This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Many issues currently divide our country, but when leaders from across our communities on both sides of the aisle share a common goal — managing our public lands in a smart, collaborative way — the people of Utah win. The Moab Master Leasing Plan (MLP) exemplifies what a successful framework for collaboration looks like for oil and gas development. By bringing people together (which is what master leasing plans do) we can incorporate all public land stakeholders and strike the right balance for our communities' future needs.
We need more of this approach in the West, and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) should look to the Moab Master Leasing Plan as the premier model for planning. This plan is collaborative and effective because it accommodates diverse needs: National Park viewsheds, bike and jeep trails and river access, among others. By delving into these details, master leasing plans allow us to develop key areas where oil is accessible while simultaneously protecting other resources from industrial traffic, noise and impact.
Here in Moab, it is economically critical that we focus on protecting the experiences our visitors have on our rivers and trails. Our world-class scenery supports many of our local businesses, both those that rely on visitors and those that have moved to Moab for the great quality of life. But prior to the implementation of the master leasing plan, famous Moab jeep and bike trails could be turned into triple-wide gravel haul roads and the view from Delicate Arch could have been full of well pads and road cuts. With the work that has been done on the Moab MLP, we can avoid these problems and still access the oil and gas in our area.
In the past, the Bureau of Land Management didn't have the proper tools to achieve this careful balance. The BLM planning process cover large tracts of land and can't possibly include the kind of acre by acre detailed planning that MLP's make possible. Historically, the agency has been primarily focused on managing resource extraction. The recreation economy is a relatively new component of public land management. Unlike archaeology or wildlife, there are no laws that specifically protect recreation assets, so without an MLP, the assets that more and more western communities rely upon will continue to be at risk.
Master leasing plans allow stakeholders of all types to engage in the planning process in a detailed way that truly optimizes land use for the future benefit of nearby communities. Recreation assets on public land are playing a growing role in the economies of many Western communities. Visitors and quality of life recruits are providing a buffer for the inevitable swings in prices of commodities such as oil and gas.
Our public lands have been in desperate need of a new and better way of doing business, and MLP's are a great tool for achieving the right balance. The MLP process gives both communities and the energy industry a much needed sense of certainty. In Moab, this process has given our local businesses, many of whom depend on recreation and tourism, a seat at the table alongside oil and gas companies and other stakeholders. The process has worked: It proves that our community doesn't have to choose between preserving the magnificent public lands surrounding Arches and Canyonlands national parks and developing our domestic energy resources. We can do both, creating a win-win for the entire Moab area.
Last year, more than 2 million people visited Arches and Canyonlands, generating almost $262 million in economic output for our community. These numbers are only projected to grow year after year. Our world-class public lands are the economic engine of Moab's local economy, and we can be sure that, with a master leasing plan in place, their protection is just as much a priority as their development.
The Moab MLP also promotes balance across industries. For the oil and gas industry, this smart-from-the-start approach allows companies to craft better development plans, ones that are informed by the needs of the surrounding community prior to the leasing process. More certainty for development and leasing will result in fewer delays in the long term.
As we look to the future of energy development on our public lands, the Bureau of Land Management needs to continue to implement and finalize master leasing plans in Utah and across the West. In Utah alone, the BLM needs to work to complete the master leasing plan in the San Rafael Desert, another area that attracts visitors to our state because of its scenery and many recreation opportunities.
The Moab MLP balances the needs of our community with the interests of a diverse set of stakeholders that, in the past, haven't always seen eye-to-eye. And after seeing such success in Moab, we urge the BLM to continue to bring people to the table, by implementing the same framework for collaboration across our public lands, for places like the San Rafael Desert and other public lands across the West.
Don and Denise Oblak operate Canyon Voyages Adventure Co. in Moab.