Sen. Salazar Hits, Bush Adm Flinches

Rattling the cages of the Bush Administration may become US Sen. Ken Salazar’s forte. The release of the Forest Service draft management plan for Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison (GMUG) National Forests is now planned for Nov. 15 instead of next spring, probably because of Salazar’s inquiries. The Forest Service had delayed the release of the Forest management plan to review its compliance under the guidelines of the 2005 Energy Policy Act. Salazar immediately went on the attack, accusing Mark Rey, Undersecretary of the Department of Agriculture, of removing the draft document from public review for political purposes.

Salazar said he remained “suspicious and skeptical” about the delay in an article in today’s Grand Junction Daily Sentinel.