Take action now on an opportunity to sign on to CalWild’s joint letter in support of a newly proposed BLM Rule. The proposed Rule would require BLM to consider conservation and restoration on an equal basis with other land uses, like resource extraction and recreation.

For more information on the BLM rule you can check CalWild’s slide presentation. Comments to BLM are due on June 20, 2023. For more than 40 years, the BLM has prioritized resource extraction like mining, drilling, and grazing over conservation in its land use management decisions. We are pleased to see that BLM is now proposing a more balanced approach, by placing conservation and restoration on equal footing with other uses on BLM-managed lands. This important shift will help sustain California’s iconic open landscapes that drive tourism, offer refuge for wildlife, protect equitable public access to nature, and safeguard innumerable stories of human experiences on the land. 

While the draft Rule is an important and momentous step forward, we encourage BLM to strengthen it prior to issuing a final Rule. In particular, the Rule should require BLM to consult with Tribes to solicit priority areas for conservation and seek opportunities for co-stewardship of their traditional homelands. In addition, the final Rule should require the BLM to properly manage all lands that are deemed eligible for the agency designation of “Area of Critical Environmental Concern” (lands that have important and unique values that necessitate special agency management).