Use caution before extracting oil, gas
As part of a contingent of Western sportsmen — I'm an avid fly fisherman — I was able to meet with Utah's congressional delegation and congressmen who sit on the House Natural Resources Committee and lay out a case for measured, cautious development of our fossil fuels here in Utah and throughout the western United States. The current energy boom on public lands, while economically important to our state and many others, is simply moving too fast with too little regard shown for the fish and wildlife resources. In Utah, especially, where our families represent our cultural foundation, fishing and hunting are vital components in our lives. Places like Strawberry Reservoir, the Diamond Fork and Boulder Mountain in Fishlake National Forest are in jeopardy of being forever changed if we're not mindful of how we go after the gas and oil beneath them.
As a group, we met with Natural Resources Committee members in hopes of having sportsmen's concerns addressed in new energy legislation that gives direction to federal agencies in charge of developing energy resources on public lands, especially here in the West. We presented members with the Sportsmen's Public Lands Energy Agenda, a straightforward document put together by Trout Unlimited and the National Wildlife Federation that addresses issues important to Western hunters and anglers (it's available for review at www.tu.org). For instance, the agenda asks Congress to carefully consider the above-ground fish and wildlife resources before leases are sold, an important step that is being sidestepped now, thanks to undermanned federal agencies and a rush to drill.
In my view, complying with federal clean air and clean water requirements is an elementary step in the extraction process and should not be ignored.
Additionally, the document asks for improved public involvement in the leasing process, better management flexibility during and after the leasing process and, of course, keeping our federal and state lands open and accessible to all citizens. Keeping it in public ownership is key to future generations of sportsmen.
Thankfully, our efforts were well-received by members of Congress. I'm hopeful that our concerns delivered in person by interested hunters and anglers will find their way into new energy legislation. What's more, I hope you'll take the time to contact our own federal delegation and express support for the common sense Sportsmen's Public Lands Energy Agenda.
It's a measured document that simply asks for a "look before you leap" approach to extracting gas and oil from the lands we as Utahns cherish.
Bob Springmeyer is the president of Bonneville Research Inc. of Salt Lake City.
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