Sudden Backpedaling Marks GOP Response On Mining, Drilling Issues

[hatrack]

Washington - Hunters and anglers are increasingly joining environmentalists in efforts to block oil and natural- gas drilling and other development on wildlife-rich lands in the Rocky Mountain West. Traditionally a Republican constituency, hunters and anglers have won over GOP lawmakers and land administrators in Washington who often view environmentalists as radicals aligned with the Democratic Party. "We're beginning to see hunters and anglers weighing in in ways we haven't seen (in recent years)," said Chris Wood of Trout Unlimited.

In the past few weeks, pressure brought by hunting and fishing groups has helped drive a spate of measures blocking drilling in three areas of the Rocky Mountain West: Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., reversed his stance on drilling Montana's scenic Rocky Mountain Front. Sen. Craig Thomas, R-Wyo., often a supporter of oil and gas development, came out against a drilling plan in Wyoming's Bridger-Teton National Forest, adding that there shouldn't be drilling in most national forests. The Republican-controlled House passed a bill blocking drilling in the 101,000-acre Valle Vidal section of New Mexico's Carson National Forest.

In those and other cases, grassroots lobbying by hunters and anglers was not the only factor in the outcome of the proposals. But key Republicans on resource issues say that their opinions were crucial. "Hunters and anglers have credibility with the chairman and the Republican members of the committee, whereas so- called environmentalists do not," said Brian Kennedy, spokesman for House Resources Committee chairman Richard Pombo, R-Calif., a frequent advocate of greater development on public lands. "We work with sportsmen constantly on everything we do."

Hunters and anglers also helped block a Bush administration plan to sell off national forest land and a Pombo-backed mining bill that critics said would have opened public land to development. "The environmental community has no influence in this Congress, so when the sportsmen step up, they get listened to," said Paul Hansen of the Izaak Walton League, a hunting and fishing conservation group.

EDIT

http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_4119425

[phantom power]

1. Suddenly it's clear to me....

Like I was shot with a diamond bullet right through my forehead.

All we have to do is say we're Republican hunters. With guns and fishing poles. And black labs and stuff. I just didn't realize that was the incantation they were looking for to take us seriously.