OL: Are public lands too open or not open enough to energy development? Should some areas of the West be completely off-limits to development?
Bush: Federal lands and offshore areas supply about one-third of the resources needed for domestic oil and gas production. Most of the natural gas used in the United States is domestically produced. Therefore it is important that we balance the nation's
energy needs with protecting the environment. As part of my national energy policy, I am promoting dependable, affordable energy while maintaining environmental protections for sensitive areas.
As part of my commitment to protecting public lands, I made a promise to provide $4.9 billion over five years to reduce the longstanding maintenance backlog at our national parks. I have requested $3.9 billion to date, putting the federal government on track to fulfilling my commitment. This year, the National Park Service operations budget has more funds per employee, per acre and per visitor than at any time in history. I also recommended designation of a new, 1.4-million-acre wilderness area in the Chugach National Forest in Alaska. This is the first wilderness recommendation in more than a decade, and the largest single executive branch recommendation for wilderness on National Forest System lands in several decades.
Additionally, I am implementing the Healthy Forests Restoration Act. This legislation, which I signed into law in December 2003, is based on sound science and helps further my pledge to care for America's forests and rangelands, reduce the risk of catastrophic fire to communities, help save the lives of firefighters and citizens, and protect threatened and endangered species.
Kerry: While we should develop natural gas and oil reserves in the United States, we need to do it in a way that does not put fish and wildlife in harm's way. Today, roughly 90
percent of the federal lands in the West are available to
energy development and the federal agencies in charge are not effectively protecting our fish and wildlife resources. The federal government currently is leasing federal lands and
issuing drilling permits under resource management plans (RMPs) that are decades old. In many places hunters,
anglers, ranchers and local businesses are upset at the way these lands are being managed.
Instead, before we lease more lands and permit more drilling, the RMPs should be revised so that we have up-to-date information about the habitat needs of fish and wildlife and determine which federal lands should be off-limits. Only then should we permit energy development in areas and under conditions that will not be harmful. When lands are developed for energy, we should require that companies monitor the impacts of their operations and restore the lands to their original state. When I am President, federal land management agencies will take seriously their multiple-use mandate and ensure that fish and wildlife resources are not sacrificed to irresponsible drilling.
We require
all participants in interactive areas to accept the terms of the Bonnier Corporation subscriber agreement. Please
read the agreement
before making comments. When you click on the button above to submit your comments, you are indicating your acceptance of and
are agreeing to adhere to the terms of the subscriber agreement.
RELATED ARTICLES
