DENVER—Today, the Bureau of Land Management announced the finalization of changes to sage-grouse conservation plans covering seven Western states. The plans were initially finalized in 2015 after extensive negotiations between Western governors, ranchers, and conservationists. In response, the Center for Western Priorities released the following statement from Policy Director Jesse Prentice-Dunn:
“These plans show that a handshake doesn’t mean anything to David Bernhardt unless it’s with an oil and gas executive. At Bernhardt’s direction, the Interior Department is breaking a landmark deal that was brokered by Western governors, ranchers, and conservationists—all to allow more drilling and mining.
“By punching oil-rig sized loopholes through these plans, the administration will drive the sage grouse closer to an endangered species listing. Unfortunately for the grouse, Bernhardt is also leading a charge to gut the Endangered Species Act. Time and again this administration has shown that it won’t let critical wildlife protections stand in the way of rampant extraction on our public lands.”
Last night, the Center for Western Priorities released an analysis that found more than 20 percent of oil and gas leases in sage-grouse habitat are owned by companies with ties to Acting Secretary David Bernhardt, a former oil and gas lobbyist.
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For more information, visit westernpriorities.org. To speak with an expert on public lands, contact Aaron Weiss at 720-279-0019 or aaron@westernpriorities.org. Sign up for Look West to get daily public lands and energy news sent to your inbox.
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The Center for Western Priorities is a conservation policy and advocacy organization focused on land and energy issues across the American West.
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Bishop Thanks Utah Legislature For Support
“… it is the states that ought to be deciding how best to set their watches.”
WASHINGTON – In the waning hours of the 2019 General Session of the Utah State Legislative Session, the Utah Senate passed H.J.R. 15, a Joint Resolution Supporting the Daylight Act. The Utah House passed the same measure on March 11th. The joint resolution, sponsored by Rep. Marsha Judkins and Sen. Wayne Harper, voices support for federal legislation introduced by Rep. Rob Bishop (UT-01) which would allow states more flexibility regarding daylight saving time. The joint resolution now heads to the Governor’s desk.
Early in the 116th Congress, Bishop introduced the Daylight Act which allows states to determine whether they will continue under the status quo, operate year-round under daylight saving time, or operate year-round under standard time. Currently, states are prohibited from operating under year-round daylight saving time.
Following the vote by the Utah Senate, Bishop issued the statement below:
“It is encouraging to receive this vote of support by the Utah Legislature. My thanks to Rep. Judkins & Sen. Harper for their efforts to bring this issue to the forefront.
“As a student of federalism, I can say it is the states that ought to be deciding how best to set their watches. Technology and awareness have progressed to a point today where we can easily accommodate the unique needs of states when it comes to daylight saving time.”
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The 5 Biggest Disruptors
Wreaking Havoc On Your Hormones
As 2019 dawns, some people are taking a “new year-new you” approach. They’re determined to make self-improvements that provide a fresh, positive outlook and strong sense of well-being.
But sometimes health factors undermine those good intentions, such as depression and its link to hormone imbalances. There are myriad ways both men and women suffer adverse effects to their hormones, says Don Colbert, M.D., and many of them are avoidable.
“We are exposed to thousands of toxic chemicals on a regular basis in the air, water and food,” says Colbert (https://drcolbert.com), author of Dr. Colbert's Hormone Health Zone. “Some of them are hormone disruptors because they disturb your endocrine system, wreaking havoc and creating hormonal imbalances.
“Not only are the effects of all these disruptors depressing to think about; they actually cause depression, along with countless other ailments such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and more. But the basic principle is this: decreasing the number of disruptions will improve your health.”
Dr. Colbert breaks down the top hormone disruptors affecting men and women along with ways to minimize the disruption or stop it:
Lifestyle choices. “Whether it’s weight gain and a lack of exercise, anger and unforgiveness, drinking too much alcohol or some other thing that can be controlled, your hormone levels drop and you begin a slow slide to poorer health,” Dr. Colbert says. “Make better choices, and that dramatically decreases the chances of having any hormone deficiency symptoms.”
Medications. Medications affect the body’s cells, and sometimes side effects manifest in major problems. For example, Dr. Colbert cites Mayo Clinic research showing a prescription statin drug that lowered cholesterol could result in liver damage, memory loss or type 2 diabetes. “I estimate that 55 percent of the entire US population is taking pills that directly and negatively affect hormone levels,” Dr. Colbert says. “Get off these harmful medications you hate.”
Things you touch. Chemicals entering the body through the skin can cause long-term damage. Dr. Colbert notes phthalates, disruptors found in household cleaners, cosmetics, toys and numerous other products. “Phthalates negatively affect both men’s and women’s ability to use the testosterone that is in our bodies,” Dr. Colbert says. “Another is BPA (bisphenol A), found on the inside of metal-canned foods and plastic food-storing containers. Specifically, BPA has been found to cause or contribute to cancer, fertility problems, developmental issues and heart disease. I recommend buying glass jars of food and storing in ceramic containers.”
Diet deficiencies. “The standard American diet is usually low in key nutrients that support a healthy thyroid,” Dr. Colbert says. “Many patients with hormone imbalances have low iodine. The best solution is eat more vegetables, ideally raw or steamed.”
Aging. Dr. Colbert says estrogen levels for women begin to decline around the age of 50; for men, testosterone levels can drop low around age 45-50. “Aging is a natural combatant as a hormone disruptor,” he says, “but we can slow the acceleration of the effects of aging by optimizing our hormones. Healthy habits can make a huge difference.”
“Symptoms of serious problems indicated by hormonal imbalance can be reversed by those who focus on health in their diet, lifestyle and living environment,” Dr. Colbert says. “Then they can enable all of their systems to function optimally.”
About Don Colbert, M.D.
Don Colbert, M.D. (https://drcolbert.com), is the author of Dr. Colbert's Hormone Health Zone. He has been a board-certified family practice doctor for more than 25 years and has offices in Orlando, Fla., and Dallas. The author of over 40 books, he wrote two New York Times best-sellers - The Seven Pillars of Health and Dr. Colbert’s “I Can Do This” Diet - has sold more than 10 million books and treated 50,000-plus patients. Dr. Colbert is a frequent show guest of Christian leaders Joyce Meyer, John Hagee, and Kenneth Copeland and has been featured on The Dr. Oz Show, Fox News, ABC World News Tonight, and in periodicals such as Newsweek and Reader’s Digest.
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(Washington, D.C., March 15, 2019) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue will deliver remarks to the National Grain and Feed Association’s Annual Convention Monday, March 18th.
*NOTE: Media interested in attending the event must RSVP to press@oc.usda.gov by TODAY, Friday March 15th at 5:00pm ET.
WHAT: Secretary Perdue will deliver remarks at the National Grain and Feed Association’s Annual Convention at 9:00am ET. Following the remarks, Secretary Perdue will hold a media availability at 9:45am ET in the Santa Maria Room #2.
WHEN: MONDAY, March 18th beginning at 9:00am ET.
WHERE: Ritz Carlton Amelia Island, 4750 Amelia Island Parkway, Amelia Island, FL 32034
