A recent proposal by the Department of Interior aims to rebalance public land management by placing conservation on “an equal footing” with other land uses.
The U.S. Department of the Interior is a federal agency that protects and manages the Nation’s natural resources and cultural heritage. It does by providing science and other info about those resources.
The proposed “Public Lands Rule” would guide the efforts of the Bureau of Land Management, or BLM – which is responsible for 245 million acres of land nationally – 15 million of those acres are right here in California.
BLM land plays an important role here in the hi desert, with a large portion of the arid lands surrounding us being protected by BLM status – Johnson Valley, Sunfair and other drylakes come to mind.
The Mojave Desert Land Trust released a statement welcoming the Department of Interior’s announcement of the planned Public Lands Rule, saying that a rebalancing of future needs without our public lands is necessary to conserve important wildlife habitat and landscapes. In the statement, MDLT Joint Executive Director Kelly Herbison says that The California desert is part of the last remaining intact ecosystem in the continental United States. But climate disruption is bringing intense heat, drought, and uncertain precipitation to this region. Habitat loss, wildfires, and invasive species are on the increase. This proposed new rule comes at a pivotal time.”
A 75-day public comment period on the proposal ends in June – for more information you can see links at this story on our website.
Press Release:
