OCR Text |
Show PAGE 13 THE ZEPHYR AUGUST 89 GAO on the BLM The United States General Accounting Office (GAO) is a Congressional "watch dog" agency. In arepoit released on April 11, 1989, the GAO once again confirms the Bureau of Land Management's (RLM)failnre tn pmpgriy manage the public land. Following are excerpts from the GAO report tittedChoRge in Approach Needed to Improve the Bureau ofLand Managements Oversight of Public Lands (emphasis added). The repot wasastatementby James DufTus III, Director, Namral Resources Management Issues, Resources, Narinnai PaHr ywt PnhiiqT.andl a committee Community, and Economic Development Division presented to the ubcnmfni ttf on Interior and Insular Affairs, House of Representatives. Dear Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee: ... out Over the years, we (GAO) have consistently that BLM is not exercising balanced pointed stewardship over the public lands as required by its In many and sustained-yiel- d mandates. multiple-us- e instances, Blhasbeenmoreconceraedwitheithertheimmetfiate needs of special interest groups or budget reductions than with health of the resources. . . ensuring the long-ter, m TE Historically, public lands administeredby BLM were viewed as wastelands warranting little management attention. .. . In 1976, the Congress sought to change this philosophy by enacting the landmark Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA). This act established die policy that public lands were to be retained in federal ownership and that their deteriorated condition should be improved. Further, FLPMA directed that BLM lands be managed under the principles of multiple-us- e and sustained-yiel- d. . . . Under the act, the land should not be abused ; or have its productivity permanently impaired in order to maximize commercial output or economic return. . . . EVIDENCE OF UNBALANCED BLM MA Our work has shown thatBLMhasnotadequately balanced the competing demands on the natural resources that it is mandated to foster, protect, and preserve. BLM. has often placed the needs of commercial interests such as livestock percent of the grazing allotments for which BLM range managers had current status information were in less than satisfactory condition. Further, only about of the allotments whose status was known were improving while the remainder were either stable or declining. Despite this generally unsatisfactory condition, range managers told us that a significant portion of grazing allotments continued to be overstocked. Moreover, on 75 percent of the allotments threatened with overgrazing.BLM had not scheduled any action to reduce authorized grazing levels. BLM range managers told us that 'permittee resistance and the political climate in BLM were significant factors contributing to BLM's inaction. one-four- th - . We found morepronounceddeterioration in the ecologically critical riparian areas -t- he thin strips of green bordering rivers, streams, and lakes. ThousandsofmUesofstreamsareimiegraded condition largely because of poorly managed livestockgrazing. . . many BLM staff members that remain told us that restoration efforts have been thwarted by BLM managers when those efforts are opposed by the In contrast with BLM, field staff in the Department of a sister agency with similar Agriculture's Forest Service rangeland management responsibilities report much greater support from their tog management when tough decisions to reduceor alter livestock grazing patterns are necessary. - - , HARDROCK MINING . . . although BLM can require braids for operations that disturb more than five acres, it rarely does. . . We estimated in 1988 that the total bill for reclaiming hard rock mine sites in 1 1 western states would reach $284 million. If these sites are to be reclaimed, it is likely that much of the funding to reclaim them will have to come from the federal treasury... and hardrock mining as well as our ongoing reviews in these and other areas. KEYS TO IMPROVING BLM'S PERFORMANCE RANGELAND MANAGEMENT Our 1988 reports and testimonies on rangeland conditions and riparian area restoration issued to this Subcommittee exemplify BLM's management philosophy. We found that almost 60 ' photography ranchers with grazing permits. . permittees and mine operators ahead of other users as well as the long-terhealth of the resources. As a result, some permittees have crane to view the use of these lands as a property right for private benefit rather than a conditional privilege conferred by the public at large. Unbalanced management has beenarecunring theme in our reports onrangeland management m tom till marcy clokey - till . . BLM will have to abandon its historical identification with the interests of livestock permittees and other commercial interests. . . simply will not do if the Congress' tom till's new book Utah: magnificent wilderness on sale locally . . Business-as-usu- al . expectations as set forth in FLPMA are to be realized. Reprinted from the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance Bulletin, Summer 1989. Canyonlands Field Institute proudly presents ATTORNEYS TITLE Lynda Stocks, manager William L Benge, licensed agent Locally Operated land title insurance title searches 76 So. Main 4 259-547- 5 The Canyons Edge now in its fourth season nightly at 8:15 i at the Western Plaza Barn $2,50 per person 259-775- 0 59 So. Main FIELD INSTITUTE CANYONLANDS MMiWqM fflhiN . MMkiUHtiMUl . |