What does the rollback of BLM’s planning rule mean? 03/30/2017
By Chris Heck
WASHINGTON, March 30, 2017 – The Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 established a process that requires the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to develop resource management plans (RMPs) in cooperation with state, local, and tribal governments. The first BLM land planning process regulation was finalized by the agency in 1979; and later revised in 1983, 2005, and most recently in 2017.
Earlier this week, President Donald Trump signed House Joint Resolution 44 into law, nullifying “Planning 2.0” – BLM’s most recent revision (81 Fed. Reg. 89580) of its planning process regulation.
This means all the comment period changes, new definitions, and roles/duties established under the Planning 2.0 rule are no longer valid. The BLM resource management planning process will revert to the planning process that was in place prior to when Planning 2.0 went into effect on January 11, 2017.
NACD continues to believe that a comprehensive, locally led-strategy is the best approach to public-lands management. When BLM decides to move forward with the development of a new rule, NACD looks forward to working with them in the crafting of a rule that enhances local government contribution to the planning process.
To read more about NACD’s concerns with Planning 2.0, head to our Newsroom for press releases, letters, and comments.