In November 2003 and did we hear anything about that?
"Washington, D.C. - The Sierra Club today released documents showing that the Bush administration gave special treatment to Texas-based Davis Brothers Oil Producers, Inc., when it reversed a longstanding policy in order to allow oil and gas drilling underneath certain
national parks, preserves and refuges regardless of potential environmental impacts."
The "extended entry" contains more information, and a list of endangered places from the Sierra Club press release. If you have time today a letter to your Senator or Representative in Congress might be helpful. If you still have some printer ink left over from the campaign, some letters to local editors would be helpful as well.
"Documents obtained by Sierra Club through the Freedom of Information Act show that the Bush administration changed the rule
specifically at the request of Ross Davis, who runs Davis Brothers Oil Producers. Moreover, the administration made its decision in secret and bypassed the regular rulemaking process, which allows for public input and a high degree of transparency.......
In November 2003, the NPS issued a new policy that allows private companies unrestricted access to oil and gas underneath NPS units so long as they drill for it at an angle from outside park boundaries using "directional drilling." This new rule ties the National Park Service's hands, forcing them to turn a blind eye to the destruction that may occur around the Park Service areas as a result of the drilling. Prior to the new rule, the National Park Service required oil and gas companies to prove that proposed drilling would not harm the National Park Service unit." ....
Areas that are affected by the new rule include:
Big Cypress National Preserve - Florida
Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve -- Kansas
Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area -- Kentucky
Jean Lafitte National Historic Park and Preserve -- Louisiana
Aztec Ruins National Monument -- New Mexico
Cuyahoga Valley National Park -- Ohio
Obed Wild and Scenic River -- Tennessee
Big Thicket National Preserve -- Texas
Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument -- Texas
Lake Meredith National Recreation Area -- Texas
Padre Island National Seashore -- Texas
Gauley River National Recreation Area -- West Virginia
New River Gorge National River -- West Virginia.
Sierra Club
Update [2004-11-18 17:38:24 by greatbasin2]: No surprise: Mrs. Ross Davis, of Houston TX made a $2,000 contribution to the Bush-Cheney 04 campaign.