DURANGO, Colo. – 180 elected mountain community leaders from across the West are urging the Trump Administration to abandon its shortsighted push to roll back the Public Lands Rule – a critical rule the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) finalized last year that balanced stewardship on public lands by putting conservation on equal footing with other uses of BLM land like energy development, livestock grazing and recreation.

In a comment letter, the county commissioners/supervisors, mayors, and council members/trustees wrote that the Rule provides a more balanced approach to public lands management in the West, and said any rollback will negatively impact Western communities’ important wildlife habitat, treasured recreation areas, critical water resources, and Indigenous cultural sites. 

“Western communities depend on well-managed public lands to support our economies and our outdoor way of life, and the BLM Public Lands Rule ensures that conservation of these irreplaceable landscapes is given equal consideration,” said Mountain Pact Director Anna Peterson. “This critical tool conserves key lands and waters for residents, wildlife, and future generations, and brings much-needed balance to BLM management. We oppose the elimination of this commonsense rule and encourage the administration to fully implement it.”

The Rule does not eliminate oil and gas development, mining, logging, or grazing. In fact, 81% of BLM-managed lands remain open to oil and gas leasing. It simply clarifies existing law and gives the BLM the tools to ensure that these uses are considered alongside other important public values, such as clean air and water, access to nature, recreation opportunities, and the protection of cultural and historical resources. 

92% of public comments submitted during the robust comment period in the spring of 2023 supported the Public Lands Rule. 82% percent of voters in the West–on both sides of the aisle–support a national goal of conserving America’s lands and waters in the next decade, including support from over two-thirds of conservative Republican voters.

The Trump administration’s proposal to gut the BLM Public Lands Rule puts important BLM lands that bolster local economies and protect treasured outdoor spaces in danger, and comes amidst an all-out attack on our public lands. Since February, the administration has issued secretarial orders targeting America’s national monuments and positioning drilling and mining interests as the favored users of America’s public lands. Trump has also fired thousands of employees and slashed millions in funding from public land agencies like the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management; waged an all-out assault on renewable energy in favor of more drilling and resource extraction; erected barriers for Land and Water Conservation Fund projects; and made moves to rescind the Roadless Rule.   

More than 300 current and former Western local elected officials from both sides of the aisle, including mayors, county commissioners, state lawmakers, and city and town council members have urgently called for a more balanced approach to the management of our public lands. And 60 western communities have passed pro-public resolutions pushing back on these direct threats to mountain communities and our outdoor way of life.

“Our nation’s protected public lands are tremendous assets to our Western communities. As both a local elected official and outdoor industry business owner, I am thankful that the Bureau of Land Management Public Lands Rule will use conservation mechanisms that will better support outdoor recreation, local economies, and tourism industries as well as provide certainty for rural and gateway communities to make long-term investments,” said Town of Truckee Mayor and Co-owner of Tahoe Mountain Sports, Dave Polivy. “I commend the Bureau of Land Management for recognizing the critical role protected public lands play in our way of life and that they support our outdoor recreation and tourism economies, health, and well-being. They help make the communities where we live what they are while contributing to a healthier and better tomorrow for future generations.”

Protected public lands are important economic drivers for Western communities that add $1.2 trillion to the American economy and support more than 5 million jobs in the US. 

“Public lands power our outdoor economy and provide countless benefits like clean air and water, critical wildlife habitat, and unparalleled opportunities for outdoor recreation,” said Nevada County Supervisor District 5 Hardy Bullock. “We urge the administration to listen to the overwhelming support in communities like mine for the BLM Public Land Rule and reconsider this short sighted rollback before it’s too late.”

Polling has consistently shown protections for public lands hold overwhelming support from both the public and local elected officials. According to the 2024 Conservation in the West Poll, 72 percent of Western voters oppose removing protections on existing national public lands to allow more drilling and mining. The same poll found that 85 percent of voters in the West – including 74 percent of Republicans, 87 percent of Independents, and 96 percent of Democrats – say issues involving clean water, clean air, wildlife and public lands are important in deciding whether to support an elected official.

You can read the full letter to the Trump Administration here and more on The Mountain Pact’s website here.