The Wilderness Society:Managing Our Natural Resources Wisely

While there is a great need to find immediate available resources for energy, there is also an even greater need to ensure that the methods of extraction are safe and have minimal impact. According to the Wilderness Society, more oil and gas drilling occurs in America every year than anywhere else in the world. Since 1950, 2.6 million oil and natural gas wells have been drilled in the U.S. The West’s public lands are already extensively drilled. There are tens of thousands of oil and natural gas wells on public lands, with thousands more currently approved for drilling and tens of thousands more planned for the future. Such intense, localized development makes other uses of the land (hunting, fishing, recreating) difficult, if not impossible. The oil and gas industry and their political allies claim that the only way to address our country’s numerous energy issues is to open more public lands and waters to oil and natural gas drilling, and reduce environmental and safety standards. What they don’t tell you is that drilling in America is already occurring at an astonishing pace and in a bewildering number of places. The Wilderness Society is the leading American conservation organization working to protect our nation’s public lands, the 635 million acres collectively owned by the American people and managed by our government. They are also important sources of renewable energy and vital natural resources that must be managed wisely. Tune in to hear June Stoyer interview David Alberswerth, Sr Policy Advisor, the Wilderness Society.