The sportsmen’s counter-offensive against the Bush Administration’s assault on public lands in the Rocky Mountains continued to gather momentum last week when Trout Unlimited and the National Wildlife Federation used a Washington press event to release its “Sportsmen’s Public Lands Energy Agenda.” (www.tu.org)

This concise, eight-page report provides hunters and anglers with a sensible, measured, fact-filled response to administration claims it needs to run rough shod over fish and wildlife habitat because the nation’s needs the oil and gas – and anyone opposing its actions is obstructionist.

Neither claim is true. There is plenty of energy available on lands already open to exploration – and sportsmen have never been against all development. We just want this administration to follow the laws that have worked well for two decades – even if it costs their oil friends a little extra money to increase their already considerable wealth

The new report lays it all out, starting with the first sub-head “Look Before You Lease” which points out that “88 percent of the ‘technically recoverable’ natural gas on federal lands in the Rocky Mountain West is currently available for leasing and development. Despite this huge acreage available for leasing and development, federal agencies continue to lease new areas. Federal agencies are leasing areas that are in the midst of land management plan revisions undercutting legal requirements for both public involvement and the use of best available scientific information to inform management decisions.”

Then, as it does for all the points on the next eight pages, it offers a “Solution.”

“Congress should prohibit new oil and gas leasing on public lands until landscape level management plans are completed. Landscape level management plans should include analyses of the habitat requirements and limitations for game species and other species of concern.”

That might sound extreme to someone waiting to become rich off public property. But to the overwhelming majority of the folks who own that land – especially hunters and anglers – it seems pretty reasonable.

The fact this argument is coming from sportsmen increases the likelihood that Congress may finally start listening, and bring the Bush administration back to responsible stewardship.