The Public Lands Initiative…Why is the Government Trying to sell our Public Lands?
What is the PLI? The Public Lands Initiative is a fossil fuel development and public land giveaway orchestrated by Utah Representative, Rob Bishop. The PLI would roll back existing conservation and wilderness protection for Utah’s wild lands and replace it with new oil and gas development. Some of you might be thinking, this sounds similar to previously proposed bill by Representative Rob Bishop, and you’re right. This idea has been proposed again and again, but this is by far its most ambitious attempt.
So the PLI pertains to everything east of I-15, including four of our national parks. Just to put things into perspective, the Bureau of Land Management manages 4.4 million acres of public land in Eastern Utah. The PLI proposes to forsake 60% of these lands, to be used for oil drilling and mining. Currently, 1.8 million acres are safely enjoying wilderness-quality protection, but the PLI only designates 1.7 million acres of wilderness as “natural areas” or “wilderness study areas”.
The PLI is as deceptive as it is shady, proposing that 60% of these “wilderness study areas” would be permitting predator control via helicopters, chainsaws in the wilderness, the removal of entire pinyon and juniper forests, and locking in livestock grazing at or above current levels. Say goodbye to Southern Utah folks, if these greedy politicians get their way with this bill, our state will never be the same.
The University of Utah hosted a citizens hearing last week, where over 600 Utahns showed in solidarity to defend these lands. Significant members of the environmental community spoke, as well as concerned citizens from counties all over the state. Representatives from numerous coalitions, local businesses, organizations, student communities, and Native American tribes spoke out against the bill, highlighting the importance of preserving these lands. Many spoke about the impact this bill would have on our children, as it would significantly change the diverse biological ecosystems, as well as the cultural ecosystem of our state’s outdoor-loving and adventure-seeking inhabitants.
These policy makers didn’t ask for the public’s opinion when drafting this bill, and have repeatedly ignored the requests and recommendations of the Native American community, so it’s no surprise to anyone when not a single representative invited could make an appearance to defend their atrocious bill. Note the empty chairs, representing the failure of the Utah legislators to listen to the voices of their constituents, who would rather make backdoor deals with private county interests.
A passionate coalition of Native American tribes is fighting to protect their homelands, and is asking President Obama to protect the “Bears Ears” region as a national monument. The Bears Ears region currently contains over 100,000 cultural sites, including ancient cliff dwellings, cultural artifacts, as well as stunning petroglyphs, pictographs, and rock art. These lands represent the ancestry and history of those native to it, those who have already experienced significant reduction of their lands in our country’s short lifespan.
While this bill is still in its early stages in legislature, it is important to voice your opinion and lend support to protect Utah’s wild lands and vibrant ecosystems.
To find out more about the Bears Ears region or about how to get involved, check out the following link: http://www.bearsearscoalition.org/action/
To find out more about the Public Lands Initiative or about how to get involved, check out the following links:
http://suwa.org/bishops-grand-bargain-grand-bust-2/
http://suwa.org/4-necessary-fixes-to-rep-bishops-public-lands-initiative/
To read the drafted bill, check out the following link:
http://suwa.org/app/uploads/PLI_Discussion_Draft_20jan16.pdf