The Bush administration is outsourcing to private
contractors jobs formerly done by employees of federal agencies,
among them the job of the Forest Service Content Analysis Teams
(CATs) – the people who receive and report the comments of
the public. The
Magazine
April 26, 2004
The Bush administration is outsourcing to private contractors jobs formerly done by employees of federal agencies, among them the job of the Forest Service Content Analysis Teams (CATs) – the people who receive and report the comments of the public. The team was sacked, many say to the detriment of the public connection, and with increased cost to taxpayers. Also in this issue: Controversial energy bill, to increase domestic oil and gas drilling and force federal agencies to expedite permits for energy projects on public lands, came back yet again, but was defeated in the Senate, 50-47.
Feature
Editor's Note
In trading our public servants for government contractors,
we're cutting the heart out of a public-trust ethic, and showing
there's no faster way to demolish an institution than by parting it
out to the lowest bidder.
Uncommon Westerners
Investment advisor Hal Brill has found a way to help
investors follow their conscience, succeed as socially responsible
people, and get a return on their dollars.
Essays
Safeguarding special places should come from those already
settled in such places, but usually we fall into self-righteousness
and apathy. A positive vision for local action requires setting
priorities for the natural landscape that gives a place its
spe
Book Reviews
Earthjustice, best known for legal service for
environmental causes, has released a CD with a message of making
tomorrow better
Rivers for Life: Managing Water for People and Nature, by
Sandra Postel and Brian Richter is deceptively wonky-looking, but
sparkles. It drives home the necessity of reconsidering the ways we
manage water, and is full of good ideas
Writers on the Range
Montana "characters" may be more a creation of newcomers
who feed on and then in turn feed our Western myths than a real
reflection of Montana’s character and past
Heard Around the West
In Colorado, a legislator’s faux pas slams Kansas
and Texas; dog lover in California worries about stranger’s
dog and gets trespassing charge; Idaho’s Legislature worries
little about consistency; in Nevada, burglar caught by his DNA
signature in yellowed
Dear Friends
Visitors Knox Williams, Vince Matthews, Bill and Molly
Pochciol, Randy Cracroft, John Trotter; recognition for John
Horning with Conservation Leadership Award from Seatlle’s
Wilburforce Foundation; condolence to the Sylvain family in Paonia,
on the death
News
Controversial energy bill, to increase domestic oil and
gas drilling and force federal agencies to expedite permits for
energy projects on public lands, came back yet again, but was
defeated in the Senate, 50-47
Duwamish Indian Tribe, still fighting U.S. government over
recognition, has bought its first piece of "owned" land near Port
of Seattle, Washington
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s
Fisheries Department is plotting a massive expansion of the U.S.
fish-farming industry – but concerns are high among Indian
tribes, health advocates and environmentalists
Game managers and environmentalists disagree on the
usefulness of artificial water holes for game; environmental groups
say they spread disease, attract killer bees, and give predators a
convenient spot to ambush prey. The Arizona Game and Fish
Department
Lake Mead has dropped to about 58 percent of its capacity,
and the quality of the water has changed, causing more expensive
production and increased danger of not meeting health
standards
Plans for permanently storing carbon dioxide in oil fields
will benefit energy companies who already use carbon dioxide
injection to boost output.
Letters
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