Public Lands Rule proposed rescission draws comment – Capital Press

Report on the Proposed Rescission of the U.S. Public Lands Rule and its Implications for Sustainable Development Goals

A significant policy debate has emerged regarding the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Conservation and Landscape Health Rule, colloquially known as the Public Lands Rule. This report details the arguments surrounding the proposed rescission of the rule, with a specific focus on its alignment with and impact on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Conservation and Landscape Health Rule: Framework and Objectives

Provisions of the Rule

The Public Lands Rule, finalized in June 2024, was established to modernize the management of public lands. Its primary objectives are to advance the BLM’s mission of multiple-use and sustained-yield by integrating conservation more centrally into land management frameworks. Key provisions include:

• Prioritizing the health and resilience of ecosystems across all BLM-managed lands.
• Protecting intact landscapes and restoring degraded habitats.
• Applying consistent land health standards nationally to overcome regional inconsistencies.
• Mandating management decisions based on science and data.
• Revising regulations to better protect Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs).
• Establishing conservation as a formal “use” within BLM’s leasing and permitting structure.

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The rule’s framework directly supports the achievement of several key SDGs:

• SDG 15 (Life on Land): The rule’s core mission to protect intact landscapes, restore degraded habitats, and apply uniform land health standards is a direct implementation of SDG 15’s targets to halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.
• SDG 13 (Climate Action): By focusing on ecosystem resilience, the rule aims to strengthen the capacity of public lands to adapt to climate-related hazards such as increased wildfires and drought, contributing to climate action.
• SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation): Protecting landscapes and ecosystems inherently safeguards water sources, aligning with the goal of ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water.
• SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions): The rule seeks to create a modernized, science-based management framework, promoting effective and accountable governance of public resources as called for by SDG 16.

Contention and Proposed Rescission

Arguments for Rescission

The proposal to rescind the rule, initiated by the BLM in September 2025, is supported by various industry groups, including the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), and states such as Utah and Wyoming. Their primary arguments, which have led to legal challenges, include:

• The rule is unnecessary and undermines the BLM’s management of public lands under existing multiple-use and sustained-yield principles.
• It constrains the agency’s flexibility to balance different land uses.
• The designation of conservation as a “use” for leases and permits is contrary to the BLM’s statutory authority under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA).
• The rule threatens to disrupt the balance between conservation and extractive uses, potentially harming rural economies dependent on ranching, mining, and energy development.

Implications for SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth)

Opponents of the rule argue that its implementation could negatively impact economic activities on public lands. They contend that by elevating conservation to a primary use, the rule could displace traditional industries like grazing, mining, and energy extraction. This perspective highlights a perceived conflict between the environmental objectives of SDGs 13 and 15 and the economic development targets of SDG 8, particularly concerning the livelihoods of rural communities.

Support for the Public Lands Rule

Environmental Groups’ Position

A coalition of 32 environmental organizations has formally opposed the rescission, asserting that the rule is essential for the BLM to fulfill its statutory obligations. Their key arguments are:

• The rule is a “long overdue” response to widespread land degradation that compromises the BLM’s ability to manage for multiple use and sustained yield.
• It provides a necessary, updated, and science-based framework to address modern pressures like climate change, drought, and increased demand for recreation.
• It rightfully places conservation, ecosystem restoration, and community access on equal footing with extractive uses.
• The rule is critical for protecting wildlife, water quality, and public access to natural landscapes from the negative impacts of exploitation.

