Sustainability has arisen over the last two decades, and its vital, especially in land management. According to the Brundtland commission, sustainability is the development of our own needs without compromising the capacity of future generations to meet their own needs (PLF, 2010). The Public lands Foundation (PLF) maintains that public lands and resources must be sustainably maintained for the American people (PLF, 2010). Public lands and resources raise many conflicts, and policies must be formulated and implemented to manage the resources for sustainable conservation. The Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA) was formulated to conserve public lands under multiple-use and sustained yield. The sustainability of public land management must include environmental, social, and economic sustainability.
Environmental sustainability looks to conserve the public lands and resources to leave them to future generations. According to FLPMA, public lands should be used without permanently destroying the resources available and maintaining the quality of the environment (PLF, 2010). Environmental sustainability can be achieved through renewability by restoring degraded lands and balancing the use of public land and its protection. Environmental policies that promote the healthy use of land must be formulated and implemented to create sustainability.
Social sustainability relates to people and how they can use public lands. According to PLF, the principle of stewardship create a social responsibility to citizens to conserve public lands and resources (PLF, 2010). Citizens have a role in understanding the need to conserve resources by examining what is ethically and esthetically right. The partnership also creates social sustainability by involving communities, a range of individuals, and user groups to create a commitment to conserve public land resources over a long period. Public land has multiple benefits to the American people, and every citizen must ensure appropriate utilization of them to create sustainability.
Economical sustainability promotes long-term economic growth without negatively impating the social and environmental aspects. Renewable resources in public lands promote economic values by creating resources such as timber. According to PLF, renewable resources promote great economic returns by providing domestic food, minerals, and fiber (PLF,2010). These sources bring economic value to the people through trading. On the other hand, external costs of public land and resources must reimburse the return for profit and benefit to maintain economic sustainability.
The forest service and bureau of land management each have a role in maintaining sustainability. Both BLM and forest service are among the largest land management agencies that conserve natural resources. Both agencies manage the same natural resources such as timber, minerals, wildlife, and recreation. Most forest service lands are forests, and sustainability requires maintaining forest productivity. Forest management sustainability includes formulating policies that protect forest lands from fires, diseases, and pests (PLF, 2010). Forest has different ecological stages and policies that promote productivity at each stage foster sustainability. Forest service, for example, put in measures to harvest timber for sustainable products throughout the entire ecological stages in forests.
In conclusion, sustainability encourages conservation by providing environmental, social, and economic opportunities to benefit present and future generations. Sustainable development of public land ensures long-term ecological and socioeconomic values. Sustainability requires collective responsibility, and policies must be implemented to maintain healthy land utilization. Public lands must be protected to ensure sustainability for the future generation.
References
PLF Position Statement- 2010-4 Sustainability and Management Policy for the National System of Public Lands. Public Lands Foundation. https://publicland.org/plf-archive/plf-position-statement-2010-4-sustainability-and-management-policy-for-the-national-system-of-public-lands/
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