The Wilderness Society Blog

Memorial Day and our national security- clean energy is an answer

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 23:31:29 +0000

Memorial Day, commemorating those who have fought in wars before us, is not only a reflection of past lives and battles, but also about the galvanizing American spirit which has helped shape generations of manufacturing, technological advances and found creative ways to use our natural resources. At the end of a short work week in Washington, I tend to geek out on our many intersections between our national security and our energy needs, dating back more than a century.

This Memorial Day week, The New York Times ran an editorial calling for investment in “cleaner energy.” There are a few interesting things about this particular piece, aside from it being a thoughtful and comprehensive view on the challenges our nation faces in energy planning today.

First, the editorial summarizes an exchange between a flustered Virginia Congressman Randy Forbes and the Secretary of the Navy. What Mr. Forbes may not have realized in asserting that the Navy had no business in energy issues is that historically, the Department of Defense (formerly the War Department) was the primary force for energy planning as a component of national defense.

In fact, by the 1920s, the nation’s electricity supply was under serious consideration by the War Department as a result of the widespread use of this technology in urban areas of the U.S. and Europe. A post-World War I War Department commissioned a report in 1921 to study the technical challenges of interconnecting the nascent electricity grid. The modern day Department of Energy that-- formed not until 1977 in response to the 1973 oil crisis-- has dealt with civilian uses of electricity and oil over the past four decades.

But energy and defense have been inextricably linked since the beginning of time, as accounted in David Nye’s famous history of energy, Consuming Power. Our war efforts have historically moved the ball forward on energy issues, from efforts to create nuclear energy to the military’s current use of distributed solar energy to power mission critical work overseas.

Second, the editorial notes the work of the Department of Interior to receive feedback on planning for new infrastructure in the southwest through prescreened solar energy zones. Think of lands held in the public trust, such as those vast western landscapes managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), as strategic reserves, managed for their highest and best use to benefit the American public. Many of these federal lands have been assumed by the Department of Defense as grounds for flight training and for missile test training readiness.

Military uses, as well as the preservation of important habitat, are uses that need to fit within our new energy economy. And what is remarkable about the DOI’s inclusive process for identifying solar zones, is that it has resulted in consensus recommendations from industry and environmental groups that are balanced, practical and get the job done.

Like generations before us, we continue to evolve and so does our energy sector. In the year 2012, the United States is ready to take the next step, with overwhelming support for clean, renewable energy from wind and solar. Now is an opportune time to take advantage and participate fully in the $2.3 trillion global market in clean technology. Sitting on the sidelines is not an option.

Just take the Colorado College State of the Rockies Poll released this past January which found that 72% of Arizonans perceived renewable energy as a job creator throughout the west. With job creation being the #1 issue through this next election, Americans should feel a sense of patriotism, knowing that we have an opportunity to promote home grown energy that cuts our need for foreign fuels and aids our national security.

Increasing national security is just one of many reasons that as a society we should transition away from heavy dependence on fossil fuels, but it is a good one. Funding responsibly sited renewable energy projects is a necessity, and an even larger one is making sure that we are maximizing our efficiency, and using the electricity we do produce in the most efficient ways we can. The world just isn’t big enough to accommodate our lifestyles without fostering a practical solution to energy challenges. It’s a challenge America can handle.

Memorial Day and outdoor escapes - why we love LWCF

Fri, 25 May 2012 16:16:41 +0000

Image:

Memorial Day weekend is here! Summer vacation starts now, and for many Americans (and certainly people reading this) that means getting outdoors and into nature. So it’s a good thing that Americans have so many places to get outside - more than 600 million acres of public land, and more 110 million acres protected as Wilderness. Many of those protected acres are because of a program called the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

We’re highlighting a few of the places that the Land and Water Conservation Fund has protected. Places like the Appalachian Trail, where the Land and Water Conservation Fund helped connect the full length of the trail.

In Mt. Rainier National Park, Land and Water Conservation Fund dollars are expanding the park. This expansion will improve access for people, and improve habitat for spotted owls and Chinook salmon.

The Land and Water Conservation Fund is responsible for some of the great places to get outside across the country. Don’t take our word for it – check out what it’s done for your state.

All this weekend on Twitter we’ll be talking about why we love the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Join the discussion with the #WhyWeLoveLWCF hashtag, and get outside and enjoy some of the places that are protected because of the Land and Water Conservation Fund!

