Zinke Orders BLM to Revise Land Use and NEPA Processes

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has directed the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to revise its land-use planning and environmental review processes. This directive comes shortly after Congress repealed an Obama-era rule aimed at similar reforms. Zinke's memo to BLM acting Director Mike Nedd outlines a plan to eliminate redundancies and inefficiencies while maintaining legal and resource stewardship responsibilities.

Zinke's memo, dated March 27, coincides with President Trump's signing of a resolution scrapping BLM's Planning 2.0 rule. This rule had been the first revision in three decades of the land-use planning process for managing the agency's 245 million acres. However, Zinke noted concerns about Planning 2.0 and BLM's planning and environmental analysis processes that need addressing.

Among the issues cited are project delays caused by appeals and litigation, often by environmental groups, against extensive environmental analyses of land-use plans and projects. Zinke instructed Nedd to review all aspects of the planning process and report back within six months with recommendations for regulatory or legislative actions to meet seven outlined goals.

• Partnering federal land-use planning efforts with state planning efforts.
• Reducing duplicative analyses required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
• Increasing transparency in the NEPA process, particularly regarding timeframes, delays, and costs.
• Finding ways to avoid delays caused by appeals and litigation.
• Developing a process to appropriately size environmental review documents.

Environmental groups often challenge BLM reviews when a less comprehensive environmental assessment is conducted instead of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Zinke aims to restore order and efficiency to the federal land planning process, addressing feedback that the system is broken and burdensome.

Heather Swift, an Interior spokeswoman, stated that BLM is early in the review process, emphasizing priorities like access to federal lands and local collaboration on land management decisions. Kathleen Sgamma of the Western Energy Alliance supports the review, advocating for efficient NEPA and planning processes that protect natural resources while allowing for responsible energy development.

Conversely, Greg Zimmerman of the Center for Western Priorities criticized the repeal of Planning 2.0, arguing it aimed to improve transparency in land-use planning. He contends that the administration's actions waste taxpayer dollars and undermine years of work.

Zinke's memo aligns with the President's priorities, focusing on permitting energy projects and streamlining land use planning to support development. The draft priority list targets Obama-era federal lands management initiatives, drawing criticism from conservation groups and political figures.

Originally posted by E&E News.