Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Industry leaders and associations representing rural America released statements in response to an amendment offered by Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04) to the Interior and Environment Appropriations bill prohibiting funds from being used to finalize the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) proposed “Landscape and Conservation Health” rule.

Public Lands Council President and Colorado rancher Mark Roeber: “Public lands ranchers lead conservation across the West, but the BLM’s latest proposal would radically change the agency’s mission while also causing more harm than good on the landscape. Public lands ranchers have long managed and protected 155 million acres across the West and have sustained families and economies for decades as a result of their partnership with the BLM. The BLM’s proposal would upend all of that, threatening the decades of cooperative conservation partnerships and future commitments. The Public Lands Council thanks Representative Newhouse for his amendment to defund current efforts on the BLM’s public lands rule.”

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall: “Stewardship is truly strengthened when farmers and ranchers have the flexibility we need to do right by the land. This proposal from BLM has red flags in both policy and process, and I appreciate Congressman Newhouse’s work to send BLM back to the drawing board.”

Western Energy Alliance President Kathleen Sgamma: “BLM’s conservation and landscape health rule would reorient multiple-use lands away from productive uses that sustain rural western communities. The federal government already preserves 112 million acres of wilderness areas, 85 million acres of national parks, 58.5 million acres of roadless areas in National Forests, 95 million acres of wildlife refuges, 39 million acres in BLM’s National Landscape Conservation System, and 21.3 million acres of Areas of Critical Environmental Concern. In addition, states and local governments preserve millions more. But there are also vast working landscapes BLM controls where energy, minerals, livestock, and timber are produced that provide food, fuel, and fiber for all Americans. We strongly support Congressman Newhouse’s amendment to put an end to a rule that would otherwise upset the balance achieved on public lands.”

American Exploration & Mining Association Executive Director Mark Compton: “The proposed rule on Conservation and Landscape Health would significantly change the way BLM manages the 245 million acres of public land it oversees, to the detriment of America’s mineral and energy independence goals and resource dependent rural communities that produce the fiber, food, minerals, and energy America requires from its public lands. BLM should withdraw this fundamentally flawed rule, but since they have not, AEMA supports Congressman Newhouse’s amendment to the Interior and Environment appropriations bill to block the rule from moving forward.”

Independent Petroleum Association of America Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President Dan Naatz: "IPAA believes the BLM conservation proposed rule is a gross overreach of BLM’s directive and violates the statutory authority given to BLM under FLPMA as well as misaligns with the Congressional intent in creating and delegating powers to BLM. In addition, the content of the proposed rule will have devastating impacts on the U.S. economy and hinder American energy security by curtailing energy production on federal lands. The rule has been hastily crafted and IPAA is grateful to Rep. Newhouse and others for their strong Congressional oversight as this process moves forward."

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President and South Dakota cattle producer Todd Wilkinson: “NCBA is extremely grateful to Representative Newhouse for leading the charge to defund the BLM’s public lands rule. Public lands ranching is an important part of the cattle industry and creating more red tape for public lands grazing only endangers our nation’s food security while harming the very people who conserve our beautiful landscapes.”

National Mining Association President and Chief Executive Officer Rich Nolan: “We applaud Chairman Newhouse’s efforts to ensure access to federal lands for the multiple uses intended by Congress, including energy and mineral development. These lands historically have and will continue to provide a large share of the metals and minerals produced in this country essential for our economic and national security needs. Our nation’s supply chains are already incredibly vulnerable due to our heavy dependence on foreign sources for the minerals required for our manufacturing, energy, defense and technology supply chains. Our import dependence continues to grow because of unwise and unnecessary limits on land use, even as demands for minerals are increasing exponentially to meet the needs of future energy technologies such as electric vehicles, as well as renewable and battery technologies. We should be doing more to support mining and ensuring access to mineralized federal lands in the U.S., where it is done according to the strictest environmental standards and creates stable, high-paying jobs, at a time when our economy desperately needs them.”

U.S. Chamber of Commerce: “The U.S. Chamber appreciates the efforts of Congressman Newhouse to prevent finalizing the BLM Conservation and Land Use Rule.  Since federal law already allows the government to conserve land, the rule is not necessary. However, it’s implementation could threaten energy development and mining and grazing on public lands, which in turn could increase prices on food and energy for all Americans. We urge the committee to adopt the Newhouse Amendment.”