with the chemical as well.
Constance Silver, a rock art conservator, says that the salt will
corrode the rock into which the petroglyphs are carved. According to Science, the BLM is hesitant to accept her findings, despite
the fact that studies have shown magnesium chloride to be corrosive. Silver is
quoted as saying:"They're really going to have to do something about the road
and clean up those sites."
BLM has just released a Draft EIS on the latest leasing proposal. We
haven't had time to review it yet, but it has a 90-day comment period, with a
deadline of May 1. We'll keep you posted.
In the meantime, you may review the Draft EIS online and comment
as well.
Comments may submitted by email to:
The address for submitting comments by U.S. Mail is:
Bureau
of Land Management
Price Field Office
Attn: West Tavaputs
Plateau Natural Gas Full Field Development Plan DEIS
125 South 600 West
Price, UT 84501
IN CALIFORNIA
2.
State to Sue US Forest Service
Over Southern
California Forest Planning
Letters
Needed
(ACTION ITEM)
California Resources Secretary Mike Chrisman and Attorney
General Edmund G."Jerry" Brown today filed suit in Federal Court over the
Forest Service's management plans for the Angeles, Cleveland, Los Padres and
San Bernardino National Forests. The dispute arises out of the complicated saga
of the Clinton-era Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which the Bush
Administration has tried mightily, although so far unsuccessfully, to overturn.
While the Forest Service was preparing management plans for the four
forests, it assured the state that it would not allow roads to be built in
inventoried roadless areas. Yet when the plans were released, over 500,000
acres (out of 1 million) were subject to road building. The state appealed the
plans, but the Forest Service rejected those appeals, despite the prior written
assurances.
Gov. Schwarzenegger wrote then-Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns
asking him to take steps to see that the Roadless Areas were protected. Johanns
asked Schwarzenegger to file a state petition under the new Bush rules (since
invalidated), stating in his letter:"Please accept my personal assurance that,
if the State submits a petition, the Department and the Forest Service will
work diligently, cooperatively, and expeditiously with the State to find
lasting protection for these inventoried roadless areas that is acceptable to
the State of California." Despite misgivings as to the petition process's
legality, California filed a petition, asking for protection for inventoried
roadless areas. The Forest Service has not satisfactorily addressed the state's
appeals, so at this point the Resources Agency feels it has no further recourse
other than going to court.
The complaint filed by the Attorney General as well as relevant
letters between the various officials involved may be read on the Resources
Agency's website.
Please write Gov. Schwarzenegger a short letter thanking him for his
efforts to protect California's National Forest Roadless Areas.
Hon.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Governor
State Capitol
Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Please send copies to Resources Secretary Mike Chrisman and Attorney General
Jerry Brown.
Hon.
Mike Chrisman
Secretary
The Resources
Agency
1416 Ninth Street,
Suite 1311
Sacramento, CA 95814
Hon. Edmund G.
Brown, Jr.
Attorney General
State of California
P.O. Box 70550
Oakland, CA 94612
IN GENERAL
3.
Job Listing: The Wilderness Society in San Francisco
Position Title:
Development and Office Administrator
Location: San Francisco,
CA
Reports To: Regional
Director and Regional Development Director
Application Deadline:
Open until filled, posted February 5, 2008
Start Date: Immediately
General Description:
The Development and Office
Administrator is responsible for managing a fast-paced, multi-faceted office
and providing administrative support to the 12 person California/Nevada
Regional Office of The Wilderness Society. The position provides light
support to all regional staff and substantial assistance to the Regional
Director and Regional Development Director (with an emphasis on event
planning). The Wilderness Society (TWS) is a national non-profit
membership organization devoted to the conservation of America's most pristine
wild lands.
The ideal candidate has significant experience in office
administration, budget development and oversight, and event planning.
Attention to detail, a polished and professional approach, and the ability to
work well with a diverse array of people are essential. The Administrator
must be able to juggle a wide range of projects, prioritize effectively,
anticipate problems, and operate independently with limited oversight.
Flexibility, reliability, initiative, a pleasant"can-do" attitude and a
commitment to land conservation are musts. Experience with editing and layout
is desirable.
Responsibilities:
¥ Office
Management and Technical Support- Ensure daily operations of office run
smoothly; manage vendor contracts; maintain office machinery and supplies;
serve as a liaison with technical support staff and building management firm
¥ Administrative
Assistance- Answer the phone; prepare, edit, and format written materials,
including donor letters; manage large mailings; help with travel arrangements
and meeting schedules; maintain files; support administrative needs of regional
director and regional development director
¥ Event
Planning and Logistics – Help plan and implement donor and programmatic
events
¥ Financial
and Administrative Management- Assist in preparation and oversight of annual
budgets; pay monthly bills; and serve as a liaison with TWS headquarters
¥ Fundraising
and Grant Management- Maintain calendar of grant deadlines; help research
potential funding sources; assist in preparation of grant materials and donor
mailings; maintain donor database and related files
¥ Information
Requests- Be informed generally about TWS program work to provide information
to members, donors, partners, and others
¥ Other
Duties – As assigned
Qualifications:
Position requires a professional, friendly, well-organized, highly
motivated self-starter who can work quickly and reliably with close attention
to detail and minimum supervision.
¥ Bachelor's
Degree
¥ Two
years experience in office management
¥ Experience
with budget development and bookkeeping
¥ Experience
with event planning
¥ Proficiency
in Excel, Outlook, MS Word, PowerPoint, and desktop publishing programs
¥ Knowledge
of database management helpful
¥ Excellent
communication, research, and writing skills
¥ Outstanding
time management skills
¥ Initiative
and willingness to perform a variety of assignments
¥ Ability
to work effectively and diplomatically under pressure on a wide variety of
tasks
¥ Commitment
to land conservation
We offer a very competitive salary and benefits package, including health and
dental insurance and a pension plan. The Wilderness Society is an equal
opportunity employer and actively works to ensure fair and equal treatment of
its employees and constituents regardless of differences based on culture,
socioeconomic status, race, marital or family situation, gender, age,
ethnicity, religious beliefs, physical ability, or sexual orientation.
Submit rŽsumŽ, cover letter, writing samples and references to:
The
Wilderness Society
Attn: Development
and Office Administrator
655 Montgomery
Street
San Francisco,
CA 94111
Fax: 415-398-1632
Email to OfficeAdministrator@tws.org
No phone calls please.