Research Paper Example on Public Land Funding

Introduction

Public land is the land held by the government. The government dictates its use. Therefore, the government can either sell it out to accompany to develop it or develop it. The Federal Government needs to continue funding Public Land programs and honor the commitment of prior administrations to steward and protect the lands, natural resources, and oceans for future generations. This is the core duty and responsibility for every government to ensure continuity in the passage of responsibility from one administration to another.

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Background Information

In 1849, the Department of Interior was created to consolidate the general land office. The department was charged with a wide range of responsibilities including the building the water system for the national capital as well as management of public parks. Management of public land remained under the Department of the Interior until 1905 when president Theodore Roosevelt decided to transfer the responsibility to the United States forests service. The agency was first charged with the responsibility of taking care of the newly named national forests.

One year later, in 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt signed into law the antiquities act which clarified that all archeological sites located at the public land are significant public resources. This law served as a very crucial eye opener as far as public lands are involved. The law obligated federal agencies to properly manage public lands for the benefit of both the present and the future generations. The law considered historic, commemorative, scientific, and cultural values of the historical and archeological sites and structures on the public lands. The law authorized the president of the United States to protect various structures, landmarks, as well as objects of either scientific or historical interests through designation as national monuments. The antiquities act, therefore, was an earmark into the active protection and care for the public lands.

Later in 1916, the national parks service was established in the organic act with the chief responsibility to manage designated national parks and monuments. According to the act, the national parks service was created to regulate and promote the use of federal areas called national monuments, national parks, and reservations with the aim to conserve the scenery, the historical, the natural, and the general wildlife therein. The act advocated for sustainable use of the natural, historical, and scientific resources as well as wildlife within the public lands. Therefore, the significance of public lands was vividly established by the organic act.

The Bureau of Land Management designed in 1946, had the mandate to manage public lands of the United States of America for multiple uses such as sustainable development of natural resources and recreation for the benefit of both the present and the future generation. The Bureau of Land Management oversaw 245 million acres of public lands in the United States on behalf of the American people. This translates into around 12 percent of the total landmass of the United States of America. The land is mostly situated in the western states such as California, Wyoming, Alaska, and New Mexico.

The Bureau of Land Management's oil and gas program created 188,200 new jobs in 2015 and contributed more than $50 billion to the economy of the United States of America. In addition to that, the Bureau of Land Management manages operations on approximately 4,500 oil and gas leases for the Indian mineral owners. Moreover, the Bureau of Land Management firefighters protect public lands, wildlife, and the neighboring communities against threats of wildfires. Furthermore, most of the lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management act as outdoor laboratories for students by offering real artifacts for a study such as the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry in Utah that features a high-end sustainable building.

Budget (2018)

The Senate bill allocated about $8.1 billion for the public land funding. The allocated flat funding of $8.1 billion in FY2018 would help operational budget remains constant, its regulatory programs may be reduced, and grant programs are increased.

Economic Advantages

Public lands have incredible advantages. They provide awesome sites for recreational activities such as mountain biking, horseback riding, hang-gliding, whitewater rafting, or off-highway driving, among other recreational activities. Public lands produce a lot of coal that power most American homes. About 40 percent of the geothermal energy in the United States of America are generated within the public lands. Furthermore, public lands provide good grazing fields for American cattle (Wilson 54).

Most of the public lands offer breathtaking scenery that attracts tourists. Some of the public lands have features that are of great scientific or historical interest is thereby serving as areas for academic study and scientific research. The Cleveland-Lloyd dinosaur quarry, for example, presents natural artifacts that are of great help for students academic needs. Oil and gas programs in public lands contribute greatly to the income of the United States of America regarding raising the GDP as well as increasing employment opportunities for the American citizens. Such income leads to immense growth and development in the economy and raises living standards for the people employed in such programs.