And if you’ve already been out to a place protected by the Land and Water Conservation Fund, take a minute and sign our petition. We want to make sure that Congress protects the Land and Water Conservation Fund, so that it can keep protecting wild places!

Diving into Español, rivers and outreach: The 411 on our first Public Lands Fellow

Thu, 24 May 2012 21:52:52 +0000

Image:

Fabiola Lao is the first Public Lands Fellow at The Wilderness Society. Since June 2011 she has been based in the Los Angeles office working on the San Gabriel Mountains Forever campaign.

As her year comes to an end, and before she heads to the Sierra Club to continue working on San Gabriel Mountains Forever, Fabiola dished about her fellowship.

Q: You were born in Perú, but raised in Los Angeles. And you have both Chinese and Peruvian heritage. Did that help your work on the San Gabriel Mountains Forever campaign?

A: Los Angeles is a very multicultural city, and the campaign is reaching out to all potential users of the mountains – and that includes many Asian and Latino communities. I use my Spanish language skills very often, particularly when reaching out to the Latino community. I don’t speak Chinese, but so many of the visitors we see in the mountains are Asian. It’s pretty common to hear Korean or Chinese on the trails.

Q: Did The Wilderness Society jump on your translator skills?

A: Almost immediately! I have translated web pages and press releases into Spanish, and suggested we use ‘Sociedad para la Naturaleza Silvestre’ as the translation for The Wilderness Society’s name. And I have also been an interpreter at our San Gabriel Mountains leadership academy classes when some students spoke mostly Spanish.

Q: Speaking of Spanish skills, you did one of the first Spanish-only radio interviews for us?

A: Yes, it was for a public radio talk show in San Francisco back in the fall, and I talked about the congressional bill known as the “Great Outdoors Giveaway” bill.

Q: To date, what are you most proud of during your fellowship?

A: Probably two things. The first one was going to Washington D.C. and being able to tell several Congress members how important it is to create a San Gabriel Mountains National Recreation Area. The second is organizing a community art show near La Crescenta, the town where I grew up, which is next to the San Gabriel Mountains.

Q: We also hear you really got your feet wet on a TWS river outing?

A: It’s true. I’m still learning how to paddle in white water, but I had a blast even if I flipped into the river during that Utah rafting trip…twice!

Prior to The Wilderness Society, Fabiola worked at environmental health and environmental justice non-profit organizations including Program Coordinator at the Breast Cancer Fund and Policy Analyst at the Latino Issues Forum. She has dual Bachelor in Arts degrees in Interdisciplinary Studies (Public Health concentration) and Spanish Language and Literature from UC Berkeley. She also has a Master in Public Administration from the University of Southern California.

Caption Photo 2: Fabiola Lao with Congresswoman Grace Napolitano in Washington, DC

Mahoosuc Touring Map goes wireless

Thu, 24 May 2012 17:35:03 +0000

Online and smartphone enabled map will help tourists and locals alike find outdoor adventure

Just in time for summer vacation, the Mahoosuc Touring Map is going digital – putting great local adventures at the fingertips of visitors and locals alike. Find the map at www.mahoosuctouringmap.org.

The Mahoosuc region in New Hampshire and Maine is an ideal spot for hiking, paddling, horseback riding and other outdoor recreation. Just over 3 hours from downtown Boston, it’s a great way to get outside without the crowds.

“Visitors to the Bethel area have loved the Mahoosuc Touring Map as a printed piece – and we are excited that it is now available in a mobile application, and the Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce has been happy to help with the development. We will absolutely be utilizing this into the future,” shared Robin Zinchuk, its Executive Director.

The map features interactive links to popular local destinations, including YouTube videos, audio downloads. There are also easy identifiers for popular features like fishing holes and scenic vistas.

“The Mahoosuc Touring Map is a great resource for families looking for new places to explore,” said Ann Ingerson of The Wilderness Society, one of the partners of the Mahoosuc Initiative. “Streamlining the map for smartphones and mobile devices makes it even easier for folks to get outside and enjoy nature.”

Local businesses will also benefit from the map, which includes outfitters and rental shops.

“People have just been grabbing these right up, they love ‘em. Most of our guests here at the Mahoosuc Inn are here for outdoor adventure activities and this map has it all!” said Mark Peabody, owner of the Mahoosuc Inn in Milan, NH. “Now that it’s on smartphones you can access this information anywhere. People can plan their stay while on their way.”

The map was developed by the Mahoosuc Initiative, in collaboration with Umbagog area, Androscoggin Valley and Bethel Chambers of Commerce.

Find the Mahoosuc Scenic Touring Map online at www.mahoosuctouringmap.org

BLM can balance conservation, oil/gas development in NPR-A

Thu, 24 May 2012 00:23:22 +0000

ANCHORAGE, ALASKA (May 23, 2012) – As the federal Bureau of Land Management works to create the first land-use plan for the 23-million-acre National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, the agency has a historic opportunity to protect some of the world’s most significant wildlife resources that sustain many communities in the western Arctic, according to The Wilderness Society.

“When Congress transferred these western Arctic lands from the Navy to the BLM, they recognized the need to balance protection of special ecological values while at the same time providing opportunity for oil and gas development,” said Nicole Whittington-Evans, Alaska regional director for The Wilderness Society. “Many administrations from both sides of the political aisle have since recognized this need, and the Obama Administration should take this historic opportunity to do all it can to safeguard important wildlife and subsistence resources while providing opportunity for responsible energy development.”

In its recently released Draft Integrated Activity Plan/Environmental Impact Statement, the BLM is considering a range of options that include making some percentage of special areas with high ecological value unavailable for oil and gas leasing and opening the entire reserve to oil and gas development.

The Wilderness Society supports the draft plan’s “Alternative B” option because it protects ecologically important areas with exceptional wildlife and subsistence resources, such as Teshekpuk Lake, the Utukok Uplands and Kasegaluk Lagoon, among others, while allowing responsible oil and gas development in much of the reserve. The plan also allows for the possibility of a future pipeline to carry offshore oil across the NPR-A, known to many as the Western Arctic Reserve.

“Alternative B is the only option that provides reliable protection of Teshekpuk Lake Caribou Herd habitat,” said Whittington-Evans, basing her position on The Wilderness Society’s extensive modeling of development impacts in the reserve. The results of this modeling effort will be provided to BLM before the close of the public comment period on June 1.

The BLM will be holding a meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday in Anchorage’s Campbell Creek Science Center to allow the public to comment on the draft management plan. An open house will begin at 6 p.m.

A sneak attack on wilderness: Legislation that hurts backcountry sportsmen looms in the U.S. Senate

Tue, 22 May 2012 21:28:04 +0000

Image:

So many of our memories are made when we spend time with our favorite people in our favorite wild places.

Now, a bill that passed the U.S. House of Representatives threatens those memories. H.R. 4089 is a sneak attack on wilderness disguised as a pro-hunting bill. It would fundamentally undermine existing protections for some of our nation’s backcountry destinations, including wilderness areas:

Allowing motorized vehicles and other development in congressionally-protected wilderness areas
Eviscerating the president’s authority to designate national monuments under the Antiquities Act
Allowing development in hiking, hunting and fishing areas without public review or comment

A master of deception

Like all things in disguise, H.R. 4089 is not what it seems. The bill’s supporters claim that it supports and would even help hunting and fishing in wilderness — something that The Wilderness Society strongly supports. After all, sportsmen are some of America’s greatest conservationists, harking back to the “Wilderness Warrior,” President Theodore Roosevelt.
In reality, the bill would not help hunters or anglers. Instead, it would destroy the wilderness that defines the backcountry hunting and fishing experience. H.R. 4089 is Congress at its worst: trying to fix a problem that simply does not exist.

Unfortunately, H.R. 4089 deceived enough members of Congress to pass the U.S. House of Representatives. Now it is in the Senate, and we need to reveal its true identity: a gift to those who want to destroy these backcountry traditions that this country was built upon.

Sadly, H.R. 4089 is part of a wave of legislation that seeks to systematically dismantle decades of laws that protect America’s wilderness and public lands. To learn more about these dangerous bills, please see our report, Wilderness Under Siege. All together, these bills threaten nearly half a billion acres of public land.

Congress should protect our backcountry, not destroy it.

Which Alaska wildland has a terrible name?

Tue, 22 May 2012 18:12:09 +0000

Image:

Alaska’s Western Arctic contains a 23-million-acre tract of some of the most stunning wildlands on Earth. It teems with migratory birds, caribou, polar bears, wolves and other wildlife, but is cursed with what may be the ugliest and most ill-fitting name of any wild landscape: the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska.

