Critics Question BLM Release Of Planning Rule In Closing Days Of Obama’s Term
Critics are calling the Bureau of Land Management’s final version of BLM planning 2.0 “flawed.” The Public Lands Council and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association said this process radically alters federal land management planning and moves the agency away from its mandate to manage for multiple use on federal lands.
Stakeholders from across the United States submitted comments on the proposed planning rule, which will define how the BLM conducts its resource management planning process into the future. Many local and state governments are concerned that the changes in the Planning 2.0 rule may diminish local input and make it more difficult for counties, conservation districts, and other local authorities to be meaningfully involved in the land use planning process.
According to the National Association of Counties (NACo), “The BLM is a significant landholder, especially in western counties. Of the nation’s 3,069 counties, 477 counties contain lands managed by the BLM. For example, in White Pine County, Nevada, federal land management agencies control 5,195,606 acres – 91 percent – of the county’s 5,693,440 total area. Of the county’s 5,195,606 acres of federally managed land, the BLM is the single largest landholder, managing over 4.3 million acres within the county.”