This experience on the freeway in Utah came to mind this week when we learned some disturbing news that local BLM offices are being told to revisit their travel plans based on directives from the Department of Interior in DC that will require them to close
hundreds of miles of roads. This is added to the rumors we’re hearing that BLM is being directed to manage areas that are part of proposed wilderness bills as if they are wilderness. Even though the bills that are proposed to create these wilderness areas
have almost no chance of passing in Congress, we are hearing that BLM will be exploring ways to close roads and manage them as wilderness anyway.
The news from Utah is consistent with another case where we’ve seen the Sequoia National Forest in California cancel its Piute Travel Planning process, so they can start over with the goal posts moved decidedly in the direction of closing more roads and
trails. BRC, local governments, and other non-profit partners spend countless hours participating in plans like these, and it feels like agency leaders are trying everything they can to subvert the legal requirements to collect and consider relevant feedback.
It will be through hundreds or thousands of small decisions and actions that 30% of our lands and waters will be locked up by 2030. Every day it feels like there’s a new column of smoke on the horizon, and we need to adjust accordingly.
This is why we’ve picked up the pace at BRC. This is why we’ve invested in creating multiple action alerts to make it easy for you to add your voice to these processes. Of course, we’re adding our voice on behalf of our members as well. We are 100% confident
that if we don’t show up at all, that we will lose unprecedented amounts of access. So, we have to show up. We are also convinced that if we show up in force with good information, that we can prevent some of worst outcomes on the horizon from becoming reality.
In this update we want to share two new action alerts to enlist your help to contact your members of Congress to oppose two major wilderness proposals that will lock up tens of millions of acres of land in Colorado, California, Washington, Idaho, Oregon,
Montana, and Wyoming. We’re here to help you see what’s coming and work together to chart a better path as we try to avoid the 30x30 lockdown of our public lands.
Ben Burr
Executive Director
Action Alert 1: Help Create a Record of Opposition to the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act
The House Natural Resources Committee will be holding a hearing on the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act
on February 15. This gargantuan wilderness bill will close 23 million acres of public land to the public In Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Oregon, and Washington. It was introduced by Representative Maloney from New York, who has no business or mandate
from her constituents to lock up 23 million acres of land in states she doesn’t represent. Click the button below to learn more about this bill and find our action alert tool.