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Congressman Pombo, Tancredo Propose Selling Off America's Heritage Statement of Carl Pope, Sierra Club Executive Director "One day after Congress Pombo's (R-CA) bill to raze the Endangered Species Act passed out of committee, Pombo released a draft bill to sell off America's National Parks and open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and America's coasts to dangerous drilling. The irresponsible legislation fails to decrease oil dependence or save consumers money, but instead focuses bizarrely on items like selling naming rights and advertising in National Parks and destroying millions of acres of the heritage Americans cherish. The draft bill comes on the heels of Congressman Tancredo's (R-CO) radical bill to sell off 15 percent of America's public land. "In one of the most stark illustrations of Congressman Pombo's divergence from the Republican Party's traditional values, he has proposed selling off for development Theodore Roosevelt Island, named after the Republican father of the conservation movement. "Congressman Pombo's proposal would put 15 National Parks covering millions of acres on the auction block for "energy or commercial development". These natural treasures would be sacrificed based on the arbitrary criteria that they receive less than 10,000 visitors a year. These national park units range from small historical sites like the Frederick Law Olmstead National Historic site in Massachusetts to vast swaths of federal land and the breathtaking landscapes and wildlife of Lake Clark National Park in Alaska. "These public lands are icons of our natural and cultural history. They belong to us all and it is not up to congressmen Pombo or Tancredo to offer them to the highest bidder. They are an invaluable resource that have been protected for the benefit of future generations. Although Pombo may be targeting lesser-known parts of our national Park system, this is obviously the camel's nose under the tent. At a time when development is encroaching on our open spaces and green places closer to home, Americans value the places set aside for their historical significance, or as a haven for wildlife, or beloved destinations where American families recreate. "Congressman Pombo's bill also calls for opening the Arctic Refuge and more of America's coasts to drilling even though it is not the answer to lowering our dependence on oil - and it threatens the health of our coasts and sensitive aquatic habitats. For example: The Coast Guard estimates more than 7 million gallons of oil were spilled from industrial plants, storage depots and other facilities around southeast Louisiana. That is about two-thirds as much oil as spilled from the Exxon Valdez tanker in 1989. But unlike the oil from the Valdez, which poured from a single source, these oil spills are scattered at sites throughout southeast Louisiana. "The United States can never drill its way to energy independence. The United States is responsible for 25% of the world's oil consumption, and yet we have less than 3% of the world's oil supplies. Additionally, the Energy Information Administration has estimated the effect of oil drilling in the Arctic Refuge on the price of gasoline would be less than $0.01 per gallon in 2025 - that's about a penny 20 years from now. "The answer isn't on the supply side of the equation - it is on the demand side. Cars with better fuel economy use less gas, requiring consumers to buy less gas. More efficient appliances and homes use less natural gas, easing the demand for drilling in sensitive places. This is not a time to advance a narrow political agenda of the auto and oil industry - the people of the United States need real solutions to save them money at the gas pump and curb the heat-trapping pollution that causes global warming. There is a better way. By using more efficient engines, smarter transmissions, and better materials automakers can make all vehicles average 40 miles per gallon within ten years. It's time to encourage and promote the use of renewable energy sources including solar and wind power. "This is just the latest attempt by Congressmen Pombo and Tancredo to undermine America's bedrock environmental protections and special places. In addition to pushing controversial measures to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and off America's coasts, Pombo is also assaulting the Endangered Species Act, and working to weaken the National Environmental Policy Act which allows communities to be involved in the decision-making process for federally funded projects." ### |