Opposition

Despite its good intentions in 1906, the act of antiquities is currently facing numerous oppositions. First, it is being manipulated for political purposes. The act seems to be an avenue through which the president unilaterally locks p vast tracts of land for self-benefits without seeking for the public comments on the matter. in addition to that, the Senate budget resolution bill undermines funding for the public lands in the FY2018. Moreover, the Executive Order 13795 requires review of the designation of national monuments. According to President Donald Trump, the designated monuments are too many and only depicts egregious use of power.

Another source of opposition to public land funding is the idea of privatization of the public lands with the claim of making better use of the lands. According to previous studies, the public lands already have greater benefits to the public, creating a lot of jobs and resultantly increased income to the vast American population (Brown 29).

In addition to that, deregulation in the energy industry also poses challenging effects to the use of public lands in the United States of America and would most likely have serious consequences in the public trust. Oil drilling in the offshore waters would cause devastating effects to these regions and result into the imbalanced use of public lands other than the ways approved by the previous regulations. Lifting off regulations on the use of public lands would mean serious effects on the environment including the land, air, and water which are very vital to human welfare.

Grand Staircase-Escalante, UT (1996)

During President Clinton's administration, the beautiful Escalante Canyons and Kaiparowits Plateau holding numerous geologic features was proclaimed a monument. The monument covers 1.7 million acres of land is full of unique historical, and geological features that are good for the vast number of applications and studies (Miller 45). The features include layered rocks indicating billions of years of geology, and the prehistoric dinosaur fossils, and remains of the ancient Anasazi Indians civilizations are some of the historical artifacts found within this belt. The site presents gorgeous scenery that attracts tourists, thereby, generating a lot of income to the economy of the united states of America. Apart from that, the area provides space for research and studies. The region is rich in oil, coal, and gas thereby, making the government shrink its acreage.

Bears Ears, UT (2016)

Bears ears were established in 2016 by President Barack Obama in Utah. The monument covers 1.9 million acres of land and comprises juniper forests, red rock, as well as numerous early human artifacts and the Native American historical artifacts. The land is tied to Navajo nation and hope nation. The area is accessible for visitors. The bear's ears national monument offers a wide range of benefits including a rich tourist destination, as well as a historical and scientific research center. In addition to that, the area provides a rich meadow and timber. The area is also rich in coal, oil, and gas deposits, making the government shrink its acreage.

Offshore Drilling & Oil Exploration

Offshore drilling causes great pollution to the ocean water with significant negative effects of the marine life. Catastrophic spills that result from accidents cause to untold effects on the marine life. The oil on water surfaces chokes fish and other marine animals leading to death. The folks also mess p with birds feathers making them unable to fly - drilling cases pollution that discourages economic activities happening along the coasts alongside the recreational activities.

Conclusion

Public land has been in existence for a very long time offering many benefits to the people of America. The major economic advantages of public lands include travel and tourism, outdoor activities and jobs to the Americans. However, there are numerous opposing situations such as the need to exploit coal, oil, and gas found in such regions. The deregulation by the government in pursuit of energy interests has resulted in the shrinking of some monuments such as the Grand Escalante and bears ears national monuments in Utah. Following the numerous benefits offered by public lands, the Federal Government needs to continue funding Public Land programs and honor the commitment of prior administrations to steward and protect the lands, natural resources, and oceans for future generations.

Works Cited

Brown, Daniel G. Land Use and Carbon Cycle: Advances in Integrated Science, Management, and Policy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013. Print.

Coutts, Christopher D, Timothy S. D. Chapin, Dr. T. S. Chapin, Professor D. Miller, and Dr. N. Gurran. Growth, Management, & Public Land Acquisition: Balancing Conservation & Development. Brookfield: Ashgate Publishing, 2012. Internet resource.

Miller, Char. Public Lands, Public Debates: A Century of Controversy. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University Press, 2012. Print.

Wilson, Randall K. America's Public Lands: From Yellowstone to Smokey Bear and Beyond. , 2014. Internet resource.