Public Lands Issue

New Mexico's public lands are for all to enjoy. We are fortunate to live in a state with some of the most striking and beautiful land and geologic formations in the Country. Many of these public lands support both recreation and means of living, and both of those uses are important. In appreciation of this, Senator Domenici supports balanced initiatives to preserve our natural resources while permitting their best possible uses.

Fire

New Mexico has experienced several devastating forest fires over the past few years. Some have burned tens of thousands of acres, some have destroyed hundreds of homes, and yet we are still confronted with the prospect of further devastation due to the prolonged drought and forests clogged with hazardous fuel. What is happening to our forests now is not healthy. Fires burn too hot and ecosystems are destroyed. Senator Domenici believes the solution is to move from suppression toward prevention, and his vision would ensure that there is more sound science available upon which to base land management decisions.

In order to reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfire to communities and the environment, Senator Domenici has promoted multiple pieces of legislation. In 2000, he worked to pass the law that created the Forest Hazardous Fuels Reduction, or "Happy Forests," Initiative. Senator Domenici has consistently sought funding through the Forest Service wildland fire management program to continue the "Happy Forests" cooperative efforts to remove hazardous fuels from federal public lands to alleviate immediate emergency threats to urban wildland interface areas.

In the 107^th Congress, Senator Domenici worked to pass the Wildfire Prevention Act of 2002 (S.2670, 107^th Congress) but Congress ended before it could be fully considered. At the beginning of this Congress he joined his colleagues to reintroduce the bill which will establish institutes in three Western states to study applied ecosystem management to be used in the development and implementation of practical, science-based, ecological restoration treatments on forest lands.

Promoting Responsible Multiple Use

Senator Domenici has always worked to ensure that all users of public lands are treated fairly by federal processes, including those that use these lands for their livelihoods. For the past several years he has been able to secure the passage of language temporarily extending the life of grazing permits in the West during their review for renewal. Those permits would otherwise expire while the Bureau of Land Management conducts additional National Environmental Policy Act adequacy reviews as ordered by a federal judge. The legislation allows Department of Interior agencies to renew grazing permits with the same terms by which they were initially issued. This has been necessary to protect users from slow moving agencies.

Protecting and Securing State Treasures

Over the past thirty years, Senator Domenici has worked to protect and safeguard New Mexico's special places for generations to come. He has pushed legislation to protect the wilderness in New Mexico, ranging from the creation of the Petroglyph National Monument near Albuquerque in 1990 to the Valles Caldera National Preserve and Trust in 2000 to securing funding for land acquisition for Tent Rocks National Monument in 2003.

For news and updates on the Energy and Natural Resources committee, please visit:
http://energy.senate.gov

For federal agency information, please visit:
http://www.doi.gov/
http://agriculture.senate.gov/

For more information on forest fires, please visit:
http://www.fireplan.gov/

For more information on the Petroglyph National Monument, please visit:
http://www.nps.gov/petr/

For more information on the Valles Caldera National Preserve and Trust, please visit:
http://www.vallescaldera.gov/

For more information on Senator Domenici's views and activities on public lands, visit our online News Center.

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