JAMES A. MCCLURE and HENRY M. JACKSON are Ex Officio Members of the Subcommittee TONY BEVINETTO, Professional Staff Member (II) BN24 POJE 8. KF26 CONTENTS Summary of GAO report "Actions Needed To Increase Federal Onshore Oil Alt, David, professor of geology, University of Montana Barker, Max, JJJ Wilderness Ranch, Augusta, Mont Christiansen, David R., manager, government affairs, Arco Exploration Clark, Edward E., Jr., chairman, Virginia Wilderness Coalition....... Cook, James, district landsman, Placid Oil Co............. Crowell, John B., Jr., Assistant Secretary for Natural Resources and Environ- ment, Department of Agriculture, accompanied by Raymond M. Housley, Deputy Chief, National Forest System Cummings, Kenneth K., independent geologist, Denver, Colo..... Dibble, George S., Jr., on behalf of the Rocky Moutain Oil & Gas Association, Hall, Bobby R., director, exploration affaits department, American Petroleum Hughes, Richard T., legislative and regulatory analyst, Central Region, Chev- Jackson, Hon. Henry M., a U.S. Senator from the State of Washington........... Lamm, Hon. Richard D., Governor, State of Colorado Lee, L. Courtland, consulting geologist, Minerals Exploration Coalition Matthews, Vincent, III, division manager, Rocky Mountain Division, Lear McCloskey, Michael, executive director, Sierra Club, accompanied by Tim 49 180 79 30 47 272 128 McClure, Hon. James A., a U.S. Senator from the State of Idaho. Melcher, Hon. John, a U.S. Senator from the State of Montana 37 Murkowski, Hon. Frank H., a U.S. Senator from the State of Alaska.. 48 Nickles, Hon. Don, a U.S. Senator from the State of Oklahoma... 39 162 Peterson, Russell W., president, National Audubon Society. 109 Pitcher, Max, vice president, Domestic Exploration, Conoco, Inc. Shanks, Bern, assistant director for resources, Governor's Office, State of 297 Sheldon, Karen P., staff attorney, Rocky Mountain Office, Sierra Club Legal 117 Smith, Roger J., environmental consultant, American Land Alliance Stafford, Hon. Robert T., a U.S. Senator from the State of Vermont Turnage, William A., executive director, The Wilderness Society. Turner, M. O., president, American Institute of Professional Geologists. 107 266 Page Voelker, Alfred H., research staff, MBR, Resource Analysis Group, Oak Ridge 182 Wallop, Hon. Malcolm, a U.S. Senator from the State of Wyoming. 1 172 Work, Davic F., exploration manager, Western Region, Amoco Production Co. (USA). 97 APPENDIX Additional material submitted for the record................. 311 WITHDRAWAL OF CERTAIN LANDS FROM MINERAL LEASING THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1982 U.S. SENATE, SUBCOMMITTEE ON PUBLIC LANDS AND RESERVED WATER, COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES, Washington, D.C. The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 9:05 a.m., in room 3110, Dirksen Office Building, Hon. Malcolm Wallop, presiding. Present: Senators Wallop, McClure, Domenici, Warner, Murkowski, Nickles, Jackson, and Melcher. Also present: Tony Bevinetto, professional staff menber; and Thomas B. Williams, professional staff member for the minority. OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. MALCOLM WALLOP, A U.S. Senator WALLOP. Good morning, and welcome to this morning's hearing of the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Reserved Water on H.R. 6542 and S. 2801, the Wilderness Protection Act of 1982. These are identical bills which would immediately and permanently withdraw all lands now in the national wilderness preservation system and all lands so designated in the future except for lands in Alaska from oil and gas, oil shale, coal, phosphate, potassium, sulfur, gilsonite, and geothermal leasing. These lands which are already scheduled for permanent withdrawal after December 31, 1983, under the Wilderness Act of 1964 total 19.7 million acres. In addition, these bills would also withdraw nearly 15 million more acres of nonwilderness lands as follows-7 million acres of RARE II lands recommended for wilderness, 5.9 million acres of RARE II further planning lands, and 1.8 million acres of congressionally-designated wilderness study areas. These lands would remain withdrawn until Congress determines otherwise or until the Forest Service decides as a part of its land and forest planning process to release any or all of them for multiple use management. In addition, these bills will also provide for mineral inventories of withdrawn areas, revocation of withdrawals in the event of urgent national need, protection of valid existing rights, and for nosurface occupancy leasing-slant drilling-of forest or BLM wilderness areas immediately adjacent to potential or producing oil and gas fields. I have described the general provisions of these bills before us because I think it is essential that everyone understand exactly what (1) these bills do and do not do. I suspect that many people know this legislation blocks oil and gas leasing and development in wilderness, but they may not be aware that these bills do more than that. They withdraw an additional 15 million acres which Congress has not designated as wilderness although it may or may not in the future. These bills also withdraw all future wilderness areas which at this point in time is an unknown quantity. I have also read that this legislation does not affect BLM lands, and that is incorrect. These bills withdraw existing BLM wilderness which amounts to about 12,000 acres, and withdraws any future BLM wilderness areas which Congress may designate. At this time there are 47 known leases in existing wilderness areas. Most of these leases were let under past administrations. Some have been let under this one. Many lease applications are pending on existing wilderness areas, and I am inserting a list of existing leases in wilderness and the dates upon which they were issued into the hearing record. The issue of oil and gas leasing in wilderness areas has become an emotional one, but that does not excuse us from taking a careful, objective look at the bills before us today, and their impact. Strong public opposition has been voiced to oil rigs in the wilderness. I personally oppose oil and gas leasing and development in wilderness areas, and with others have urged both the oil industry and this administration not to press for development in wilderness areas. Now I was pleased when Secretary Watt agreed not to issue any leases throughout this session of Congress so we would have a chance to review the issue. I believe, like others, that the areas which make up our national wilderness preservation system are some of America's most beautiful and wonderous areas and have been set aside to preserve their pristine condition and they should remain that way barring urgent national need, so while I agree with the provisions of the bill affecting wilderness, I must express my concern about the additional nonwilderness withdrawal. I would hope that we can get some discussion about the cumulative impact of this bill on our Nation's present and potential energy needs. GAO has estimated that out of 410 million acres controlled by the Federal Government in the lower 48 States, approximately 64 million acres are now closed to oil and gas leasing. Wilderness programs of the Forest Service could close at a minimum an additional 33 million acres to new mineral development after 1983. GAO estimates that as much as 55 percent of these withdrawn lands have some likelihood of oil and gas, and it recommended in a February 1981 report, that the Nation's need for more oil and gas development from Federal lands will not be met unless Federal agencies act to make more lands now closed to leasing available for oil and gas development. I will insert a summary of that report in the hearing record. In addition, this bill does nothing to resolve the management limbo arising from the Forest Service's RARE II recommendations. As a result of RARE II, many forestlands remain subject to lawsuits which could block responsible development on millions of ad |