15 wild places that could be forever changed by drilling and mining (if we don’t act)
Today, The Wilderness Society released a report titled Too Wild to Drill highlighting 15 of the wildest and most threatened places on America’s public lands, from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to the Appalachian Trail. The significance of this report, published on the heels of leaks of Trump’s national monument downsizing report and news of the Interior Department’s intention to make seismic testing in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge a reality, cannot be overstated.
America’s wild places are threatened like never before by a relentless push from an administration that heavily favors extractive industries and wants to sell out America’s public lands for mining and fossil energy development.
Behind Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s leadership, the Trump administration is taking unprecedented steps to undo protections for some of this country’s most cherished national monuments and landscapes as part of an aggressive agenda to put energy development above all other uses, including recreation and conservation.
Energy developers are already sitting on more public lands than they can use. Of the 27 million acres currently under lease to oil and gas companies — an area the size of Tennessee — more than half are idle. And coal companies have more than 20 years of resources in reserve — and perhaps even more given sharp declines in demand.
Nevertheless, citing the need to eliminate unreasonable burdens to development, Trump and Zinke have begun to unravel land and energy policies that safeguard taxpayers, protect the health of local communities, protect irreplaceable archaeological and cultural artifacts, and give the public a say in resource management decisions. And that’s just the beginning.
Just last week, reports showed an important advisory committee was stacked with energy lobbyists and industry executives. This committee is tasked with reviewing rates fossil fuel companies pay for accessing public lands. Interestingly, not a single public interest representative will sit on the committee.
And breaking news this weekend revealed the Interior Department recommended shrinking 10 national monuments, two of which — Utah’s Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante — are profiled in this report. The Department moved ahead with its recommendations despite overwhelming public support for leaving our national monuments as is. More than 99 percent of the record breaking 2.7 million public comments submitted as part of Interior’s decision making process were in favor of keeping or expanding current monuments. Clearly, Zinke was not listening.
Too Wild to Drill raises awareness about places across the country that are now under threat. A single-minded focus on “energy dominance” paired with a backward-looking vision for economic growth means that apparently no place, no matter how special, is beyond development’s reach.
Here’s a look at some of those places that are simply Too Wild to Drill:
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in northeastern Alaska is one of the last pristine and untouched wild landscapes on Earth. It is one of the only places in our country where polar and grizzly bears, caribou, wolves, beluga and bowhead whales can all be found. For decades pro-drilling advocates have tried to open the refuge to oil development and now they see their chance with a pro-drilling administration. Already, the Interior Department has announced that it intends to bend environmental laws to allow seismic testing in the refuge.
Bears Ears National Monument, Utah
Nestled in southeastern Utah’s redrock country (near Canyonlands and Arches National Park), Bears Ears National Monument protects a landscape with an incredible array of cultural, scenic and scientific values. Archaeologists estimate that the area harbors more than 100,000 archeological sites from Ancient Puebloan culture, many of which could be destroyed forever if the monument is opened to mining and development.
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Minnesota
Generations of Americans have developed a lifelong love of nature through the superb fishing, canoeing, hiking and portaging experiences found in Boundary Waters’ 1.1 million acres of interconnected lakes and rivers. But these tranquil waters are currently at risk from a proposed sulfide-ore copper mine.
Appalachian Trail, Virginia
The Appalachian Trail offers one of the most incredible outdoor recreation experiences in the country, but parts of this iconic trail could be ruined by a proposed natural gas pipeline that threatens to cut across scenic parts of the trail in Virginia and West Virginia.
Energy development and mining have been features of our public lands for more than a century. With the tremendous opportunities to tap needed new resources elsewhere, there is simply no reason to scar these irreplaceable treasures and put at risk the tremendous economic benefits that come from the recreation and tourism dollars generated by these places in their current state.
The Trump administration is putting conservation in the back seat while handing the keys to energy and mining companies with little regard for the impacts for local communities or the wishes of Americans. The drive to sell off or sell out our public lands for development is just beginning, and it will not stop without your help.
