Responsible energy development requires public land protections

There are few things that define America more than our iconic public lands. Our country, from the East Coast to the West Coast — and everywhere in between — is filled with unique natural wonders that define the nation.

Our public lands are not only stunning, but they are also a great equalizer and available for all Americans to enjoy. Working families take pleasure in camping, hunting, fishing and hiking at essentially zero cost, making our public landscapes an embodiment of our nation’s creed.

As President Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “There is nothing so American as our national parks.”

{mosads}”The fundamental idea behind the parks … is that the country belongs to the people, that it is in process of making for the enrichment of the lives of all of us.”

Recently, President Trump and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke made an unprecedented announcement rescinding protections for nearly 2 million acres of National Monument land in Utah — while hinting that more monuments are on the chopping block.

It doesn’t stop there. Secretary Zinke is going to offer the oil and gas industry leases on the doorstep of Dinosaur National Monument, Theodore Roosevelt National Park and Basin and Range National Monument.

We understand the need to strike a balance between developing public lands to harness our natural resources and protecting them for generations to come. But that is not what this is. Instead of ensuring public lands are protected for all Americans to enjoy, the Trump administration is endangering them.

Oil and gas development must be done responsibly. In some places, like those adjacent to our nation’s most prized public landscapes and parks, we need to think long and hard about the impacts these activities will have on them — an approach the United States began to use just a few years ago. Unfortunately, Zinke has yet to show interest in upholding such a balanced approach to managing how our landscapes are used.

Since 2010, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has sought to achieve the middle ground. The agency established a series of reforms allowing for the responsible development of oil and gas leasing that protected our lands and providing the public with a voice in how our public lands are managed. However, Zinke has identified these reforms as a “burden” to the oil and gas industry and announced that the Department of the Interior will do away with most of them.

All Americans deserve better. These protections aren’t burdensome. They’re simply common sense. So, because common sense appears to not be that common in our nation’s leaders, I will make it clear: if we make a disastrous mistake on these lands we will ruin them for future generations.

It really is that simple.

We support responsible energy development but we also want to maintain protections for the landscapes that make America great and encourage visitors from around the world to explore our special outdoor places. Our actions today, whether and where we choose to lease lands for oil and gas development, will impact future opportunities to experience America’s outdoors. We must make sure that our decisions have a positive impact and improve the lives of our children and their families. 

We can do that by providing balance: creating good jobs, growing our economy, and protecting the landscapes we love—all at the same time.

Kim Glas is the executive director of the BlueGreen Alliance, which unites labor unions and environmental organizations to solve today’s environmental challenges in ways that create and maintain quality jobs and build a stronger, fairer economy. Glas previously held senior leadership positions in the Obama administration — as the deputy assistant secretary for Textiles, Consumer Goods, and Materials at the U.S. Department of Commerce — and the U.S. House of Representatives. Follow Glas and the BlueGreen Alliance on Twitter @BGAlliance.