U.S. Bureau of Land Management Rescinds Conservation Rule, Opening Western Lands to Increased Logging
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has officially rescinded the Conservation and Landscape Health Rule, a federal regulation that required the agency to consider conservation equally alongside development in land-use decisions. This rule, established during the Biden administration, aimed to ensure that conservation was given due consideration along with other uses such as mining, timber, and recreation on public lands. The BLM's decision to eliminate the rule follows a period of public consultation, during which nearly 140,000 comments were received. The agency justified the rescission by stating that the rule imposed unnecessary burdens and uncertainty in planning and permitting processes. Environmental groups, including The Wilderness Society, have expressed concern that this move will prioritize industrial-scale development, such as oil and gas extraction, over conservation efforts on millions of acres across the West. 
