Sportsmen Welcome Federal Renewable Leasing Rule

By AmmoLand Editor JE

DENVER -(Ammoland.com)- A first-of-its-kind rule that launches competitive leasing and environmental reviews for wind and solar energy projects on public lands will help protect fish and wildlife while charting a course to a cleaner energy future, a national sportsmen’s coalition said today.

The Sportsmen for Responsible Energy Development coalition said the Bureau of Land Management’s new solar and wind leasing rule will be essential while considering the needs of fish and wildlife populations and the interests of hunters and anglers when large-scale renewable energy projects are proposed.

The coalition’s representatives lauded provisions establishing rates and fees to ensure a fair return to the public, the land’s owners, creating designated leasing areas and taking a region-wide approach to mitigating the impacts of development.

Coalition members encouraged the BLM to support the kind of funding model found in the Public Lands Renewable Energy Development Act.

The bill, which has bipartisan backing, would distribute revenue produced by the projects to state and local governments and a fund for fish and wildlife habitat restoration, enhancement of outdoor recreation and improved access …Read the Rest

Source:: AmmoLand