Conservation groups praise BLM ruling; North Dakota lawmakers criticize

Apr. 27—WASHINGTON — Conservation groups were quick to applaud a

Public Lands Rule

the Department of Interior announced Thursday, April 18, that puts conservation on par with other uses, such as resource extraction on lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management, but members of North Dakota's congressional delegation were critical of the federal action.

In a nutshell, the Interior Department's rule would overhaul the management of 245 million acres of land that falls under BLM management, putting less emphasis on resource extraction to the benefit of conservation, fish and wildlife habitat and recreation. In a news release, Sen. John Hoeven said the rule would establish "conservation leases" that would lock away federal lands in conflict with the longstanding tradition of multiple use requirements established by Congress.

Hoeven said he and Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyoming, will introduce a Congressional Review Act resolution of disapproval to repeal the rule. Hoeven and Barrasso both are members of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

"Congress has mandated that taxpayer-owned lands be available for grazing, energy production, recreation and other uses, which is particularly important in North Dakota and other western states that depend on access to federal lands," Hoeven, R-N.D., said in a statement. "The Biden administration's public lands rule would lock away federal lands in direct conflict with the longstanding multiple use law, which is why Senator Barrasso and I will introduce legislation to stop this onerous rule."

Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., said "conservation leases" is a euphemism for locking up federal land, "which is a violation of BLM's multiple use mandate, threatening energy development, livestock grazing, recreation and other uses."

Cramer is a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

"The Biden administration's actions continue a disturbing trend of flouting the law," Cramer said in a statement.

The National Wildlife Federation and Backcountry Hunters and Anglers were among the numerous conservation groups issuing statements in support of the rule.

"Hunters and anglers welcome this fresh opportunity to conserve and restore public lands. We know these lands intimately and we know many of them could use help to serve the fish and wildlife that rely on them,"

Aaron Kindle, director of sporting advocacy at the National Wildlife Federation

, said in a statement. "We're also excited to see conservation get its fair shake among the uses on BLM lands. For far too long extractive uses have been favored over conservation. We're glad this decision restores balance."

Carlee Koutnik, program manager for the NWF's Artemis Sportswoman Program

, said wildlife, sporting traditions and rural communities that depend on hunting and angling to fuel their economies all will benefit from the rule.

"There are millions of acres of Bureau of Land Management land that are failing rangeland health standards," Koutnik said in a statement. "The Public Lands Rule provides a pathway for identifying landscapes with important ecological characteristics so they can be restored and conserved."

In a news release, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers said the rule clarifies that managing the public lands for conservation is a "valid use" and should be considered as such under the multiple use and sustained yield framework of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act.

"When implemented, the rule will provide tremendous long-term conservation and recreational benefits on land stewarded by the BLM that finally represents the interest of more Americans," Patrick Berry, BHA's president and CEO, said in a statement.

Other conservation groups issuing statements supporting the rule included Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and Trout Unlimited.

In a news release, Trout Unlimited said the BLM published the proposed

Public Lands Rule

in the federal register on April 3, 2023, for a 90-day public comment period, the longest comment period on rulemaking in recent history. BLM received 216,403 comments from Tribes, state and local governments, industry groups, advocacy organizations and members of the public, TU said.

According to the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, the BLM manages nearly 70,000 acres of land in North Dakota, mostly in the western part of the state. Much of the land is leased for agricultural use but is open to public access, the department said.