Farmers, ranchers, and others are challenging a policy change that puts conservation on the same footing as other land uses.
Farming, ranching, and other interests are banding together to sue the Bureau of Land Management over its public lands conservation rule, which elevates conservation to the same level as other uses of public land.
“The BLM has argued that the rule is necessary to protect public lands against biodiversity loss, pollution from industrial uses, the worsening impacts of climate change and more,” Gabe Castro-Root explains in Bloomberg Law. The BLM says conservation does not necessarily preclude other uses (for example, building transmission lines across conserved land).
The groups involved in the lawsuit argue that “The rule improperly interprets ‘use’ to include ‘non-use,’” preventing other uses. “The rule is ‘substantially the same’ as a 2016 ‘Resource Management Planning’ rule that Congress overturned using the Congressional Review Act (CRA) in 2017, according to the lawsuit.” States including Utah and Wyoming have filed similar lawsuits.
FULL STORY: Industry Groups Sue US to Block Public Lands Conservation Rule
More States Push Back on BLM’s Conservation Rule
Twelve states and industry groups are supporting Utah’s lawsuit against the Bureau of Land Management, arguing the agency can’t bar extractive uses on ‘unappropriated’ public lands.
BLM Grazing Lands Largely Fail Health Assessment
Grazing lands under the agency’s management are not meeting its own criteria for ecosystem conservation and sustainable use.
Key Wins for Conservation in 2024
The year brought some important victories to advocates for public lands, national monuments, and the reclamation of Indigenous history.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
DC Extends Application Window for Outdoor Dining Permits
District restaurants will have until the end of November to apply, but businesses with permits in rush hour parking lanes must end operations on July 31.
Wind Energy on the Rise Despite Federal Policy Reversal
The Trump administration is revoking federal support for renewable energy, but demand for new projects continues unabated.
Passengers Flock to Caltrain After Electrification
The new electric trains are running faster and more reliably, leading to strong ridership growth on the Bay Area rail system.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
Smith Gee Studio
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service