Balancing demands on public lands

For millions of Americans who love to get outside, summer is when we dig out our hiking boots, mountain bikes, canoes, kayaks, rock climbing gear, and head out for adventure. America’s public lands are home to spectacular recreation, including thousands miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking and skiing, myriad peaks and crags for climbing, and some of the best paddling in the country.  

Outdoor Alliance represents all those who enjoy the outdoors, and we advocate protecting the human-powered adventure of millions of Americans who enjoy our public lands. All Americans have a stake in our public lands, and they are managed for multiple uses, including recreation, conservation, energy, agriculture, and transportation.  Public lands are part of our identity as Americans. As a practical matter, we rely on these common resources for energy to power our businesses, homes and cars, and resources ranging from timber for buildings and furniture to the metal in our outdoor equipment. When we can balance the demands of development and recreation on public lands, we all win.  

{mosads}The Public Lands Renewable Energy Development Act (PLREDA), which is making its way through Congress now, provides America with access to renewable energy development on our public lands in a way that is mindful of outdoor recreation resources. PLREDA is a balanced, efficient and forward-looking policy that combines thoughtful planning with a direct investment in local communities to sustain the many benefits of America’s public lands.  

Renewable energy development on public lands will play an important and increased role in the country’s energy future.  PLREDA is a positive step toward ensuring that that development occurs in a thoughtful way, mindful of other bedrock values like conservation and outdoor recreation. Perhaps most importantly, the Act establishes the forward-looking Renewable Energy Resource Conservation Fund.  This fund directs a portion of royalties from renewable energy development to nearby local communities, allowing them to mitigate the impact of development and protect access to outdoor recreation, clean water and wildlife habitat. 

Outdoor recreation makes a $646 billion annual contribution to the U.S. economy, employs 6.1 million Americans and is often a key economic driver in local gateway communities for exploring America’s public lands.  Ensuring that renewable energy development on public lands occurs in coordination with support for this growing economic sector is a sound policy direction that will support rural economies and Americans’ continued and growing enjoyment of their public lands.  

Other elements of the bill we are happy to see include:

·      A well-balanced approach to use broad and diverse stakeholder consultation to identify the most suitable areas for energy development and incentivize development activity in those areas;

·      A focus on government efficiency, with dedicated funding to help the Bureau of Land Management expeditiously process permit applications for renewable energy projects; and

·      Revenue disposition provisions to ensure that development benefits local and state economies and provides local communities with resources needed to make development sustainable. 

We encourage Congress to do the right thing and move the Public Lands Renewable Energy Development Act forward.

Cramer is executive director of the DC-based Outdoor Alliance.  The Outdoor Alliance brings together the voices of human-powered outdoor recreation (rock climbers, mountain bikers, paddlers, backcountry skiers, hikers, etc.) to advocate for the protection of America’s public lands.