ISSUE BRIEF: Defending Multiple Use of Public Lands
The West’s economy depends on the ability to make environmentally-responsible use of the public lands
The Issue:
Multiple use is one of the key foundations of responsible public lands management in the U.S. Throughout our history, non-park federal lands have been available for a variety of activities, from recreation and grazing to mining, energy development and forestry. These principles are embodied in the Multiple-Use Sustained-Yield Act of 1960, in which Congress established that national forests are to be used “for outdoor recreation, range, timber, watershed, and fish and wildlife purposes."
In recent years, a string of statutes and regulations have negatively impacted the ability of these sectors and others to make economic use of many public lands. Restrictions due to endangered species, historic preservation requirements, Clean Water Act regulations, and other laws have eroded the principles of multiple use.
Impacts on the West:
The multiple use philosophy of public lands management -- which encourages the environmentally responsible use of lands for economic purposes -- has been a bedrock concept that has sustained much of the West's rural economy. Revenues that have been generated through grazing, mining, timber operations, and recreation would otherwise not have occurred. Further, these sectors are the economic engine for hundreds of local communities – communities that would disappear if their ability to use public lands for beneficial use were removed.
Status of the Issue:
There are a variety of existing and proposed laws and regulations that seek to limit the multiple use of non-park federal lands. For example, the Endangered Species Act, out-of-control wilderness designations, the RS2477 statute, rollbacks of the 2005 Energy Policy Act legislation, forest roadless policies, excessive grazing restrictions, limits on mining, just to name a few. Each of these laws and regulations encroach upon the long-standing multiple use policy on our public lands.
Solutions:
- The Administration and Congress should enact programs and regulations that allows multiple uses on federal lands and reform regulation or laws that unduly limits uses on non-park lands.
- Tell Congress to oppose wilderness designations that unnecessarily lock up access to land unless there is support from the impacted state's delegation, local community input and support, and the area clearly has the characteristics of a wilderness area as defined by The 1964 Wilderness Act.
- Contact your Member of Congress and tell him/her that the Endangered Species Act is broken and the only way to fix it is to repeal it!
- Tell your Member of Congress to oppose any legislation that would encourage the federal government to buyout existing grazing rights holders. Rather, ask him/her to support reform of the current grazing permit process to reduce the economic and regulatory burden on ranchers obtaining or renewing grazing leases.
- Tell you Member of Congress to oppose rollbacks of the 2005 Energy Policy Act that would restrict and limit sensible energy development on federal lands.
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