BLM Planning Rule Opposed by RCRC and Key U.S. Senator

This week, RCRC submitted public comments to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and raised numerous concerns for a proposed rule that could short-change local government input into BLM resource management plans.  The proposed rule would weaken the requirement to ensure consistency with local land use management plans, limit public input into specific provisions of a plan, and shorten the public comment period for others.  

The proposed rule would also concentrate additional authority in BLM’s Director in Washington, DC, for determining the scope of resources management plans and the officials who would write those plans.  Greater emphasis would be given to develop broader regional plans, inviting further influence of national interest groups over local governments and stakeholders.  Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski, Chair of the Senate committee with jurisdiction over BLM, sent a letter this week to BLM Director Neil Kornze expressing similar concerns and urged the BLM to withdraw the rule and engage with State, local and tribal governments to rewrite a rule more consistent with the requirements of the Federal Land and Policy Management Act (FLPMA).