The Biden administration on Thursday announced new federal rules for the nation's vast public lands that would put conservation on par with activities such as grazing, energy development and mining.
The new rules concern an area overseen by the Bureau of Land Management, which covers about 245 million acres and covers one-tenth of the country, primarily in the West. It will promote conservation in a number of ways, including by creating two new lease schemes aimed at restoring degraded land and offsetting environmental damage.
These lands have long been managed for “multiple uses” such as cattle ranching, drilling, and recreation. But some of these activities, combined with new pressures from wildfires and droughts caused by climate change, are causing significant damage.
“As stewards of America's public lands, the Department of the Interior takes seriously its role in helping landscapes become more resilient in the face of worsening climate change,” Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said in a statement. “Today’s final rule will help us continue to use the best available science to restore habitat, guide strategic and responsible development, and preserve our public lands for generations to come. , to help restore balance to public lands.”
Last year, Republicans in Congress and other opponents were furious over an earlier version of the lease proposal, arguing that the Biden administration was engaging in land grabs and giving away land to foreign companies, which could have significant economic and economic consequences. They accused him of endangering national security by detaining him. Geopolitical applications such as mineral extraction. The final rule clarifies that leases may only be issued to eligible groups, not to foreign persons, and not if they are incompatible with an existing use.
The move is the latest in a flurry of environmental announcements and decisions by the Biden administration, including denying permits for roads through Alaska's wilderness and restoring protections for endangered species.
Conservation groups praised the announcement.
“It's very exciting,” said Aaron Weiss, deputy director of the conservation advocacy group Center for Western Priorities. He pointed to the importance of this rule in setting a path forward to address the growing demand for public land.
“It's no exaggeration to say that figuring out how to balance all of this while public lands are under pressure from climate change is the biggest challenge for the entire Western world today,” he said. .
Wilderness Society President Jamie Williams said the rules “represent a generation-defining change in how we manage the natural resources we share.”
Of the more than 200,000 public comments submitted on the proposed rule, the overwhelming majority were supportive, according to an analysis by the Center for Western Priorities.
Protecting environmental health has always been part of the Bureau of Land Management's mission. But experts say conservation has largely been sidelined in decision-making about how land is used. This new rule aims to change that. The report notes that when ecosystems collapse, they are no longer able to provide “clean air and water, food and fiber, wildlife habitat, natural carbon storage, and more.”
Under that provision, the Bureau of Land Management would measure the health of land everywhere, rather than just focusing on rangelands.
The agency said a variety of activities on its land generated $262.7 billion in economic output nationwide during fiscal year 2022.
