New report outlines blueprint for conservation and energy development

Trout Unlimited, as part of its Sportsmen for Responsible Energy Development partnership, is proud to announce the release of “Lessons Learned: A Blueprint for Securing our Energy Future While Preserving America’s Sporting Heritage”.

The report includes examples of places where energy production has been well planned with the interest of sustaining fish and wildlife in mind. Examples where development occurred which negatively impacted wildlife are also included to provide an illustration of what can happen if opportunities to do things the right way are ignored. Finally, the report includes examples of where the potential remains to develop for energy development with the interests of anglers and hunters in mind.

The 18 sportsmen’s organizations and businesses behind the report worked to produce this information as the new administration explores ways to streamline approval of leases and drilling on our public lands, change the way impacts are offset through mitigation and remove perceived burdens to domestic energy production.

“Hunting, angling, and other wildlife-related recreation generates more than $7 billion in revenue for state and local economies, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service. Through SFRED, hunters and anglers are acting as responsible stewards of our invaluable public land inheritance, and making sure that one use of these lands, energy development, is balanced with all the others,” said Chris Wood, CEO of Trout Unlimited. “We can work together to ensure sportsmen and women’s voices are heard before sensitive fish and wildlife habitat and water resources are developed. And we can ensure that development complies with measures that safeguard clean water and healthy fish and wildlife habitat. History shows a headlong rush toward ‘energy dominance’ could have a profoundly negative effect on fish and wildlife habitat and water supplies that define the West.”