Defenders of Wildlife Blog

Grizzly bears are just one species that could be impacted by the so-called riders.

The vitality of America’s wild landscapes, such as those found in the majestic 20-million-acre Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, depends on budgets passed by Congress.

But the U.S. House of Representatives’ funding proposal contains dozens of non-spending related, anti-environmental policy provisions that could bankrupt citizens of their right to weigh in on decisions that affect public lands and wildlife.

Two of these so-called “riders” aim to make it difficult for concerned citizens and member-based conservation groups, like Defenders, to be involved in critical public lands decisions that affect wildlife and wild lands.

These riders would severely limit the public’s ability to have a say on how national forest lands, which belong to the American people, are managed.

One provision (in section 118) impacts Bureau of Land Management lands — some 253 million acres throughout the West, including millions in the Greater Yellowstone area such as the Bighorn Basin. It would require the public to engage in time consuming bureaucratic reviews before having the opportunity to get a fair court hearing on environmentally damaging actions.

Public lands offer world-class mountain biking.

The legislation would let the BLM move forward with harmful oil and gas drilling in places such as the Bighorn Basin without the benefit of reasonable pubic and judicial oversight.

The other (in section 437) targets the National Forest System — 193 million acres in 155 forests across the country, including seven national forests within the Greater Yellowstone region. This provision would block the public from legally challenging potentially harmful Forest Service activities such as logging and road-building. And instead of having 45 days to object to a final decision on a harmful project, the public would be forced to protest prior to a final decision. But even then the agency would have the power to ignore public concerns and exempt some projects from any appeal.

These riders would severely limit the public’s ability to have a say on how national forest lands, which belong to the American people, are managed. In a Democracy, it is critical that the public be allowed to participate in decision-making regarding the future of public lands.

Do these proposals blocking the people from having a say in the management of their own public lands sound American to you?

Contact your Representative today and tell them to put people ahead of special interests — vote against this bad bill!

Mountain lions, like this one, call the Coronado National Forest home.

Spectacular landscapes like the Sky Islands in Arizona’s Coronado National Forest are protected for future generations by carefully balancing the many uses we demand of our public lands. It is vital that we preserve areas for wildlife habitat and that industrial activities like drilling for oil and logging are located in the right places — where they won’t damage the overall health of publicly owned lands.

A bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressman Kevin McCarthy of California, however, would drastically throw off this balance. Rep. McCarthy proposes giving away as many as 60 million acres – an area the size of Wyoming –  of wild and pristine lands throughout the country by opening them up for any type of development. These areas have already been selected for protection through years of careful planning during which government agencies sought out the wildest places and preserved them.  Areas in danger include “Inventoried Roadless Areas” on national forests and “Wilderness Study Areas”.

These lands are important to saving imperiled species, preserving key habitat and providing room for recovery.

These lands are important to saving imperiled species, preserving key habitat and providing room for recovery. The Sky Islands of the Coronado, for example, are a “biodiversity hotspot”, where many unique species live and prosper and the impacts of people have been minimal. The Sky Islands contain around 400,000 acres of Roadless Areas that could lose protection under this bill and be threatened by development.

Arguments will be heard from both sides on this issue during a Congressional hearing today. What Rep. McCarthy proposes is part of a broader attack on public lands, seeking to decrease the amount of land for wildlife and recreation and increase the acreage available for development and resource extraction. Other attacks from Congress have targeted positive reforms to oil and gas development and even the public’s right to have information and participate in decision-making.

Lynx could be impacted by undoing oil and gas reforms.

Public lands throughout the country, including more than 245 million acres overseen by the Bureau of Land Management, are some of the last best habitats for wildlife like sage grouse, lynx and more. But some of these special places could soon be the target of a renewed push for oil and gas drilling.

Although wildlife must compete with the habitat degrading activities that traditionally occur on these lands — like mining, grazing and wildfire suppression — we have been very successful at making sure that healthy, intact forests and grasslands on public lands still offer wildlife a safe place to live.

Throughout the West, however, oil and gas drilling stands out as one of the biggest threats to wildlife and wild places. Drilling operations can consume thousands of acres of healthy habitat. Fortunately, the Obama administration has put in place leasing reforms that take into account just how important these lands are for thousands of species. The improved oil and gas leasing process now ensures the conservation of key wildlife and habitat, encourages public input and participation, and reduces conflict among stakeholders.

And while current onshore drilling levels have reached a 20-year high, Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming has introduced a bill that would reinstate the previous “Wild West” system of oil and gas leasing, which mostly ignored impacts on wildlife.

However, Congress is trying to turn back the clock and undo these commonsense reforms despite the risks and dire impacts of drilling in sensitive places. And while current onshore drilling levels have reached a 20-year high, Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming has introduced a bill that would reinstate the previous “Wild West” system of oil and gas leasing, which mostly ignored impacts on wildlife.

The sage grouse is another species that could be put at risk.

What’s worse is that Big Oil is pushing for this bad bill to be tacked onto legislation aimed at improving drilling safety in the wake of BP’s devastating Gulf oil geyser last year.

Don’t let this rollback sneak past, contact your senators today and ask them to vote NO on S. 1027 and vote NO on any amendment to S. 917 (the “spill bill”) that reverses the great progress made by Obama’s oil and gas leasing reforms.

Take Action: Visit Defenders’ Action Center to learn how to get involved.