Last week the Interior Department issued a new policy streamlining oil and gas drilling on federal public land by cutting back on opportunities for the public to review and comment on leasing proposals and making environmental reviews optional.
This new announcement could have a serious effect on communities like Springdale, near Zion National Park, where recreation brings more reliable revenue and jobs than oil and gas.
I am the owner of Zion Cycles in Springdale, which has been offering bike rentals and guided trips since 2003. My wife and I also own Deep Creek Coffee and Zion Guide Hub. Our businesses have been part of the incredible transformation of Southern Utah. I am extremely proud to be an employer in my community. My employees and myself take great joy in welcoming people from all over the world to our incredible public lands in and around Zion National Park.
This new oil and gas policy — implemented in the name of energy dominance —goes forward despite the fact that oil and gas companies across the West are already stockpiling thousands of leases and not developing them. When land is tied up in leases that have very little potential to be drilled, it leaves rural residents in the twilight zone. These leases inhibit investments in recreation, create uncertainty for businesses like ours, and produce no jobs or royalties for nearby communities.
And, in places that are working to supplement traditional oil and gas jobs with recreation, the lack of public comment means recreation projects will be at the mercy of the oil and gas industry. Just recently, near Zion National Park, Gov. Gary Herbert and the Washington County Commissioners had to ask the Bureau of Land Management not to lease parcels that would have affected plans to add much needed campgrounds and other services near Zion.
The Interior Department’s new policy fully ignores the needs and plans of local communities, something Secretary Ryan Zinke vowed not to do. The secretary has chopped several months off the timeline for processing proposed lease sales and left public outreach to the discretion of overworked local officials. Plus, he has chopped the public objections period from 30 days to 10 days, thus dramatically curtailing the ability of other stakeholders, such as the recreation business owners, to object to poorly conceived leases, such as the ones near Zion. The new policy also rolls back master leasing plans, which have proven very successful in places like Moab where public input was included to determine how to optimize oil and gas opportunities in high use recreation areas.
The policy makes recreation an afterthought, right when it is bringing more reliable jobs and revenues to Springdale and other local communities.
All this points to a troubling trend with this administration where they continually work to cut local communities and the public out of the process. This “lease now, ask questions later” policy will not lead to energy dominance nor improved economic conditions around the West. Instead, it is putting the interests of oil and gas companies over those of local communities like Springdale, which have transformed themselves into world-class destinations for outdoor recreation and tourism.
This new policy will hurt rural America by preventing communities from reaping the economic benefits of the beauty and recreation opportunities of their public lands, which attract both visitors and businesses who want to locate near the great outdoors — just like we have for more than 25 years.
In the future, the administration would do well to listen to Western voices who are asking for a smart way to optimize our public lands, not just drill, baby, drill.
Scott Williams is the Owner of Zion Cycles, Deep Creek Coffee and Zion Guide Hub in Springdale, Utah.