1982 RESOLUTIONS
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| No. 15 |
OIL, GAS, AND MINERAL LEASING IN WILDERNESS AREAS | |
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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. |
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| 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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