Earlier today Outdoor Alliance testified before the Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands on the subject of the Role of Federal Lands in Combating Climate Change.

In our testimony we provided the following perspectives:

1) Federal lands must facilitate an ecosystem adaptation policy that protects flora and fauna, but also takes into account the
human aspects of federal land. Adaptation policy should include preserving large tracts of open space through a pragmatic approach ranging from protective federal designation to voluntary conservation easements.

2) Federal lands must simultaneously be protected as carbon sinks and throughtfully developed for renewable energy. We support a portfolio approach to land designation that includes wilderness areas, national scenic areas, national recreational areas, and especially open space designations in close proximity to population centers. We feel that it is incumbent upon all public lands user communities, from recreation communities to the businesses that rely on federal lands, to work directly and proactively with the renewable energy community. We believe this effort should develop common ground assuring that renewable energy production and transmission can coexist with other sustainable uses of federal public land.

3) Healthy federal land is our common ground and can unify all Americans for the present and future challenges associated with combating climate change. Public lands provide citizens with the opportunity to view wildlife, play in the rivers and snow, test one’s skills on a steep rock or a single track, and experience first-hand the natural world. Our public lands provide the opportunity for Americans to stay connected to the natural world. Only through this connection will we have the commitment and collective endurance to achieve the goal of stabilizing our climate. 

Read Complete Testimony of Outdoor Alliance

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