From Greenwire today:
BLM finalizes streamlined timber rule that cuts protest time
Excerpt:
The Trump administration continues to revise rules governing the management of forestlands overseen by the Bureau of Land Management in the name of reducing wildfire risks.
The latest is a finalized rule that will eliminate a 15-day protest period after decisions have been rendered for timber harvests, sales and other forest management projects.
“This discretionary protest process was largely duplicative of other opportunities for public involvement,” including opportunities for public comment mandated by the National Environmental Policy Act, according to an advance notice published in today’s Federal Register.
Appeals of BLM forest management decisions can still be filed with the Interior Board of Land Appeals.
I’m sure the Biden admin will reverse course, and the president following him might make another move. Is there a better way to formulate and implement rules such as this, so that there is more certainly down the road? Perhaps a broad-based “board of directors”?
Perhaps the federal government should stop trying to limit public participation and weaken bedrock environmental laws for more logging and resource extraction on public lands.
I think a FACA committee might help. Of course, disagreements would arise over who is on it .. and yet it could provide some political cover for varying Administrations.
From Greenwire, Dec. 21, 2020:
President-elect Joe Biden last week picked veteran environmental attorney Brenda Mallory to help guide federal environmental permitting as the incoming administration gears up to build massive infrastructure projects across the United States.
Many observers see Biden’s Council on Environmental Quality nominee as a sign that he will prioritize redoing the National Environmental Policy Act rules — not only to undo President Trump’s recent changes but also to boost requirements on issues like climate change.
“The selection of Brenda Mallory suggests they will be acting rapidly to strengthen NEPA,” Will Toor, executive director of the group Colorado Energy Office, said on a panel last week hosted by Politico.
More at:
https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2020/12/21/stories/1063721221
FYI, Smokey Wire denizens:
BLM’s press release on its new rule:
https://www.blm.gov/press-release/trump-administration-rolls-out-modernized-forest-management-rule
AFRC’s comments:
https://amforest.org/afrc-supports-new-blm-rule-to-reduce-wildfire-risks-end-paperwork-protests/
Western Environmental Law Center’s input:
https://westernlaw.org/11th-hour-trump-actions-prolong-scorched-earth-policy-threatening-western-public-lands/
They will probably announce a timber sale over a Holiday period or around Christmas time.
My question is how duplicative is this protest period, not sure that the FS has an equivalent. How do protest/IBLA compare to the FS objection process.
Matthew… how does it “weaken bedrock environmental laws” to streamline processes toward litigation?
Sharon. That’s not what I wrote.
I saw your comment “Perhaps the federal government should stop trying to limit public participation and weaken bedrock environmental laws for more logging and resource extraction on public lands.” and related it to the “shortening protest period”.. what did I miss?
Sharon. The federal government has been trying to limit public participation when it comes to resource extraction issues on public lands.
The federal government has also been weakening bedrock environmental laws for more logging and resource extraction on public lands.
It will be a plus if federal land managers can managed their our lands without the endless appeals from environmental organizations. There have been to many good projects delayed or stopped because the agency didn’t study enough alternatives. There have been to many good projects not even initiated because they are not worth the trouble the agency has to go through to get anything done. We should remember logging levels were reduced by over 90% and have remained that way for over 20 years. We are seeing more forest destroyed by fire each year than were logged during period when jobs and timber were important.
There has been this continuing argument that these fires are caused by our previous management practices of the pass century. This may or may not be true. But it obvious to me we need a way forward besides our current policies.