Senators from the West demand BLM stop pushing citizens off public land.

Republican Senators Demand BLM Reconsider Proposed Public Lands Rule

More than a dozen Republican senators are standing up against the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) proposed Public Lands Rule, which could threaten the “multiple use” mandate established by Congress in 1976. The new rules could lock up taxpayer property from grazing or development, and the GOP lawmakers are warning about the consequences of this far-reaching proposal.

BLM Proposal Jeopardizes Multiple Use Mandate

The BLM manages 245 million acres of public property, more than 90 percent of which lies in Western states. The proposed Public Lands Rule would predominantly affect rural residents who use federal land. However, the BLM announced in-person public hearings on the new rules in urban centers such as Denver, Reno, and Albuquerque. Not one state with a single Republican senator is slotted to host BLM officials over the proposed framework.

The new framework threatening to cut off grazing rights appears to come straight from the BLM director’s 1992 graduate thesis. In 2021, Director Stone-Manning was among President Joe Biden’s most controversial nominees. While criticism largely focused on her role in tree spiking, a popular form of ecoterrorism in the early 90s, Stone-Manning also advocated population control and designed ads critical of grazing on public lands.

Republican Senators Stand Up for Ranchers

Republican senators are standing up for ranchers, who are the original conservationists. “This new leasing regime opens the door for a new, noncompetitive process designed to lock away parcels of land, with no limits to size, for a period of 10 or more years,” Republican senators wrote Thursday. “It’s clear that anti-grazing and anti-development organizations would abuse this tool to attempt to halt ranching and block access to our nation’s abundant energy reserves located on public lands.”

If implemented, the new rules are likely to face a court challenge. In June, the Supreme Court narrowed the scope of authority for federal agencies to bypass Congress with wide-ranging rules and regulations drawn up by unelected bureaucrats.

Meet the Author: Tristan Justice

Tristan Justice is the western correspondent for The Federalist and the author of Social Justice Redux, a conservative newsletter on culture, health, and wellness. He has also written for The Washington Examiner and The Daily Signal. His work has also been featured in Real Clear Politics and Fox News. Tristan graduated from George Washington University where he majored in political science and minored in journalism. Follow him on Twitter at @JusticeTristan or contact him at [email protected]. Sign up for Tristan’s email newsletter here.