Elk NetworkBureau of Land Management Releases Draft Public Land Access Priorities

Conservation | March 26, 2020

Below is a news release from the Bureau of Land Management.

As part of its efforts to implement the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act, the Bureau of Land Management released a draft list of public lands with limited or restricted public access for hunting, fishing or other outdoor recreational opportunities, along with a draft map of priority access nominations received from the public and partners. When finalized, this priority list will guide the BLM’s efforts to resolve access issues and expand public recreation opportunities on these parcels of land across the West.

“When President Donald Trump signed this bipartisan bill into law, he furthered his indelible legacy of balancing natural resources conservation and responsibly expanding recreation opportunities on our public lands,” said Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt. “I am proud that the Department of the Interior and its bureaus have worked exhaustively this past year to meet our goals for implementing this historic public lands law for the American people.”

“We are committed to expanding access to public lands, and augmenting opportunities for all Americans to hunt, fish and otherwise enjoy outdoor recreational opportunities on the more than 245 million acres of land we manage nationwide on their behalf,” said BLM Deputy Director for Policy and Programs William Perry Pendley. “We know, though, that especially in the West, the checkerboard of interwoven federal, state and private lands often makes access to prime parcels of public land difficult. That’s why we’re grateful for the strong support and insight provided by the public and our partners to help us identify priority lands where we can resolve access issues with willing landowners using all the tools in our tool box – including land exchanges, direct purchases, easements and external donations.”

The BLM has identified 606 priority geographic areas, in 13 western states, representing approximately 4.7 million acres of public lands in need of some type of public access improvement. During the 30-day public comment and nomination period, which closed on Feb. 29, 2020, the BLM received more than 1,900 additional priority access nominations from the public, state agencies and non-governmental organizations.

The BLM will spend the next several months reviewing nominations for accuracy to ensure they meet all Dingell Act criteria for inclusion in the final lists and maps to be published later this fall. The draft public lands access priorities will be available for viewing beginning March 12, 2020 by accessing the Dingell Act Public Access ePlanning Page.

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation strongly supports efforts to open and improve public access.

(Photo source: Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation)

Below is a news release from the Bureau of Land Management.

As part of its efforts to implement the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act, the Bureau of Land Management released a draft list of public lands with limited or restricted public access for hunting, fishing or other outdoor recreational opportunities, along with a draft map of priority access nominations received from the public and partners. When finalized, this priority list will guide the BLM’s efforts to resolve access issues and expand public recreation opportunities on these parcels of land across the West.

“When President Donald Trump signed this bipartisan bill into law, he furthered his indelible legacy of balancing natural resources conservation and responsibly expanding recreation opportunities on our public lands,” said Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt. “I am proud that the Department of the Interior and its bureaus have worked exhaustively this past year to meet our goals for implementing this historic public lands law for the American people.”

“We are committed to expanding access to public lands, and augmenting opportunities for all

Americans to hunt, fish and otherwise enjoy outdoor recreational opportunities on the more than

245 million acres of land we manage nationwide on their behalf,” said BLM Deputy Director for Policy and Programs William Perry Pendley. “We know, though, that especially in the West, the checkerboard of interwoven federal, state and private lands often makes access to prime parcels of public land difficult. That’s why we’re grateful for the strong support and insight provided by the public and our partners to help us identify priority lands where we can resolve access issues with willing landowners using all the tools in our tool box – including land exchanges, direct purchases, easements and external donations.”

The BLM has identified 606 priority geographic areas, in 13 western states, representing approximately 4.7 million acres of public lands in need of some type of public access improvement. During the 30-day public comment and nomination period, which closed on Feb. 29, 2020, the BLM received more than 1,900 additional priority access nominations from the public, state agencies and non-governmental organizations.

The BLM will spend the next several months reviewing nominations for accuracy to ensure they meet all Dingell Act criteria for inclusion in the final lists and maps to be published later this fall. The draft public lands access priorities will be available for viewing beginning March 12, 2020 by accessing the Dingell Act Public Access ePlanning Page.

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation strongly supports efforts to open and improve public access.

(Photo source: Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation)