Number: 2010-02
WHEREAS, the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) has long treasured the unique and irreplaceable values of federal public lands, stating that these lands “represent a birthright of the American people” (Resolution No. 28, 1984); and
WHEREAS, for sixty years NWF has defended the value of public lands for wildlife, wildlife habitat and recreational uses (Resolution No. 1, 1960) and the importance of public lands and their proper management to wildlife conservation (Resolution No. 10, 1981; Resolution No. 14, 1989; Resolution No. 6, 1992); and
WHEREAS, NWF opposes any net loss of public lands through privatization and/or land disposal, including land exchanges “unless the fish and wildlife and recreational values of the lands acquired clearly exceed those of the lands lost” (Resolution No. 3, 2006); and
WHEREAS, NWF has formulated numerous resolutions relating to energy development on public lands, including: (1) Calling for the federal government to “prudently approach energy and mineral extraction to ensure that wildlife and recreation will not be unnecessarily sacrificed in a rush to extract energy and minerals from the public lands” (Resolution No. 10, 1981); (2) Calling for public land management agencies to “end their persistent pursuit of maximizing lands leased for energy development, which puts irreplaceable resources needlessly at risk” and calling on Congress and the agencies to “restore balance to our search for energy” and that “energy leasing and development policies must ensure the protection of critical fisheries, wildlife habitat and other sensitive natural resources” (Resolution No. 1, 1986); and (3) Promoting a national energy policy that protects the environment, encourages the efficient use of resources, and promotes the development of clean, renewable energy resources and calling on the federal government to increase its efforts toward controlling the adverse environmental impacts of energy production on federal public lands; and
WHEREAS, NWF has consistently supported development of domestic energy sources, both conventional (e.g., oil, natural gas, coal, etc.) and renewable (e.g., wind, solar, geothermal, etc.) including production, development and transmission (hereinafter termed “energy development”) in a manner that conserves other values on public lands such as wildlife and recreation, urging federal and state agencies with permitting authority over wind turbine projects to conduct a “thorough review of the project’s impacts on wildlife and wildlife habitat including methods to minimize the impacts” and specifically to “avoid impacts on sage grouse and their habitat” (Resolution No. 11, 2004) and urging that “all commercial wind generator development proposals be evaluated in a public process to determine whether they meet U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) criteria” and encouraging state and local governments, federal agencies and other appropriate agencies “not to issue permits for wind generator development proposal that do not meet USFWS criteria” (Resolution No. 12, 2004); and
WHEREAS, energy development continues to significantly reduce the value of public lands in terms of wildlife, wildlife habitat and recreation, in spite of actions by NWF and others to minimize these negative impacts; and
WHEREAS, many energy development projects have resulted and continue to result in creation of sacrifice zones, where wildlife, wildlife habitat and recreation values are lost as a result of energy development without adequate mitigation; and
WHEREAS, growing emphasis on other conventional and renewable energy development is clearly targeting public lands for much of this development, with clear implications for the loss of wildlife, wildlife habitat and recreation values; and
WHEREAS, mitigation for energy development on public lands is often inadequate to compensate for losses in both quantity and quality of wildlife, wildlife habitat and recreation values; and
WHEREAS, the National Wildlife Federation in previous resolutions has recognized that energy development including development on public lands should emphasize those energy sources that minimize the release of carbon into the atmosphere;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation at its annual meeting assembled April 8-10, 2010 in Houston, Texas, urges Congress and appropriate federal agencies to adopt and enforce laws and policies associated with energy development that require “no net loss in the quantity and quality of public lands with respect to wildlife, wildlife habitat and recreational values; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation urges Congress and appropriate federal agencies to adopt and enforce laws and policies requiring all projects and programs for energy development on public lands to be reviewed in a manner that includes public input, a citizen suit provision, and assurance of complete mitigation as defined by Council on Environmental Quality for any losses in wildlife, wildlife habitat, and recreation values; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation urges other environmental and conservation organizations to promote energy development policies with “no net loss in the quantity and quality of public lands with respect to wildlife, wildlife habitat and recreation values”; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation urges the application of this resolved policy in all energy development related to conventional, renewable and future as yet unidentified sources, methods and applications.