The U.S. Bureau of Land Management released a new rule for managing its public lands that is being praised by conservationists as a positive step for the environment.
The Public Lands Rule is an update to federal regulations that puts conservation on par with other uses of BLM lands, such as grazing, mining, and oil and gas development. The rule directs the BLM to “protect intact landscapes, restore degraded habitat, and make informed decisions based on science.”
Tracy Stone-Manning is the BLM’s director.
"We’re all seeing how climate change and drought are impacting the landscape, along with additional pressures from a growing population, so we need this rule now to ensure we can deliver for the American people into the future," Stone-Manning says.
Mike Quigley, Arizona state director of the Wilderness Society, says the rule is a positive change not just for environmental protection but also outdoor recreation and the revenue it creates. He called it “long overdue.”
"We’ve learned an awful lot in the last 70 years about how the world works and how the world is changing, and how we’re affecting it," Quigley says. "This land use rule is keeping pace with the times, finally."
The BLM manages 12 million acres in Arizona and is the largest land manager in the country.
