Why A Healthy Democracy Is Critical For Public Lands

March 9, 2020

Public lands in the United States are managed through the democratic process, ensuring that we all have a voice in how they are used. It also protects these lands from being used as political bargaining chips. Without a healthy democracy, our ability to conserve and access public lands is compromised—putting our outstanding climbing and recreation values at risk.

Public Process & Transparency

There are two critically important laws that underpin a healthy and transparent democratic process for public lands, and they are essential to Access Fund’s work to protect America’s climbing.

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is a federal law that requires our government officials to openly and thoroughly evaluate the environmental, social, and economic effects of their proposed actions for managing public lands. This process provides opportunities for the public—that’s you and Access Fund and others—to review and express support or objections.

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) gives Americans the right to request access to records from any federal agency, providing transparency into government decisions and keeping our government officials accountable.

There are often debates about how we can improve these bedrock democratic laws, and Access Fund has often supported careful and targeted adjustments. But the underlying values of transparency and public involvement are critical to the future of public lands.

Checks & Balances

Our democratic process also includes checks and balances on the officials appointed to lead our federal land management agencies.

The American public elects the office of the President
The President appoints leaders for land management agencies
The Senate confirms those appointed leaders to ensure America’s public lands are managed responsibly and not used for political gain.

These laws and procedures can be cumbersome—and we do not always “win” when we participate in these public processes—but they are essential to a healthy democracy, and their integrity must be upheld.