McCain Pledges to Revoke New Wilderness Protections
12/21/99
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Title: McCain Pledges to Revoke New Wilderness Protections
Source: Los Angeles Times
Status: Copyright 1999, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: December 21, 1999
Byline: ANNE-MARIE O'CONNOR
BETHLEHEM, N.H.-Speaking in this remote hamlet tucked into the snowy
White Mountains, Sen. John McCain said Monday that if he is elected
to the White House next year, he will revoke a landmark order from
President Clinton last October that could double the federal
wilderness protected from logging, mining and other development.
The Arizona Republican also sided with California against the Clinton
administration's recent decision to extend the life of 36 oil leases
off the state's Central Coast for up to four years. McCain said the
federal government should be a "responsible partner" with state or
local communities in making such resource-management decisions.
"The idea that Washington knows best and that local residents cannot
be trusted to do what's right in their own backyard is the epitome of
federal arrogance," McCain said. "If land is governed by decree
absent genuine public participation, we will only widen the chasm of
distrust between the people and the government."
McCain's message divided the audience of about 60 listeners in this
town on the flanks of the 780,000-acre White Mountain National
Forest, where the scenic beauty heightens the local environmental
awareness but many of the livelihoods are also dependent on nearby
logging and related industries.
Some Bethlehem residents felt snubbed last October by Clinton's plan
to put as much as 54 million acres--about two-thirds of the nation's
still pristine forests--off-limits to vehicles. Clinton would
accomplish this by banning construction of new roads in national
forests, which critics characterize as making the land inaccessible
to all but hikers, cross-country skiers and boaters. After hearings
next year, the rules could be made permanent in the final weeks of
2000.
"It has serious implications to the north country's economy," said
David Scanlan, a local tree farmer who introduced McCain. "People
here are angry there was no consulting process. We need to preserve
natural areas and be responsible stewards, but allow exploitation of
renewable resources."
But Carl Pope, the executive director of the Sierra Club, said McCain
appeared to be "pandering to whatever he thinks is politically
convenient" regarding both the logging issue and the oil leases in
California. "It's easy to criticize oil leases that are
overwhelmingly unpopular in [California], the most populous state in
the nation," Pope said.
McCain professes great admiration for President Theodore Roosevelt,
who preserved vast stretches of America's remaining forests and
barred commercial development on 194 million acres of federal land.
He said he was proud that during his 17 years as an Arizona lawmaker,
3.5 million acres of his state were placed in the wilderness-
preservation system.
As president, McCain also promised:
* To eliminate within eight years the $5-billion backlog in
maintenance work at America's national parks.
* To fully fund the $900 million authorized for the Land and Water
Conservation Fund, which is used to purchase public lands for
conservation and recreation.
* To support research and development of "green" technologies, such
as solar power and electric vehicles.
* To establish an "environmental report card" to monitor compliance
with environmental laws.
* To review and overhaul the nation's environmental laws, many of
which he says are old and outdated.
McCain is leading the national GOP front-runner, Texas Gov. George W.
Bush, in recent surveys of voters in New Hampshire, site of the
nation's first primary on Feb. 1. On Monday, his campaign also
announced that it has raised $1 million in the last week, reaching
its goal for the year ahead of schedule.
The senator has warned that the Republican Party is losing support
because of the perception that it sacrifices environmental concerns
to business interests. So far, the most aggressive environmental
initiatives in the presidential race have come from Democrats.
Pope said that although he is not an admirer of McCain's record as
senator, his record is better than Bush of Texas, where pollution
problems rank among the worst in the nation.