I don't want our public lands sold. But I do want them open to drill and mine. Sell mineral leases. Set standards and enforce the standards. The people enjoy a new revenue stream and good jobs. And it is done where there was no economic production of relevance before. On the federal leases in the Gulf of Mexico. The operator of the lease pays a lease fee determined by highest bidder then 12 % of the production. With some exceptions for royalty relief on marginal prospects. Under the Rockies are some huge prospects for oil and gas that would make a difference for our National economy, likewise in Alaska. The Oceans off the east coast are untapped. If done responsibly, everybody wins.
I don't have any faith that wholesale drilling and mining would be done without big problems on our public lands. In this era of deregulate just about everything, I especially don't trust the part about setting and enforcing standards; there is too much likelihood of fraud and corruption, or just plain error. And with the return of the idea that it's okay for coal mines to dump their mine waste and fill streams, why should we expect better on our public lands? Consider all the miles of streams polluted by existing mines.
If you want to see a mess, take a look on Wikimapia at the Bakken oil area on the MT/ND border. Looks like a bad case of acne. Lotsa money being made I assume, but Which of the public lands you hunt or fish do you want covereed with a rash of oil wells or coal mines?
