National Parks Benefit from Public Lands Rule, Ushering in Stronger Conservation Stewardship

WASHINGTON–Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released an influential final rule that marks a shift in its public lands management, better integrating conservation into the decision-making process for managing 245 million acres of public land. The Public Lands Rule is a significant step towards preserving wildlife habitat, protecting vital watersheds, expanding outdoor access, and safeguarding cultural resources.

“Across the West, people are rallying behind more conservation for the places we love—the desert landscapes, the sandstone vistas, the sagebrush steppe and the wildlife that thrives there. The impact of the Public Lands Rule goes beyond BLM-managed lands, benefiting 80 neighboring national parks and countless communities,“ said Matthew Kirby, senior director for energy and landscape conservation at the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA). “For the first time, conservation stands shoulder to shoulder with extractive uses on public lands, empowering the BLM to monitor landscape and wildlife health for informed management decisions.”

Currently, 90% of public land managed by BLM is open to commodity-driven extraction, like mining and oil and gas development. This imbalance has persisted for too long, with our public lands shouldering the weight of that development and a legacy of industrial waste pollution.

The Public Lands Rule strikes a balance between conservation and extractive land uses. This rule provides the bureau with leverage to allow for more complete consideration of land uses, including conservation uses or restoration projects, that could protect important places like national parks.

How might the Public Lands Rule impact national parks?

• Culturally rich landscapes, including those near Chaco Culture National Historical Park and John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, stand to benefit from the Public Lands Rule. By allowing for conservation and restoration efforts, the bureau can protect the cultural resources and rich heritage of these places, to tell the full story of America for generations to come.

• The Public Lands Rule establishes better guidelines for what makes an “intact landscape,” giving BLM the tools it needs to make informed decisions for land management, benefiting critical wildlife habitat. From Grand Teton National Park to Yellowstone, this rule can ensure the Red Desert to Hoback migration corridor remains intact to better support wildlife.

• Diverse ecosystems like those near Joshua Tree and Canyonlands National Parks are poised to benefit from stronger collaboration and conservation efforts that safeguard areas just outside of national parks, helping to preserve the wildlife, water, and natural resources inside parks.

Central to the rule is a novel restoration and mitigation leasing framework, designed to improve degraded lands and reduce harm from development impacts. Given the urgency of increasing drought and compounding impacts posed by climate change, this rule is critically important for healthy landscapes and waterways to thrive into the future.

“By creating new opportunities for Tribes, nonprofits, private entities, and others to lead restoration projects, this all-hands-on-deck approach brings more ideas to the table to catalyze the long-term health and climate resilience of our public lands,” Kirby continued.

With decisive actions like this rule, the Biden administration, Department of Interior, and BLM are demonstrating a commitment to conservation on our public lands and places near our beloved national parks and reflecting the widespread public support for preserving natural and cultural resources for future generations.

At the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), we are working both in and beyond park boundaries to protect landscapes, sustain healthy and intact ecosystems, and connect critical habitat for plants and animals to allow them room to adapt to a rapidly changing climate. We welcome durable policies that protect our public lands and champion them as climate and conservation solutions.

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About the National Parks Conservation Association: Since 1919, the nonpartisan National Parks Conservation Association has been the leading voice in safeguarding our national parks. NPCA and its more than 1.6 million members and supporters work together to protect and preserve our nation’s most iconic and inspirational places for future generations. For more information, visit www.npca.org.