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SHARING THE SOLUTION
Most western states have millions of acres of public land managed by the federal government. Knowing which laws apply and why is at the heart of economic, social and environmental balance. Balancing these three components guarantees prosperity. Perhaps if we focused on the laws and their intent, we would more easily learn to respect the rights of our fellow Americans. Public laws are about respecting another's rights. They are not about liking another person. The Multiple Use & Sustained Yield Act does not call for using all acres for all uses. However, environmental extremists constantly sing the refrain that commodity users of public lands are interpreting the law this way. This is one of those hollow, bumper sticker phrases that masquerades for thoughtful public policy discussion. It attempts to create a negative perception towards those Americans who want to exercise their rights under law to sustain and utilize our natural resources. This is unfair, and a compelling waste of everyone's time, talent and resources. This simple law enables Americans at every level to enjoy and benefit from the public lands regardless of where they live. This is achieved by folks coming to visit the areas, or by receiving products and services where they live, derived from the raw materials these lands provide. On multiple use lands, some areas have more than one use. Those uses come in many different combinations. For example, recreation along with oil and gas production. They could be livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Timber harvesting along with hunting and outfitting can occur successfully on the same areas. There are many other combinations. Wilderness areas managed by multiple use agencies are very special. On these millions of acres most activities of mankind are extremely limited-as well they should be. There are some non-motorized activities such as hunting and outfitting, hiking and camping. However, in Wilderness areas the multiple uses allowed are very limited. The rights to share in the access to, and utilization of lands designated for multiple use are protected by law. When groups seek to deny their fellow Americans those rights we all lose. We lose because we chose to respect a public law only when we like the law and how it suits our own value system. One can never find "balance" in such a selfish arena. As a result of some folks trying to prevent others from exercising their legal rights-we spend weeks, months and years of our lives in meetings. These meetings are described as attempts to reach consensus, build partnerships, find a compromise, demonstrate stewardship, reach a win-win solution, collaborate, mitigate — the list goes on and on. Frustration and exasperation are by and large the end result. Why do these well-intended efforts so often produce so little? The most fundamental reason is that these discussions do not recognize that Congress has designated different lands for different uses. Trying to reach consensus, compromise or engage in collaboration is a futile effort if the legal framework of the issue is not recognized, laid on the table and guiding the discussion. One cannot wordsmith away the legal direction for management that Congress has established. The way to change the legal direction is to get the law changed. Until then-the law should rightfully prevail as the voice of the American people. The body of public law under which we all operate does not require that we share each other's value systems. It does, however, require that we respect those value systems. The
Multiple Use and Sustained Yield Act is about sharing the resources.
Sharing the resources produces the solution. Sharing in the solution
is a future worth producing. Permission
granted to reprint in full or part with full credit given to author.
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