A lobby of outdoor enthusiasts is stepping up to defend their passion.
The national organization Artemis Sportswomen, a wing of the National Wildlife Federation is lobbying the Trump Administration to stop their impeding oil and gas lease sales. These sales are occurring from September through the end of the year, and involve thousands of acres in Wyoming and several other western states: Nevada, Montana, Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico.
Their stand is strong and simple: lease sales are irresponsible, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, and why the federal public lands leasing system needs to be updated to prioritize the American people, public lands, and outdoor recreation over industry’s profits. Its no secret that the pandemic has decimated the oil and gas industry, with reduced demand and excess supply with no buyers. But while fossil fuels aren’t driving the market as much as before, outdoor recreation hasn’t stopped and shows a persistent economic momentum. These sales would limit the accessibility of vast swaths of public lands for those activities.
But their immediate goal – ceasing the upcoming sales – is only part of their goal. They say the entire process of leasing public lands for fossil fuel development needs to be updated to work responsibly in the 21st Century to ensure our public lands and their wonders are available for current and future generations. Artemis is in a singular position to make this strong argument: Women make up more than 25 percent of anglers and roughly 20 percent of hunters and are the fastest growing sector of the sporting industry.
