BLM moves to ensure wildlife protection
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Kristen Nelson
U.S. Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Land and Minerals Management Rebecca Watson told the American Wildlife Conservation Partners annual meeting Aug. 14 in Washington, D.C., that the federal government is taking steps to help ensure that conservation of wildlife, wildlife habitat and recreation are part of the land-use planning process on public lands.
Watson said she has directed the Bureau of Land Management to remind all BLM state directors and regional offices that they have the discretion, during the preparation of a new resource-management plan, to temporarily defer leasing to protect alternatives under consideration in the new plan.
“The use of this discretion will preserve flexibility in the new land-use plan and avoid leasing in lands that may later be closed or restricted to protect wildlife in the new plan,” Watson said in a statement. BLM issued this policy directive Aug. 13.
BLM said that under the policy guidance, BLM state offices are to consider temporarily deferring oil, gas and geothermal leasing on federal lands with land-use plans that are currently being revised or amended. Does not affect Alaska BLM Alaska state office spokesman Ed Bovy told Petroleum News Aug. 18: “It applies to us — it just doesn’t affect us.” BLM manages the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, and Bovy said BLM in Alaska doesn’t “do any leasing until we have a complete plan approved.”
In the Lower 48, Bovy said, there may be leases in place on land where the plan is being revised.
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