Dear HCN,
Your “Beyond the
Revolution” articles about the future of the new West could have
included mention of the long-discussed proposal to place the
BLM-managed lands into a National Public Lands System, similar to
the national forest, national parks, and national wildlife refuge
systems that protect our forests, parks and refuges. The BLM lands
lack a national identity, and this makes it very difficult to get
public understanding and acceptance of the vital role that they
play in the environment and local economies of the
West.
Though we endorse “special area”
designation for some of the BLM lands, we believe a better plan
would be to designate all BLM lands, by executive order, as a new
National Public Lands System. The lands would be managed for
multiple use by the BLM under the authorities of the Federal Land
Management Policy Act (FLPMA) of 1976. Within this National Public
Land System, the president and Congress could establish national
monuments and national conservation areas on the “crown jewel
areas’ that have special management or resource protection
needs.
We believe that giving a distinctive name
to the BLM lands will enhance public support and help keep these
public lands in public hands.
George
Lea
Arlington,
Virginia
The writer is president of the nonprofit Public Lands Foundation.
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline BLM needs a new identity.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
