Sheep Industry News July 2023

President’s Notes BRAD BONER ASI PRESIDENT BLM Rule Could Limit Public Land Use

T he Biden Administration’s Bureau of Land Management and BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning have proposed a new rule named Conservation and Landscape Health. The proposed rule boldly adds an entirely new designation of use to those currently identified in the Federal Land Policy Management Act and establishes a NON COMPETITIVE LEASING SYSTEM for conserva tion. The chilling consequence to this proposed rule is to significantly limit access to our public lands. Conservation is not a use, but an outcome. This proposed rule would serve to undo the tremendous work that has been done for generations by embracing the multiple use mandate and a working partnership between stake holders and the BLM. The proposed rule – written behind closed doors – would fundamentally change the BLM’s multiple use mandate without congressional, state, county or stakeholder input. This is the first time in history that FLPMA would be rewritten without this extremely necessary input. In ad dition, when we consider the short 75-day comment period, BLM has woefully failed to meet its statutory obli gations under the regulatory process. It has bypassed its responsibility to truly evaluate the potential impacts by eliminating the opportunity for anyone – other than BLM senior leadership – to have meaningful input. These actions only serve to greatly decrease stakeholder confidence in any final rule that BLM might bring for ward and begs the question of why a collaborative, transparent process was not used rather than the matter a fact statement to the multiple use community of what is going to happen to them. The proposed rule contains no language or assurance that would help the grazing industry think anything other than this rule is targeted to remove grazing access. The BLM has made it abundantly clear through its pub lic meeting format that it does not want open dialogue on the proposed rule. In a nutshell, the new proposed rule would give BLM the ability to create de facto Wilderness Study Areas of any size with no input from state or county governments by going around the Resource Management Plan or the revision process mandated by FLPMA by granting a conservation lease for up to 10 years to tribes, non-profits or individuals. This proposed rule would undoubtedly serve to elevate conservation use above all other multiple uses. It is times like these that we are so grateful for ASI’s membership in the Public Lands Council and the great working relationship that the association enjoys with many other agriculture and multiple use groups. ASI and its allies will continue to do everything in their power to stave off this ill-thought-out effort to fundamentally change the way our public lands are managed.

4 • Sheep Industry News • sheepusa.org