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FEDERATION OF WESTERN OUTDOOR CLUBS







No. 15

OIL, GAS, AND MINERAL LEASING IN WILDERNESS AREAS
            


               

Leasing for oil and gas and minerals in wilderness areas can result in irreparable ecological damage.  Federal law does not mandate the Secretary of Interior to lease wilderness and other ecologically important areas.  In the state of Washington, however, typical of all the western states, there are 15 pending oil and gas lease applications within the Alpine Lakes Wilderness and Intended Wilderness.  These leases cover about 62,000 acres including most of the Enchantment Lakes plateau.  Geothermal lease applications are pending on an undetermined amount of forest land within the proposed Cougar Lakes Wilderness and a potential extension of the Goat Rocks Wilderness.


The Federation of Western Outdoor Clubs is opposed to oil and gas leasing and other forms of mineral exploration in wilderness areas.  Therefore it opposes HR 5603, the "Watt Wilderness Destruction Act", and supports HR 427, the Udall-Conte resolution, and the resulting compromise, HR 6542, the Lujan-Seiberling "Wilderness Protection Act of 1982", which recently was passed by the House of Representatives by an overwhelming margin.  The Federation urges Western State U.S. Senators to cosponsor S 2801, introduced as a companion measure to H.R. 6542 by Senator Henry Jackson, and to work for its early passage without weakening amendments.  Further, the Federation calls on all members of Congress to continue to oppose efforts of Secretary Watt to develop this nation's last remaining wild areas.











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