Contributed by: Gil Riddell, AOC Policy Director
May 25, 2016
Stating concerns that the Bureau of Land Management will see frequently from counties across the nation, AOC criticized the proposed 2.0 planning rules for not providing enough time for counties to digest and offer constructive comments; imposing changes that will reduce requirements to ensure federal consistency with local policies; and implementing a multi-state landscape level of analysis that could diminish its ability to meaningfully assess the local impacts of management decisions.
Planning rules 2.0 appear to direct BLM to recognize for coordination only county plans that have been fully adopted before the planning process begins. Moreover, “implementation strategies” that guide future BLM actions can be revised without triggering the requirement for coordination with counties. The rules also propose a fundamental shift in BLM’s default resource management plan area, by stating the intent to no longer rely on the field office area as the default. The rule would shift the management focus to a high regional level.
Asking that BLM continue to work with counties to improve the proposed rule, AOC urges a practical federal policy that works at the local level.
For its part, the Association of O&C Counties emphasized the distinct nature of its dominant use mandate under the O&C Act, into which the 2.0 rule would not fit.