Advancing a Holistic View of Sustainable Development

Supporters argue that the rule provides a balanced framework essential for achieving long-term sustainability, integrating environmental, social, and governance goals. The rule’s contributions to the SDGs are seen as fundamental to modern public land management:

1. SDG 15 (Life on Land): The rule provides the tools to actively combat land degradation and protect critical ecosystems, moving beyond a default multiple-use model that has historically favored extractive industries.
2. SDG 13 (Climate Action): By mandating the protection and restoration of ecosystems, the rule enhances the natural carbon sequestration capacity of public lands and builds resilience against climate impacts.
3. SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities): The rule ensures that public lands can continue to provide recreational opportunities and access to nature, which are vital for the well-being of both rural and urban communities.
4. SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions): The rule strengthens the BLM’s institutional capacity to manage public lands transparently and effectively for the benefit of all stakeholders, in line with modern scientific understanding and its legal mandate.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 15: Life on Land

  This is the most prominent SDG in the article. The entire discussion revolves around the “Conservation and Landscape Health Rule,” which aims to manage public lands, protect ecosystems, restore degraded habitats, and ensure land health. The article explicitly mentions “widespread land degradation,” the need to “protect intact landscapes, restore degraded habitat,” and protect “wildlife.”

• SDG 13: Climate Action

  The article connects land management directly to climate resilience. It states that the rule enables the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to “better address the growing pressures and impacts on Western communities from increasing wildfires, drought,” which are climate-related hazards.

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

  This goal is addressed through the environmental impacts of land use. An opponent of the rule’s rescission, Randi Spivak, is quoted saying the move will “pollute our water,” implying that the rule provides protections for water resources linked to land health.

• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

  The article highlights the conflict between different uses of public lands, specifically “extractive uses like mining, drilling and grazing” versus conservation and recreation. This relates to the sustainable management of natural resources, a core component of SDG 12.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 15: Life on Land

  • Target 15.1: Ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems. The rule’s intent to “prioritiz(e) the health and resilience of ecosystems across public lands” and “restore degraded habitat” directly aligns with this target.
  • Target 15.3: Combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil. The article mentions concerns about “widespread land degradation” and “drought,” and the rule’s focus on restoration directly supports this target.
  • Target 15.5: Take urgent action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats and halt the loss of biodiversity. The rule’s mandate for BLM to “protect intact landscapes” and “protect areas of critical environmental concern” is a direct action towards this target.
  • Target 15.9: Integrate ecosystem and biodiversity values into national planning. The Public Lands Rule itself is an example of integrating conservation and ecosystem health into the national framework for managing public lands, as it provides “an overarching framework for multiple BLM programs to facilitate ecosystem resilience.”

• SDG 13: Climate Action

  • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters. The article states the rule helps address “increasing wildfires, drought,” which are climate-related hazards, thereby strengthening the resilience of both ecosystems and communities.

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

  • Target 6.6: Protect and restore water-related ecosystems. The concern that repealing the rule will “pollute our water” implies that the rule’s conservation and land health standards serve to protect water-related ecosystems from the impacts of “mining, drilling and exploitation.”

• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

  • Target 12.2: Achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources. The central debate in the article is how to manage public lands, balancing “extractive uses” with conservation. The rule attempts to “bring some balance” to this management, which is the essence of this target.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• For SDG 15 (Targets 15.1, 15.3, 15.5)

  • Development and application of land health standards: The article explicitly mentions that the rule “applies land health standards to all BLM-managed public lands” and includes a process for “developing and adopting consistent national health standards.” The existence and scope of these standards are a direct indicator.
  • Area of land under restoration: The rule’s objective to “restore degraded habitat” implies that the area of land being actively restored can be measured as an indicator of progress.
  • Area of protected landscapes: The goal to “protect intact landscapes” and “prioritize designating and protecting areas of critical environmental concern” suggests that the total area designated under these protections would be a key performance indicator.

• For SDG 13 (Target 13.1)

  • Integration of climate resilience into land management plans: The article implies that the rule is a tool for the BLM to “better address the growing pressures and impacts on Western communities from increasing wildfires, drought.” An indicator would be the formal inclusion of climate adaptation strategies (for fire and drought) in land management policies.

• For SDG 12 (Target 12.2)

  • Proportion of land managed for conservation vs. extractive use: The article discusses the rule’s leasing provisions and the identification of “conservation as a productive use.” An indicator of progress towards balanced use would be the acreage of land under conservation leases compared to leases for grazing, mining, or drilling.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: capitalpress.com