Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar wrote on June 1 that the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) would not designate any lands as "wild lands," reports the Wildlife Management Institute.

The action was a response to a rider that restricted funding for the policy that passed as part of the fiscal year 2011 spending bill. In the same memo, however, Salazar confirmed that the BLM will continue to maintain inventories of lands under its jurisdiction, including lands with wilderness characteristics. It also will consider lands with wilderness characteristics during land-use planning. While Salazar's memo explicitly states that the BLM will not unilaterally designate "wild lands," he tasked Deputy Secretary David Hayes to develop recommendations for managing areas with wilderness characteristics.

"The protection of America's wilderness for hunting, fishing, and backcountry recreation should be a unifying issue that mobilizes us to a common purpose," commented Salazar in the department's statement. "We will focus our effort on building consensus around locally supported initiatives and working with Members [of Congress] to advance their priorities for wilderness designations in their states and districts. Together, we can advance America's proud wilderness legacy for future generations."

In a June 10 letter, Salazar also reached out to Members of Congress, soliciting their ideas on what areas of public lands have strong local support for permanent protection as designated wilderness under the Wilderness Act:? "To help advance this effort, the Department of the Interior will, by October 15, 2011, submit to Congress a list of ?crown jewel' ?areas that we believe are ready for immediate Wilderness designation by Congress. This list will include some areas that would be protected by bills that are currently pending before Congress and that have strong local, state, tribal, and congressional support. ?It may also include some areas that are not currently being considered for protection, but that the Department of the Interior believes have widespread support and are worthy of Wilderness designation."

In addition, Salazar asked that Members provide input on how the BLM should manage the millions of acres of public land that are not protected under the Wilderness Act, but that have wilderness characteristics. "Because public lands with wilderness characteristics can offer unique hunting, fishing, and recreational opportunities?along with potential energy, mineral, and other resource values?it is important that the BLM have clear guidance when undertaking its multiple-use land management planning and when making project-level decisions that could impair wilderness characteristics."

Even with the memo backing away from the Wild Lands policy, several states that were involved in a lawsuit against the department say they will not drop the case. Utah led the way on the lawsuit against the policy, claiming it would violate the state's rights and harm its economy by stopping oil and gas drilling on public lands within the state and throughout the West. Both Alaska and Wyoming were set to join the lawsuit and said they would not withdraw those requests until Secretary Salazar formally rescinds the policy. According to spokespersons for both governors, there is still ambiguity as to whether Salazar's June 1 memo abandons the Wild Lands policy or simply conforms Interior policy to the rider passed in the final budget bill.

"Given that Secretary Salazar has yet to rescind the order that created the Wild Lands policy, we will continue to weigh our legal options," commented a spokeswoman for Alaska Governor Sean Parnell in an interview with the Associated Press. "The State of Alaska will also continue to support Utah in its case." ?(jas)