BLM Extends Comment Period on Land-Use Rule

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In response to requests from the public, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management announced Thursday it has extended the comment period on a proposed land-use planning rule by 30 days.
“The proposed rule aims to improve the planning process by making it more collaborative, transparent, and effective,” a BLM news release states.
The comment period will be extended by 30 days, from April 25 to May 24. The proposed rule was made available to the public two weeks prior to its publication in the Federal Register on February 25. With this extension, the BLM will provide a public comment period of 104 days. A notice formalizing this extension will be published in the Federal Register.
Implementation of the proposed rule would enable the BLM to apply the best practices that it has identified over the past 30 years of land-use planning. Continuing the BLM’s longstanding tradition of working closely with communities and local partners, the proposed rule would create increased opportunities for public involvement and transparency in the management of the 245 million acres of public lands that the BLM administers, according to the news release.
The rule would also establish an upfront assessment of baseline conditions in the planning area using the best available science and other relevant information, like traditional ecological knowledge and public views.
The project website, www.blm.gov/plan2, contains the proposed rule, recordings of the past public webinar and meeting, and other resources.
By: Las Cruces Sun-News
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