BLM Official Removed From Post

Tim Salt’s removal as manager of the California Desert District office of the Bureau of Land Management will not, I am sure, result in actions more favorable to mining, livestock grazing and recreational interests (Feb. 1). There is little wiggle room for BLM when decisions involve plants and animals listed under the Endangered Species Act. To top this, the BLM Desert District office is under court order to restrict activities that might have an impact on the desert tortoise and a number of other listed species.

Politics are definitely at play in Salt’s ouster. His decisions, based on the best available data, properly strive to balance protection of sensitive resources against uses of the public lands within the constraints posed by the lawsuit. Perhaps the organizations that oppose these decisions will now be satisfied with his removal, and those up the BLM chain of command can now relax.

Wes Chambers

Ontario