In the aftermath of World War I, President Warren G. Harding set aside this area on Alaska’s North Slope in 1923 as an emergency oil reserve for the U.S. Navy, which was then converting its fleet from coal power to oil. Nearly 90 years later, one of the largest tracts of undisturbed public land on the planet is seen as a dartboard by oil and gas companies, and there’s nothing they would love more than to throw drill bits at it.

It is a vast and beautiful landscape that is not only important habitat to millions of birds and animals, but also home to Alaska Natives who live by subsistence hunting and fishing, and who need a healthy and productive ecosystem to provide a plentiful supply of food.

Even larger than its 19-million-acre cousin to the east -- the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge -- this area known to many as the Western Arctic Reserve contains one of the largest wetlands complexes in the circumpolar Arctic and provides extraordinary habitat values for birds and other species.

And Teshekpuk Lake -- Alaska’s third-largest -- provides year-round habitat for the Teshekpuk Lake caribou herd, thousands of nesting and molting waterfowl, and fish.

In 1976, Congress recognized the special ecological and wilderness values of these lands and transferred management of them to the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM). That agency has since designated four Special Areas: Teshekpuk Lake, Colville River, Utukok Uplands and Kasegaluk Lagoon, all of which were recognized for their significant values, including their wild character and a diversity of bird species, caribou, and marine mammals such as threatened polar bears, walrus and seals.

Oil and gas leases have been sold in the Western Arctic Reserve for years, and further development is part of the nation’s long-term energy plan. But, as directed by Congress, that development must be done with restraint to provide maximum protection of areas identified as having significant subsistence, recreational, fish and wildlife, or historical or scenic value.

As the BLM considers a variety of scenarios for future management of this spectacular place, we are committed to fighting for permanent protection of the sensitive wildlife habitat in designated and proposed Special Areas. Research by our staff scientists is helping identify critical habitat and make the case for limiting the locations where drilling can occur.

The reserve is cursed with an ugly name, but it’s far too beautiful and special to throw away.

Coming Together on Energy Efficiency

Fri, 18 May 2012 19:22:29 +0000

Image:

Many wild places The Wilderness Society is working the hardest to protect are areas near towns and cities that are ahead of the curve on the energy efficiency front.

Take Pitkin, Gunnison and Eagle counties near the Mount Massive Wilderness Area in Colorado. By working with organizations like the Community Office for Resource Efficiency (CORE), thousands of businesses and residents in these counties have taken action to reduce energy use through innovative programs implemented at a local scale. What does this electricity savings translate to? Fewer new power plants and transmission lines across the land—by reducing demand for a new 1000 MW coal‐fired power plant, we can save roughly 23,500 acres from development.

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of attending an event hosted by the Alliance to Save Energy—an organization that brings together businesses, government, environmental and consumer leaders around the common cause of energy efficiency “as a means to achieve a healthier economy, a cleaner environment and greater energy security.” Founded in 1977 by a bi-partisan group of Senators, the Alliance has been witness to a doubling of U.S. energy efficiency per GDP over the past 35 years, and that message of energy efficiency as a way to cut costs seems to have permeated some of the biggest utilities and Fortune 500 companies in America.

In light of our “almost do-nothing Congress,” this event was a CFL light bulb in the wilderness—bringing together business leaders and elected officials to suggest that when it comes to energy efficiency (as Congressman Peter Welch of Vermont put it) we should go from “politics to pragmatism.” Legislation such as the Shaheen-Portman Act—which enjoys the support of the National Association of Manufacturers, among others—would set new standards for existing energy efficiency technologies in the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors of our economy. Leaders at the event including Senator Mark Warner and Thomas Kuhn, President of Edison Electric Institute, called it an easy bill to support. Why? Because energy efficiency just makes sense, whether you care about profit margins or wild places.

In fact, Cal Dooley of the American Chemistry Council suggested at yesterday’s event that it is imperative we reduce the pool of needed energy while debating how to transition away from fossil fuels. In some landscapes, this concept is taking hold. States near New England’s pristine Northern Forest—Vermont and Massachusetts—rank amongst the top five states in the county on ACEEE’s 2011 state annual scorecard on energy efficiency. These are steps in the right direction, but we can and should do more. To address global warming impacts on wild places, we will need new renewable power plants—and at TWS we are working to be sure they are responsibly sited. But if we are serious about protecting wild places, beautiful landscapes, and biodiversity, particularly in areas with smaller landscapes and lots of energy demand, it is the task at hand to find no regrets solutions to reducing energy use, and reducing the need for new power plants.

