The Nation - News from July 15, 1986

The government has leased 83% of available federal land around Yellowstone National Park for energy development without any concern for the environmental consequences, the Sierra Club said. The conservationists said their study of six national forests surrounding Yellowstone showed that 5.9 million acres--or 59.7% of the forest land--is considered “available” for leasing to oil and natural gas developers and that 83% of that acreage has already been leased. A spokesman for Interior Secretary Donald P. Hodel said department officials are “very comfortable with the total park protection program.”