|
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released a new policy identifying and prioritizing habitat connectivity on America’s public lands. The Instructional Memorandum directs BLM state offices to explicitly consider how wildlife, fish, and plant habitats are connected as part of its land use planning process. The new policy will lead to a geospatial database that identifies lands and waters that priority species need to move between habitats, especially as those habitats shift with a changing climate.
"Tracking and prioritizing the connections between landscapes will become increasingly important as climate change and development threaten America’s plants and wildlife," Center for Western Priorities Executive Director Jennifer Rokala said in a statement. "This new policy shows that Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning, and their entire team are focused on building an agency to steward America’s public lands through the 21st century.”
The Instructional Memorandum recognizes that successful habitat connectivity work is a collaborative process, and may require co-stewardship with states and tribes. “This ties into work we are already undertaking with states, Tribes, conservation groups, federal agencies and others to make sure wildlife has room to roam well into the future," said Stone-Manning. "The BLM looks forward to continuing and expanding these collaborations on behalf of win-wins for wildlife, natural resources, and people.”
What the 2022 election means for public lands
In the latest episode of CWP's Podcast, The Landscape, CWP Executive Director Jennifer Rokala and political consultant Curtis Hubbard join Aaron to break down the 2022 election results—and President Biden's headwear—to find out what it all means for public lands.
|
Conservation isn’t just about counting acres—it requires using the best science and knowledge to identify and protect the lands most at risk today.”
