Huffman, DeGette Call on Biden Admin to Conserve Public Lands

Representatives Lead over three dozen colleagues in a letter to Bureau of Land Management, Endorsed by 38 Organizations

January 31, 2023

Washington, D.C. – Representatives Jared Huffman (CA-02) and Diana DeGette (CO-01) led nearly 40 of their colleagues in a letter asking Interior Secretary Deb Halland to direct the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to shift its focus to conserving public lands as the climate and biodiversity crises worsen.

“Our remote lands are frequently overlooked in conversations about addressing the climate crisis, but their contributions will be crucial. Public lands not only support complex ecosystems, but also can sequester carbon and make areas more resilient to the impacts of climate change,” the members wrote in their letter. “The largest opportunity to protect our public lands lies with the Bureau of Land Management. For years, DOI and the BLM have not utilized their ability to protect these lands, leaving critical habitats vulnerable to degradation of their unique resources. Without proper protections, these lands face many threats that could jeopardize wilderness-quality values the Bureau of Land Management stated these lands have.”

The letter urges the BLM to use its existing statutory authority under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) to update inventories of the resources it manages—including areas that qualify for wilderness designation, areas of critical environmental concern (ACECs), and other conservation areas.

In addition to Reps. Huffman and DeGette, the letter was signed by Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Donald Beyer (VA-08), Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE At-Large), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Yadira Caraveo (CO-08), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), André Carson (IN-07), Judy Chu (CA-28), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Jason Crow (CO-06), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Raúl Grijalva (AZ-07), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Rick Larsen (CT-01), Barbara Lee (CA-12), Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03), Mike Levin (CA-49), Stephen Lynch (MA-08), Doris Matsui (CA-07), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Joe Neguse (CO-02), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC At-Large), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Brittany Pettersen (CO-07), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Katie Porter (CA-47), Raul Ruiz (CA-25), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Adam Schiff (CA-30), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Mike Thompson (CA-04), and Jill Tokuda (HI-02).

The letter was endorsed by The Wilderness Society, Sierra Club, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, League of Conservation Voters, Endangered Species Coalition, Colorado Wildlands Project, Continental Divide Trail Coalition, Sheep Mountain Alliance, Information Network for Responsible Mining, Soda Mountain Wilderness Council, New Mexico Wild, New Treks, Great Old Broads for Wilderness, Great Old Broads for Wilderness – Northern San Juan Chapter, Los Padres ForestWatch, Kettle Range Conservation Group, Salem Audubon Society, Defenders of Wildlife, Conservation Lands Foundation, Upper Gila Watershed Alliance, GreenLatinos, Center for Biological Diversity, California Wilderness Coalition, Californians for Western Wilderness, Hispanic Federation, Klamath Forest Alliance, Friends of Yaquina Lighthouses, National Parks Conservation Association, Oregon Wild, Colorado Wild Public Lands, Federation of Western Outdoor Clubs, Washington Friends for Wild Utah, San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council, Western Watersheds Project, New Mexico Wildlife Federation, Federation of Western Outdoor Clubs, Applegate Siskiyou Alliance, and Latino Outdoors.

A copy of the letter can be found here or below:

 

The Honorable Debra Haaland

Secretary, U.S. Department of the Interior

1849 C St., NW – 6156

Washington, D.C. 20240

 

Dear Secretary Haaland:

In order to combat the climate and biodiversity crises, we encourage you to shift the focus of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to emphasize conservation by utilizing all the administrative tools at your disposal. These tools include designating Wilderness Study Areas, meaningful protection for Areas of Critical Environmental Concern, and connecting landscapes for safe travel for wildlife. We urge you to use your statutory authority established by the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) to provide protections for our public lands and waters and drastically increase the opportunity of overcoming these crises.

Under FLPMA, the Department of the Interior has the authority to update inventories of the resources it manages—including areas that qualify for wilderness designation, areas of critical environmental concern (ACECs), and other conservation areas. Under section 202 of FLPMA, once such inventories have been completed, the Interior Department may then move to administratively protect lands as new Wilderness Study Areas. Managing these BLM lands in a wilderness-like state would help achieve President Biden’s goal to protect 30 percent of lands and waters by 2030.

Our remote lands are frequently overlooked in conversations about addressing the climate crisis, but their contributions will be crucial. Public lands not only support complex ecosystems, but also can sequester carbon and make areas more resilient to the impacts of climate change.

The largest opportunity to protect our public lands lies with the Bureau of Land Management. For years, DOI and the BLM have not utilized their ability to protect these lands, leaving critical habitats vulnerable to degradation of their unique resources. Without proper protections, these lands face many threats that could jeopardize wilderness-quality values the Bureau of Land Management stated these lands have.

FLPMA directs the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to give priority to the designation and protection of ACECs. These are places where special management attention is required to protect and prevent irreparable damage to important historic, cultural, or scenic values, fish and wildlife resources or other natural systems or processes. For decades, this designation has gone largely underutilized, with inconsistent identification, designation, and management. If fully embraced, ACECs can preserve and protect historical and cultural resources and sites as well as promote public access and enjoyment of the open air, outdoor areas and historic resources of the nation.

Protecting new Wilderness Study Areas and ACECs in a durable way as envisioned in FLPMA would be a significant step to mitigate climate change and reach the administration’s 30 x 30 goal. Thank you for your commitment to the stewardship of our nation’s public lands.

Sincerely,

[Members of Congress]