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The Center for American Progress (CAP) commissioned an analysis of public lands that makes the case that the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) proposed public lands rule provides an opportunity to protect or restore millions of acres of vulnerable public lands with high recreational values that will help meet outdoor recreation needs.
According to CAP's report of the analysis, more than 20 million acres of BLM lands in the contiguous United State are within ten miles of underserved communities with little access to open spaces. This discrepancy, referred to in the report as the "nature gap," occurs when communities of color and other historically marginalized groups have inequitable access to natural places, often due to historical discrimination, dispossession, and segregation.
The BLM's public lands rule calls for identifying and prioritizing the conservation of "intact" landscapes that are in pristine condition as well as the restoration of rangelands that have been negatively impacted by the impacts of climate change through prolonged drought, wildfire, and other disturbances. The report suggests that the implementation of a strong public lands rule to preserve and restore landscapes near communities with nature gaps would help provide those communities with better access to natural places.
Although BLM lands have seen record visitation in recent years, the CAP report says BLM lands that are preserved for recreation can be used to handle an overflow of visitor demand at national park sites. "Beyond our best-known parks, America’s public lands hold massive, untapped potential to connect people with nature, meet growing demand for outdoor recreation, and sustain rural economies," said Drew McConville, a CAP senior fellow and co-author of the analysis. "Through its public lands rule and new investments in recreation, the Biden administration is embracing this opportunity.”
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This agreement is the start of fixing a wrong. Grand Coulee Dam allowed the desert to bloom, and many faraway cities enjoyed the cheap electricity it produces, at my people’s expense.”
