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Policy group says Bureau of Land Management policies offer conservation opportunities

By Ron Dungan
Published: Wednesday, November 23, 2022 - 3:19pm

A Washington-based policy group says that the Biden administration will need to do more in 2023 in order to meet its climate goals.

The Bureau of Land Management could figure prominently in those efforts.

A new report by the Center for American Progress says the president must act quickly if the nation is to meet its 2030 climate targets.

One of the cornerstones of Biden’s environmental policy calls for the nation to set aside 30 percent of its lands for conservation, and those goals should be met to keep those targets in sight.

Michael Carrol, a spokesman for the Wilderness Society, said the report singled out BLM policies and management plans.

"That’s the big takeaway here. You know BLM lands represent the single best opportunity, or biggest opportunity for the Biden administration and Secretary Haaland to make conservation progress," Carroll said.

He said that updating management plans for BLM lands near Safford and Kingman could have significant impacts.

Those plans are about 40 years old.

Climate ChangeEnvironment