Take Action: Show your support for the BLM's new Public Lands rule
Join Sheep Mountain Alliance in showing our support for the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Conservation and Land Health (Public Lands) rule. This is a rare opportunity to help shape federal regulations to support conservation on our public lands.
Background
This new rule presents a turning point for landscapes and ecosystems managed by the BLM, and would place conservation values on equal footing with other consumptive land uses (including oil and gas, agricultural leasing, as well as mining).
Highlights for conservation include:
Recognize conservation as an equally important use of BLM lands,
Clarify the rules around Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC), leading to greater protections for threatened species such as the Gunnison Sage Grouse,
Emphasize the importance of habitat connectivity and ecosystem integrity in the legislative process,
Value land as a resource for climate resilience, and ecosystem services
Preserve cultural heritage for generations to come
Check out the BLM Public Lands Rule Information Website, read up on the ruling in the Denver Post, and attend the Rocky Mountain Wild BLM Planning Workshop on June 13th at 7pm.
Take Action!
Submit your comment to let the BLM know how important it is to value conservation as a sustainable land use.
Sample Comment
I am writing today to urge the Bureau of Land Management to adopt the proposed Conservation and Landscape Health Rule. I strongly support the steps the BLM is taking to address conservation of our natural and cultural resources nationally. As climate change continues to threaten the survival of ecosystems, species, and wildlife habitats, I strongly encourage the BLM to value conservation on equal ground to other land uses.
The draft Conservation and Landscape Health Rule is an important first step in acknowledging and protecting these important resources, including numerous local issues that are important to me. The Conservation and Land Health rule would refine and improve the current processes that exist for projects such as uranium and other mineral extraction, travel management plans, and threatened species management through the development of ACECs.
As public lands throughout the U.S. continue to be threatened by environmental degradation, ecosystem fragmentation, and development-oriented land uses, conserving biodiversity, ensuring resilience to climate change, providing life sustaining ecosystem services, and preserving our cultural heritage for generations to come is vital to the future of our public lands. Not only would this rule provide more parameters for understanding and implementing these processes, but the rule itself represents a critical shift in land management policy in the Western U.S., the importance of which cannot be overstated.
Additionally, consider including personal experiences related to BLM lands near Telluride, Colorado. This includes Paradox Valley, Dolores River Landscape, American Basin in Silverton, CO, and the West End landscapes such as Gypsum Valley, Dry Creek Basin, McKenna Peak, and the San Miguel River and Dolores River confluence.