OUR LANDSCAPES ARE COMPLICATED PLACES AND, IN THE PAST, WE'VE PERMITTED THINGS ON A PROJECT
BY PROJECT
BASIS.
BUT WITH THE NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND TOOLS WE HAVE AVAILABLE -- LIKE THE NATIONAL GEOSPATIAL
DATABASE
AND OTHER TOOLS -- WE CAN ACTUALLY THINK MORE HOLISTICALLY ABOUT LANDSCAPES.
WHAT AREAS ARE TOO SPECIAL TO
DEVELOP, WHAT AREAS HAVE HIGH DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL AND HOW CAN WE DECONFLICT THOSE
SO THAT PEOPLE
GO INTO THESE LANDSCAPES UNDERSTANDING HOW THEY CAN DEVELOP AND HOW THEY CAN MITIGATE,
AND WE CAN
MARRY THE TWO TOGETHER.
IF WE WORK TOGETHER, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE EITHER CONSERVATION OR DEVELOPMENT,
WE CAN HAVE BOTH.
WHAT THIS MITIGATION STRATEGY DOES IS IT SAYS TO THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN DEVELOPING,
WE WANT YOU
TO LOOK NOT AT A PROJECT BY PROJECT BASIS, BUT AT A WHOLE LANDSCAPE.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO DEVELOP IN ONE
AREA AND IT HAS IMPACT, WHICH DEVELOPMENT GENERALLY DOES, HERE'S THE AREA OF HIGHEST
POTENTIAL WHERE
WE'D LIKE YOU TO PUT YOUR MITIGATION DOLLARS.
THERE'S A LOT OF ENTHUSIASM ABOUT IT WITH INDUSTRY BECAUSE
THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE CLARITY AND A DE-CONFLICTED PATH FORWARD.
AND WHAT IT DOES IS IT KEEPS THE DEVELOPER MOVING FORWARD
ON THEIR PROJECT AND IT KEEPS THOSE THAT WANT CONSERVATION MOVING FORWARD ON THE PRIORITIES
THAT ARE
IMPORTANT TO THEM.
AND THE TWO WORKING TOGETHER MEANS THAT THEY'RE NOT DUKING IT OUT IN COURT; THEY'RE
ACTUALLY WORKING TOGETHER FOR A GREAT OUTCOME.
WE HAVE SOME GREAT EXAMPLES.
THE STATES THROUGHOUT THE WEST CAME UP WITH SOMETHING CALLED CHAT
-- THE CRITICAL HABITAT ASSESSMENT TOOL.
THAT IS USING GEOSPATIAL DATABASE INFORMATION TO UNDERSTAND THE
HABITATS IN WESTERN STATES.
IT'S A GREAT EXAMPLE OF HOW STATES ARE TAKING THIS CONCEPT FORWARD.
WE DID IT ALSO IN OFFSHORE WIND AS WE DID THE FIRST EVER COMPETITIVE LEASE SALE EVER
FOR OFFSHORE WIND.
DECONFLICTED BY KNOWING WHERE THE FISHING PLACES WERE, WHERE THE BOATS NEEDED TO TRANSIT,
WHERE WE
NEEDED TO BE FROM A SAFETY STANDPOINT, FROM A VISUAL STANDPOINT AND AGAIN FROM A TRIBAL
STANDPOINT.
SO
THOSE ARE A HANDFUL OF EXAMPLES ON A STATE LEVEL AND A FEDERAL LEVEL WHERE THIS IS ALREADY
BEING PUT INTO
EFFECT.
WE NEED TO USE THE TOOLS AVAILABLE TO US TO THINK OF OUR LANDSCAPES IN A WAY THAT SETS
THEM UP FOR THE
LONG-TERM FUTURE.
WE ARE SEEING THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE.
WE ARE SEEING THE IMPACTS OF INVASIVE
SPECIES.
OUR LANDS ARE BEING CHALLENGED.
AND YET WE KNOW THAT OUR ECONOMY ALSO RUNS ON DEVELOPMENT.
THIS GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACHIEVE SOME OF THE OBJECTIVES THAT WE NEED TO IN A CHANGING
CLIMATE.
IN A TIME WHEN WE'VE GOT MORE PEOPLE THAT NEED PLACES TO BREATHE.
BUT ALSO, IT HELPS DRIVE ECONOMIC
ACTIVITY THAT IS SO IMPORTANT TO OUR COUNTRY.