Happy Memorial Day to the USA. We have many to honor today. What greater tribute to the men and women who kept us safe and our country one of the greatest ever to exist in this world.
This is an opportunity for the public lands to be managed by experts that belong to organizations like Nature Conservancy, Sierra, Defenders of Wildlife, and the controversial Audubon.
Our public lands are vitally important to many Americans. They are also a great heritage and this is among the best times to move in this direction as oil and gas leases are inevitably obsolete.The BLM must protect the conservation aspect of this rule and give priority to organizations lined with professionals as members and administration that can IMPROVE the land, eliminate invasive species, return native flora only to be followed by native fauna as function returns.
Everyone knows the enormous success of Yellowstone National Park. Before it's best outcomes it was known as mismanaged by those trying to make a park out of a wildlife area. This is an opportunity for conservation organizations to bring about far better management of the land to increase its importance to the climate crisis.
I believe using this opportunity to allow oil and gas companies to say they are covered in their atmospheric abuse by continued discharge of carbon dioxide and methane is a gross misuse of public lands. Those that pollute should never be allowed to enter into a conservation lease. Our public lands are not carbon credits to allow continued abuse of our planet.
These conservation leases can be used by organizations to determine if there is proper use of the land and if there is an interest in carbon credits, but, the leases should never be in the hands of corporate interest that pollute. Just that simple.
These leases are a promise to the youngest generation and the ones yet to be born into this remarkable country. I would expect even allies would show an interest in protecting the lands and perhaps participate to be sure nothing worse can come out of the land except better and better outcomes for our people. Our allies have an interest in the better outcomes in the USA. They are suffering under the weight of the climate crisis, too. Allies could establish organizations in the USA to participate.
I don't see the current employees of the parks such as the park rangers leaving because of the leases. They are valuable to these lands for many reasons, including their longevity of employment. They have a great deal of experience and insight that is not replaceable. I see these leases as enhancements to those already employed by BLM to manage public lands. I am confident there will be controversy that comes out of these leases simply because that many more experts with eyes on the USA lands will bring about scrutiny like no other.
I am looking forward to USA public lands to be the envy of the world once they are properly managed under the conservation leases.
By Amanda Eggert
More specifically, the proposed rule would establish conservation as a “use” under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act in an effort to “protect intact landscapes, restore degraded habitat, and make wise management decisions based on science and data.” As proposed, the new rule would allow the BLM to lease land for conservation purposes to tribal governments, non-governmental organizations, individuals or businesses. According to an Interior Department release, such leases could be used to protect wildlife migration corridors, for example, or establish carbon markets. In the latter example, the BLM might accept payment for a 10-year lease to leave grassland undisturbed for carbon sequestration....
