Hoeven: Congress Protects Multiple Use on Federal Lands, Repeals BLM Planning Rule

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today voted to repeal the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) “Planning 2.0” rule under the Congressional Review Act. Hoeven cosponsored the Senate’s companion resolution and spoke on the Senate floor today to urge the Senate to pass the measure and send it to the president to be signed into law.

“Access to federal lands is vital to many state and local economies, especially in western states,” Hoeven said. “This BLM rule pulled decision-making away from local officials who know the land and understand the needs of their communities. By repealing this rule, we are preserving our longstanding tradition of allowing multiple uses on federal land and protecting the livelihoods of our ranchers, energy producers and many others.”

BLM currently manages more than 246 million acres of land and 700 million acres of federal and non-federal subsurface estate. Prior to the enactment of Planning 2.0, resource management planning was largely led by BLM’s field offices in coordination with state, local and tribal governments. BLM’s rule undermines these well-established procedures, centralizes decision-making in Washington and ignores the multiple use requirements established by Congress.

Hoeven has worked throughout his tenure in the Senate to ensure that federal lands remain open for multiple uses, including grazing, energy production and recreation, while achieving conservation goals. As part of these efforts, he urged newly-confirmed Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to oppose a one-size-fits-all approach to managing federal lands and balance these various needs.

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