Despite the political challenges ahead, I felt quite positive coming out of a morning spent at the Alliance to Save Energy surrounded by businesses who want to do more than “good guy stuff,” as Senator Mark Warner put it. These businesses want to use energy efficiency to maximize profits, maximize their return on investment, and maximize their global competitiveness. And just when it couldn’t get any better, Bruce Ray, Director of Government Affairs for Warren Buffet’s energy efficiency company Johns Manville, stood up to spread Mr. Buffet’s recent and now famous call to invest in “people, communities and the environment”—something I blogged about just last week. Perhaps on ideas like energy efficiency, the environmental community and the private sector are more aligned than I thought. If folks only realized that saving energy also saves lands, we might put the cause over the edge. That makes good business sense to me.

Protect Chimney Rock now!

Thu, 17 May 2012 14:11:49 +0000

Image:

Up a winding road about 15 miles past Pagosa Springs in southwestern Colorado, rests within the San Juan National Forest a natural and archeological wonder: Chimney Rock. Chimney Rock is known for its twin rock spires that can be seen from miles away, but its true value lies in the 1,200-year-old Native American ruins visible only to those who visit.

The U.S. House of Representatives recently voted to protect Chimney Rock as a national monument. Colorado Senators Michael Bennet and Mark Udall, in addition to Congressman Scott Tipton, support protecting Chimney Rock. While legislation passed the House today, it could be a while until the Senate votes. However, President Barack Obama could protect Chimney Rock today and ensure that this treasure is protected for future generations to enjoy.

The history of Chimney Rock can be traced back to 925 C.E. when the ancestors of the Pueblo Indians lived there until 1125. People from across the United States come here to view the remnants of a civilization, and national forest land surrounding the 4,700-acre archaeological area.

There is something for everyone in Chimney Rock. It attracts archeology enthusiasts for its still-intact structures. Hikers and nature lovers come to hike the ruins and surrounding San Juan National Forest. It remains a sacred place for today’s Pueblo tribes, due to its cultural significance. For whatever reason you come to Chimney Rock, you cannot ignore the Great House Pueblo. From the Great House, you can witness the Northern Lunar Standstill -- or the rising of the moon between the rock spires -- which only happens every 18.6 years.

It is for all these reasons that people on the ground, in Congress, and the Obama administration support protecting Chimney Rock. Less than a week before the House passed the Chimney Rock National Monument Establishment Act (H.R. 2621), more than 150 people attended a listening session in Pagosa Springs to ask President Obama to designate Chimney Rock as a national monument by using the Antiquities Act.

The Antiquities Act is a law established by Congress under President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906 to protect for future generations America’s cultural, historical and natural treasures. Nearly every president since Roosevelt’s time has used this Act to protect places like the Grand Canyon, Statue of Liberty and the U.S. Virgin Islands Coral Reef national monument. President Obama has used the Antiquities Act to protect Fort Monroe in Virginia and Fort Ord in California.

There is no reason to wait. Chimney Rock is too important for too many people to risk not preserving it. President Obama has the ability to act today.

Drilling bills are solutions that cause more problems

Wed, 16 May 2012 20:11:02 +0000

Four bills that will likely pass the House Natural Resources Committee will cause more problems than they solve, according to The Wilderness Society.

“These bills are solutions looking for a problem – and cause more problems than they solve,” said Dave Alberswerth, senior legislative advisor. “The way that these bills seek to limit the American public’s participation in drilling decisions that could affect their lives and livelihoods is especially concerning.”

The bills (H.R. 4381, H.R. 4382, H.R. 4383, and H.R. 3973) bills minimize, eliminate and penalize public participation in leasing and drilling decisions on our public lands. H.R. 4383, for example, would impose a $5000 penalty to any group or individual that challenges a drilling permit in court. H.R. 4382 would prohibit public reviews of lease sales, and disallow new information to change a leasing decision.

“The bills try to open more lands and give more permits to the oil industry, when they aren’t using the ones they have,” said Alberswerth.

“The oil industry is sitting on more than 7,000 approved but unused federal drilling permits, and more than 20 million acres they’ve leased are sitting idle.”

“The problem isn’t on federal government’s end. If the oil industry wants to be drilling more on public lands, they have the leases and permits they need.”

For more information on these bills, see our analysis here: http://wilderness.org/content/drilling-bills-continue-assault-public-lands