Dirk

Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne last Monday proposed relaxing the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) to allow federal agencies in certain narrowly defined situations to decide on their own whether projects would threaten endangered species and plants. The move is aimed at reducing the workload by limiting “unnecessary consultations” among agencies over actions likely to have minimal impact.

Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne Monday proposed relaxing the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) to allow federal agencies in certain narrowly defined situations to decide on their own whether projects would threaten endangered species and plants. The move is aimed at reducing the workload by limiting “unnecessary consultations” among agencies over actions likely to have minimal impact.

A coalition of Democratic senators led by Sen. Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico has called on Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to keep closer tabs on the status of oil and natural gas production from federal lands that have already been leased.

Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) last Thursday called on Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to halt oil and natural gas lease sales of wilderness-quality land in Utah, as well as put a hold on any new drilling on lands that are already leased but not producing.

Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) Thursday called on Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to halt oil and natural gas lease sales of wilderness-quality land in Utah, as well as put a hold on any new drilling on lands that are already leased but not producing.

Following through on Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne’s pledge last month to take a “fresh look” at the agency’s impaired royalty-collection practices, the department last Wednesday announced it has formed an independent panel to review and offer advice on ways to improve Interior’s mineral revenue collection from federal offshore/onshore and Indian lands. A Democratic congressman quickly denounced Interior’s action, saying he had “no faith” in the ability of the department to police itself.

Following through on Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne’s pledge last month to take a “fresh look” at the agency’s impaired royalty-collection practices, the department announced Wednesday that it has formed an independent panel to review and offer advice on ways to improve Interior’s mineral revenue collection from federal offshore/onshore and Indian lands. A Democratic congressman quickly denounced Interior’s action, saying he had “no faith” in the ability of the department to police itself.

Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne last Monday said the department will take a “fresh look” at the flawed 1998 and 1999 deepwater Gulf of Mexico leases that are costing the federal government billions of dollars in lost royalties.

Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne said the department will take a “fresh look” at the flawed 1998 and 1999 deepwater Gulf of Mexico leases that are costing the federal government billions of dollars in lost royalties.