
Escalante, Utah – On April 18, 2024, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced the release of the final Public Lands Rule, which establishes a “… framework to ensure healthy landscapes, abundant wildlife habitat, clean water, and balanced decision-making on our nation’s public lands.” Below is a statement from GSEP Executive Director, Dr. Jacqualine Grant, about the Rule and how it relates to the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.
“The Rule provides the BLM with a tool to restore our lands and allow these lands to continue to support our uses, from the ancestral uses of Indigenous people to modern uses such as recreation, and yes, grazing. The Rule gives us the people a way to engage with public lands that we have not had in the past – through restoration leases. Because the Rule is embedded within FLPMA, it applies to all BLM-administered lands, including the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. The Public Lands Rule does not in any way undermine the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA), infringe on multiple-use requirements for BLM lands, or hinder access to public lands.
GSEP looks forward to offering more stewardship opportunities to people who want to give back to our public lands.”
The rule will go into effect 30 days following publication in the Federal Register.
To dive into more detail:
- See the BLM’s webpage on the Public Lands Rule.
- Examine an analysis of more than 150,000 comments on the Public Lands Rule – 92% of which were favorable toward the Rule.
- Explore BLM Conservation Lands that include three National Monuments totalling over 3.2 million acres in Utah.
Contacts:
Dr. Jacqualine Grant, Executive Director, Grand Staircase Escalante Partners (GSEP); (435) 531-0241; jackie@gsenm.org