Dept. of Interior to Take a Big Picture Look at Development and Conservation
Does it make sense to develop oil and gas fields along Desolation Canyon of the Green River, or is there somewhere that it makes better sense? If a project goes forward how can impacts best be minimized and offset by conservation measures elsewhere? You would think that the government would have had good answers for these questions for decades but you would be wrong. Until now. Earlier today Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell released a new strategy for striking a more science-based and carefully planned balance between development and recreation.
"This strategy outlines the key principles and actions we need to take to successfully shift from a reactive, project-by-project approach to more predictable and effective management of the lands and resources that we manage on behalf of the American public,” Secretary Jewell said. “The goal is to provide greater certainty for project developers when it comes to permitting and better outcomes for conservation through more effective and efficient project planning. Through advances in science and technology, advance planning, and collaboration with stakeholders, we know that development and conservation can both benefit – and that’s the win-win this mitigation strategy sets out to achieve.”
The strategy relies heavily on GIS mapping of natural resource values to tease out hot spots for conservation and other spots where development can occur with relatively smaller impacts. It also sets up a practice for avoiding impacts if possible, minimizing impacts that can't be avoided, and mitigating remaining impacts where the most good can be accomplished. It is a smart and long overdue approach. We look forward to working with the Department of Interior to build their knowledge of rivers that paddlers value deeply, so that unique and high quality river trips will stay that way for future generations.
To learn more check out this video released earlier today, or dive into the strategy document.