Washington, D.C. — A new report from the Center for American Progress shows how approval of a new public lands rule would bring needed balance to the management of more than 200 million acres of land overseen by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and ensure that treasured lands and waters are conserved for future generations.
The rule proposed by the Biden administration on March 30 would for the first time require the BLM to oversee lands in a way that puts conservation interests on par with oil and gas leasing, mining, and other extractive industries. It would require BLM to conserve intact landscapes, manage lands for ecosystem resilience, and strengthen tools to protect natural, cultural, and scenic wonders.
The report shows that too many treasured places lack meaningful protections under the BLM’s current management scheme, which overwhelmingly favors extractive industry and short-term profits over the well-being of future generations.
The report analyzes seven areas managed by the BLM—a small sampling of the nation’s treasured lands and waters without durable conservation protections. The examples illustrate how a strong final rule would help ensure that natural wonders, cultural resources, recreational opportunities, and clean are and water are passed on to future generations:
- Alaska: The Bering Sea-Western Interior
- California: English Ridge
- Wyoming: Boars Tusk and Indian Gap Trail
- New Mexico: Otero Mesa
- Colorado: Uncompahgre area
- Nevada: Mule deer corridors
- Oregon: Greater Hart-Sheldon
“These examples highlight the importance of the Biden administration finalizing a strong Public Lands Rule and acting on community-led conservation proposals to steward America’s lands and waters for future generations,” said Drew McConville, senior fellow at CAP and co-author of the report. “With climate change, extractive development, and other threats endangering these valuable places, President Biden must act now.”
Read the report: “What Biden’s Proposed Conservation Rule Would Mean for America’s Most Vulnerable Public Lands,” by Drew McConville and Kara Matsumoto
For more information, or to speak with an expert, please contact Sam Hananel at [email protected].