Interior Policy
I must vigorously disagree with the assertion of Alan Louis Kishbaugh (Letters, Feb. 21) that “Donald P. Hodel wants to open up the national parks and monuments to mining and timber interests.”
During his Senate confirmation testimony of February, 1985, Secretary Hodel repeatedly and emphatically stated, “I will not consider, I will not support, and will not permit development activities such as mining, drilling or timber harvesting in the national parks.” Mineral leasing is expressly prohibited in national parks and monuments by the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 and the Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands of 1947.
Furthermore, to emphasize his conviction that leasing and development are inconsistent with the goals of the National Park Service, Secretary Hodel issued a policy statement as recently as Jan. 12 of this year closing all units of the National Park System to mineral leasing except for a few national recreation areas that Congress specifically approved for leasing.
The secretary’s position on this issue has not changed, nor will it.
W. TIMOTHY LOCKE
Washington
Locke is director of public affairs of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management in the Interior Department.
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