The change will downgrade conservation, once again putting federal land at risk for mining and other extractive uses.
Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum announced the department is rescinding the Biden-era Public Lands Rule, which sought to elevate conservation to the same importance as other uses on federal lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Writing in Public Domain, Chris D’Angelo explains that unlike the U.S. Forest Service and other federal agencies, the BLM often prioritized extractive uses over conservation.
The law has come under fire from Republicans, some Western states, and industry interests. The rule has wide public support. “An analysis by the Center for Western Priorities found that 92% of public commenters supported the rule.”
The change could undo decades of conservation progress and threaten sensitive ecosystems and species. “In addition to the Public Lands Rule, the White House moved to eliminate a Biden-era rule that barred oil and gas development across more than 13 million acres of the National Petroleum Reserve, on Alaska’s North Slope.”
FULL STORY: Trump To Scrap Biden-Era Rule That Elevated Conservation On Public Lands
New Executive Order Renews Attack on Public Lands
An order issued late last week pushes for increased mineral extraction on federally owned public lands.
More States Push Back on BLM’s Conservation Rule
Twelve states and industry groups are supporting Utah’s lawsuit against the Bureau of Land Management, arguing the agency can’t bar extractive uses on ‘unappropriated’ public lands.
Western Conservationists, Tribes File Legal Motion to Defend Public Lands Rule
Some states and industry groups have sued to stop the Bureau of Land Management from enforcing the new rule, which promotes the conservation and restoration of public lands and shifts focus away from extractive uses.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
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This City Will Pay You to Meet Your Neighbors
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Commentary: Our Silence Will Not Protect Us
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