The decade in conservation: The good the bad and the ugly

January 4, 2010 By Ben Beach

The Old Boulder Mail Trail, Arizona. Photo by Jeff L. Fox.

Did you know that you own 623 million acres? Every American has a real estate portfolio that contains the deeds to Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, and all the other national parks, national forests, national wildlife refuges, and western treasures overseen by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

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With this inheritance comes a duty, summarized a century ago by President Theodore Roosevelt: “The nation behaves well if it treats the natural resources as assets which it must turn over to the next generation increased, and not impaired, in value.”

How did we do during the first decade of the 21st Century?

The decade began well, as the Clinton administration completed work on important conservation initiatives, such as protection for roadless national forest lands.

But for the next eight years, the Bush administration promoted the commercial exploitation of the public lands, to the detriment of their natural values. Fortunately, effective resistance by conservation advocates, including hunters, anglers, and local communities, prevented much of the damage that could have occurred. If you are one of the subscribers to our WildAlerts, you were part of this success story, and we deeply appreciate your good work.

Now President Obama has reversed a number of misguided policies, and his appointees seem to be committed to genuine stewardship. This shift is more important than ever because of the threat posed by climate change — and the growing understanding that protecting forests and other natural areas will help us counter that threat.

The highlights of the past ten years

• The National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS) has grown by five million acres and now stands at 109.4 million acres. A total of 127 new wilderness areas are in Puerto Rico’s Caribbean National Forest and 14 states: Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, Wisconsin, Michigan, Vermont, New Hampshire, Virginia, and West Virginia.
   
• National forest roadless areas: In January 2001 the Roadless Area Conservation Rule took effect, barring road building and logging on 58.5 million acres. The Bush administration blocked implementation of this rule and began devising a substitute. During the next eight years, our side was able to thwart almost all efforts to exploit these forests; only seven miles of road were built. The Obama administration has taken steps to protect these special places.
   
• National Landscape Conservation System: The newest American land system was created in June 2000 to protect the crown jewels of public lands overseen by the Bureau of Land Management. The system contains some 27 million acres, roughly ten percent of the BLM’s lands.
   
• Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: Conservationists, the native Gwich’in people, and other partners have stopped every effort in Congress to authorize oil and gas leasing on this refuge’s spectacular coastal plain.
   
• Oil and Gas Drilling: The Bush administration adopted policies that have led to leasing tens of millions of acres of public lands in the Rockies, and more than 50,000 drilling permits were issued to oil and gas companies. Nevertheless, conservationists were able to protect some natural gems from drilling, such as Montana’s Rocky Mountain Front, New Mexico’s Ville Vidal, and the Wyoming Range. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has vowed to provide a better balance between development of oil and gas resources on the West’s public lands and protection of the environmental, wildlife, and cultural values of those lands.
   
• Off-road Vehicles: In 2005 the Forest Service declared that it would end cross-country driving of ATVs, dirt bikes, and other off-road vehicles within four years. That goal has not been met, but there is reason to believe that within the next year or so it will be. One sign of progress: In planning documents issued since 2005, the Forest Service has closed over 6,000 miles of roads to motorized travel.
   
• Climate Change and Public Lands: Dramatic changes in public policy occurred over this decade, making it possible to envision sustained attention to the role of our public lands in moderating the worst effects of climate change. Resilient, intact ecosystems store carbon and provide wildlife enough open space to move as species try to adapt to changes in the climate.

Goals for the next decade

Sound management of the lands owned by all Americans has always been a challenge — and always will be. Too often, decisions have been based on short-term considerations, but lands that we hold in trust for all future generations need to be managed for the long term. It is also vital that decision makers never lose sight of the fact that the public lands belong to each of us equally, no matter how close or far away we may live. Over the next ten years, we urge:

• Continued additions to the National Wilderness Preservation System
• Conservation of forests and other public lands that will help the world limit the impact of climate change
• Protection of all roadless portions of our national forests
• Limits on oil and gas leasing so that sensitive lands and wildlife are not put in jeopardy
• Wise siting of renewable energy facilities
• Managing for clean water and healthy populations of wildlife
• Restoration of public lands that have been damaged by logging, roadbuilding, and other activities
• And adoption of other measures that will enable us to pass down our natural legacy in good condition.

photos:
The Old Boulder Mail Trail, Arizona. Photo by Jeff L. Fox.
Pinedale Anticline gas drilling mess in Wyoming. Photo by Daniel Beltra.
Poppy field in proposed Berryessa — Snow Mountain National Conservation Area, California. Photo by Andrew Fulks.