In late March of this year, our nation’s largest land manager, the Bureau of Land Management, or BLM, released a draft rulemaking called the Public Lands Rule that would reprioritize its multiple-use mandate to put conservation and recreation on equal footing with grazing and resource extraction. The multiple-use mandate was first established through the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) of 1976. However, the BLM has continued to favor extractive uses over conservation and recreation, with 90% of BLM-managed public lands in the lower 48 states remaining open to development, such as hard-rock mining.
The Public Lands Rule would rebalance the BLM’s priorities towards recreation, conservation, and tribal co-stewardship, fomenting the types of changes needed to ensure the preservation of BLM lands so they can continue to support healthy ecosystems now and well into the future.
The 75-day comment period on the draft Public Lands Rule closes June 20th. This open comment period provides an opportunity for the BLM to gather feedback about important ways it should better balance its mission to focus on cultural lands protection, conservation, recreation, wildlife, and climate impacts for the lands and waters that support communities largely in the Western portion of the United States.
What Can I Do?
Let your support for this proposed rulemaking be heard and help move our public lands in a more sustainable direction—see more information in the following section on how to submit a comment or attend a meeting.
This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to help shape the future of BLM-managed public lands, our communities, and wildlife by participating in the Bureau of Land Management’s comment period and public meetings.
Key Dates & Links to Help You Take Action:
Thursday, June 1 – In the Eastern Sierra Region, attend an in-person meeting from 5 to 7 pm at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center, 4950 S, Virginia Street, in Reno, Nevada.
Monday, June 5 – Attend a virtual (online) meeting from 8:30 to 10:30 am. Register here to attend.
Tuesday, June 20 – Submit written comments on conservation and landscape health via the Federal Register portal or the Act Now For Public Lands portal. Upwards of 30,000 comments have been received through the Federal Register portal.
