Public Lands Council Unhappy with BLM's Proposed Land Lease Rule Change

The Bureau of Land Management has proposed a land lease rule, which has been a surprise to the ranching and multiple-use communities, according to Kaitlynn Glover, executive director of the Public Lands Council. She gives a breakdown of what the role entails.

“First, it changes the way the BLM applies their landscape health evaluations across the landscape. The second part establishes an entirely new use under the federal law that guides VLANs management of federal lands that's called Flip the Federal Land Policy and Management Act. And it does that because beyond very clearly wants to turn conservation into a business venture for them through the concept of conservation leases, and what establishes a whole new brand new leasing system kind of akin to the oil and gas program, even the mining program, but it does so without congressional direction.”

Glover says the third part of the rule would codify the areas of environmental concern designation, which would essentially eliminate voluntary conservation. She says the rule is bureaucratic overreach.

“They weren't transparent. They didn't talk to the public. They've done no NEPA no environmental evaluation under the National Environmental Policy Act.”

According to blm.gov, the rule would protect land for future use and also addresses climate change. There is public meeting information published on the blm.gov website. And the comment period for this proposed rule is June 20.