Equality State News

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senate Western Caucus Chair Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and House Western Caucus Chair Dan Newhouse (R-WA) expressed their concerns over the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) proposed public lands rule which seeks to add ‘conservation’ to the approved uses of public land. This rule would have disastrous impacts in Wyoming, Washington and throughout the entire west. 

In the letter they sent to BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning, Lummis and Newhouse pointed out that the new rule would lock up public land and hurt local communities. Senator Lummis and Congressman Newhouse requested that the BLM extend their public comment period to a minimum of 120 days to hear from people across the west about the impacts of the new rule. 

“People in Wyoming and throughout the west live off the land and have done so responsibly for generations,” said Senator Lummis. “This rule would spell the beginning of the end for countless family-run businesses in Wyoming by allowing radical activist groups from out-of-state to lock-up unlimited acres of land. This is not effective land management and would be a complete disaster for communities across the west.” 

“We already know the Bureau of Land Management’s proposed rule would be devastating to rural communities across America, not to mention counterproductive for the very goals they’re working to achieve,” said Representative Newhouse. “It is clear that this proposed rule was drafted without the input of stakeholders who will be impacted by this regulation, which is why BLM must extend their comment period and allow all perspectives to be addressed.” 

Current uses of public lands include mineral exploration and production, livestock grazing, rights-of-way, fish and wildlife development, recreation and timber. Lummis and Newhouse believe all of these industries would be negatively impacted by the proposed rule, and that conservation already exists hand-in-hand with these uses. 

Click here to view the letter.  

###

Original source can be found here.