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Rep. Stansbury Leads Letter on BLM Proposed Public Lands Rule

September 7, 2023

The letter addresses a proposed rule by the Bureau of Land Management in light of significant public attention and witness testimony.

WASHINGTON –Today, U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.-01) led a letter to the Bureau of Land Management alongside Reps. Teresa Leger Fernandez, Steven Horsford, Susie Lee, Mike Levin, Dina Titus, and Gabe Vasquez. The letter concerns a proposed Public Lands Rule by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which was discussed in the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, where she serves as Ranking Member. The proposed rule has received significant public interest, with over 150,000 public comments submitted. The letter highlights the progress this rule will be making in land management and conservation while asking for clarification and highlighting potential areas to improve the rule.   

“By promoting resilience and landscape-level planning on federal lands and placing conservation as a land use on equal footing with other land uses, the proposed rule represents a significant step forward in the management of America’s public lands,” the Members wrote.  

Building on witness testimony from late May, the letter requests the following of the BLM regarding the proposed rule: 

· Clarification on compatibility with renewable energy development 

· Consideration for arid ecosystems 

· Preservation of State Director decision-making authority 

· Inclusion of state and local governments in holding conservation leases 

· Additional opportunities for community feedback 

You can find the full text of the letter here. 

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