Governor out of state this week

Associated Press

Monday, Oct. 13, 2008 | 12:18 p.m.

Nevada SAGE Commission’s 90-day report to Gibbons

Where does Gibbons work? Apparently not at his desk (10-5-08)

Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons is in Washington, D.C., all this week, planning on meetings with Interior Secretary Dick Kempthorne and other Interior Department officials, a spokesman said Monday.

Ben Kieckhefer said the governor wanted to discuss issues including public lands and sage grouse habitat with the Interior officials. He didn't have specifics on the planned discussions.

Gibbons' Washington, D.C., trip follows recent release of a study by an environmental group that wants the sage grouse listed as a threatened or endangered species. The report says much of the game bird's habitat is adversely affected by either livestock grazing, natural gas and oil development or invasive weeds.

The report by WildEarth Guardians singled out livestock grazing _ permitted on 91 percent of the bird's range _ as "the most ubiquitous use of sage grouse habitat on federal public land."

Critics of the report, including the head of the Nevada Department of Wildlife and others who oppose federal listing of the bird, said the study places too much emphasis on grazing and drilling while ignoring other threats to the species such as drought and West Nile virus.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rejected a petition in 2005 to add the bird to the list of threatened or endangered species. But a judge in Idaho overturned the decision last December amid allegations Interior Department managers interfered with the science used in assessing the sage grouse and dozens of other endangered species.

State and federal wildlife officials have been assessing the status of the bird the past six months and USFWS is scheduled to issue a new listing decision in December.

Discussion: 7 comments so far…

By MichaelGreen

10/13/08 at 3:24 p.m.

Suggest removal

Women of Nevada, you're safe for one week!
By jfnance32

10/13/08 at 4:26 p.m.

Suggest removal

Are you sure?

I heard that Bill Clinton was coming to town.
By MichaelGreen

10/13/08 at 6:48 p.m.

Suggest removal

Sorry, Nance, I forgot about that. Women at McCormick and Schmick are safe!
By outtatown

10/14/08 at 5:41 a.m.

Suggest removal

He's not outta state; he's outta ___ mind!
By stown

10/14/08 at 7:32 a.m.

Suggest removal

Once again our Governor is out of state and out of touch with Nevadadans. The commissions he create every week is running this state. Were in a fiscal crisis and hes on a sage grouse convention. He is not leading this State and using taxes dollars over something his subordinates can discss over the telephone. He cares nothig about state workers getting ready to lose their jobs around this state. Its an embarrassment when will he resign.
By revtomperl

10/14/08 at 12:13 p.m.

Suggest removal

Hey, cancel his return ticket. Amen.
By Johnathan_Abbinett

10/14/08 at 5:41 p.m.

Suggest removal

The Governor's staff "didn't have specifics on the planned discussions" - were there any plans at all? An incomptetent Governor, with an equally incompetent staff, gee, what are the odds of getting anything positive done with these guys? NONE!

I feel so sorry for First Lady Dawn - we really need to make room in our hearts to invite her to join the Nevada Democratic Party!