Interior Secretary Ken Salazar says "NO MORE WILDLANDS
Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2011 8:29 pm
BREAKING NEWS: SALAZAR TO BACK DOWN ON WILDLANDS POLICY
Dear BRC Action Alert Subscriber,
It seems the Obama Administration has realized it over-reached with
the December 2010 Secretarial Order establishing the Wildlands Policy.
The Associated Press is reporting that Department of Interior
Secretary Ken Salazar
has today signed a memo saying his agency will
not designate any "Wildlands."
The AP reports Salazar intends to work instead on efforts to "work
with members of Congress to develop recommendations for managing
millions of acres of undeveloped land in the West."
See:
APNewsBreak: Obama abandons wilderness plan
http://www.sfexaminer.com/politics/2011/06/apnewsbreak-obama-abandons-wilderness-plan
The impacts of this announcement on access and recreation on vast
areas of public lands is not readily evident, but it certainly appears
to us the DOI made the only reasonable decision since BLM lands have
already been inventoried for wilderness characteristics. Those lands
meeting the criteria are Wilderness Study areas and have been managed
to protect wild character for many years.
Many other BLM lands remain attractive and available for a variety of
recreation uses. We look forward to working with Congress and the
agency to plan the management of these lands for all recreationists
now and in the future.
Brian Hawthorne
Public Lands Policy Director
BlueRibbon Coalition
208-237-1008 ext 102
Dear BRC Action Alert Subscriber,
It seems the Obama Administration has realized it over-reached with
the December 2010 Secretarial Order establishing the Wildlands Policy.
The Associated Press is reporting that Department of Interior
Secretary Ken Salazar
has today signed a memo saying his agency will
not designate any "Wildlands."
The AP reports Salazar intends to work instead on efforts to "work
with members of Congress to develop recommendations for managing
millions of acres of undeveloped land in the West."
See:
APNewsBreak: Obama abandons wilderness plan
http://www.sfexaminer.com/politics/2011/06/apnewsbreak-obama-abandons-wilderness-plan
The impacts of this announcement on access and recreation on vast
areas of public lands is not readily evident, but it certainly appears
to us the DOI made the only reasonable decision since BLM lands have
already been inventoried for wilderness characteristics. Those lands
meeting the criteria are Wilderness Study areas and have been managed
to protect wild character for many years.
Many other BLM lands remain attractive and available for a variety of
recreation uses. We look forward to working with Congress and the
agency to plan the management of these lands for all recreationists
now and in the future.
Brian Hawthorne
Public Lands Policy Director
BlueRibbon Coalition
208-237-1008 ext 102