Number: 1983-22
WHEREAS, the Reagan Administration has announced a plan to sell public lands to private interests with its first target goal to raise $4 billion in revenue in 1984 to help reduce the national debt; and
WHEREAS, the President of the United States has announced the appointment of a Real Property Review Board and an Assets Management Program to expedite such land disposal; and
WHEREAS, federal agencies were ordered to inventory lands under their jurisdiction and suggest areas for disposal to the Board; and
WHEREAS, over 100 million acres of National Forests is being considered for disposal; and
WHEREAS, four million acres of Bureau of Land Management land has already been identified for disposal; and
WHEREAS, other federal agencies administering land for conservation and recreation purposes (e.g., Federal Research Stations) have also been directed to inventory and expedite land and facility disposals; and
WHEREAS, conveyances to state and local governments for park and recreation purposes have been sharply reduced; and
WHEREAS, legislation is being sought by the Administration to legalize privatization by amending a broad range of public land and conservation law; and
WHEREAS, the aforementioned actions violate the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA, 1976) by failing to study the environmental impact of such sales and violate NEPA’s mandate that the government act as trustee of our natural resources;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation, in annual meeting assembled March 17-20, 1983, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, goes on record in support of existing Congressional policy of retention of public lands and the existing procedures which allow for disposal of individual parcels of land which, through land use planning and public input, are found not to be in the national interest to retain; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation vigorously opposes the secret and accelerated inventory now being conducted by the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Interior, and other government agencies which is intended to meet budgetary targets of the Administration and does not adequately consider public benefits of public land ownership; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation stands unequivocally opposed to changes in existing laws which allow short-term monetary gain to override public stewardship of public resources for the long-term benefit of society and future generations.