BLM provides guidance on Public Lands Rule

The Public Lands Council (PLC) Weekly Roundup report, dated Aug. 17, states the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will issue instruction memoranda and guidance on the Public Lands Rule.

Following finalization of the BLM’s Public Lands Rule earlier this summer, the agency has been vocal about developing guidance on implementation of the rule.

Guidance will be crucial to the implementation of the rule, given the rule creates entirely new functions for the agency that the law and regulation do not cover.

The agency also announced they will soon publish a call to establish a federal advisory committee to advise the agency on development of further guidance.

Additionally, BLM published a series of preliminary instructional memoranda and other guidance documents to field staff how the rule interacts with existing authorities.

Federal advisory committee

In an Aug. 8 press release, BLM announced its intent to develop a federal advisory committee to engage the public and help inform the bureau’s implementation of the Public Lands Rule. 

The committee will allow the BLM to continue working with and hear from a range of experts and the public to support successful implementation of the rule. 

“The committee will represent a broad and diverse range of stakeholders and interests and will help inform outreach and engagement, advise on best management practices and participate in the development of agency guidance to support implementation,” states the press release.

This will build on the BLM’s Resource Advisory Council’s (RAC) work, providing valuable feedback on BLM initiatives, regulatory proposals and policy changes.

RACs and advisory committees are sounding boards for BLM initiatives, with each citizen-based council generally consists of 10 to 15 members from diverse interests in local communities, including ranchers, environmental groups, Tribes, state and local government officials, academics and other public land users, according to the BLM website.

RAC and advisory committee members vote on recommendations related to public land management and provide these recommendations to the designated federal official serving as the BLM’s liaison.

In coming weeks, the BLM will publish a call for nominations and a charter for the committee in the Federal Register.

If individuals decide to serve, their participation will help their community, allow them to meet with decisionmakers and be part of the decisionmaking process, engage on mutual interests and broaden professional experience.

Public Lands Rule guidance

The BLM also released a set of initial guidance documents to support clear and consistent implementation of the Public Lands Rule across the bureau’s 12 state and 175 field offices. 

The guidance documents include instruction memoranda, information bulletins and manuals providing policy direction, while the BLM continues to hear from and work with stakeholders and partners to determine best practices.

The various topics cover everything from land health assessments and restoration and mitigation leasing to watershed condition assessments and monitoring of ecological resources, providing direction for BLM field personnel and informing the public on how the rule will work on the ground.  

As BLM continues implementing the rule, the guidance may be updated to accommodate the agency’s experience, new information or input from the public.

“The Public Lands Rule provides essential tools to help BLM improve and conserve the health of the lands we’ve been entrusted with for present and future generations,” says BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning. 

“With this guidance and the announcement of our advisory committee, we are showing our work, demonstrating how this rule will look in practice and asking the public to help inform our implementation so we can make good on our obligation to protect and conserve the health of our public lands,” she adds.

Melissa Anderson is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.