Conservation Lands Foundation Applauds Agency's New Plan to Rebalance Focus on Conservation

Today, the Bureau of Land Management published the "Public Lands Rule," a new proposal to update and modernize the agency’s strategies for managing public lands and rebalance its focus on conservation, recreation, wildlife, water, and local economies. The Bureau of Land Management launched a 75-day public comment period on the proposed plan. Our statement can be found below. 

CONSERVATION LANDS FOUNDATION APPLAUDS AGENCY “PUBLIC LANDS RULE” TO REBALANCE FOCUS ON CONSERVATION, WATER AND WILDLIFE

Washington, D.C. -  Today, the Bureau of Land Management, the agency responsible for overseeing the management and public enjoyment of 245 million acres of lands and waters across the United States, announced a 75-day public comment period on a new plan for how it will steward this shared acreage with a rebalanced focus on conservation, water, cultural resource protection and wildlife. 

The Bureau of Land Management seeks comment on its “Public Lands Rule,” which will promulgate new guidance for agency field offices across the nation to refocus local planning efforts so that land and water conservation, tribal stewardship, and wildlife corridors are priorities in management decisions. These lands are directly adjacent to countless rapidly growing communities across the West.

“For far too long the Bureau of Land Management has focused on resource extraction and commodity development, neglecting conservation and restoration,” Danielle Murray, senior legal and policy director for the Conservation Lands Foundation said. 

“The agency’s ‘Public Lands Rule’ will re-focus management on the needs of the 21st Century, better protecting people and the environment from climate-related impacts. We thank the Biden administration for recognizing that America’s public lands are one of the nation’s most valuable resources and that the time has come to prioritize the management and restoration of natural systems and healthy communities in the West.”

Below is a statement from Jim Kenna, retired California Bureau of Land Management state director and Conservation Lands Foundation board member, in response to the “Public Lands Rule”:

“People who visit, and communities that live close to, Bureau of Land Management lands know they include some of the nation’s most important watersheds and habitat for wildlife and fish.  They know the beauty of the scenic expanses and the cultural significance of those places.  Laws calling for conservation on those lands have been on the books since the 1970s.  It is an overdue and welcome step to see our national policies updated to help land managers ensure better on-the-ground conservation outcomes all across the West.”

The public can learn more about the “Public Lands Rule” and submit a comment at https://actnowforpubliclands.org/.

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