The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has finalized two rules to further prioritize the health of public lands and facilitate renewable energy leases: the Conservation and Landscape Health Rule and the Rights-of-Way, Leasing,...more
Rule would have significant new implications for traditional multiple-use management and conservation uses of public land. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recently unveiled its proposed Conservation and Landscape...more
On April 3, 2023, the Bureau of Land Management (“BLM”) published a proposed rule to promote the conservation of the 245 million acres of public lands it manages. The proposal purports to advance “BLM’s mission to manage the...more
The U.S. Interior Department last Thursday proposed a new program that would allow it to offer leases of public land for conservation purposes, in much the same way as it currently offers acreage for drilling, mining, and...more
Mediante la Resolución No. 0136 del 17 de febrero de 2023, el Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible (MADS) de Colombia amplió el área del Parque Nacional Natural Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, a través de la inclusión...more
By May 22, 2024, Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs (“EEA”) must promulgate regulations under the new Public Land Preservation Act (“PLPA”), M.G.L. c. 3, § 5A (a) and (b), created by Chapter 274 of...more
As the 2020 presidential campaign made clear, President-elect Biden plans to usher in a sharp shift in policy priorities across the federal government. We anticipate significant changes in the management of federal public...more
On Tuesday, February 26, 2019, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to enact landmark legislation that promotes conservation, recreation, historical preservation and cultural resources across the country. The Natural...more
The Bureau of Land Management (“BLM”) has announced a 90-day comment period on proposed amendments to six Resource Management Plans (“RMPs”) and associated draft Environmental Impact Statements (“DEISs”) designed to protect...more
DRECP under review in an effort to alleviate burdens on energy development. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recently issued a notice of intent to review the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP) for...more
On September 8, House and Senate conferees met for the first time to consider the North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act of 2016, the comprehensive energy reform bill that has slowly been making its way through...more
We are pleased to share our 2016 Summary of New Maine Laws enacted during the Second Regular Session of Maine's 127th Legislature, which adjourned sine die April 29, 2016. We provide you this summary to help you stay...more
In 2007, National Park Service rangers stopped John Sturgeon from travelling by hovercraft on the Nation River within the boundaries of Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve. Park Service regulations ban the use of...more
On January 20, Congressmen Rob Bishop and Jason Chaffetz unveiled a “discussion draft” of the Utah Public Lands Initiative Act. The proposed bill undertakes the difficult task of balancing economic development and...more
On Tuesday, November 3, the White House released a Presidential Memorandum: “Mitigating Impacts on Natural Resources from Development and Encouraging Related Private Investment” (“Memorandum”). The Memorandum was sent to the...more
On October 2, 2015, the Bureau of Land Management (“BLM”) and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (“CDFW”) entered into a 12-page “agree[ment] to work with each other to conserve biological and natural resources on...more
Phase I of the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (“DRECP”) is underway on the 9.8 million acres of public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management (“BLM”). As discussed in our previous post, the four lead...more
For the first time in nearly six years, Congress passed a major package of public lands and natural resource bills, which was signed into law by President Obama on December 19, 2014. The package combined dozens of bills...more