Editorial: Managing land in secret

Saturday, Jan. 6, 2007 | 7:01 a.m.

T he Bureau of Land Management is proposing changes to its National Landscape Conservation System, which manages such places as the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

According to a story by the Las Vegas Sun on Thursday, BLM employees were notified in November that changes to the program's mission were afoot. But, in true Bush administration style, the BLM is revealing no details as to just what kinds of changes are being proposed.

In December, members of the National Landscape Conservation System congressional caucus sent a letter to BLM Director Kathleen Clarke, asking her to explain what changes were going to be proposed. Clarke gave no answer. She resigned from her post later in the month.

BLM officials told Sun reporter Launce Rake that the changes are only proposals and that details of how they may affect staffing levels, conservation goals and federal funding haven't been worked out yet.

Discussions to determine the effect of any proposed mission change should take place early - and in the open. It is important to gather input from the public, including from visitors, the system's vast network of volunteer organizations and the agency employees whose job it is to protect these areas.

Lawmakers and conservationists are suspicious because this is how the Bush administration manages the nation's conservation efforts - with secretive policy changes and sweeping funding cuts. Bush has aggressively cut funding for other water and land conservation programs and the National Park System. The Bush administration already is trying to cut the National Landscape Conservation System's 2007 budget to $37 million, down from the $42 million it received in 2006.

The areas protected by this program are more than just picturesque places. They possess significant scientific, ecological and ancient cultural features, such as those found in Red Rock and Sloan canyons. These areas belong to all Americans, and discussions of how they should be managed must be open to public scrutiny before such plans become set in stone.