Group kicks off campaign against Landscape Act

www.arra-access.com

Americans for Responsible Recreational Access (ARRA) have launched a campaign urging opposition so the National Landscape Conservation System Act (NLCSA) now pending before the House Natural Resources Committee.

"We must stay diligent to protect responsible access to our public lands," says a press release on ARRA's website.

Background information provided by the group states that the bill, H.R. 2016, will statutorily create a bureaucracy to manage specially designated BLM lands. If enacted, this legislation will almost certainly mean a loss of recreational opportunities on public lands.

This bureaucracy would be tasked to "restore" the over 106 million acres of wilderness that is already off-limits to OHV, mountain bike and other forms of recreation as well as areas that currently can allow all types of recreational uses, scch as wilderness study areas. "Restoration" of these areas would be accomplished by limiting access and acquisition of additional lands to "manage" by excluding legitimate forms of recreation.

The National Landscape Conservation System Act will statutorily create a bureaucracy to manage specially designated BLM lands. If enacted, this legislation will almost certainly mean a loss of recreational opportunities on public lands.

This bureaucracy would be tasked to "restore" the over 106 million acres of wilderness that is already off-limits to OHV, mountain bike and other forms of recreation as well as areas that currently allow all types of recreational uses like wilderness study areas.

The group urges its members to voice their opposition to the NLCSA by using the following sample letter;

Subject: Please Oppose H.R. 2016
Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

As a member of Americans for Responsible Recreational Access I write to urge you to oppose H.R. 2016, the National Landscape Conservation System Act, when the House Natural Resources Committee considers the bill on March 12th.

H.R. 2016 would statutorily establish a bureaucracy to manage specially designated BLM lands in restrictive fashion that runs counter to the multiple-use manner in which the BLM has traditionally managed its lands. The bill would eschew existing management requirements in favor of management objectives designed to deny access for many recreational uses.

In addition, the legislation would require that specially designated BLM lands be managed in accordance with any law or regulation "relating to" that unit. This is troublesome as the language is vague and would invite lawsuits to establish which laws "relate" to the management of particular lands.

Also, the legislation would legally place Wilderness Study Areas (WSA) in the National Landscape Conservation System with the same management goals as other specially designated lands. As it currently stands motorized and mechanized recreation can be provided for on WSAs, as they are not officially designated as Wilderness Areas.

If enacted, this legislation would likely make WSAs de facto Wilderness areas as the NLCS would have a mandate to manage WSAs in the same fashion as other specially designated lands.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,