Dear HCN,


While Hal Clifford wrote a fairly objective article about the sage grouse brouhaha in the Gunnison Valley (HCN, 2/4/02: Last dance for the sage grouse?), he omitted a couple of points that would give readers a fuller understanding of the political landscape. First, Clifford forgets to mention that Andy Kerr is also executive director of the National Public Lands Grazing Campaign, which seeks the eventual elimination of all livestock grazing on public lands. Then maybe readers would know that when Kerr tells Clifford, "The result of meeting the goal of a sustainable grouse population might mean the end of grazing on public lands, but that's a result, not a goal," he's clearly, um, truth-challenged.


Never mind that Mark Salvo is also a leader of American Lands, which as the Western Ancient Forest Campaign played a large part in the spin war over the spotted owl. No wonder these guys are looking for another spotted owl in the sage grouse - just think of all the ranchers they can eliminate armed with another ESA listing.


Dave Skinner
Whitefish, Montana